Jingchu Net News (Chutian Golden Report) Intern reporter Gao Chenchen, correspondents Huang Luntuo and Huang Jiawei reported: A pair of little sisters, both under the age of 5, turned yellow all over from eating too many oranges, becoming "golden dolls," and were rushed to the hospital.
It turned out that these two sisters, with the surname Yan, had been living with their grandparents in Jiangxi. Last October, there was a bumper harvest of oranges in the local orchards, but the sales were not ideal. The grandparents thought that oranges are fruits rich in nutrients, so it would be a pity to waste them. So, the "whole family mobilized" to eat oranges together, sometimes consuming more than 20 per person per day. During the Spring Festival, the sisters were sent to their parents who were working in Wuhan for the holiday. The children's mother noticed that the girls were yellow all over and took them to the Yangcha Hubei District of Wuhan Central Hospital for an examination. The results showed that the sisters' liver function and bilirubin levels were within the normal range. It was only after the doctor carefully inquired about the children's recent diet that they discovered the sisters had carotenemia, and the culprit was the oranges. Fortunately, their brains and bones had not been affected, and as long as they stopped eating oranges, they would gradually recover.
According to Dr. Fang Junming, chief physician of the pediatrics department at the hospital, oranges are rich in carotene. However, if consumed in large quantities over a short period (eating more than 0.5 kg per day), the liver cannot completely metabolize it. The high concentration of carotene in the blood then deposits in the skin tissue, causing the skin to turn yellow and leading to carotenemia. Dr. Fang reminded the public that while oranges are good, eating too many can be toxic, and consumption should be moderate.