20 Unhealthy Eating Habits That Steal Your Health

Many unintentional or incorrect behaviors or dietary habits can cause you to lose a large amount of nutrients. For example, milk containing synthetic vitamin D can deplete magnesium in the human body; people living in smog-filled cities get much less vitamin D than those living in the countryside because the smoke in the air blocks the sun's ultraviolet rays...

1. Eating more fiber leads to calcium loss

Excessive dietary fiber increases the speed at which food passes through the intestines, reducing the absorption rate of calcium. Studies have shown that when two adults switch from eating low-fiber refined bread to high-fiber coarse bread at every meal, calcium (along with magnesium, zinc, and phosphorus) shows a negative balance.

2. Binging on meat and eggs causes iron to "run away"

Most children nowadays love all kinds of meat but dislike vegetables and fruits. Parents also believe that as long as they eat more iron- and zinc-rich meats, fish, and eggs, it doesn't matter if they eat vegetables and fruits. The result is: not only do the children's weight shoot up, but they are still found to have iron-deficiency anemia upon examination. This is because the iron in lean meat, animal organs, and egg yolks in most people's diets is mostly trivalent iron, which is not easily absorbed by the human body. It can only be converted into divalent iron and fully absorbed and utilized by the body in the presence of vitamin C and acidic substances (rich in malic, tartaric, citric, and other organic acids). Vitamin C and acidic substances are most abundant in vegetables and fruits (such as kiwi, lemon, fresh jujube, sour jujube, orange, strawberry, apple). If one only eats lean meat, animal organs, egg yolks, etc., and eats few or no vegetables and fruits, the iron in these foods cannot be absorbed and utilized by the body, resulting in a great waste of nutrients and the occurrence of iron-deficiency anemia.

Spinach in Broth

3. Imbalance of calcium and phosphorus "drives away" calcium

An imbalance in the calcium-to-phosphorus ratio is the main culprit for calcium deficiency in people today. Under normal circumstances, the calcium-to-phosphorus ratio in the human body is 2:1. However, in real life, people excessively consume large amounts of phosphorus-containing foods such as carbonated drinks, cola, coffee, hamburgers, pizza, wheat germ, animal liver, and french fries. The phosphorus intake often exceeds calcium by more than 10 times, making the calcium-to-phosphorus ratio as high as 1:10 to 20. This severe imbalance causes the excess phosphorus in the diet to frantically "drive" the calcium in the body out.

4. Medications lead to nutrient loss

Most women using contraceptives may not know that contraceptives can hinder the absorption of vitamin B6, B12, folic acid, and vitamin C. The progesterone in contraceptives can hinder the function of vitamin B6 and interfere with folic acid absorption. Aspirin, on the other hand, can cause three times more vitamin C to be excreted than normal. Large doses of vitamin C supplements can "drive away" folic acid in the body. Anti-epileptic drugs can also interfere with folic acid absorption. Long-term use of antibiotics can lead to the loss of B vitamins and vitamin K, affecting gastrointestinal function; cold medicines and painkillers can reduce vitamin A levels in the blood; sulfonamides and cholesterol-lowering drugs can affect folic acid absorption. Diuretics taken by patients with high blood pressure and nephritis, as well as laxatives, can lead to significant loss of calcium, potassium, and vitamins in the body. Patients with gastric ulcers or hemorrhagic anemia, or those taking antacids and alkaline drugs, will experience significant loss of trace elements like iron.

5. Smoking and drinking cause nutrients to slip away

Long-term smoking and drinking destroy the vitamins necessary for maintaining good health. Smoking destroys vitamin C in the body—a nutrient that can prevent cancer and heart disease. Smoking half a pack of cigarettes a day can destroy 25-100 mg of vitamin C. Drinking more than one cocktail a day comes at the cost of depleting vitamin B1, B6, and folic acid. It is also quite common for alcoholics to have a vitamin B1 deficiency.

6. Vitamin C effervescent tablets, are you using them correctly?

Ms. Li, who works in an office, is very particular about nutrition. After every meal, she makes a large cup of vitamin C-rich drink (like TANG Guozhen or vitamin C effervescent tablets) with boiling water. Recently, for some unknown reason, her gums always bleed when she brushes her teeth, which scared her, so she came to consult. Logically speaking, Guozhen or vitamin C effervescent tablets are rich in vitamin C, so why do symptoms of bleeding gums appear? It turns out that vitamin C is a water-soluble vitamin and is not very stable. Taking it with water over 80°C will severely destroy the vitamin C, let alone with 100°C boiling water. When you mix a vitamin C-rich drink with boiling water, the amount of vitamin C that actually reaches your stomach is almost negligible. Therefore, you should not use boiling water, but rather warm water to mix vitamin C-rich drinks.

Stir-fried Lobster

7. Supplementing calcium without magnesium will lead to regret

When people supplement calcium, they only pay attention to adding vitamin D but often forget to supplement magnesium. Calcium and magnesium are like twin brothers; they always appear in pairs, and a 2:1 ratio of calcium to magnesium is most beneficial for calcium absorption and utilization. Therefore, when supplementing calcium, be sure not to forget to supplement magnesium. Foods rich in magnesium include: nuts (such as almonds, cashews, and peanuts), soybeans, seeds (sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds), grains (especially rye, millet, and barley), and seafood (tuna, salmon, mackerel, small shrimp, lobster).

8. A diet of big fish and meat "eats up" calcium

A high-protein diet is the cause of osteoporosis. An experiment was once conducted: A: An intake of 80 grams of protein per day will lead to a loss of 37 mg of calcium; B: An intake of 240 grams of protein per day, with an additional supplement of 1400 mg of calcium, will lead to a loss of 137 mg of calcium. This shows that additional calcium supplementation cannot prevent calcium loss caused by high protein. This is because excessive intake of acidic foods like big fish and meat can easily lead to an acidic constitution in the body. The human body cannot tolerate drastic changes in blood pH, so it will use two main alkaline substances—sodium and calcium—to neutralize the acid. When the sodium in the body is used up, the body's calcium will be activated. Therefore, excessive intake of big fish and meat without paying attention to acid-base balance will lead to a large loss of calcium. This is also why wealthy people who often banquets (whose diet is characterized by more meat, more alcohol, more oil, fewer vegetables, and less rice) often feel inexplicably tired, dizzy, and physically weak! Following closely behind are fashionable diseases like "metabolic syndrome" (high blood pressure, high blood lipids, diabetes, obesity, fatty liver, gout, etc.).

9. Carbonated drinks should not be consumed excessively

Nowadays, when children eat, they like to drink beverages instead of water, such as cola and fruit juice. The carbonic acid in these carbonated drinks will form insoluble calcium carbonate with the calcium in the body, which will deprive you of the calcium in the food you eat, causing calcium loss and symptoms of calcium deficiency.

10. Different ways of eating eggs lead to different absorption rates

In terms of nutrient absorption and digestibility, a boiled egg is 100%, a scrambled egg is 97%, a soft-fried egg is 98%, a hard-fried egg is 81.1%, an egg mixed with boiling water or milk is 92.5%, and a raw egg is 30%-50%. Therefore, boiling an egg is the best way to eat it, but be sure to chew it slowly; otherwise, it will affect absorption and digestion. However, for children and the elderly, steamed egg custard and egg drop soup are the most suitable, as these two methods break down the protein, making it extremely easy to digest and absorb.

Steamed Egg with Kimchi

11. Turning disadvantages into advantages to improve efficiency

For example, vegetables high in oxalic acid (such as spinach, amaranth, winter bamboo shoots, parsley, and broccoli) should be blanched in boiling water before stir-frying to remove oxalic acid, preventing it from combining with calcium to form insoluble calcium oxalate, thereby improving calcium absorption and utilization. Phytic acid found in the husks of soybeans, wheat, and grains can easily bind with calcium and zinc to form insoluble phytates. Methods like germination, fermentation, and soaking can be used to activate phytase activity, decomposing phytic acid and thus improving the digestive absorption rate of calcium and zinc in the body. Additionally, because flour contains a lot of phytic acid, it is best to ferment it when making flour-based foods. After fermentation, the activity of phytase is enhanced, which can decompose the phytic acid in the flour and promote the digestion and absorption of calcium and zinc in the food.

12. There's a lot of science to balanced nutrition

For example, in the dish "Stir-fried Liver Slices": the main ingredient is liver, and some use cucumber as a side vegetable, while others use bell peppers. Scientifically speaking, using bell peppers as a side vegetable is much better than using cucumber! This is because liver is rich in trace elements iron and zinc, and bell peppers contain more vitamin C than cucumber. Vitamin C can promote the conversion of trivalent iron in liver into divalent iron, which is beneficial for the body to better absorb these two nutrients! Another example is "Fish and Tofu Stew." Fish contains vitamin D, and tofu is rich in calcium. Vitamin D can promote the absorption of calcium, greatly increasing the utilization rate of calcium in tofu. In addition, for staple foods, it is best to mix grains and legumes, which not only achieves the most ideal amino acid complementation but also promotes calcium absorption.

13. Should you have a small meal before bed?

To promote growth! A study has shown that during sleep, the human body continuously removes old bone tissue, and this process is fastest around 3 AM. Therefore, having a cup of yogurt before bed can timely supplement the calcium source, ensuring a more stable calcium index for you at night.

14. The longer the bean sprouts, the better? Not necessarily!

Neighbor Auntie Zhang likes to buy very long bean sprouts, believing they are the most nutritious! This is not true! After soybeans are germinated, free amino acids that promote the absorption of calcium, zinc, and iron, total free amino acids, and reduced vitamin C increase significantly. In addition, during the germination of soybeans, the activity of phytase continuously increases, constantly hydrolyzing phytic acid, causing phytic acid—the main inhibitor that hinders the absorption of calcium, zinc, and iron—to decrease by 40% compared to soybeans or tofu. This greatly improves the bioavailability of calcium, zinc, and iron in germinated soybeans. Moreover, the nutrition of bean sprouts germinated for 3-4 days (about 4-5 cm long) is the best, contrary to the common belief that the longer the sprouts, the more nutritious they are.

Stir-fried Bean Sprouts with Glass Noodles

15. It seems like a lot, but it's actually very little

Milk is recognized worldwide as an excellent natural source of calcium due to its high calcium content and good absorption rate. However, drinking milk requires attention! Although it seems like you're consuming a lot of milk, the amount that can actually be absorbed is not much. Many people experience symptoms of lactose intolerance such as flatulence, stomach bloating, abdominal cramps, and diarrhea after drinking milk or eating dairy products. I recently learned from an international dairy conference that 70% of Asians do not absorb lactose, and among Chinese people, 75-100% have lactose intolerance (for example, 69.4% in Beijing, 75.8% in Shanghai, 68.9% in Harbin, and 70% in Guangzhou). To help you absorb more calcium, it is recommended that you drink fermented yogurt, especially yogurt rich in various lactic acid bacteria and bifidobacteria.

16. Drinking milk is not worth it for the elderly

Milk contains 5% lactose, which is broken down into galactose by the action of lactase. Galactose can easily deposit on the lens of the elderly, reducing the transparency of the lens and inducing senile cataracts. The elderly can choose calcium-rich foods such as shrimp skin, dried small shrimps, fish, shellfish, eggs, meat bones, kelp, river snails, celery, soy products, sesame seeds, red dates, black fungus, etc., to supplement calcium, with natural foods being the best choice.

17. Drinking milk on an empty stomach

Some people like to drink a glass of milk on an empty stomach for breakfast in the morning, not realizing that this is a bad practice. After a night of digestion, the gastrointestinal tract is almost empty. If you drink milk on an empty stomach in the morning, the milk will be excreted along the empty gastrointestinal tract before it can be fully absorbed by the body, causing a great waste of nutrients. Therefore, it is best to eat some carbohydrates like cookies, bread, or steamed buns when drinking milk, and never drink milk on an empty stomach.

18. Don't eat milk and chocolate together

Some people like to add chocolate to milk to remove its strange taste. In fact, this is unscientific. Milk is rich in calcium and protein, while chocolate contains oxalic acid. When milk and chocolate are eaten together, the calcium in milk easily forms an insoluble precipitate—calcium oxalate—with the oxalic acid in chocolate. The body cannot absorb this, and over time, it can lead to dry hair, diarrhea, calcium deficiency, and delayed growth and development. Therefore, the times for drinking milk and eating chocolate should be separate.

Sweet and Sour Carrots

19. Raw carrots are not absorbed

It is common to see some elderly women giving children raw carrots, saying: "This can grind their teeth and also supplement 'vitamins'." This is the most typical nutritional误区 (misconception) in our lives. Eating raw carrots is very unscientific. When carrots are eaten raw, cooked with a small amount of oil, or cooked with a sufficient amount of oil, the digestibility and absorption rate of carotene are 10%, 30%, and 90%, respectively. It is clear that the digestibility and absorption rate of carotene in the body is directly proportional to the amount of oil; the nutritional value of carrots cooked with oil is higher than that of raw carrots.

20. The "skin" is important; throwing it away is a pity

The skins of eggplant, blueberries, and grapes contain a large amount of polyphenols, an antioxidant that prevents free radical oxidation and slows down aging. It is a pity to eat them without the skin! In addition, removing the skin of tomatoes will cause an important antioxidant in tomatoes—lycopene—to easily be lost with the juice, which is not conducive to maintaining health.