Introduction: "Beggars can't be choosers" describes how when people are hungry, they want to put any food they see into their mouths. They eat whatever is available and find everything delicious. However, some foods, when consumed on an empty stomach, are not digested and absorbed before being quickly excreted, or they can irritate the stomach and intestines, causing physical discomfort and posing a health risk. The following foods should not be eaten on an empty stomach.
1. Milk, soy milk, yogurt
Milk and soy milk contain large amounts of protein. When consumed on an empty stomach, the protein is "forced" to be converted into energy for consumption, failing to provide nutritional benefits. The correct way to drink them is to consume them with foods containing flour, such as pastries or biscuits. Yogurt is the best dairy product for people with lactose intolerance, but if consumed on an empty stomach, its health benefits are diminished. Drinking it two hours after a meal or before bedtime can not only nourish and support health but also promote digestion.
Oat and Lotus Seed Soy Milk
2. Sugar
Sugar is a food that is very easily digested and absorbed. Eating a large amount of sugar on an empty stomach can cause the body to secrete insufficient insulin to maintain normal blood sugar levels in a short period. This can cause a sharp rise in blood sugar, which can easily lead to eye diseases. Furthermore, sugar is an acidic food, and eating it on an empty stomach can disrupt the body's acid-base balance and the balance of various microorganisms, which is detrimental to health.
3. Alcohol
Drinking alcohol on an empty stomach means the alcohol directly stimulates and erodes the gastric mucosa and muscle layer because there is no food to buffer it. It neutralizes stomach acid, inhibits the secretion of various digestive enzymes, and irritates the gastric mucosa. Over time, this can easily lead to gastritis, gastric ulcers, and other diseases. When a person is fasting, their blood sugar is already low. Drinking alcohol at this time can quickly lead to hypoglycemia, where the brain tissue suffers from a lack of glucose supply, causing functional impairment, symptoms like dizziness, palpitations, cold sweats, and hunger. In severe cases, it can lead to hypoglycemic coma. Additionally, when alcohol is consumed on an empty stomach, it is absorbed quickly, significantly affecting organs and tissues such as the brain, nerves, muscles, heart, liver, and kidneys.
Rice Balls in Fermented Sweet Rice Soup with Poached Egg
4. Persimmons, hawthorn
When the stomach is empty, it produces a large amount of gastric acid, which can easily combine with the gelatin in persimmons, causing symptoms like stomach pain, nausea, and vomiting. Hawthorn is sour; if consumed on an empty stomach, it not only depletes energy but also increases the feeling of hunger and worsens stomach pain.
5. Bananas
Bananas contain a significant amount of magnesium. Eating bananas on an empty stomach can cause a sudden increase in magnesium levels in the body, disrupting the balance of magnesium and calcium in the blood. This can have an inhibitory effect on the cardiovascular system and is not good for your health.
Chocolate Banana Muffins