In the eyes of the average person, fruits are rich in nutrients and are beneficial and harmless to the body no matter when they are eaten. In fact, various fruits have their own characteristics. If one only eats according to their own preferences and overindulges, it often leads to many adverse reactions and can also harm health.
The selection of fruits should vary from person to person, and it is important to be scientific, with appropriate timing, quantity, and degree. The following introduces the characteristics of several common fruits.
Orange
Oranges are excellent in color, aroma, and taste. They are deeply loved by people of all ages for their sweet and sour taste that is just right and their texture that is neither too hard nor too soft. Traditional Chinese medicine believes that this product has the effects of regulating qi and harmonizing the middle, resolving phlegm and stopping cough, promoting the production of body fluids to quench thirst, etc.
However, oranges should not be eaten in excess. Generally, no more than 3 should be consumed at a time. Eating too many can easily lead to "internal heat" (上火). Especially for those who already have symptoms like sores in the mouth and tongue, or severe constipation, which are signs of excessive internal fire, one must not use oranges to relieve the fire, as it will further aggravate the internal heat. Consuming large quantities of oranges continuously can also lead to poisoning. The symptoms of this poisoning are yellowing of the skin on the palms and soles. This type of poisoning is also called "carotenemia," commonly known as "orange disease." Drinking too much orange juice and fruit juice can also cause this. When this happens, no special treatment is generally needed. As long as the aforementioned foods are not eaten for a short period, and the intake of carotene-rich foods like carrots and pumpkins is limited, the yellowing of the skin will subside on its own within one to several weeks. Drinking more water can also speed up the excretion of excess carotene in the body.
Do not eat oranges before meals or on an empty stomach, because the organic acids in oranges can irritate the gastric mucosa and affect appetite. This is especially important for infants and young children.
In addition, it is best not to drink milk within 1 hour before or after eating oranges, because the protein in milk will coagulate when it encounters the fruit acid in oranges, affecting digestion and absorption.
Apple
Apples are brightly colored, sweet and sour, and are one of the fruits suitable for all ages. Its nutritional and medical value is very high, so some people praise apples as "a comprehensive health fruit." Some Westerners consider apples a must-have for weight loss, and have a "apple day" once a week, where they only eat apples. Traditional Chinese medicine believes that apples have the effects of benefiting the spleen to stop diarrhea, promoting the production of body fluids to quench thirst, clearing heat and relieving irritability, etc.
Apples should not be eaten in excess. Because apples contain fermentable sugars, which are a relatively strong corrosive agent that can easily cause cavities, so after eating apples, especially before going to bed, one should brush their teeth or rinse their mouth.
People with gastrointestinal diseases or indigestion should not eat unripe apples. Unripe apples are relatively hard and have a strong sour taste. Eating too many can lead to symptoms like abdominal fullness or diarrhea, sourness in the mouth, and rumbling intestines for patients with gastroenteritis. Women with dysmenorrhea should not eat apples when they have menstrual pain, because apples have a cool nature and an astringent effect, which can further aggravate the pain.
There are also reports that apples should not be eaten with radishes. When radishes and pigmented apples are eaten together, they can produce substances that inhibit thyroid function after being digested and decomposed in the gastrointestinal tract, inducing goiter.
Pear
Pears are deeply loved by people for their fresh and tender flesh, juicy, cool, crisp, and sweet taste. The Song dynasty writer Xu Xuan wrote: "Last night's banquet ended, I was as drunk as mud, only remembering Zhang Gong's Dagu pear... Today, I am thirsty in the mountains, only this thing is most suitable." Therefore, since ancient times, pears have also been praised as "the happy fruit" and "jade milk," and in modern times, they are also called "natural mineral water." Traditional Chinese medicine believes that pears have the effects of clearing heat and promoting the production of body fluids, moistening dryness and resolving phlegm, etc. The traditional Beijing Chinese medicines "Yanwo Autumn Pear Paste" and "Fuling Autumn Pear Paste" are famous remedies.
Pears have a cool nature and should not be eaten in excess. Eating too many can easily damage the spleen and stomach, causing a cold sensation in the abdomen. Therefore, those with a weak spleen and stomach, indigestion, vomiting of clear saliva, loose stools, or abdominal cold pain should be cautious when eating them.
Pears are cold and can stagnate blood. Eating too many can increase pain after childbirth and during menstruation. Therefore, postpartum women and those with dysmenorrhea should avoid eating too many pears. Because pears are cold, can stagnate qi, and astringe blood vessels, they can worsen the pain of injuries and hinder wound closure and healing. Therefore, those with suppurating or ulcerated wounds should avoid eating too many.
Because pears are cold and crabs are also cold and sharp, pears should not be eaten with crabs. Eating them together can easily damage the stomach and intestines, leading to vomiting, abdominal pain, and diarrhea. At the same time, pears should not be eaten with greasy food, or with a mix of cold and hot foods, as this can easily cause diarrhea.
Banana
Bananas have a soft and creamy texture, a fragrant aroma, and a sweet and refreshing taste. Europeans call it the "happy fruit" because it can relieve psychological stress, alleviate depression, and make people happy. Traditional Chinese medicine believes that bananas have the effects of moistening the intestines to promote bowel movements, moistening the lungs to stop cough, and clearing heat and detoxifying.
Bananas are cold and can have a laxative effect on the intestines, so those with a weak spleen and stomach, abdominal cold pain, or loose diarrhea should not eat too many, especially those with excessive stomach acid should avoid them completely.
Because bananas contain a relatively high amount of magnesium, eating too many can increase the amount of magnesium in the blood, causing drowsiness, dizziness, and fatigue. It can also easily disrupt the magnesium-to-calcium ratio in the blood, have an inhibitory effect on the cardiovascular system, and is not conducive to physical and mental health. Bananas also contain a high amount of potassium. Excessive consumption can increase blood potassium concentration, leading to sodium retention, causing oliguria or anuria, thereby increasing the burden on the kidneys. Therefore, patients with acute or chronic nephritis and renal insufficiency should not eat too many to avoid aggravating their condition.
Overripe bananas have a high sugar content, so diabetics should eat them in moderation. People with arthritis or muscle pain should not eat them.
Watermelon
Watermelon is sweet, juicy, and refreshing, quenching thirst. Since ancient times, it has been a favorite summer heat-relieving and暑-repelling remedy. Traditional Chinese medicine believes that watermelon has the effects of clearing heat and relieving summer heat, promoting urination and relieving vexation, and is known as the "natural white tiger decoction." There is also a folk saying, "Half a watermelon on a hot day, and you won't need to grab any medicine."
From the perspective of traditional Chinese medicine, watermelon is a raw and cold food. Eating too much can easily damage the spleen and promote dampness. Therefore, people with a weak spleen and stomach or indigestion should eat watermelon in moderation. At the same time, one should not eat too much at once, otherwise it will dilute gastric juice and cause indigestion.
In the early stages of a cold, even if there is a fever, it is not advisable to eat watermelon. This is because whether it is a cold due to wind-cold or wind-heat, it belongs to an exterior syndrome. At this time, a method of dispersion should be adopted to expel the pathogenic factors from the exterior. If one eats watermelon at this time, it cannot only eliminate the pathogenic factors but will instead lead the pathogenic factors inward, worsening the cold or prolonging the recovery time.
Watermelon has a relatively high sugar content, so people with diabetes or renal insufficiency should not eat too much.
Pineapple
Pineapple is popular for its bright color, unique aroma, rich juice, and sweet and sour taste. Traditional Chinese medicine believes that this product has the effects of clearing heat and promoting the production of body fluids, promoting digestion to stop diarrhea, promoting urination to reduce swelling, etc.
In addition to being eaten in moderation, attention should also be paid to the method of eating pineapple. If eaten improperly, it can cause poisoning, which is commonly known as "pineapple disease." This disease usually occurs 10 minutes to 1 hour after eating pineapple, with symptoms such as paroxysmal abdominal cramps, vomiting, flushed and itchy skin, numbness in the limbs and lips, and in severe cases, shock. To avoid causing pineapple disease, pineapple can be soaked in salt water. This treated pineapple can not only destroy bromelain but also make the taste sweeter.
In addition, people with stomach ulcers, kidney disease, impaired blood coagulation function, or allergic constitutions should not eat too much pineapple to prevent the local condition from worsening under the action of protease.
Persimmon
Persimmons are sweet, astringent, and cold in nature. They have functions such as clearing heat and removing dryness, moistening the lungs and resolving phlegm, softening hard masses, quenching thirst and promoting the production of body fluids, strengthening the spleen, treating dysentery, and stopping bleeding. They can relieve symptoms such as dry stools, pain or bleeding from hemorrhoids, dry cough, sore throat, and high blood pressure.
Persimmons contain substances such as persimmon tannin, pectin, tannic acid, and phlobatannin, which have a strong astringent effect and should not be eaten on an empty stomach. When eaten on an empty stomach, persimmons encounter strong stomach acid and can easily combine with it to form a hard mass that is difficult to dissolve. Small hard masses can be excreted with feces, while large ones can easily cause "stomach persimmon stone disease," which is called "persimmon stone disease" in traditional Chinese medicine.
Persimmons should also not be eaten with crabs. This is because the tannic acid and other components in persimmons can coagulate the protein in crab meat, possibly causing vomiting, abdominal pain, and diarrhea.