Summer has arrived, and Lingnan fruits are all in season, vying for attention. Faced with such tempting fruits, who wouldn't want to enjoy them to their heart's content? Little do they know that eating fruit should be tailored to the individual, otherwise, it can have the opposite effect. Addressing recent questions from netizens, a reporter visited Dr. Zhou Menggu, Associate Chief Physician of the Nutrition Department at Southern Medical University, to have her interpret the science of eating fruit from the perspective of traditional Chinese nutritional science.
Summer Cool and Fruits: Melons, watermelon, pear, banana, kiwi, mango, persimmon, water chestnut, muskmelon, pomelo, etc.
Suitable People: People with Excess-Heat Constitution. Cool fruits relieve summer heat. According to Dr. Zhou, most summer fruits are considered cool or cold-natured, such as pears, apples, and various melons. Generally, people with an excess-heat constitution have a vigorous metabolism in summer, a dominant sympathetic nervous system, sweat profusely, often have flushed faces, a dry mouth and tongue, are easily irritable, and prone to constipation. They particularly enjoy eating cool things in summer. Therefore, people with a heat constitution can moderately consume more cool-natured fruits. However, they should not overindulge. 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, due to their rich content of carbohydrates and potassium salts, excessive consumption can harm the heart and kidneys. Patients with coronary heart disease, myocardial infarction, nephritis, and diabetes should not eat too many. On the other hand, those with insufficient middle qi and fatigue can eat them more often as a nourishing fruit. Fruits like pears, citrus, and pomelos can relieve coughs, reduce phlegm, moisten the lungs, and aid digestion, but eating too much can easily cause gastrointestinal upset, lead to toothaches and hemorrhoids, and even cause yellow spots on the skin. Therefore, people with stomach problems or a cold stomach should eat them sparingly. Dr. Zhou especially reminds people with qi deficiency and spleen deficiency to be particularly cautious when choosing cool fruits like watermelon, melon, mango, pear, and banana, and it is best to avoid them.
Summer Warm and Fruits: Lychee, peach, longan, guava, cherry, coconut, durian, apricot, etc.
Suitable People: People with Deficiency-Cold Constitution. Warm fruits tonify deficiency and cold. Although cool-natured fruits are more common in summer, many fruits like lychee, longan, and apricot are also very popular. Especially for people with a deficiency-cold constitution, they have qi and spleen deficiency, a low basal metabolic rate, and produce little internal heat. Even in summer, their limbs are cold. These people have paler complexions than average, rarely feel thirsty, and don't like to touch cold things. Therefore, eating some warm-natured fruits is undoubtedly a good choice for them. However, for the average person, eating too many warm fruits in hot weather can easily lead to "heatiness" (internal heat). For example, lychees contain components that lower blood sugar, and eating too much can cause a hypoglycemic reaction. For people with a heat constitution, who are already energetic and have difficulty sleeping at night, a higher metabolic rate means they should especially avoid eating too many warm fruits. Additionally, children with a fever or inflammation should also avoid them. Some fruits are not suitable for eating frozen. Dr. Zhou recommends choosing fresh and nutritious fruits. Eat whole fruits more often and less canned fruit, and don't drink fruit juice, as this leads to a significant loss of dietary fiber. Also, eat more colored fruit flesh, such as hawthorn, sour jujube, kiwi, and mango, which are rich in vitamins C and B. Furthermore, don't be greedy for coldness when eating fruit in summer. Many people like to freeze their fruit, but fruit that is too cold can slow down gastrointestinal motility, which in turn affects digestion. This is especially important for those with a cold stomach or mild gastritis. Dr. Zhou says that fruits like lychees, persimmons, and pears should generally be frozen for only an hour or two and not left until the next day. Some fruits, however, may not taste as good after being frozen, such as watermelon, cantaloupe, peaches, and apricots. If you freeze them for an hour or two and then taste them, you'll often find they are not sweet. This is because the moisture in the freezer is absorbed into the fruit, diluting the sweetness. Therefore, such fruits are best eaten fresh. If you must freeze them, half an hour is enough.
Expert Reminders: Diabetes: Avoid fruits high in sugar, such as raw pears, bananas, lychees, and melons, to avoid increasing the burden on the pancreas. Febrile Diseases: It is advisable to eat fruits rich in potassium and water, such as raw pears and oranges. Hepatitis: It is advisable to eat fruits like jujubes and oranges that can lower blood pressure and help prevent vascular sclerosis. Myocardial Infarction and Stroke: It is advisable to eat oranges, bananas, and peaches to maintain regular bowel movements and prevent constipation. Asthma: Avoid red dates because they can easily produce phlegm, generate heat, and cause indigestion. Nephritis: Avoid fruits high in potassium, such as oranges and bananas, to avoid increasing the burden on the kidneys. Health Tidbits
Most people think that getting old and developing age spots is a very normal and natural thing. In fact, this is a misconception. Age spots, also called "longevity spots," often appear on the hands, arms, and faces of the elderly. Medically, they are called "lipofuscin." This pigment is a product of cellular acid oxidation. It not only accumulates on the cell membranes of the skin but also invades various internal organs. However, some elderly people do not develop "longevity spots"; their skin is smooth and supple. This is related to their attention to skincare and a reasonable diet. A recent encounter with a pair of septuagenarians is the best proof.
This elderly couple always carries an umbrella when they go out to block the sun. When outdoors, they always apply sunscreen to any exposed skin. After watching TV at night, they wash their faces before sleeping. In their daily diet, they follow the advice of an old Chinese medicine doctor: they regularly eat onions and eggplant. Although they are both over 80 years old, their skin is smooth and elastic, even better than that of people in their sixties or seventies.
Looking into the therapeutic effects of onions and eggplant, I found that onions are rich in sulfur and essential vitamins for the human body. They can eliminate impurities and waste from the body, cleanse the skin, reduce age spots, and delay skin aging. Long-term consumption can gradually reduce the number of age spots on the elderly with a significant effect. Eggplant is sweet and cool-natured, rich in vitamins A, B, C, D, protein, and calcium. It can make human blood vessels more flexible, disperse blood stasis, and reduce the risk of cerebral vascular embolism. Eating eggplant often can lighten the color of age spots. I think that if this septuagenarian couple supplemented with appropriate basic nutrients immediately after breakfast and dinner every day, the effect would be even better.