Recently, there has been a heated discussion about eating fruits and vegetables with their skins. Some say that eating them with their skins introduces too many pesticides, which can lead to cancer, while others insist that you must eat them with their skins to get the nutrients. This leaves people confused. Is eating the skin really that complicated? Just as cooking spinach can never be perfect, eating fruit can also have its regrets. In fact, to determine whether a fruit or vegetable should be eaten with its skin, you first need to identify the type. Some are healthier with their skins, while others can "cause illness" if eaten with their skin. You should definitely not eat the skins of the following fruits and vegetables.
NO.1: Sweet Potato Skin
Sweet potato skins contain a high amount of alkali, and eating too much can cause gastrointestinal discomfort. The skins that are brown or have black-brown spots are infected with "black spot bacteria," which can produce "ipomeamarone" and "ipomeamarol." When these enter the human body, they can damage the liver and cause poisoning. In mild cases of poisoning, symptoms include nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. In severe cases, it can lead to high fever, headaches, shortness of breath, convulsions, vomiting blood, coma, and even death.
In addition, some street vendors selling roasted sweet potatoes save money by using coke as fuel. The harmful substances produced, such as sulfur dioxide, can easily accumulate in the sweet potato skin. Therefore, eating roasted sweet potatoes with their skin poses a cancer risk.
NO.2: Potato Skin
Potato skins contain "solanine," a toxic substance that is almost entirely concentrated in the skin, especially in the green and sprouted parts. When it accumulates in the body to a certain level, it can cause poisoning. Because the poisoning is chronic and the symptoms are not obvious, it is often overlooked.
Some people like to cook beef with potatoes that still have their skins on. Even after cooking, the solanine remains in the skin. If consumed in large quantities, it can cause symptoms like vomiting, dizziness, and diarrhea. Because the poisoning is chronic and the symptoms are not obvious, it is often overlooked.
NO.3: Ginkgo Skin
The skin contains toxic substances such as "ginkgolic acid," "ginkgolic acid C15:1," "ginkgolic C17:1," and "ginkgol." When these enter the human body, they can damage the central nervous system and cause poisoning. Additionally, the cooked ginkgo nut itself should not be eaten in large quantities.
NO.4: Persimmon Skin
When a persimmon is unripe, tannic acid is mainly found in the flesh. However, after it ripens, the tannic acid concentrates in the skin.
Once in the human body, tannic acid reacts with stomach acid and combines with proteins in food to form a precipitate—known as a persimmon stone. This can store toxins and cause various diseases.
NO.5: Water Chestnut Skin
Water chestnuts often grow in paddy fields, and their skins can accumulate harmful biological waste products and chemicals. Furthermore, water chestnut skins can also contain parasites. Eating unwashed water chestnut skins can lead to illness. Additionally, it should be noted that water chestnut skins contain a lot of starch, so people with diabetes should be cautious about consuming them.
NO.6: Colorful Fruit Skins
All fruits with bright-colored skins should be peeled before eating, as their skins are rich in "flavonoids."
This chemical substance, after entering the human body and being broken down by intestinal bacteria, becomes substances like dihydroxybenzoic acid, which strongly inhibits thyroid function. At a certain level, it can cause thyroid swelling.