Fruits are indispensable for most people, but often people don't know how to eat these common foods, and unhealthy consumption can cause harm to the body. Below, the editor will talk about the 20 unhealthiest ways to eat fruit.
1. Artificially synthesized VC cannot replace fruit
The natural vitamin C found in fruits and vegetables has an undeniable advantage compared to artificially synthesized vitamin C: in many fruits and vegetables, the vitamin C exists in a combined state of two substances, namely vitamin C and vitamin P. In human tissues, vitamin P helps vitamin C to function. Artificially synthesized vitamin C, however, is a pure pharmaceutical preparation, and its effect is far less potent than natural vitamin C. Furthermore, taking vitamin C tablets often involves large doses; long-term use can lead to the formation of large amounts of oxalic acid in the body, which becomes the material basis for kidney stones. The vitamin C in fruits and vegetables, on the other hand, will not cause oxalic acid levels in the urine to become too high.
2. Obese people should not eat large amounts of fruit
If you only eat fruit, be careful of developing diseases that overweight people are prone to, such as high blood sugar or high blood lipids. This is because fruits are rich in carbohydrates themselves. If you eat too many carbohydrate-rich foods and get little exercise, you may develop problems with high blood sugar or blood lipids. This is something that obese people, patients with diabetes, hyperlipidemia, and fatty liver, as well as those trying to lose weight by only eating fruit meals and pregnant women, should pay special attention to.
3. It is not advisable to drink fruit juice
Nowadays, more and more households are buying juicers, thinking that drinking fresh fruit juice is both delicious and convenient. But nutrition experts remind that, except for people with dental problems, fruit is best not to be juiced, as eating it directly is more nutritious.
This is because drinking fruit juice reduces people's intake of the fiber abundant in fruit. This fiber has health benefits such as preventing and reducing diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and can effectively stimulate intestinal peristalsis and promote bowel movements.
In addition, eating fruit directly can easily create a feeling of fullness, while drinking juice can lead to unknowingly consuming too many calories and sugar, increasing the risk of illness.
4. Buy less pre-cut fruit
Fruit is a major source of vitamin C, which is easily oxidized in the air. High temperatures and sunlight can cause it to be lost. Pre-peeled and cut fresh fruit may have reduced nutritional content. The UK Consumers Association conducted a study testing the vitamin C content of pre-packaged, cut vegetables and fruits sold in supermarkets. It was found that in 13 samples, 4 had vitamin C content half that of the reference values.
5. Improperly handled pre-cut fruit is easily contaminated by bacteria
The surface of fruit is easily contaminated by pollutants, chemicals, animal excrement, or bacteria like Salmonella. If fresh fruit has not been disinfected, its surface may be contaminated with Salmonella. When a knife is used to cut fresh fruit that has not been washed, bacteria from the contaminated peel can be transferred to the edible part by the knife. If cut fruit is left at room temperature for too long, bacteria will multiply.
6. Frozen fruit can produce toxic substances
Nutrition experts warn that when fruit is frozen, it is easier to produce nitrites. Consuming excessive nitrites can cause symptoms such as headaches, dizziness, nausea, and vomiting.
It is crucial for consumers to learn how to identify if fruit has been frozen. After being frozen, the oils from the peel of oranges and tangerines seep into the pulp, making it easily bitter. The surface of frozen fruit generally turns black.
7. Eating unripe bananas can worsen constipation
Bananas are rich in dietary fiber, a large part of which is not digested or absorbed, but it can increase the volume of feces and promote intestinal peristalsis.
At the same time, bananas have a sugar content of over 15% and contain a large amount of water-soluble plant fiber, which can cause an osmotic secretion of gastrointestinal fluids, thereby drawing water to the solid part and softening the feces for easier excretion. However, these effects are only present in fully ripe bananas. Unripe bananas may have the opposite effect; they contain more tannic acid, which is less soluble and has an astringent effect on the digestive tract, inhibiting the secretion and peristalsis of gastrointestinal fluids. Consuming too much can cause or worsen constipation.
8. Be aware of allergies when eating mangoes
Mangoes contain large amounts of fruit acids, amino acids, and proteins, many of which contain irritating substances. When they come into contact with human skin, they can cause allergic reactions, and in severe cases, redness and swelling can occur. However, not everyone who eats mangoes will have an allergic reaction, and even among those who do, reactions vary. Some people will react on the same day, while others may not show symptoms until two or three days later.
9. Eating too many oranges can turn your whole body yellow
Oranges contain carotene. If you consume large amounts of citrus (more than 1-2 jin per day) or carrots in a short period, the liver cannot metabolize the carotene into vitamin A in time. This causes a sharp increase in carotene levels in the blood, leading to yellow pigment being deposited in the skin and tissues, resulting in carotenemia and yellowing of the skin.
10. Avoid eating fruit immediately after a meal
Eating fruit immediately after a meal will not aid digestion; on the contrary, it can cause bloating and constipation. Therefore, it is best to eat fruit 2 hours after a meal or 1 hour before a meal.
11. Avoid not rinsing your mouth after eating fruit
Some fruits contain various fermentable sugars that are highly corrosive to teeth. If you don't rinse your mouth after eating, fruit residue in the mouth can easily cause cavities.
12. Avoid eating too much fruit
Excessive consumption of fruit can lead to copper deficiency in the body, which in turn can increase cholesterol levels in the blood and cause coronary heart disease. Therefore, it is not advisable to eat too much fruit in a short period.
13. Eating fruit that has started to rot
As well as fruits that have not been thoroughly washed and disinfected and are sold without dust-proof or fly-proof equipment, such as strawberries, mulberries, and sliced watermelons, can easily lead to digestive tract infectious diseases like dysentery, typhoid, and acute gastroenteritis.
14. Avoid using alcohol to disinfect fruit
Although alcohol can kill bacteria on the surface of fruit, it can change the color, aroma, and taste of the fruit. The reaction between alcohol and the acids in fruit can reduce its nutritional value.
15. Avoid eating raw fruit without peeling it
Some people believe that the peel of fruit contains more vitamins than the pulp, so they eat the fruit with the peel on. What they don't realize is that when fruits suffer from pests and diseases, pesticides are often used to kill them. These pesticides can penetrate and remain in the waxy layer of the peel, so the pesticide residue in the peel is much higher than in the pulp.
16. Avoid using a kitchen knife to peel fruit
Kitchen knives often come into contact with meat, fish, and vegetables, which can bring parasites or parasite eggs to the fruit, causing parasitic diseases in people. In particular, the rust on the knife and the tannic acid in apples can react chemically, making the apple's color, aroma, and taste worse.
17. Most fruits are cooling and are better eaten in the afternoon
Some people are used to eating fruit as soon as they wake up. In fact, most fruits are cooling foods, and eating them right after waking up can irritate the stomach. It is best to eat fruit around 3 or 4 in the afternoon, which is beneficial for the absorption and utilization of nutrients.
18. Imported fruits are not necessarily safer than local ones
Many consumers believe that "imported fruits" are safer. In fact, China's fruit quality and safety mechanisms are relatively sound. Imported fruits travel long distances and inevitably require more preservatives and fungicides for preservation and storage, making them relatively more dangerous than local fruits.
19. Don't blindly pursue the appearance of fruit
Many people believe that brightly colored, perfectly shaped, and large-sized fruits are the best, but this can lead them into the trap of unscrupulous vendors who use illegal methods to fake the appearance of fruit.
20. Fruits, being high in calories, cannot replace vegetables
Fruits and vegetables are both indispensable and cannot replace each other. Although they are both plants, their components are quite different. Some minerals found in vegetables are not present in fruits. If you only eat fruit, you will lack nutrients like folic acid. Furthermore, fruits contain calories, and eating too much can lead to obesity. For diabetics, eating too much fruit is not good. In addition, eating too few vegetables can lead to a lack of fiber, which might cause constipation. Fruits are mainly eaten raw and have high water content.