Many people are too lazy to peel certain foods when eating them. Although some foods are nutritious when eaten with their skin on, others can actually be toxic if not peeled. So, let's take a look at which foods can cause poisoning if eaten unpeeled? Be sure to pay attention to these healthy eating taboos!
Sweet Potato
Sweet potatoes are rich in dietary fiber and trace elements, and eating them regularly can help prevent and treat constipation. However, it is best to eat sweet potatoes after peeling them. Because sweet potatoes grow in the soil, some have black spots on their skin, which can be harmful to our health after consumption. Furthermore, the skin of sweet potatoes contains a high amount of alkaline, which can lead to an upset stomach after being eaten. Therefore, it is best to peel sweet potatoes before eating them.
Water Chestnut
When eating water chestnuts, it is best to peel them first. Because water chestnuts grow in water, due to water pollution, many substances harmful to the human body can be absorbed into their skin. Additionally, the skin of water chestnuts may also contain parasites. Therefore, eating water chestnuts without peeling them can pose a threat to our health.
Persimmon
When eating persimmons, it is best to peel them first. Because the skin of ripe persimmons contains tannic acid. If you eat a persimmon with its skin on, the tannic acid in the skin will undergo a chemical reaction with the protein in the food after entering the stomach, forming precipitates that are not easily absorbed by the human body. This can lead to discomfort and a bloated feeling in the upper abdomen. Therefore, it is best to peel persimmons before eating them.
Potato
When eating potatoes, it is best to peel them first, because potato skins contain alkaloids. If a large amount of these alkaloids is ingested by the human body, it can lead to gastrointestinal symptoms such as abdominal pain and diarrhea. When we cook unpeeled potatoes, even after high heat, the alkaloids in the potato skin cannot be destroyed. Therefore, it is best to peel potatoes before eating them.
Ginkgo
Ginkgo, also known as white fruit, can be eaten as a medicinal herb. When eating ginkgo, it is best to remove the outer skin first because the skin contains ginkgolic acid, which is harmful to human health and can affect the function of the nervous system after consumption. As ginkgo is a traditional Chinese medicine, it should not be consumed in excess.
Although some fruit skins contain dietary fiber, which is beneficial for preventing constipation when eaten with the fruit, for people with digestive diseases (such as peptic ulcers, enteritis, etc.), it is best not to eat the fruit with the skin on. This is because the fiber in the fruit skins is not conducive to the recovery of digestive diseases.