Health care misunderstanding: Eating "bitter" food can reduce internal heat

The bioalkali contained in bitter foods has the effect of relieving heat and dilating blood vessels. Many people think that as long as they have a sore throat, they can eat bitter melon, wild vegetables, drink bitter tea and other bitter foods to reduce the heat. In fact, these bitter foods are mostly suitable for relieving the fire of the liver, gallbladder, and gastrointestinal tract. If you have symptoms such as sore throat, bad breath, red eyes, etc., you can eat some "bitter" food appropriately; but it is not suitable for symptoms of heart fire such as mouth sores. In addition, you should eat "bitter" food in moderation. Eating too much or eating food that is too bitter may damage the spleen and stomach, and cause side effects such as nausea and vomiting.

Mistake 2: Drinking mung bean soup or chrysanthemum tea as water

As the temperature rises, many housewives will cook a big pot of mung bean soup or brew a pot of chrysanthemum tea for their families to drink. Mung beans are cold in nature and sweet in taste. They have the effects of clearing away heat and detoxifying, relieving heat and thirst. However, for people with weak constitutions such as cold hands and feet, abdominal distension and diarrhea, it is best not to drink too much. You can choose to eat it in a slightly milder way, such as cooking mung bean porridge. It is not advisable to drink chrysanthemum tea every day. If people with weak and cold constitutions drink chrysanthemum tea in large quantities for a long time, their constitution will become increasingly weak and cold, and their immunity will be reduced.

Mistake 3: Everyone can drink herbal tea

Although the ingredients of herbal tea vary, it is mainly composed of honeysuckle, chrysanthemum, scutellaria, lotus leaves, patchouli, etc., and is cold in nature. In the hot and humid south, drinking herbal tea can help clear away heat, detoxify and remove dampness; but for people with poor physical fitness or cold constitution such as fear of cold, weak spleen and stomach, drinking herbal tea may aggravate the condition and cause stomach pain, abdominal pain and even diarrhea.

People with qi deficiency who sweat excessively should drink ginseng tea instead of herbal tea. Drinking herbal tea during women's menstrual period can easily cause qi and blood to be affected by cold and stagnate, causing dysmenorrhea, irregular menstruation, etc. New mothers drinking herbal tea is not only not conducive to the recovery of the body's internal organs, but also can damage the spleen and stomach. Patients with colds such as runny nose, fear of cold, etc. should not drink herbal tea. In addition, it is best not to drink herbal tea before going to bed or on an empty stomach.

Error 4: Eating more fruit can "extinguish fire"

Fruits are rich in vitamins and dietary fiber, and eating them in moderation is good for your health. However, when it comes to reducing internal heat, some fruits may "add fuel to the fire." Taking peaches as an example, the saying “peaches nourish people” has existed since ancient times, but it depends on the individual. Peaches have a laxative effect, but peaches are warm in nature. For people with a heat constitution who suffer from constipation, yellow tongue coating, dry mouth, sore throat and other symptoms caused by internal heat, it not only fails to reduce internal heat, but may also aggravate the condition. In addition, oranges, lychees, longans, pomegranates, coconuts, bayberries, etc. are all warm fruits, and people who often get angry should eat less of them.