A gout patient used the broth from a hot pot to cook noodles and had a flare-up after eating; a young man ate hot pot with friends for four to five hours one day and had diarrhea the next... Yesterday, it was learned from major hospitals that with the recent cold weather in Wuhan, more and more people are eating hot pot, and many are getting sick because they "don't know how to eat hot pot" properly.
Hot pot is delicious, but how can you eat it healthily? Medical experts offer some advice.
Hot pot broth used to cook noodles triggers gout
A 50-year-old man surnamed Zhang suffers from gout and usually pays close attention to his diet. Yesterday morning, he suddenly found his right big toe red, swollen, and extremely painful, so he had to go to the gastroenterology department of Wuhan Puren Hospital for treatment. The attending physician, Dr. Fang Xiangming, asked him, "What did you eat the night before?" He replied, "I had a bowl of noodles cooked with the leftover broth from the hot pot I had at noon." Dr. Fang said this was the "culprit" that triggered the gout.
Dr. Fang explained that gout is a disease caused by purine metabolism disorders and hyperuricemia, and it is closely related to a person's diet. "The hot pot broth Mr. Zhang used for his noodles was the leftover from lunch, which had been boiled repeatedly. Most vitamins and other nutrients in it had been destroyed. A large amount of purine from seafood and meat had fully dissolved into the broth, along with a lot of fat. Many people like to use this kind of broth to cook noodles at the end of a hot pot meal. A large amount of purine absorbed by the body can trigger gout, and the fat in the broth is not good for your health," Dr. Fang said.
Alternating between hot and cold food during hot pot causes diarrhea
Not long ago, Mr. Peng, who is in charge of sales at a software company, closed a deal and went for an all-you-can-eat hot pot with his colleagues, drinking several glasses of free beer. He likes tender lamb and would use chopsticks to dip it in the pot once before eating it. He and his friends chatted while eating, and before they knew it, the meal lasted for four to five hours.
The next morning early, Mr. Peng started having a stomachache and ran to the toilet three times in the morning. At noon, he hurried to Wuhan General Hospital of Guangzhou Military Command for medical treatment. The doctor told him that the reasons for his diarrhea were: first, drinking a lot of beer with the hot pot was too much stimulation for the stomach from the alternating hot and cold; second, the meat was not cooked thoroughly as it was in the pot for too short a time; and third, the hot pot meal was too long, giving the stomach and intestines no rest, causing gastric juice, bile, and other secretions to be produced continuously, leading to gastrointestinal dysfunction with symptoms like abdominal pain and diarrhea.
Han Fang, director of the Nutrition Department at Wuhan General Hospital of Guangzhou Military Command, introduced several tips for eating hot pot: don't eat piping hot food, don't eat cold food, don't eat raw food, don't eat food that has been in the pot for too long, eat less spicy food, eat vegetables before meat, and cook food to the appropriate temperature.
Han Fang explained that many people put food in the hot pot, dip it once, and then put it directly in their mouths, thinking the hotter the more satisfying. The oral cavity, esophagus, and stomach lining can generally only tolerate 50°C, while the temperature of hot pot broth can be as high as 120°C. Taking food directly from the hot pot and eating it can scald the oral cavity, esophagus, and stomach lining, causing or worsening cheilitis, and even increasing the risk of esophageal cancer. Therefore, it's best to let food cool down a bit after taking it out of the hot pot before eating.
Han Fang also suggested that when eating hot pot, you can start by cooking some vegetables first to fill your stomach a bit, which can reduce the intake of meat; root vegetables like potatoes can be put into the pot to cook for a longer time; thin slices of meat should be cooked for about a minute before eating; and vegetables should not be cooked for too long to avoid destroying their nutritional value.
Those with a "heaty" spleen and stomach should not eat hot pot
Dr. Yao Wu, an associate chief physician in the Traditional Chinese Medicine Department of Wuhan Puren Hospital, offered advice from the perspective of TCM health preservation. He said that Wuhan has not reached the coldest time of the year yet, so when eating hot pot, one can focus on milder beef, while lamb is considered "heaty" and is best eaten after the Winter Solstice.
"The hot pot broth base is also very important," Dr. Yao said. "Ginger not only removes the gamey flavor but also stimulates the appetite, so you can add a little to the broth. You can also add a few jujubes that strengthen the spleen, as well as some carrots and white radishes."
Dr. Yao believes that people whose hands and feet are cold generally have a "cold-deficient" spleen and stomach and can eat hot pot to supplement. Women who suffer from menstrual pain can eat angelica lamb soup. However, those with a "heaty" spleen and stomach—people who often have bad breath, a dry mouth, prefer to drink cold water, and have dry stools—as well as gout patients should stay away from hot pot.