Introduction: During the hot summer season, gastrointestinal diseases are more prevalent. So, what foods can easily trigger gastrointestinal ailments? Which foods should we eat less of?
1. Hawthorn
Hawthorn is sweet and sour with a special effect of aiding digestion and resolving food stagnation, making it one of the best fruits for stimulating appetite and helping digestion. However, excessive consumption is harmful rather than beneficial. Eating too much hawthorn can damage the body's vital energy (Zhong Qi) because it contains a large amount of vitamin C and fruit acids. From the perspective of food properties, hawthorn is sour and sweet. Ancient medical texts record: "Hawthorn breaks Qi and should not be eaten in excess. Excessive consumption depletes Qi and damages the teeth." Hawthorn is a substance that dispels Qi and resolves stagnation. People with a weak spleen and stomach, or those taking Qi-tonifying herbs like ginseng, should avoid it. For children who are losing their baby teeth, frequent and large consumption can be detrimental to tooth growth and also affect appetite.
2. Persimmons
Among fruits, persimmons are the sweetest, earning them the title of "the sweetest fruit," and persimmon cakes made from them are even sweeter. Persimmons are not only delicious but also nutritious. However, they also have drawbacks, and eating too many can be harmful. Persimmons contain a certain amount of tannic acid, with higher concentrations in the skin. The astringent feeling in the mouth when eating persimmons is due to the astringent nature of tannins. Tannins have a strong astringent effect and can easily combine with gastric acid in the stomach to form clots. Tannic acid also binds with proteins to easily form precipitates. Therefore, long-term or excessive consumption, especially on an empty stomach or with the skin on, is not advisable.
3. Bananas
Bananas are a fragrant and soft fruit, so some people eat them in large quantities at once. However, this is very detrimental to health. Bananas contain relatively high amounts of elements like magnesium and potassium. While these minerals are essential for the body, consuming a large amount in a short time can cause a sharp increase in the levels of magnesium and potassium in the blood, disrupting the balance of elements like potassium, sodium, calcium, and magnesium, which is harmful to health. Furthermore, eating too many bananas can greatly reduce gastric acid secretion, leading to gastrointestinal dysfunction and mood swings. Therefore, bananas should not be consumed in excess.
4. Apples
Apples are sweet, sour, delicious, nutritious, and convenient to eat. They can also help treat various diseases, making them widely beloved. However, excessive or gluttonous consumption of apples can also bring many problems. This is because apples contain large amounts of sugars and potassium salts. Every 100 grams of apple contains 100 mg of potassium but only 14 mg of sodium. The disparity between the potassium and sodium ratio is too great, and excessive intake is not beneficial for heart and kidney health. This is especially true for patients with coronary heart disease, myocardial infarction, nephritis, or diabetes, as it加重 the burden on the heart and kidneys, which is detrimental to health. Therefore, apples should not be eaten in large quantities. A daily intake of 1-2 apples is generally considered appropriate.
5. Nuts
Whether resting at home or traveling, most people like to have some nuts on hand to chat and watch TV while eating, which seems quite pleasant. But you may not know that eating too many nuts can also lead to "internal heat" (上火), such as with cashews, pine nuts, melon seeds, almonds, and pistachios. This is because nuts contain high calories. If consumed in excess without attention, it can produce excessive internal heat in the body, leading to "internal heat." For example, the calories in 50 grams of melon seeds are equivalent to a large bowl of rice. Therefore, nuts are also one of the foods that easily cause "internal heat," and consumption should be minimized in the summer.
6. Meat
As the temperature continuously rises, the blood in our bodies undergoes varying degrees of change. When the temperature exceeds 35°C, blood becomes viscous. Eating meat at this time will only make your mood worse. Furthermore, meat contains large amounts of animal protein, which can reduce the level of tryptophan in the brain, leading to tendencies towards aggression and anxiety. In hot summer weather, excessive meat consumption can cause the body's calcium concentration to become too low, which can also increase a person's tendency to irritability and anger. Eating too much meat can also lead to hardening of the blood vessels, which in turn raises blood pressure. Increased blood pressure is an important cause of emotional instability.
There are many ways to prevent "internal heat," such as eating more vitamin-rich or "cooling" foods, which can effectively reduce internal fire.
7. Chicken Soup
In the summer, it is best to focus on "light nourishment" (清补). If some restaurants still recommend warming soups like black-bone chicken or old hen soup, it will have the opposite effect. Instead, one should choose duck soup or pigeon soup.