This ensures the hygiene and safety of tangyuan, and there are also specific considerations for eating them. Experts believe that tangyuan are sticky foods and not easily digested. Therefore, people of all ages should not eat too many, especially the following groups who should pay extra attention:
Diabetics: Tangyuan have a high sugar content. If patients indulge their sweet tooth, their blood sugar can rise sharply, which not only worsens their condition but can also trigger diabetic ketoacidosis.
Patients with ulcers: Eating tangyuan can stimulate increased gastric acid secretion, aggravating the irritation of the ulcer surface. In severe cases, it can induce gastric bleeding or gastric perforation.
Individuals with poor gastrointestinal digestive function: Tangyuan are made from glutinous rice flour and are quite sticky, making them difficult to digest. Eating them can lead to stomach pain, bloating, belching, acid reflux, and even diarrhea.
Patients with acute gastroenteritis: The patient's gastrointestinal tract is in a state of congestion and edema. They should eat easily digestible foods like rice soup or lotus root starch. Eating tangyuan would加重 the burden on the gastrointestinal tract.
Patients with high fevers: During a fever, the patient's gastrointestinal tract is in a relatively suppressed state. Therefore, they should eat easily digestible foods like liquid foods. Otherwise, it will worsen their condition.
Patients with high blood pressure, high blood lipids, and gout: Whether sweet or savory, tangyuan contain a large amount of oil. Sweet tangyuan are high in sugar and calories. Consuming them in large quantities can lead to uncontrolled blood sugar, elevated blood lipids, and increased blood viscosity.
Individuals recently recovered from a long illness: At this time, although the patient's appetite may have improved, their digestive function is still weak. Eating too many tangyuan is not conducive to recovery.
The elderly and frail: The digestive function of the elderly is weakened, with reduced secretion of digestive enzymes and fluids, slower gastrointestinal motility, and an extended emptying time. It is difficult for them to digest and absorb sticky foods like tangyuan. They might also choke on tangyuan if swallowed too quickly, leading to difficulty breathing, and in severe cases, suffocation and death. There have even been reports in medical journals of elderly people dying suddenly at night after eating too many sticky foods, so it is advisable for them to eat them in moderation.
Infants and young children: Children have weak digestive functions and their swallowing reflex is not fully developed. Therefore, when eating tangyuan, they should not eat them whole. They should be divided into quarters, and one piece should be completely swallowed before the next is taken. It is crucial to chew slowly to prevent accidents.