The turn of summer and autumn is the season when fruits are most abundant. Crystalline pears, Hami melons, persimmons, grapes, pomelos... a dazzling array of seasonal fresh fruits not only have bright colors but are also nutritious and delicious, whetting the appetite and bringing a sense of physical and mental well-being. However, many people overindulge and upset their stomachs, and some even get sick from eating fruit. As the saying goes, "Autumn fruit can be both a remedy and a cause of illness." In this regard, Professor Lin Lizhu from the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine reminds us that to eat autumn fruit healthily, one must choose fruits targeted to their own physical condition for it to be beneficial. It is also very important to grasp the "timing" of eating fruit. Because most fruits are inherently cool and cold in nature, for the elderly, the weak, or those with a weak spleen and stomach, it is best to eat them two hours after breakfast, when the body's Yang energy begins to rise. Additionally, it is generally best not to eat fruit within 1-2 hours before or after taking medication, to prevent the components of the fruit from "clashing" with the medicine and affecting its efficacy.
Medical Guidance/Professor Lin Lizhu, First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine
Mixing fruits can easily cause diarrhea
Aunt Li's whole family loves fruit. Since the beginning of autumn, a wide variety of seasonal fruits have been continuously available on the market. Every day, the whole family buys two or three types of fresh fruits to be the first to taste them. Her little grandson, who has never been fond of vegetables, accepts all kinds of fruit. Aunt Li was very happy: let her grandson eat more fruit, and if he doesn't eat vegetables, so be it. Therefore, she kept handing him pears, then oranges, tangerines, and so on, letting him eat a huge pile every day. She thought that fresh fruits are nutritious, and eating more would make her grandson healthier. But in the last few days, Aunt Li noticed that not only was her grandson's appetite decreasing, but her husband was also inexplicably having diarrhea. After searching for the cause, a neighbor said, "Maybe it's from eating too much fruit!" She was skeptical and went to the hospital to consult a doctor.
"Even the best things can cause problems if you eat too much, especially for people with a weak and cold spleen and stomach. Eating too much fruit that is overly cool and cold in nature can easily lead to diarrhea," pointed out Professor Lin Lizhu from the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine. She stated that targeted fruit consumption can have nourishing and beautifying effects, but if one is unaware of their own body constitution and the properties of fruits, it can easily leave hidden health problems. Therefore, before eating fruit, people should first have a certain understanding of the "cold" and "heat" properties of fruits and their own body constitution. According to Professor Lin, from the perspective of Traditional Chinese Medicine, fruits can generally be divided into three major categories: cool and cold, warm and hot, and sweet and neutral.
Cool and cold fruits include: tangerines, oranges, bananas, snow pears, persimmons, watermelon, etc. People with a cold-deficient constitution should consume them with caution or eat less.
Warm and hot fruits include: jujubes, peaches, apricots, longans, lychees, grapes, cherries, pomegranates, pineapples, etc. People with a heat constitution should eat them in moderation.
Sweet and neutral fruits include: plums, apricots, coconuts, loquats, hawthorns, apples, etc. These fruits are suitable for people of all constitutions.
Professor Lin pointed out that although autumn has now arrived, the "autumn tiger" in the south is still "fierce," with phenomena of dryness and heat being very prominent. In the common perception, eating more "cool" fruits like pears and watermelon can "reduce internal heat and clear stagnation," but this is only relative and depends on the individual's constitution. She suggested that during the time of the "autumn tiger," for the general population, in addition to the "cooler" fruits mentioned above like pears and watermelon, one should also appropriately eat some more moistening and cooling fruits, such as grapes, apples, oranges, loquats, and hawthorns.
Eating fruit also requires grasping the "timing"
Many people believe that grasping the "timing" of eating fruit is also very important, and often debate whether to eat fruit before or after a meal. However, Professor Lin believes this debate is of little significance; whether before or after a meal, as long as the amount is not large, it doesn't have a major impact on the body.
However, Professor Lin gives a special reminder: because most fruits are inherently cool and cold in nature, for the elderly, the weak, or those who have always had a weak spleen and stomach, if they choose to eat fruit two hours after breakfast, such as after 10 a.m. when the body's Yang energy begins to rise, it is more beneficial for the body to absorb the nutrients.
In addition, it is important to note that it is best not to eat fruit before or after taking medication. "Some fruits contain ingredients that interfere with the body's metabolic enzymes, reducing the activity of drug-metabolizing enzymes. This not only affects drug absorption but may also cause some adverse reactions," she explained. Fruits also contain more minerals, such as calcium and magnesium ions, which can affect drug absorption, having a greater impact when taking drugs sensitive to mineral components, such as quinolones. Furthermore, unripe fruits contain a large amount of organic acids. Drugs sensitive to acids taken together with these fruits may cause the drug to become completely or partially ineffective. Therefore, it is recommended not to eat fruit for 1-2 hours before or after taking medication to prevent the components of the fruit from "clashing" with the medicine and affecting its efficacy.
Tips: Choose the right fruit to eat your way to health
Eating fruit also depends on your "purpose." For example, for people who want to lose weight, although fruit is not greasy food, it mainly contains sugar, starch, cellulose, hemicellulose, and pectin, which can also generate a lot of calories. Generally, it is advisable to eat only one or two types a day, with only one or two of each type. For the elderly, eating fruit is more about maintaining a more balanced daily nutritional intake. However, since the organ function of the elderly is weaker, it is recommended to choose fruits that are less stimulating to the body to eat healthily and with peace of mind. For children in their growth and development period, supplementing with various vitamins is crucial. Fresh jujubes, strawberries, and kiwis have high vitamin C content, while mangoes, citrus fruits, and apricots contain more carotene. These are the fruits they should eat more of. In addition, some people with specific illnesses need to choose fruits对症 (targeted to their condition). Below are the fruits recommended by experts for people with different chronic conditions:
High cholesterol: Apples
Weakness and blood deficiency: Longans, jujubes
Diabetics: Bayberries, hawthorns, pomelos
Liver disease patients: Bananas, apples, watermelons, pears, jujubes
Intestinal disease patients: Apples, pomegranates, lychees, oranges
High blood pressure patients: Bananas, apples
Sore throat patients: Olives, snow pears
Hemorrhoid patients: Figs, bananas
Constipation patients: Bananas
Flu patients: Grapes, strawberries, watermelons, papayas, mangoes
Gum bleeding patients: Kiwis
Poor digestion: Tangerines, oranges, pomelos
Anemia: Pears, strawberries
Long-term smokers: Grapes
Four taboos when eating fruit
Avoid eating rotten fruit: For slightly rotten fruit, many frugal middle-aged and elderly people will still wash, peel, and eat it. In fact, once a fruit starts to rot, it produces a large amount of toxins. If you really can't bear to throw it away, you should scoop out the rotten part and the surrounding flesh for more than 2 cm. However, if the moldy, rotten, or insect-eaten area reaches or exceeds 1/10 of the fruit, it is best not to eat it.