What to do if it itches after touching yam

Perhaps the most common way to use yam is to make yam soup, but in fact, yam can also be stir-fried, and the taste of yam is also very delicious. However, when handling yam, everyone must be very careful, because some mucus on the yam will cause itchy skin if accidentally touched by hands. So if you accidentally touch the mucus of yam and your skin becomes very itchy, what should you do?

Causes of skin itching after contact with yam

The mucus of yam contains plant alkaloids, which will cause itching when it comes into contact with the skin. The saponins in yam peel cause hands to be very itchy.

Solution to itchy skin after contact with yam

Method 1: If your hands are itchy, wash them thoroughly, then dip them in vinegar, even in the gaps between your nails. After a while, the itching will gradually disappear! (Reason: acid-base neutralization)

Method 2 is to roast your hands over a fire and turn your palms over and over to warm them up. This will break down any saponin that has seeped into your hands.

Method 3: Dilute floral dew or wind oil in water and then wash repeatedly to relieve the symptoms.

Tips to avoid allergies from yam

Method 1: When scraping the yam skin, the sticky skin can easily stick to your hands, making you feel itchy and uncomfortable. If you boil or steam the washed yam for 4-5 minutes and then peel it after it cools, it will not be so sticky. However, you should also be careful not to over-steam it to prevent the yam from becoming rotten.

Method 2: Wash the yam thoroughly and wear gloves when peeling it.

Method 3: Prepare a pot of boiling water, wash the skin, remove the dirt and impurities, and then throw it directly into the boiling water to boil. After taking it out of the pot, just use a kitchen knife to gently cut from top to bottom to remove the skin effortlessly!

The taboos of eating yam should be remembered

1. Special reminder for people who should not eat yam: It is worth noting that yam contains a high amount of starch. People with chest and abdominal distension, dry stool, and constipation should eat less.

2. Yam is a tonic medicine, sweet, mild and slightly hot. People with a hot constitution and prone to getting angry should be careful when eating it. Some people like to use yam in hot pot. If it is paired with spicy condiments, it will be even hotter than hot. It is best to eat less.

3. People with diabetes should not eat too much yam at one time. If the consumption is large, they should appropriately reduce the amount of staple food. If diabetic patients eat yam as food, it will have a certain impact on blood sugar.

4. Yam is a root food with a high starch content. Overeating can cause high blood sugar. In addition, patients with peptic ulcer and cirrhosis should choose cooking methods such as steaming and stewing, and avoid stir-frying and sautéing with vinegar.

5. People with poor gastrointestinal tract should not take alkaline drugs such as baking soda tablets when eating yam, so as to avoid the baking soda making the amylase in the yam ineffective.

6. The diosgenin in yam can synthesize hormones such as testosterone and estrogen. Therefore, it is not suitable for male prostate cancer patients and female breast cancer patients to eat it.