Core Tip: With temperatures soaring above 30°C in recent days, sun protection, umbrellas, and cold drinks have become the three essential remedies for the heat. While cold drinks are certainly refreshing, consuming products with excessive microbial counts can lead to an upset stomach.
Excessive Microbial Counts: Cold Drinks are Refreshing but Not Satisfying
While summer cold drinks are a delight for the palate and the spirit, consuming不合格 products means that a single ice pop can introduce countless molds and yeasts into your system. According to experts from the Jiangsu Provincial Bureau of Quality Supervision, the department conducts random inspections of cold drinks on the market each year, and the results have never been 100% compliant. The issues are primarily concentrated in the production, transportation, and sales stages. Common problems include excessive microbial counts, as well as high levels of molds and yeasts. Consuming such problematic cold drinks provides momentary satisfaction but can easily lead to an upset stomach. Some street vendors' homemade cold drinks are made little more than from colorings and artificial flavorings, with brightly colored fruit-flavored drinks being a particularly common lure from unscrupulous sellers. The lack of health permits and certificates makes it difficult to guarantee the hygiene quality of these products.
Ice Cream is Not the Same as Ice Lollies
Many consumers today have misconceptions about frozen desserts, believing that ice lollies are the same as ice cream. In fact, both domestic and international standards have strict regulations for ice cream. The milk fat content must meet a specific criterion to be considered ice cream; otherwise, it is simply classified as a frozen dessert.
Zhu Xiaojun explains that some domestic ice creams use whey and emulsifiers instead of cream to mimic the sensory effects of real cream, but this comes at a significant cost in terms of nutritional value and texture. Ice lollies, on the other hand, are primarily made from drinking water, dairy products, sugar, edible oils, and other ingredients, along with appropriate food additives like flavors, colorings, and emulsifiers. They are processed through mixing, sterilization, homogenization or light freezing, molding, and freezing. Although ice lollies may resemble ice cream in appearance, texture, and taste, their protein and fat content are significantly lower. Ice cream is a dairy product containing milk or cream, whereas ice lollies can be made from any ingredients. To ensure a certain level of nutritional content, national recommended standards stipulate that ice cream must have a total solids content of no less than 30%, while for ice lollies, 16% is sufficient. Otherwise, once the frozen dessert melts, you are essentially left with "a puddle of water."Certain Groups Should Avoid Cold Drinks
No matter how refreshing cold drinks are, they should not be consumed in excess. This is especially true for the following groups of people.
Diabetics: Cold drinks typically contain a high amount of sugar, which can raise blood sugar levels and worsen the condition of patients. Patients with duodenal ulcers, chronic gastritis, chronic colitis, cholecystitis, or indigestion: These individuals have compromised digestive systems. Consuming cold drinks can easily irritate the gastrointestinal mucosa and aggravate their condition. Patients with cavities or dentin hypersensitivity: For these individuals, cold drinks can trigger toothaches. Patients with hypertension, coronary heart disease, or arteriosclerosis: Consuming large amounts of cold drinks can cause a sudden shock to the gastrointestinal tract, leading to blood vessel constriction, increased blood pressure, and a worsening of their condition, which can easily trigger a cerebral hemorrhage. Patients with pharyngitis, bronchitis, bronchial asthma, or arthritis: It is best for these patients to avoid cold drinks altogether, as the cold stimulation can worsen throat inflammation and induce coughing, or cause a relapse of their old condition. Patients with kidney disease: These individuals should avoid cold drinks containing artificial flavors, colorings, and other additives, as these ingredients can increase the burden on the kidneys' filtration and detoxification processes, and can also exacerbate symptoms of edema. Overweight patients: Cold drinks are high in sugar, which can increase liver glycogen, convert to fat, lead to further weight gain, and increase the risk of developing fatty liver and hyperlipoproteinemia.
Infants and young children should not eat cold drinks, as it may affect the secretion and peristalsis of their digestive glands, leading to diarrhea, abdominal pain, and loss of appetite. Pregnant women should also avoid excessive consumption of cold drinks. This is because the fetus is extremely sensitive to cold stimulation. When a pregnant woman consumes a cold drink, the fetus may become restless in the uterus, with increased fetal movement.