Among the young patients seeking medical attention, those with an upset stomach made up the majority. Mingming, a 6-year-old, loves watermelon, especially iced watermelon. Even before the weather got hot, he was eating watermelon all day long instead of meals. Unexpectedly, he developed a stomachache and diarrhea after eating it.
In the end, he was taken to the emergency room by his parents, and the doctor diagnosed that he needed an IV drip.
There have been many such cases of children craving cold food recently. Many children also enjoy roadside barbecue. Yue Mengyuan, director of the outpatient department at Shanghai Children's Medical Center, pointed out that the fruit syrups, sugar syrups, and fruits poured over many roadside shaved ice have been in the sun all day, easily breeding various types of bacteria. Coupled with the stimulation from the cold ice, many children develop diarrhea.
Additionally, in the summer heat, people like to cut watermelon, freeze it in the refrigerator, and then eat it. In fact, this is harmful and of no benefit to human health. Because when a cut watermelon is refrigerated at a low temperature, a layer of film forms on the surface of the pulp. The cold air is absorbed by the pulp and condenses into ice crystals. Eating such watermelon causes a sudden cold stimulus to the mouth, causing the salivary glands, taste nerves of the tongue, and periodontal nerves to cool rapidly. Due to the cold stimulus, they become numb, not only failing to perceive the sweet deliciousness but also causing toothache and pharyngitis.
Experts also remind that eating iced watermelon can also damage the spleen and stomach, weaken the digestive function and antibacterial ability of the gastrointestinal tract. Especially since children's digestive functions are relatively poor, eating frozen watermelon can also cause loss of appetite, abdominal pain, vomiting, diarrhea, and other illnesses.