4 Beverages You Should Never Drink on an Empty Stomach
In our daily lives, we often drink various beverages, but some can pose health risks when consumed on an empty stomach. Do you know which beverages you should avoid drinking on an empty stomach? Traditional Chinese Medicine reminds us: 4 major beverages should absolutely not be consumed on an empty stomach!
Coffee
Coffee is a very familiar beverage for white-collar workers bustling in office buildings—cafés are the preferred venues for daily business meetings, and coffee is also a great tool for staying alert during overtime and late nights. Is it harmful for women to drink coffee during their period?>>> Caffeine in coffee stimulates the sympathetic nervous system after entering the body, which eliminates sleepiness, improves blood circulation, and makes the body feel warm and less fatigued, hence the "refreshing" effect. However, stimulation and excitement of the sympathetic nervous system have a negative effect on appetite, meaning appetite will decrease. Therefore, drinking coffee before a meal can suppress your desire to eat. Additionally, the stimulation to the stomach increases gastric acid secretion, which can irritate an empty stomach and is not good for patients with stomach ulcers. However, drinking it after a meal can aid digestion because of the increased gastric acid secretion. Therefore, drinking it after a meal is absolutely fine. Of course, "too much of a good thing is bad." No matter how good something is, it should be consumed in moderation. As a rule of thumb, two to three cups of coffee a day is appropriate. Most people will start to feel nauseous after four or five cups, so be careful.
Yogurt
People often discuss how to drink yogurt for better health or when to drink it for better nutrient absorption. If consumed on an empty stomach, yogurt can easily stimulate the gastrointestinal tract to empty, and its nutrients will be expelled before they can be fully digested and absorbed. Drinking it after a meal can reduce this stimulation, allowing the yogurt to be slowly absorbed by the stomach.
Nutrition expert Li Guangyi explains: Generally, the best time to drink yogurt is 30 minutes to 2 hours after a meal. Under normal conditions, the pH value of gastric juice is between 1 and 3. When the stomach is empty, the gastric juice is acidic with a pH value below 2, which is not suitable for the growth of active lactic acid bacteria in yogurt. Only when the stomach's pH value is higher can the lactic acid bacteria in yogurt grow fully, which is beneficial to health. Furthermore, the optimal temperature for drinking yogurt is 10°C-12°C. Note that the temperature should not exceed 50°C, otherwise the beneficial bacteria will lose their activity.
Honey
Honey is a nutrient-rich natural food and one of the most common health supplements. It contains various inorganic salts and vitamins similar in concentration to human blood serum, making it easy for the body to absorb. Many white-collar workers have the habit of drinking honey water to prevent constipation, nourish the skin, and maintain overall health.
Experts remind: The timing of honey consumption is very important. It is recommended to drink it 1.5 to 2 hours after a meal. Drinking honey water on an empty stomach can easily increase the body's acidity, and over time, it can lead to excess stomach acid, causing stomach ulcers or duodenal ulcers.
For people with poor gastrointestinal health, it is best to drink it with water at 30°C, otherwise it may easily cause adverse symptoms like diarrhea or gastroenteritis. However, the temperature should not be too high. From a pharmacological perspective, heating honey above 67°C will destroy its vitamins and reduce its aroma, thus lowering its nutritional value.
Weight Loss Tea
Summer is the perfect time for fitness and weight loss to show off a great figure. Many white-collar workers who want to correct their figure and prevent weight gain rely on weight loss tea to control their weight.
Tea is a beverage we are all too familiar with. Most people know that you shouldn't drink tea immediately after a meal; it's best to wait half an hour. However, many people overlook that tea should also not be drunk on an empty stomach. As the ancients said, "Do not drink tea on an empty stomach," which means exactly this. Because tea contains caffeine and other alkaloids, drinking it on an empty stomach allows the intestines to absorb too much caffeine, which can easily cause gastrointestinal discomfort and loss of appetite.
The current popular weight loss tea products on the market emphasize the concept of tea therapy and wellness, with main ingredients extracted from natural tea leaves. Therefore, they are also not suitable for consumption on an empty stomach. Moreover, according to a person in charge from a well-known domestic weight loss tea brand, drinking it correctly can make weight loss tea more effective, and a very important rule is to drink it after a meal and avoid drinking it on an empty stomach.
Therefore, it is important to note that the above 4 major beverages should never be consumed on an empty stomach, as it can lead to health risks. Drink beverages wisely to prevent health hazards.