Medicinally used jujubes often include black jujubes, southern jujubes, red jujubes, and honeyed jujubes, among which black and southern jujubes have a stronger effect on nourishing the blood and replenishing the middle jiao. Red jujubes are warm in nature but have a milder tonifying effect; honeyed jujubes have a long, rich, and refreshing flavor and are better for moistening and detoxifying. Although jujubes are nutritious, the following points should be noted when consuming them.
1. Do not eat decayed or spoiled jujubes. When jujubes rot, microorganisms multiply, and the jujubes' pectinase continues to break down pectin into pectic acid and methanol, which can further decompose into formaldehyde and methanol. Eating rotten jujubes can cause dizziness and damage to the eyes in mild cases, and can be life-threatening in severe cases.
2. Do not consume with vitamin supplements. The vitamin C in jujubes can break down and destroy vitamin K, reducing its therapeutic effect.
3. Do not eat with cucumbers or radishes. Radishes contain ascorbic acid oxidase, and cucumbers contain vitamin-decomposing enzymes; both components can destroy vitamins in other foods.
4. Do not consume with animal liver. Animal liver is rich in elements like copper and iron. Copper and iron ions can easily oxidize vitamins in other foods, causing them to lose their efficacy.
5. Avoid consumption when taking fever-reducing medicine. Consuming high-sugar foods while taking fever-reducing medicine can easily form insoluble complexes, reducing the initial absorption rate. As jujubes are a high-sugar food, they should be avoided.
6. Do not take when taking bitter or carminative stomachic medicines. Bitter and carminative stomachics work by stimulating the taste organs with the drug's bitterness, which reflexively increases the excitability of the central nervous system to food, thereby aiding digestion and increasing appetite. Taking jujubes with these medicines can significantly affect the drug's efficacy.
7. Not suitable for consumption by those with cavities, abdominal bloating, or severe constipation. Also, avoid eating with scallions or fish.