Doctors in the emergency room often encounter this situation: the patient was all right and had no problem initially. He was just hungry and grabbed some food to eat with a good appetite. The result was serious — he ended up in the emergency room and was even hospitalized in severe cases. The reason is simple — eating all sorts of food on an empty stomach is easy to trigger disease.
Six kinds of food should not be eaten on an empty stomach. Doctors warn that the consequences can be severe. People with weak stomachs, the elderly, and the infirm can’t afford the harm that comes from eating some trivial food on an empty stomach. Meanwhile, healthy people should also be careful.
6 kinds of food you can’t eat on an empty stomach, even if you’re hungry
1. Coffee and tea irritate the gastric mucosa
Drinking coffee or strong tea on an empty stomach may lead to excessive gastric acid secretion, irritating the gastric mucosa and causing problems like stomach pain and ulcers. So, you should avoid strong coffee or tea until you have eaten. Instead, drinking a glass of warm water or light salt water can help dilute stomach acid.
2. Citrus fruits induce too much stomach acid
Citrus fruits like orange and grapefruit contain fruit acids and vitamin C. Although these fruits benefit the body, consuming them on an empty stomach may stimulate the gastric mucous membrane and cause an increase in stomach acid secretion, resulting in stomach discomfort. Therefore, it is recommended to eat something before consumption of citrus fruits to ease irritation of the stomach.
3. Honey triggers a rapid rise in blood sugar
Honey is a nutritious natural food with many benefits. However, consuming honey on an empty stomach may cause a rapid rise in blood sugar and increase insulin secretion, thus increasing the risk of diabetes. You can add it to warm water or milk after meals to minimize the impact of honey on the body.
4. Lychees cause hypoglycemia
It is said that eating lychees on an empty stomach will cause an adverse reaction. This reaction is also known as lychee disease, which is not a joke, but real and often breaks out during the lychee ripening season. Many people suffer from hypoglycemia and epilepsy after eating lychees without other food in the stomach.
The cause of lychee disease is still not fully understood. The disease is more likely to develop on an empty stomach. Sensitive people, especially children with poor immunity and the elderly, should eat some carbohydrate-rich food before eating lychees and watch the serving size.
5. Persimmons may induce stomach stones
Persimmons are rich in persimmon pectin and a substance called red tannin. These two components are found most prominently in unripe persimmons and the skin of ripe ones. When eaten on an empty stomach, a large amount of persimmon pectin and red tannin coalesce with stomach acid to form a hard mass known as “persimmon stone.” It can easily lead to discomfort, vomiting, gastric ulcers, and even gastric perforation in severe cases. However, persimmon stones are less likely to form if the persimmons are eaten after a meal. Be careful not to eat too many at one time.
6. Alkaline foods cause indigestion
Alkaline foods like tomatoes and lemons are rich in vitamins and minerals. However, when consumed on an empty stomach, they may weaken stomach acid and affect digestion. Therefore, avoiding excessive alkaline food when the stomach is empty is recommended to maintain normal gastric acid secretion.
The gastric lining is relatively fragile when the stomach is empty and easily irritated. In addition to the above list, spicy food, potato chips, fried food, and other high-fat, high-salt, and irritating foods should not be consumed on an empty stomach. These kinds of food may cause gastrointestinal discomfort and even induce gastritis, gastric ulcers, and other diseases. Therefore, it is vital to avoid them on an empty stomach to protect the good health of the gastric mucosa.
Two misconceptions about eating on an empty stomach need to be clarified here.
Misconception 1
Bananas can’t be eaten on an empty stomach?
Quantitative and proportional considerations are involved here. Eating a small amount of banana on an empty stomach will not cause significant harm to the body. Although it is said that eating bananas this way is likely to cause cardiovascular problems, this is unlikely to happen if the amount of intake is limited.
Misconception 2
Drinking milk on an empty stomach can cause diarrhea.
If you drink milk on an empty stomach and then experience symptoms such as bloating, gas, diarrhea, and abdominal pain, this is most likely to be caused by “lactose intolerance.” People with lactose intolerance lack the enzyme lactase in their intestines and cannot effectively break down lactose in milk or other food, leading to abdominal pain and diarrhea. Even with a normal stomach, symptoms of lactose intolerance may still occur in those with lactose intolerance. Therefore, milk diarrhea is not related to an empty stomach.
In short, eating certain foods on an empty stomach may negatively affect the body. Therefore, avoid eating them on an empty stomach for the sake of the stomach and health.
Translated by Cecilia and edited by Amanda
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