Since summer began, 7-year-old Feifei has become addicted to cold drinks. Recently, Feifei has appeared pale and thin, with a poor appetite. The doctor said that eating too many cold drinks can easily harm a child's stomach. The stomach is known as "the second face of the body," and with Feifei consuming so many cold drinks, her face has become an "ice pop face."
Eating cold drinks on a hot day causes the stomach to suddenly take in something cold, which makes blood vessels contract, the mucous membrane becomes pale and ischemic, and the temperature drops. Over time, this affects gastrointestinal function. The child may experience bloating, abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, heartburn, and diarrhea, becoming pale and thin, which is called an "ice pop face."
Excessive consumption of cold drinks can do significant harm to a child.
It affects the digestive tract's absorption of nutrients. Due to the hot summer weather, people sweat more, and the blood flowing to the gastrointestinal tract is relatively reduced. Coupled with a child's weaker ability to adapt to temperature differences, excessive intake of cold drinks can be like pouring something cold into a scorching hot wok. This causes the stomach's blood vessels to contract, the mucous membrane to become pale and ischemic, and the temperature to drop, easily leading to indigestion. Because a child's digestive system is not yet fully developed, overeating cold drinks can easily cause indigestion, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, and diarrhea. In severe cases, it can trigger acute gastroenteritis.
It affects the sterilizing and digestive power of stomach acid. As the temperature changes, the secretion of gastrointestinal digestive fluids in people tends to decrease. If a child overeats cold drinks, it will dilute the concentration of gastric and digestive juices, affecting the sterilizing and digestive power of stomach acid.
It affects the absorption of ions like calcium. When a child overeats cold drinks, it affects their normal food intake, reducing the source and absorption of nutrients, such as calcium ions.
Cold drinks are not entirely without their merits; parents should help their children consume them reasonably. Do not eat cold drinks immediately before or after a meal. It is best to eat them 1 hour after a meal to avoid irritating the gastrointestinal tract due to the temperature difference. When suffering from digestive tract diseases, it is best to avoid cold drinks to prevent worsening digestive symptoms. Do not be greedy or overindulge; limit the amount of watermelon consumed. The temperature of drinks should not be too low; choose fresh drinks with low sugar content. Drink more plain water, or add a little salt to it.