As the saying goes, "An apple a day keeps the doctor away." Everyone considers apples to be a healthy and beneficial fruit. But you might not have thought that there are three types of people who should absolutely not eat them.
The nutritional value of apples
Rich in zinc. Apples are known as the "fruit of wisdom" and the "fruit of memory." It has long been discovered that eating more apples can improve memory and enhance intelligence. Apples not only contain essential nutrients for the brain such as abundant sugars, vitamins, and minerals, but more importantly, they are rich in zinc. According to research, zinc is a component of many important enzymes in the human body and a key element for promoting growth and development. Zinc is also an essential element for nucleic acids and proteins closely related to memory, and it is closely related to the production of antibodies and improving human immunity.
Fresh apples contain 85% water
Apples contain polyphenols, flavonoids, and other natural chemical antioxidants, as well as a large amount of crude fiber.
Contains a relatively high amount of potassium, which can combine with excess sodium salts in the body and excrete them. When a person consumes too much sodium, eating some apples helps to balance electrolytes in the body.
Contains elements such as phosphorus and iron, which are easily absorbed by the intestinal wall, and have the effects of nourishing the brain and blood, calming the nerves, and promoting sleep.
The aroma of apples is a good remedy for depression and feelings of repression. Experts have found through many experiments that among various scents, the aroma of apples has the greatest psychological impact on people, and it has a significant effect in eliminating psychological depression. Clinical use has shown that after patients with mental depression smell the aroma of apples, their mood improves greatly, they feel relaxed and happy, and the feeling of depression disappears.
Next, let's learn what to pay attention to when eating apples.
Precautions for eating apples
Don't eat the apple core. The apple core contains a small amount of harmful substance - hydrocyanic acid. A large accumulation of hydrocyanic acid in the body can lead to symptoms such as dizziness, headache, and rapid breathing rate. In severe cases, coma may occur. But there is no need to worry too much, as the hydrocyanic acid in apples is mainly present in the core, not in the flesh. It should be reminded that: although eating the apple core habitually does not lead to poisoning immediately, doing so for a long time is indeed detrimental to health.
Be wary of waxed apples. Many apples are overuse of growth promoters, color promoters, and enlarging agents during the growth process, or excessive use of preservatives during storage, and even the use of colorants, waxing, and bleaching during sale to cater to consumers' "judging fruit by its appearance." These toxic fruits have become a serious public hazard threatening people's health. "The dangers of toxic apples": Enlarging agents to increase size, color promoters to enhance color, preservatives to preserve freshness. The excessive use of enlarging agents, color promoters, and preservatives can damage the liver. Retail fruit vendors may also apply industrial paraffin wax to apples to retain moisture and make the fruit look fresh and attractive.
Apples should not be eaten with seafood. Apples contain tannic acid, which not only reduces the nutritional value of seafood protein but can also easily cause abdominal pain, nausea, and vomiting. Similarly, other fruits high in tannic acid, such as strawberries, bayberries, persimmons, pomegranates, lemons, grapes, and sour pomelos, should not be eaten with seafood.
Apples should not be eaten immediately after dinner. Eating an apple one hour after dinner can aid digestion. However, eating an apple right after a meal is not good for digestion.
Patients with ulcerative colitis should not eat apples. Patients with ulcerative colitis should not eat raw apples, especially during acute flare-ups. Due to the thinning of the intestinal wall from ulcers, the hard texture of apples, combined with the stimulation of 1.2% crude fiber and 0.5% organic acid, is not conducive to the healing of the ulcer surface and can mechanically irritate the intestinal wall, easily inducing complications such as intestinal perforation, intestinal dilation, and intestinal obstruction.
Who should not eat apples
1. Patients with ulcerative colitis
Patients with ulcerative colitis should not eat raw apples, especially during acute flare-ups. Due to the thinning of the intestinal wall from ulcers, the hard texture of apples, combined with the stimulation of 1.2% crude fiber and 0.5% organic acid, is very detrimental to the healing of the ulcer surface and can mechanically irritate the intestinal wall, easily inducing complications such as intestinal perforation, intestinal dilation, and intestinal obstruction.
2. Patients with leukopenia and patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia:
Patients with leukopenia and patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia should not eat raw apples, as it may aggravate their symptoms or affect the outcome of their treatment.
3. Patients with coronary heart disease, myocardial infarction, and kidney disease should eat with caution.
Eating apples has many benefits, so don't forget the above precautions.