What to Consider When Eating Fruits in Autumn
After autumn arrives, a continuous wave of autumn fruits floods the market, offering a wide variety. Coupled with the dry autumn weather, eating sweet and throat-soothing fruits is the most nourishing. However, as the saying goes, "a little is more delicious, too much will harm the stomach," so it's important to be moderate when eating fruits.
As soon as autumn begins, autumn fruits are brought to market in a steady stream, with a wide variety of rich nutrition, delicious flavor, and both medicinal and edible qualities, making everyone eager to be the first to taste them. However, eating autumn fruits is not a case of "the more, the better." Overindulgence or bingeing can also lead to illness, so do not take it lightly when you are "indulging your taste buds."
Apple: Apple juice can stop diarrhea, eating it on an empty stomach can relieve constipation, and eating it after a meal can aid digestion. However, apples are rich in sugars and potassium salts, and excessive intake is not beneficial for heart and kidney health. Those with coronary heart disease, myocardial infarction, nephritis, or diabetes should strictly avoid eating too many.
Pear: It has effects such as relieving coughs, resolving phlegm, and clearing dryness, and is effective for treating coughs, asthma, wind-heat, and pharyngitis. Because it is cold in nature, those with a weak spleen and stomach, clear drooling from the mouth, or loose stools should eat it with caution. Also, because of its high sugar content, overeating can raise blood sugar, so diabetics should eat it in moderation.
Citrus: It contains a large amount of carotene, which is converted into vitamin A in the blood and accumulates in the body, causing the skin to turn yellow, leading to "carotenemia," commonly known as "orange jaundice." This is followed by symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite, and general fatigue. After developing "orange jaundice," one should consume more vegetable oil and drink more water to accelerate its dissolution, conversion, and excretion.
Persimmon: It contains large amounts of vitamins A, C, and tannic acid, is rich in nutrition, and has effects such as lowering blood pressure, stopping bleeding, clearing heat, lubricating the intestines, moistening the lungs, and promoting fluid production. However, it contains large amounts of persimmon tannin and pectin, which, when they meet stomach acid, will condense into fibrous clumps, known as "bezoars," leading to epigastric pain and indigestion. Also, because pectin has an astringent effect, it should be avoided by those with constipation. Furthermore, it should not be taken on an empty stomach, nor should it be eaten with crabs or sweet potatoes.
Pomegranate: It contains a large amount of fructose and various vitamins and minerals, has a sweet taste and a warm nature, and is considered a "damp-heat" type of fruit. Pomegranate is effective for dysentery, rectal prolapse, and pharyngitis, but those with a weak constitution, yin deficiency, and internal heat should eat it with caution. Those with early-stage diarrhea or damp-heat should not eat the fresh fruit either. Even for healthy people, it should not be eaten in excess, as too much can damage the teeth and cause loss of appetite.
Water Chestnut, Chinese Water Chestnut: Many people peel water chestnuts with their teeth and eat raw water chestnuts without peeling them. This method, which does not involve high-temperature sterilization, can easily lead to infection with the fluke disease. The fluke is a thick parasite that looks very much like a slice of ginger under a microscope. After entering the human body, it resides in the small intestine, leading to malnutrition, weight loss, and anemia, with greater harm to children. Furthermore, both are cold and slippery in nature, so even healthy people should not eat too many. Those with a weak spleen and stomach, loose stools, diarrhea, or insufficient kidney yang should not consume them.
Chestnut: It contains starch, protein, crude fiber, and various vitamins, has a sweet taste and a warm nature, is sweet, glutinous, and delicious, and is praised as the "king of a thousand fruits" and "woody grain." Chestnuts have the effects of replenishing qi, tonifying the kidneys, strengthening the spleen, nourishing the liver, and regulating the gastrointestinal tract. In traditional Chinese medicine, it is called the "kidney fruit" and is especially suitable for those with kidney disease. However, chestnuts are firm and difficult to digest raw, and cooked ones can easily cause qi stagnation and food accumulation, so one should not eat too many at a time. Chestnuts have an effect of stabilizing the intestines and stopping diarrhea, so they should be avoided by those with constipation, as this will worsen the symptoms.