Fried foods, chocolate, ice cream, creamy mashed potatoes... these delicious treats that are widely loved by the public are not actually suitable for everyone. If you have a sensitive digestive system, you might want to check out how to eat the 9 hardest-to-digest foods recently listed by a certain American website.
1. Fried Foods
Fried foods like chicken nuggets and french fries are inevitably rich in oil and high in fat, and these two substances can accumulate in the stomach, causing illness. Oil produces a substance called "acrylamide" at high temperatures, which is difficult to digest.
Tara Gidus, a nutritionist in Orlando, Florida, says: "If you already suffer from diseases like gastroenteritis, it's especially important to eat less greasy and high-fat fried foods, otherwise it may cause some discomfort symptoms, such as nausea, diarrhea, etc."
Solution: To satisfy your cravings, you can get a satisfying crunch without frying. For example, if you want that crispy experience, eating salty potato chips is certainly not healthy, but you can find other ways to make potato slices, such as baking instead of frying, or choosing low-fat or fat-free foods like crisp crackers or hollow popcorn.
2. Spicy Foods
Red chili peppers or jalapeños can irritate the inner wall of the esophagus, leaving you with an unpleasant burning sensation after eating and increasing the burden on your stomach.
Even if you add some sour cream to cool it down, you'll still get the same irritation. Moreover, adding things like sour cream can lead to other side effects.
Solution: For those with a weak digestive system or a "heaty" body, if you really can't resist the temptation of spicy food, you might as well choose some mildly spicy foods and eat fewer green and red chili peppers.
3. Chocolate
Eating large amounts of chocolate not only brings excess calories, but also people who suffer from gastroesophageal reflux disease have experienced the uncomfortable stimulation that comes after eating chocolate. This is because chocolate can relax the lower esophageal sphincter, causing stomach acid to reflux and irritate the esophagus and throat.
Solution: When choosing chocolate, dark chocolate is the best choice. This is because dark chocolate contains various beneficial minerals for the human body, such as calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, iron, and copper. Among all chocolates, it has the lowest sugar and fat content.
In addition, dark chocolate also has the effect of lowering blood pressure and preventing atherosclerosis. But even good things shouldn't be eaten too much; you can only eat up to two small pieces a day.
4. Acidic Drinks
Acidic drinks can irritate the esophagus, stimulating the sensory nerves, and the stimulated area will become red and swollen. If the first thing you do in the morning is to drink a large glass of citrus juice, it will increase the acidity in your stomach and intestines. If you are drinking sweet lemonade with a high concentration of fructose at this time, you need to be even more careful, because excessive sugar intake can cause diarrhea.
Solution: Citrus juice contains a lot of vitamin C and is suitable for regular consumption. As long as you choose the right time to drink it, you don't have to worry about irritating the esophagus. The best time to drink acidic fruit juices like citrus juice is with a meal or between meals.
5. Potatoes and Their Products
Potatoes are low in calories, high in protein, and contain various vitamins and trace elements, making them known as an ideal weight-loss food. It seems nothing is more popular than a bowl of mashed potatoes. This is why when it comes to so-called "convenient foods," mashed potatoes is always listed as number one.
But mashed potatoes with added cream or cheese are not as good as you might imagine. In the United States, there are 30 to 50 million people with lactose intolerance, but if you are one of them, creamy mashed potatoes are not for you. This is because the milk, cream, or cheese added to mashed potatoes will make your stomach very uncomfortable.
Solution: It's best not to buy ready-made mashed potatoes. You can easily make plain mashed potatoes at home with fresh potatoes, either steamed or boiled, without any added seasonings.
6. Onions, Garlic, and Chives
Onions, garlic, and chives are full of various nutrients that are very beneficial to health, such as protecting the heart, but they can also cause digestive discomfort, such as gas and abdominal cramps. However, cooking them seems to deactivate the compounds that cause digestive problems.
Solution: American nutrition expert Mary Ryan suggests that when eating these foods, you can use a mixed cooking method of raw and cooked. This way, you can reap the health benefits without suffering the negative effects.
7. Raw and Cold Foods
There is no quick way to determine if you are lactose intolerant; you only find out after sitting down to eat a big bowl of ice cream. When you experience bloating, abdominal cramps, and gas, these physical reactions are telling you to stay away from these dairy-rich foods.
Eating too many raw and cold foods like ice cream, popsicles, and iced beverages can affect the normal functioning of the digestive system, making food difficult to digest and easily damaging the spleen and stomach. Although they are delicious to eat, they can lead to a loss of appetite later, irritate the spleen and stomach, and create a vicious cycle of bloating and abdominal pain.
Solution: If you don't want to give up cool frozen foods, the only solution is to switch to lactose-free frozen foods, such as pastes made from beans or rice flour. But even if you are not lactose intolerant, ice cream contains a lot of fat, and fat stays in the stomach longer than other foods. Therefore, it's best to eat raw and cold foods in moderation or not at all.
8. High-Fiber Foods
Broccoli and cabbage are both outstanding members of the cruciferous vegetable family. They are not only rich in vitamins and dietary fiber but also have anti-cancer and anti-aging effects.
But even though they are rich in dietary fiber and various nutrients, you can't completely trust that these vegetables are healthy. This is because high-fiber vegetables can help expand your stomach capacity and easily lead to an accumulation of excess gas in the intestines.
Solution: The solution is simple. Just blanch them in hot water before eating to soften them, which will deactivate the sulfur compounds that produce gas. These two vegetables are best suited for cold salads and stir-frying.
9. Beans and Their Products
Beans are notorious for causing indigestion. The oligosaccharides in beans, such as stachyose and raffinose, are fermented by intestinal bacteria, which can break down to produce some gas, leading to symptoms like belching, rumbling, bloating, and abdominal pain.
Patients with severe peptic ulcers should not eat bean products because they are high in purines, which can promote gastric juice secretion. Patients with acute gastritis and chronic superficial gastritis should also avoid bean products to prevent the stimulation of gastric acid secretion and gastrointestinal bloating.
Solution: Cooking beans in soup can help with digestion. By adding water, it helps to digest the large amount of fiber in beans, or you can extend the cooking time. Additionally, gradually increase the amount of bean products in your diet. This will slowly increase the demand for enzymes needed to digest beans without causing side effects.