A person's body constitution can also be a complex mix of cold, heat, deficiency, and excess. Furthermore, fruits also have their own properties of cold and heat, and different fruits are suitable for people with different constitutions. Therefore, when eating fruit, it is best to choose what suits you.
The relationship between fruit properties and body constitution
When it comes to food properties, Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) has the concept of the "Four Natures." This refers to the effect a food has on the body, producing actions of "cold, hot, warm, or cool." If a food is neither warm nor hot, neither cold nor cool, it is classified as "neutral." Therefore, each fruit has its own "personality" when it enters the human body. TCM emphasizes balance and harmony between yin and yang. People with a constitution偏向于热 (偏向于热) should eat more cooling foods, while those with a constitution偏向于寒 (偏向于寒) should naturally eat more warming foods. The principle for eating fruit is the same.
At the same time, topography and climate also affect physiology and diet. For example, in subtropical regions, the midsummer heat can be unbearable. Influenced by the hot sky and the hot earth, people often experience symptoms like headaches, body heat, thirst, and irritability. To achieve balance, it is best to choose some cooling foods.
The "hot" fruits referred to in traditional Chinese medicine are those that are high in caloric density and sugar. After eating these, the liver's glucose phosphorylation reaction accelerates, glycogen synthesis increases, the ratio of insulin to blood sugar-raising hormones rises, fatty acid synthesis increases, and triglyceride synthesis also increases. The liver becomes full of fats and sugars waiting to be transported, which can easily lead to "internal heat" (上火), and the body's energy increases, making it more "hot." On the other hand, fruits that are low in caloric density, rich in fiber, but low in fat and sugar are considered "cold." Eating too many of them can lead to a lack of energy and strength, and also make you more susceptible to cold and weakness. People with sufficient nutrients in their bodies can generally eat any type of fruit in moderation without major issues. However, if one's health is not ideal, such as those with a deficient and cold constitution with insufficient internal heat, eating cooling fruits can cause discomfort.
Which type of fruit is suitable for you?
People with poor digestion should choose "milder" fruits, not too sweet and not too sour.
Those with a deficient and cold constitution, chronic enteritis, duodenal ulcers, or "stomach cold"—which refers to gastritis and gastric ulcer patients—should avoid eating cooling foods like watermelon and muskmelon.
Due to their high water content, eating too many melons and fruits can dilute stomach acid, leading to indigestion, abdominal pain, and diarrhea.
Those with "bitter summer" should eat more bananas. Every summer, some people feel listless, have a poor appetite, and their ability to tolerate heat decreases, making them prone to heatstroke. This is what people commonly call "bitter summer." Medical research shows that "bitter summer" is related to a potassium deficiency. The hot summer climate and excessive sweating can lead to a loss of potassium, and combined with insufficient absorption, it can cause hypokalemia. Therefore, people should pay attention to supplementing their daily diet with potassium-rich foods in the summer, such as bananas and watermelon.
Lychees and longans are easy to cause "internal heat" and dryness if eaten in excess.
Pears have multiple effects, including resolving phlegm and stopping cough, clearing the heart and moistening the lungs, detoxifying and promoting urination, expelling wind-heat, relieving vexation and thirst, and clearing heat and reducing fire. They are a superior remedy for coughing with phlegm, wheezing, sore throat, heat-damaged yin, and hemoptysis caused by heat.
Although mangoes are delicious, some people cannot touch them because they get allergic and itchy when they eat them. Doctors point out that mango skin contains histamine, which can easily cause allergies. Theoretically, mangoes are considered "trigger foods" (发物), which can induce or worsen illnesses in people with infectious diseases, skin diseases, or inflammatory symptoms. However, classified by their flesh, mangoes are considered cooling, with effects such as promoting the production of body fluids to quench thirst, benefiting the stomach to stop vomiting, and promoting urination to stop coughing. For people who are prone to motion sickness, mangoes can help relieve discomfort.