Health View: Gastrointestinal diseases are prevalent in summer. A clinical survey by the 254th Hospital of the PLA shows that 70% of summer gastrointestinal diseases are caused by indulging in "cold food." Some patients with pre-existing gastrointestinal conditions have seen their condition worsen, or even developed gastric bleeding and perforation due to improper diet. Experts point out that to protect the gastrointestinal tract in summer, one should "insulate it from the cold" through diet and living environment. Barbecue and ice-cold beer are a recipe for harming your stomach.
Xiao Chen was diagnosed with a stomach ulcer a few years ago. With regular treatment and careful diet, it hadn't recurred. Last week, he ran into a high school classmate he hadn't seen in a long time, who dragged him to a barbecue. Unable to refuse, they ate barbecue and drank a lot of ice-cold beer fresh from the refrigerator. Xiao Chen thought his ulcer was long gone and that an occasional "indulgence" wouldn't be a problem. But unexpectedly, he suffered from unbearable stomach pain in the middle of the night and rushed to the emergency room, where he was diagnosed with a gastric perforation.
Lu Jianyue, director of the Gastrointestinal Surgery Department at the 254th Hospital of the PLA, said that barbecue food is difficult to digest, and the hygiene of roadside barbecares is often questionable. Furthermore, ice-cold beer can irritate the gastrointestinal tract, causing the stomach to contract when stimulated by cold, leading to a state of ischemia and a weakened resistance to bacteria. Under these conditions, even healthy people are prone to acute gastrointestinal diseases. For those with a history of chronic gastritis or stomach ulcers, a hard-to-digest diet combined with the stimulation of ice beer or cold drinks can easily aggravate the condition, leading to perforation or gastric bleeding.
Lu Jianyue reminds that while iced drinks or beer are refreshing and can temporarily relieve summer heat, when they enter the gastrointestinal tract in large quantities, they can cause sudden contraction of gastrointestinal blood vessels, reduce blood flow, and lead to spasmodic contractions, causing abdominal pain and diarrhea. The cold stimulus also interferes with the normal peristalsis of the intestines and stomach, reducing digestive function and affecting the absorption of nutrients.