Many people have the habit of eating fruit regularly, as it is both delicious and nutritious. However, fruit has a drawback: it's not easy to store and can spoil easily. Many people feel it's a waste and will cut out the rotten parts to continue eating the remaining flesh. So, the question is, can you eat fruit that has partially rotted?
1. Mechanical damage from bumps and bruises
The softened areas of fruit from mechanical damage are simply due to the collision breaking the cells, causing cell contents to leak out and making the wound appear discolored. As long as the fruit doesn't mold after being bumped and is eaten within a short time, it will not affect our health.
2. Chilling injury from improper storage temperatures
Similarly, frozen fruit is also due to broken cells, which causes the appearance of rot on the surface, but there is no bacterial growth. As long as it hasn't molded, the fruit is safe to eat.
3. Spoilage and decay from microbial infection
If the fruit has molded, it is not suitable for consumption. Once fruit begins to mold and rot, various microorganisms, especially fungi, will rapidly multiply in the decaying fruit and produce a large amount of toxic substances in the process. These toxic substances continuously penetrate and diffuse from the rotten parts to the unrotten parts through the fruit's juice, causing the unrotten parts to also contain microbial metabolites.
The best time to eat fruit
1. Before breakfast
Upon waking in the morning, the stomach and intestines have been empty all day, and the body needs sufficient nutrition to meet the energy requirements for the morning. Often, the digestive system is still in a dormant state and not yet activated. At this time, eating some easily digestible fruit can act as an appetizer. For example, apples and grapes can both whet the appetite and supplement vitamins, killing two birds with one stone.
2. Around 10 AM
Generally, by around 10 AM, the energy from breakfast has been mostly used up. Eating some fruit at this time can replenish fructose and glucose, as sugars provide the body with energy. Eating high-sugar fruits like bananas, pears, and grapes can help the body maintain energy levels.
3. One hour after lunch
For Chinese people, lunch is the main meal of the day, with the largest quantity and variety of food. Eating some fruit one hour after lunch can help with digestion. For example, oranges, hawthorns, and kiwis.
Note: Do not eat fruit after dinner. Because dinner already provides a certain amount of energy, and fruit is high in sugar, eating it at night can easily lead to weight gain and is not good for digestion.