Apples are one of the most common fruits in our lives and are very nutritious. However, it must be reminded that while apples are good, they should not be eaten indiscriminately, because eating the wrong apple can lead to significant harm. If you find that an apple has the following characteristics, do not eat it.
Especially red apples
Such apples are likely to have been sprayed with ripening agents, growth hormones, etc., by growers during their growth process to make them look more appealing for sale. Consuming too many can seriously affect your health. Therefore, when picking apples or other fruits, do not judge them by their appearance; the uglier the skin, the more natural and nutritious the fruit may be.
Waxed apples
Apples can secrete their own plant wax to prevent excessive water evaporation from the leaves and protect the mesophyll cells from microbial invasion. However, unscrupulous merchants use industrial wax instead of edible wax to save costs.
Industrial wax contains mercury and lead, which can cause liver and kidney damage. If taken for a long time, it can lead to liver and kidney failure. You can distinguish a waxed apple by gently scraping it with a fruit knife to see if white wax appears.
Apple peels
Many people may know that the peel of a fruit is far more nutritious than the flesh, for example, with apples, grapes, and even watermelons. However, this premise is based on the fruit being natural and unpolluted.
Most apples on the market today are sprayed with pesticides. If some pesticide residues remain on the peel and are not washed clean, it can have a certain impact on your health. Therefore, it is recommended to peel apples before eating.
Want to know the taboos of eating apples and the effects and functions of apples? Let's take a look together.
Taboos of eating apples
Don't eat the apple core
The apple core contains a small amount of harmful substance—hydrocyanic acid. A large accumulation of hydrocyanic acid in the body can lead to symptoms such as dizziness, headache, and rapid breathing rate. In severe cases, coma may occur.
But there's no need to worry too much. The hydrocyanic acid in apples is mainly in the core, not in the flesh. It should be noted: while eating the core of an apple won't cause poisoning immediately, doing so for a long time is indeed detrimental to your health.
Apples should not be eaten with seafood
Apples contain tannic acid. Eating them with seafood not only reduces the nutritional value of the seafood's protein but can also easily cause abdominal pain, nausea, and vomiting. Similarly, other fruits high in tannic acid, such as strawberries, bayberries, persimmons, pomegranates, lemons, grapes, and sour pomelos, should not be eaten with seafood.
Apples are very nutritious. When you eat an apple, chew it slowly. This not only aids digestion but can also prevent diseases and cancer.
So, although apples are very nutritious, if we want to have a healthy body, we must pay attention to our diet. This way, we can eat apples healthily.
You cannot eat apples at night
Many people are used to eating apples when they are hungry at night. An apple in the morning is gold, but one at night is garbage and is not beneficial to the body.
You cannot eat apples right after dinner
Eating an apple an hour after dinner can aid digestion. However, eating an apple right after a meal is not good for digestion.
People who should not eat apples
Apples are rich in vitamins and dietary fiber, and almost everyone considers apples a universal fruit. However, even if the nutritional value of apples is high, they are not suitable for everyone. Today, let's list who should not eat apples.
1. Patients with dysmenorrhea should not eat apples
Women often experience various symptoms during their menstrual period, and dysmenorrhea is one of them. When women have dysmenorrhea, they often drink a lot of brown sugar water and take medicine to relieve the pain.
Although it is not recommended to eat cold fruits during the period, most women will warm the fruits in warm water before eating, mainly to supplement vitamins to relieve dysmenorrhea. However, this idea is wrong.
There is nothing wrong with eating fruits during dysmenorrhea. The mistake is thinking that fruits that are believed to be beneficial can replenish energy, especially during the menstrual period. Apples are sour and astringent, which can easily lead to blood stasis and prolonged menstruation. This is especially true for green apples. In the cold winter season, they can lead to a longer menstrual period, reduced menstrual flow, or even worsen dysmenorrhea. Therefore, do not eat apples during your period to avoid aggravating the symptoms.
2. Patients with constipation should not eat apples
Irregular daily diet, often eating spicy foods, can easily lead to constipation. Most people think that constipation is mainly due to a lack of fruits and vegetables in the diet, so they eat a lot of fruits.
And the first choice for people is apples. Although apples contain a lot of dietary fiber and water, the pectin in apples can absorb excess water in the intestines. For patients with constipation, if they eat apples and don't drink enough water, it can worsen constipation.
3. Patients with ulcerative colitis
Patients with ulcerative colitis should not eat raw apples, especially during an acute flare-up. Because the intestinal wall ulcers are thin, and apples are hard, combined with the irritation of 1.2% crude fiber and 0.5% organic acid, it is very unfavorable for the healing of the ulcer surface. It can also mechanically stimulate the intestinal wall, easily inducing complications such as intestinal perforation, intestinal dilation, and intestinal obstruction.
4. Patients with leukopenia and patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia
Patients with leukopenia and patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia should not eat raw apples, as it may worsen their symptoms or affect the treatment outcome.