The saying "eating more fruit is good for your health" is generally true for the general population. However, for people who are ill, there are stricter considerations when it comes to eating fruit. This is especially true when visiting a sick friend; if you bring the wrong fruit, you could potentially worsen their condition.
According to Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), fruits also have their own "Four Natures" properties. What are the "Four Natures"? The Four Natures refer to the effects of "cold, cool, warm, and hot" that fruits produce when consumed. For example, people with a deficient-cold constitution have a low basal metabolic rate and produce less internal heat. Therefore, it is more suitable for them to choose warm and hot fruits and avoid cold fruits. On the other hand, people with an excess-heat constitution have a vigorous metabolism and produce more heat. They should eat more cool and cold fruits; otherwise, they are prone to "internal heat," which can lead to symptoms like flushed face, sore throat, and short, infrequent urination or constipation. Nephritis patients: Avoid bananas
There have been reports of nephritis patients who, after eating bananas brought by visiting friends and family, experienced respiratory paralysis and cardiac arrest! Why should nephritis patients avoid bananas? This is because bananas contain large amounts of potassium and magnesium. Due to poor kidney filtration function in nephritis patients, eating bananas can disrupt the balance of calcium, potassium, and magnesium in the blood. In particular, potassium can worsen the kidney condition, while the magnesium in bananas can also have a suppressive effect on the nervous and cardiovascular systems.
Patients with arthritis and diabetes should also not eat too many bananas, as they are high in sugar and can slow down blood circulation and cause metabolic waste to build up, potentially aggravating their condition. Constipation patients: Avoid fruits with an "astringent" effect, such as apples and pomegranates
Apples are rich in tannic acid. When tannic acid combines with protein, it becomes tannic acid protein, which slows down intestinal motility and thus prolongs the time feces stay in the intestines. Therefore, despite articles giving "ten reasons to eat an apple a day," people with constipation should not eat apples frequently. Diarrhea patients: Avoid pears
Although sugarcane and pears are the preferred fruits in winter, people with diarrhea should not eat pears. This is because pears are rich in pectin and are considered "cold" in TCM, which can easily worsen diarrhea. Stomach disease patients: Avoid highly acidic fruits such as lemons, bayberries, and plums
It goes without saying that these fruits can stimulate the production of stomach acid, aggravating stomach problems. In fact, some diseases are caused by fruits themselves:
Allergies: Mangoes and pineapples are more common culprits. Some people experience numbness and redness of the lips immediately after eating them, and in severe cases, a full-body rash may appear.
Stones: Eating too many persimmons can lead to stomach stones, which is related to their high tannic acid content. Furthermore, the calcium sulfate sprayed to remove astringency can also contribute to stone formation after it hardens, especially for the elderly who eat too many, as it can easily cause intestinal obstruction.
Hypoglycemia: Eating too many lychees can easily lead to low blood sugar. Patients with chronic tonsillitis, pharyngitis, those who are prone to allergies, and diabetes patients should not eat fresh lychees in excess. So, while lychees are delicious, do not overindulge.
Indigestion: Durian is rich in plant protein and is difficult to digest in large quantities. Seven Taboos When Eating Fruit
1. Avoid eating unhygienic fruit: Consuming fruit that is starting to rot, or fruit that has not been thoroughly washed and disinfected, such as strawberries, mulberries, and cut watermelon, especially from places without dust and fly protection, can easily lead to digestive infectious diseases like dysentery, typhoid, and acute gastroenteritis.
2. Avoid disinfecting fruit with alcohol: Although alcohol can kill bacteria on the fruit's surface, it will alter the fruit's color, aroma, and flavor. The reaction between alcohol and the acids in the fruit will also reduce its nutritional value.
3. Avoid eating raw fruit without peeling it: Some people believe that the peel contains more vitamins than the flesh and therefore eat the fruit with the peel on. However, they may not realize that when fruits suffer from pests and diseases, pesticides are often sprayed to kill them. These pesticides can penetrate and remain in the waxy layer of the peel, meaning the pesticide residue in the peel is much higher than in the flesh.
4. Avoid using a kitchen knife to peel fruit: Kitchen knives often come into contact with meat, fish, and vegetables, which can carry parasites or parasite eggs to the fruit, leading to parasitic infections in people. Moreover, the rust on the knife can react with the tannic acid in apples, diminishing the apple's color, aroma, and flavor.
5. Avoid eating fruit immediately after a meal: Eating fruit right after a meal will not aid digestion; instead, it can cause bloating and constipation. Therefore, it is best to eat fruit 2 hours after a meal or 1 hour before a meal.
6. Avoid not rinsing your mouth after eating fruit: Some fruits contain various fermentable sugars that are highly corrosive to teeth. If you don't rinse your mouth after eating, fruit residue in the mouth can easily cause cavities.
7. Avoid eating too much fruit: Consuming excessive fruit can lead to copper deficiency in the body, which in turn can increase cholesterol levels in the blood and cause coronary heart disease. Therefore, it is not advisable to eat too much fruit in a short period.