Now is the perfect time to eat oranges, and there are many varieties available on the market. Oranges are rich in vitamins and offer many health benefits. Even so, there are many precautions to take when eating oranges. Although oranges are great, did you know there are taboos associated with eating them? Let's take a look at these precautions!
Precautions for Eating Oranges:
1. Oranges should not be eaten with radishes: After radishes enter the human body, they quickly produce a substance called sulfate, which is quickly metabolized into an anti-thyroid substance called thiocyanate. If oranges are consumed at this time, the flavonoids in the oranges are broken down in the intestines and converted into salicylic acid and ferulic acid. These can enhance the inhibitory effect of thiocyanate on the thyroid, thus inducing or causing goiter.
2. Oranges should not be eaten with milk: The protein in milk can easily react with the citric acid and vitamin C in oranges, causing them to coagulate into lumps. This not only affects digestion and absorption but can also cause symptoms like bloating, abdominal pain, and diarrhea. Therefore, it is not advisable to drink milk within 1 hour before or after eating oranges.
3. Control the amount consumed: According to research, eating 3 oranges a day can meet a person's daily vitamin C requirement. If consumed in excess, excessive intake of vitamin C can lead to an increase in oxalic acid metabolism in the body, which can easily cause urinary stones and kidney stones. Additionally, eating too many is harmful to the mouth and teeth.
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4. It is not advisable to eat oranges before meals or on an empty stomach: Because the organic acids in oranges can irritate the gastric mucosa, which is not good for the stomach.
5. The elderly and children should eat fewer: The elderly with weak, cold functions of the gastrointestinal tract, kidneys, and lungs should not eat too many, to avoid inducing symptoms like abdominal pain and weakness in the lower back and knees. Some children who eat too many oranges may also experience what Traditional Chinese Medicine calls "internal heat," such as glossitis, periodontitis, and pharyngitis. Therefore, children should not eat too many oranges. If they do, they should stop for 1-2 weeks before eating again.
Related Reading: A Complete Guide to Cooking with Oranges
What should you not eat with oranges?
1. Eating oranges with radishes can induce goiter.
2. Oranges should not be eaten with milk, crab, or clams.
3. Oranges and milk cannot be eaten together. The protein in milk can easily react with the citric acid and vitamin C in oranges, causing them to coagulate into lumps. This not only affects digestion and absorption but can also cause symptoms like bloating, abdominal pain, and diarrhea. You should wait 1 hour after drinking milk before eating oranges; additionally, those with weak, cold functions of the gastrointestinal tract, kidneys, and lungs should not eat too many to avoid inducing symptoms like abdominal pain and weakness in the lower back and knees.
4. Avoid eating oranges when taking medication. Oranges are rich in citric acid and vitamin C, and should be avoided when taking vitamin K, sulfonamides, spironolactone, triamterene, and potassium supplements.
5. Do not use fresh orange peel to make tea. Most oranges are soaked in preservatives before being put on the market. Preservatives are a chemical agent. While the pulp of the soaked oranges is unaffected, the preservatives remaining on the peel are difficult to wash off with water. Drinking tea made with such orange peels can be harmful to your health.
What happens if you eat too many oranges?
1. Easy to get "internal heat"
From a Traditional Chinese Medicine perspective, oranges are sweet in taste and warm in nature, entering the lung and stomach meridians. They have the effects of stimulating the appetite, regulating qi, quenching thirst, and moistening the lungs. However, because oranges are warm-natured, eating too many can easily lead to "internal heat," causing symptoms like canker sores, dry mouth, dry throat, and constipation. So, while oranges are delicious, they should be consumed in moderation.
2. Can cause abdominal pain
It is not advisable to eat oranges before meals or on an empty stomach. Because the organic acids in oranges can irritate the gastric mucosa, which is not good for the stomach. The elderly with weak, cold functions of the gastrointestinal tract, kidneys, and lungs should not eat too many to avoid inducing symptoms like abdominal pain and weakness in the lower back and knees. It is best to eat 1-3 oranges a day; do not overindulge.
3. Skin can turn yellow
Eating too many oranges can really make your skin turn yellow. This is because oranges are rich in the yellow pigment beta-carotene. If you eat too many oranges, the concentration of beta-carotene in the blood increases, which can cause pigment deposition on the palms and soles, leading to symptoms of yellowed skin known as carotenemia.
It's not just citrus fruits; eating too many foods rich in beta-carotene, including yellow-green vegetables like carrots, pumpkin, okra, broccoli, spinach, parsley, and perilla, as well as foods like seaweed, or drinking a lot of juice made from these vegetables, can also cause the skin to turn yellow.
This condition is called "carotenemia." It sounds like a scary name, but there's no need to worry. The recovery from this condition is a benign process. As long as you stop consuming foods high in carotene, the color will gradually fade after one or two weeks, and it has no impact on your health.
4. Can cause urinary stones
Eating too many oranges can easily lead to urinary stones. According to research, eating 3 oranges a day can meet a person's daily vitamin C requirement. If consumed in excess, excessive intake of vitamin C can lead to an increase in oxalic acid metabolism in the body, which can easily cause urinary stones and kidney stones. Additionally, eating too many is harmful to the mouth and teeth.
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