A Revolution in the Details of Scientific Meal Eating: The Physiological Benefits of Chewing Slowly, Taboos on an Empty Stomach, and Guidelines for the Prevention and Treatment of Fruit-Related Illnesses [i]

Some people eat too quickly, and the food cannot be fully digested, so the body cannot absorb enough nutrients, and the body will become weaker and weaker [i]. A health proverb says: "If you want to be strong, chew your food thoroughly [i]". Food that has been chewed thoroughly can increase the contact area with the intestinal wall and reduce the burden on the stomach [i]. Experiments have shown that the absorption of protein and fat differs between those who chew thoroughly and those who do not [i]. Chewing thoroughly also has many benefits: (1) Cleans teeth and prevents cavities: Chewing thoroughly has a massaging effect on the gums [i]. (2) Aids digestion: It can grind food into a very fine powder [i]. (3) Improves brain function and intelligence: Studies have shown that chewing can move facial muscles and promote blood circulation in the head. The blood flow to the brain can increase by 20.7% during chewing [i]. (4) Detoxifies and prevents cancer: Saliva can completely eliminate some carcinogens within half a minute and has a significant detoxifying effect on the toxicity of some food additives [i]. If you do not chew thoroughly, your stomach will suffer from gastritis and gastric ulcers due to excessive stomach acid [i]. People often say "hunger makes one eat anything," but some foods are not suitable for consumption on an empty stomach: (1) Garlic: Eating garlic on an empty stomach can irritate the gastric mucosa and intestinal wall, causing gastrointestinal spasms[i]. (2) Frozen foods: They can strongly irritate the gastrointestinal tract and, over time, lead to endocrine disorders[i]. (3) Sugar: Eating large amounts of sugar on an empty stomach can cause a sudden increase in blood sugar levels, disrupting the body's acid-base balance[i]. (4) Alcohol: Drinking alcohol on an empty stomach can irritate the gastric mucosa and hinder the absorption of methionine and folic acid, easily leading to colon cancer[i]. (5) Tomatoes: They contain a large amount of pectin and persimmon tannin, which can easily cause acute gastric dilatation on an empty stomach[i]. (6) Persimmons: They have a strong astringent effect and can combine with acid to form hard lumps that are difficult to dissolve, causing "gastric bezoars"[i]. (7) Bananas: They contain a large amount of magnesium, and eating them on an empty stomach can cause an imbalance in the ratio of magnesium to calcium in the blood, which can have an inhibitory effect on the cardiovascular system[i]. In addition, oranges, sugarcane, lychees, and hawthorns should not be eaten in excess on an empty stomach [i]. Although fruits are highly nutritious, the details of eating them should not be taken lightly [i]. First, it is unhygienic to eat raw fruit without peeling it, as pesticide residues will remain in the waxy coating of the peel. It is best to peel the fruit before eating [i]. Peeling should not be done with a knife from a cutting board, but with a dedicated fruit knife [i]. Second, do not deliberately eat more than you like just because you enjoy them [i]. For example, unripe bananas contain a large amount of tannic acid, which has a very strong astringent effect and can harden stool, thus causing constipation [i]. Do not eat more than 3 oranges a day, as eating too many can cause internal heat, and do not drink milk within 1.4 hours before or after eating oranges [i]. People with allergies may experience allergic reactions to pineapple, mainly manifested as nausea, vomiting, and abdominal pain, because pineapple juice contains a biogenic glycoside and bromelain [i]. Prevention and treatment of fruit-related illnesses: 1. Allergies: Commonly seen with mangoes and pineapples [i]. 2. Stones: Eating too many persimmons can lead to stones, especially in the elderly, which can easily cause intestinal obstruction [i]. 3. Constipation: Apples and guavas have astringent properties and should not be eaten in large quantities [i]. Patients should be aware of the following when eating fruit: People with ulcers and excessive stomach acid should not eat sour pears or lemons; asthmatic patients should not eat dates; anemic patients should not eat oranges and persimmons, which contain a lot of tannins, as tannins can hinder the body's absorption of iron [i]. Patients with nephritis or edema should not eat bananas because they contain a lot of sodium [i]. Furthermore, fruit should not be eaten immediately after meals, otherwise it can cause bloating and constipation [i]. The best time is two hours after a meal or one hour before a meal [i].