A citizen in Harbin developed a stomach stone the size of an egg after eating raw hawthorns. Doctors have warned that the tannic acid in raw hawthorns can easily combine with stomach acid to form a bezoar, and they should be consumed with caution.
A few days ago, Mr. Zhang, a Harbin resident, ate some raw hawthorns after dinner and then drank some alcohol. The next morning, he experienced stomach pain, nausea, vomiting, and loss of appetite. Initially, Mr. Zhang thought it was just indigestion and that it would resolve itself in a couple of days, but his symptoms did not improve.
Niu Xiurong, the head nurse of the Digestive Endoscopy Room at the Fourth Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, who treated Mr. Zhang, explained that doctors discovered a huge bezoar, similar in size to an egg, in his stomach via endoscopy, which occupied nearly one-third of his stomach. Doctors performed lithotripsy to treat him.
A bezoar is a stone-like mass that forms in the stomach after consuming certain substances. Li Bin, deputy director of the Department of Gastroenterology at the Fourth Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, explained that the tannic acid in raw hawthorns can easily combine with stomach acid to form a bezoar, which is very difficult to digest. If a bezoar is not digested for a long time, it can lead to gastric ulcers, gastric bleeding, or even gastric perforation. Therefore, raw hawthorns should be eaten sparingly, and people with weak gastrointestinal function should be especially cautious. Doctors recommend that it is best to cook hawthorns before eating them.