Experts point out that regular fruit consumption by the elderly can nourish the body, strengthen it, and contribute to a longer life. However, due to the natural aging process and the onset of various diseases, improper consumption can be harmful, so caution is necessary.
Professor Miao Yide, an executive director of the Chinese Geriatric Medical Association and a standing committee member of the Osteoporosis Committee of the Chinese Geriatric Medical Association, offers the following advice for fruit consumption by the elderly:
Patients with hypertension should eat citrus fruits, grapefruits, strawberries, apricots, and bananas;
Patients with coronary heart disease should eat citrus fruits, grapefruits, strawberries, and apricots, but should avoid fruits with high water content like watermelon and coconuts to prevent increasing the burden on the heart and worsening edema;
Patients who have had a stroke should eat hawthorn and watermelon; patients with stomach ulcers should eat green bananas, as this can promote ulcer healing and prevent gastric acid from eroding the stomach wall, but yellow-ripe bananas do not have this effect, and fruits high in organic acid like plums, hawthorn, and lemons should also be avoided;
Patients with intestinal diseases should eat lychees, red haws, pomegranates, apples, and dried persimmons, but should avoid eating raw jujubes;
Patients with hepatitis should eat fruits rich in vitamin C, such as oranges and fresh jujubes, which are beneficial for the treatment and recovery of hepatitis;
Patients with nephritis should drink fruit juices and eat red dates, black-skinned watermelon, and dried fruits;
Older people who frequently experience constipation can eat more peaches, bananas, oranges, and watermelon, but should eat fewer persimmons, as they contain a large amount of persimmon gum, which can worsen constipation if consumed in excess;
Patients with diabetes should eat pumpkin, watermelon, winter melon, spinach, bayberries, cherries, and pears;
Patients with emphysema and cough should eat loquats, which have the function of lowering qi, resolving phlegm, and clearing the lungs and stomach;
Asthma patients should eat pears and lychees; patients with anemia and hypotension should eat pears and strawberries;
Older people with heart disease, edema, or diabetes should not only eat less sugar but also reduce their intake of pears, apples, and bananas, which are high in sugar.