"Five grains are for nourishment, five fruits are for assistance." Traditional Chinese medicine emphasizes that eating fruit should be tailored to the individual, in moderation and with reason. But is more fruit always better? Can eating fruit help with weight loss? Are you eating it correctly? In this issue, experts will introduce you to the ins and outs of eating fruit to see if you're truly eating it right.
A person's constitution can be divided into nine types. Similarly, fruits are categorized as warm, cool, or neutral. So, what category do the fruits you commonly eat fall into? And which types of fruits are suitable for which constitutions? The following text will take you to explore!
Which people are suitable to eat warm fruits?
People with a deficient-cold constitution are more suitable for eating warm fruits. Among many fruits, warm fruits like lychees and apricots are also quite popular. Especially for those with a deficient-cold constitution, they have qi and spleen deficiency, a low basal metabolic rate, produce little heat internally, and their limbs remain cold even in summer.
Among many fruits, warm fruits like lychees and apricots are also quite popular.
In comparison, people with this constitution tend to have paler complexions than others, rarely feel thirsty, and dislike contact with cold things, including entering air-conditioned rooms. Therefore, these warm fruits can be considered excellent remedies for coldness.
However, for the average person, eating too many warm fruits on a hot day can easily lead to "heatiness." For example, lychees contain components that lower blood sugar, and eating too many can lead to a hypoglycemic reaction. For those with a heat constitution, who are already energetic and have difficulty falling asleep at night, along with a high metabolic rate, it is even more advisable to eat fewer warm fruits. Additionally, children who have a fever or whose organs are inflamed should also avoid eating them.
Warm fruits: Lychee, peach, longan, guava, cherry, coconut, durian, apricot, etc.
Which people are suitable to eat cool fruits?
For people who usually have a good appetite, strong digestion, and eat a lot but fear heat, it is good to eat some cool fruits in moderation. This can suppress the hyperactivity of the spleen and stomach, and reduce internal heat. People who consume a lot of alcohol and meat, those with a heat constitution, or patients with heat-related illnesses can also eat some cool fruits in moderation.
Neutral fruits
Falling between cool and warm, these fruits like grapes, pineapple, mango, olive, ginkgo, plum, etc., can be eaten by people of all constitutions.
Who should eat less fruit?
Most fruits are cool-natured. Long-term or excessive consumption can damage the spleen's yang energy. Therefore, the elderly, children, and people with weak constitutions should be cautious about eating too much.
Today, people are often restless and irritable. Although eating cool fruits feels refreshing in the mouth, the cost is the consumption of the spleen's and kidney's yang energy. Over time, this can lead to a deficiency of spleen and kidney yang. For women, this can result in spots, rashes, irregular menstruation, a cold uterus, infertility, and even uterine fibroids.
For men, it can lead to rhinitis, stomach pain, back pain, fatigue, susceptibility to colds, loose stools, aversion to cold, and varicose veins in the lower extremities. In fact, almost all diseases have a direct or indirect relationship with the function of our spleen and stomach. If cool fruits are eaten daily, it damages the spleen, stomach, and yang energy, disrupting transportation and transformation, and ultimately leading to dysfunction of the body's systems.