Understanding Food Incompatibility to Eat Your Way to Health
Things can be eaten indiscriminately, but words cannot be spoken carelessly. Many people strongly agree with this statement, but the editor believes the first part is incorrect. You absolutely cannot eat things indiscriminately. Take food pairing, for example; many foods are incompatible. If you want to maintain good health, you must recognize these dangers.
Experts point out that in the book "Jin Gui Yao Lue" (Essential Prescriptions of the Golden Cabinet) by Zhang Zhongjing, a great physician of the Eastern Han Dynasty in China, it is mentioned that 48 pairs of foods should not be eaten together. The so-called food incompatibility is actually a gastrointestinal adverse reaction caused by mixing two or more foods with mutually restrictive or opposing properties. From the perspective of modern nutritional knowledge and traditional Chinese food therapy theory, although some food pairings have certain defects, they generally do not cause serious consequences, so there is no need to panic.
Pumpkin and Lamb
Incompatibility Reason: Pumpkin and lamb are difficult to digest when eaten together.
Scientific Analysis: The above statement comes from "Compendium of Materia Medica": "Pumpkin should not be eaten with lamb, as it causes qi stagnation." The reason is that pumpkin can tonify the middle jiao and benefit qi, while lamb is a great heat that tonifies deficiency. The two tonifying substances together can lead to symptoms like chest tightness and abdominal bloating.
However, from the perspective of modern nutrition, pumpkin with lamb is actually a good pairing. Lamb is high in protein and rich in minerals and vitamins. Pumpkin has a more complete nutritional profile, especially high in carotene and carbohydrates, with lower protein and fat content. Regular consumption can effectively prevent and treat hypertension, diabetes, and liver diseases, and improve the body's immune system. Here, we especially recommend lamb and pumpkin dumplings to those who don't like lamb dumplings. With this combination, the gamey smell of the lamb in the dumpling filling is completely absorbed by the special fresh aroma of the pumpkin, creating an exceptionally delicious flavor that is very suitable for the elderly, children, and patients with chronic illnesses.
Dog Meat and Garlic
Incompatibility Reason: Eating dog meat and garlic together can cause poisoning.
Scientific Analysis: In "Compendium of Materia Medica," there is the statement, "Eating dog meat with garlic harms people." The reason is that dog meat is a 'hot' natured food, and garlic is pungent and warm, which can exacerbate 'heat'. However, minced garlic dog meat is a very common Korean dish and is also often eaten by residents in Guizhou, Guangxi, Hunan, Guangdong, and other places, with many consumers.
Traditional Chinese medicine believes that dog meat is a 'hot' natured food that has the effects of tonifying the middle jiao, benefiting qi, warming the kidneys to boost yang, strengthening strength, and nourishing the blood. It can be used for the debility of the elderly. For example, eating dog meat in winter can enhance the elderly's ability to resist the cold. Modern nutrition believes that the protein quality in dog meat is excellent, with a relatively high proportion of globulin, which can enhance the body's disease resistance and cell vitality, as well as strengthen a person's physique, promote blood circulation, and improve sexual function.
Fresh garlic contains alliin. This alliin is a sulfur-containing amino acid that, when broken down by the alliinase enzyme, is converted into allicin. Allicin has various physiological effects, such as sterilization, but if consumed in excess, it can have adverse effects on the body, such as stomach discomfort or diarrhea. The recommended daily intake of fresh garlic for an average person is 3-5 grams. If consumed in large amounts, it can irritate the gastrointestinal mucosa, causing congestion and edema of the gastrointestinal mucosal blood vessels.
Because the volatile substances in garlic can inhibit gastric juice secretion, and dog meat is 'hot' in nature, eating a large amount of fresh garlic with dog meat may cause gastrointestinal discomfort and is also not conducive to the digestion and absorption of dog meat. Therefore, one should not consume large amounts of fresh garlic when eating dog meat.