Although many fruits are just coming onto the market in early summer, some people have already experienced health issues from eating them. For instance, eating too many apricots can lead to "heatiness," causing symptoms like dizziness, stomach pain, and nosebleeds, which require a hospital visit. While summer is the peak season for eating fruits, and the vitamins, water, and minerals they are rich in are very beneficial to human health, from the perspective of Chinese nutritional therapy, fruits are categorized as "cool" or "hot." If your body constitution is not suited to eating cool or hot fruits, improper consumption or eating too much can have serious negative effects on your health.
So, how exactly are fruits classified as cool or hot, and how should people choose them?
Cool and Fruits Relieve Heat
According to experts, most summer fruits are considered cool in nature, such as pears, apples, and various melons. Generally, people with a "heat" constitution have a vigorous metabolism in summer, a dominant sympathetic nervous system, sweat profusely, often have a flushed face, a dry mouth and throat, are easily irritable, and are prone to constipation. They particularly enjoy eating cold things in summer. Therefore, individuals with a "heat" constitution can appropriately eat more cool fruits.
However, cool fruits should not be eaten in excess, as this can be harmful to the body. For example, apples are sweet and have the effects of stopping diarrhea, promoting bowel movements, and aiding digestion. Regular consumption can make the skin fair and tender. However, because they are rich in sugars and potassium salts, excessive consumption can damage heart and kidney health. People with coronary heart disease, myocardial infarction, nephritis, and diabetes should not eat them in large quantities. On the other hand, people with insufficient "qi" (vital energy) and mental fatigue can eat them more often as a nourishing fruit.
Fruits like pears, citrus, and grapefruits have the effects of relieving coughs, reducing phlegm, moistening the lungs, and aiding digestion. However, eating too much can easily cause gastrointestinal upset and can even lead to toothaches, hemorrhoids, and even yellow spots on the skin. Therefore, people with stomach problems or a "cold" stomach should eat them sparingly.
It is important to emphasize that people with "qi deficiency" and "spleen deficiency" should be particularly cautious when choosing cold fruits like watermelon, muskmelon, mango, pear, and banana, and it is best to avoid them. "Qi deficiency" generally refers to people with insufficient "qi" and weak energy, or children. These people often have a pale complexion, a thin build, and a poor appetite. "Spleen deficiency" means a poor digestive system with slow intestinal peristalsis. Therefore, eating more cold fruits will further slow down intestinal motility, cause muscle weakness, and lead to bloating due to indigestion from overeating. Thus, the elderly and children with poor gastrointestinal function are not very suitable for eating cool fruits. If they really want to eat some, they can have a small portion after lunch and before dinner, but not excessively.
Summer Cool Fruits: Muskmelon, watermelon, pear, banana, kiwi, mango, persimmon, water chestnut, sweet melon, grapefruit, etc.
Suitable for: "Heat" constitution
Warm and Hot Fruits Tonify Deficiency and Cold
Although there are many cool fruits in summer, among the many fruits, warm and hot ones like lychee, longan, and apricot are also quite popular. Especially for people with a "deficiency-cold" constitution, they have "qi" and "spleen" deficiency, a low basal metabolic rate, produce little internal heat, and their limbs remain cold even in summer. In comparison, these people have a paler complexion than others, rarely feel thirsty, and do not like to touch cold things, including entering air-conditioned rooms. Therefore, eating more warm fruits for them is undoubtedly an excellent way to supplement the cold.
However, for the average person, eating too many warm fruits on a hot day can easily lead to "heatiness." For example, lychees contain ingredients that lower blood sugar, and eating too much can cause a hypoglycemic reaction. For people with a "heat" constitution, who are already full of energy and have difficulty sleeping at night, a higher metabolic rate means they should absolutely not eat warm fruits. Additionally, children who have a fever or whose organs are inflamed should also avoid eating them.
Summer Warm and Hot Fruits: Lychee, peach, longan, guava, cherry, coconut, durian, apricot, etc.
Suitable for: "Deficiency-cold" constitution
Some Fruits Are Not Suitable to Be Eaten Frozen
Fruits that are in between cool and hot are considered "neutral." These fruits, such as grapes, pineapple, mango, olive, ginkgo, and plum, can be eaten by people of all constitutions. However, there are many considerations when eating fruit; one must be cautious, especially in summer. Don't be greedy for coldness, as not all fruits are suitable to be eaten frozen.
Fruits must be fresh and rich in nutrients. It is better to eat whole fruits and eat canned fruits as little as possible. Don't drink fruit juice, as this will cause a lot of dietary fiber to be lost. Additionally, when eating fruit, eat more colorful flesh, like hawthorn, sour jujube, kiwi, and mango. Their vibrant colors are rich in vitamins C and B, which are very nutritious.
In addition to paying attention to nutrition, the most important thing when eating fruit in summer is not to be greedy for coldness. Many people love to freeze their fruits and eat them. Although frozen fruits have a particularly good texture and feel very comfortable to eat, fruits that are too cold can slow down gastrointestinal motility, leading to indigestion. This is especially important for those with a "cold" stomach or mild gastritis.
Some fruits, like lychees, persimmons, and pears, are generally fine after being frozen for an hour or two; do not leave them until the next day. Other fruits may not taste good after being frozen, such as watermelon, cantaloupe, peach, and apricot. After being frozen for an hour or two and taken out, they often don't seem sweet anymore. This is not because the nutrients are lost, but because the fruit has absorbed moisture from the freezer, diluting the sweetness. Therefore, it is best to eat these fruits fresh. If you must freeze them, about half an hour is enough. Also, it's best not to freeze bananas, as they become less sweet, and their peel and even flesh turn black after freezing, which is the result of sugar fermentation and is best not to be eaten.