Many gastrointestinal diseases are caused by improper diet. There are many foods that are detrimental to gastrointestinal health. In daily life, it is advisable to avoid or eat less of these foods. So, which foods are harmful to the stomach and intestines? Which foods can nourish them?
I. Foods Harmful to the Stomach and Intestines
1. "Leftover" Rice
Many young people today eat "leftover" rice, thinking it's a healthy choice, believing they are avoiding fast food and meals made with gutter oil, MSG, and other additives from outside. In fact, the rice you cook tonight and heat up for work tomorrow is also considered leftover rice.
Rice that has been cooked and then reheated is "leftover" rice. This type of rice is difficult to digest. Over time, it can cause stomach problems. This is because the starch in the rice expands and becomes "stale" after reheating, and the human body finds it very difficult to digest this stale starch.
2. Fast Food
Fast food is what we office workers eat the most. Fried foods, in particular, are our favorite category. However, these fried foods are relatively hard, and eating hard food can cause certain damage to the gastric mucosa.
3. Meat Products
Processed meat products, such as ham and smoked meat, increase the risk of cancer. If you consume more than 50 grams of processed meat products daily, the risk of cancer increases by 45%.
4. Raw Onions
Raw onions have many benefits, such as lowering blood pressure and blood sugar, because they are rich in nutrients. However, eating raw onions can also cause gastrointestinal discomfort, such as bloating. Therefore, using raw onions in a vegetable salad is not a scientific practice. If you want to eat onions, it is better to cook them first.
5. Carbonated Drinks
Carbonated drinks are highly stimulating and can irritate the stomach and intestines. Because they contain a large amount of sugar, excessive consumption increases the burden on the stomach and can lead to problems like bloating and abdominal pain.
Tianjin: Spinach, Black Fungus, and Walnut Salad
Extended Reading: A Guide to Eating Spinach
II. Foods for Daily Stomach Nourishment
1. Spinach
Sweet in flavor and cool in nature, it can moisten dryness, nourish the liver, benefit the stomach and intestines, and relieve constipation. The "Dietary Herbal Canon" praises it for "benefiting the five organs, clearing the stomach and intestines, and detoxifying alcohol." Spinach can promote secretion from the stomach and pancreas, increase appetite, and aid digestion; its rich fiber also helps intestinal motility and facilitates bowel movements.
2. Longan
"Among fruits, lychees are considered the most beautiful, but for nourishment, longans are superior." Unlike lychees, which have a "damp-heat" nature, longans can be used as medicine and have multiple effects such as strengthening yang, replenishing qi, warming the stomach, and tonifying the spleen.
3. Carrots
Sweet and neutral in flavor, they "promote qi, tonify the middle burner, benefit the spleen and diaphragm, moisten the stomach and intestines, and calm the five organs, with the effect of improving appetite." The rich beta-carotene can be converted into vitamin A, which benefits the eyes, sharpens the mind, enhances resistance, and prevents respiratory diseases. Beta-carotene is fat-soluble, so stewing it with meat is most suitable, and the taste is also better.
4. Pumpkin
The "Compendium of Materia Medica" records: "Pumpkin is warm in nature and sweet in flavor, entering the spleen and stomach meridians." It can tonify the middle burner, replenish qi, reduce inflammation, kill bacteria, and relieve pain. The rich pectin it contains can "absorb" bacteria and toxic substances, including heavy metals like lead, acting as a detoxifying agent. At the same time, pectin can protect the stomach from irritation and reduce ulcers.
5. Milk
Milk has the effects of tonifying the lungs and stomach, promoting the production of body fluids, and moistening the large intestine. Research has found that milk is very effective in treating peptic ulcers and habitual constipation. Although milk has excellent stomach-nourishing properties, experts remind that patients with diarrhea, spleen deficiency, or dampness syndromes should not consume it excessively in daily life.
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Extended Reading: A Guide to Eating Pumpkin
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