Zhimei recently received such a user request for help:
Recently because of the epidemic isolation at home, I don't know if it is anxiety or nothing to do, the mouth is a little idle, two days to eat a box of oranges, in the morning looking in the mirror suddenly found that their hands are yellow, yellow face, so scared.
What's going on?
(Source: soogif.com)
Yes, eating too many oranges will indeed become "minions", the phenomenon of making people yellow is called "orange syndrome", and the "culprit" is actually the carotene in the orange, also known as hypercaroteneemia.
If the human body consumes too much carotene at one time, and the body's efficiency in converting vitamin A is low, the liver cannot convert carotene into vitamin A in time, and a large amount of carotene will flow with the blood to various tissues and organs throughout the body.
When the carotene content in the body's blood and sweat increases, it will make normal skin appear yellow[1], mainly deposited on the palms, soles of the feet and face, and in severe cases, it can also turn yellow all over the body.
However, only a small number of people whose bodies lack the specific enzymes that digest and break down carotene will get severe orange yellow disease. People who lack this enzyme are mostly affected by genetic factors.
(Source: mdedge.com)
There is a slight "orange fever" and there is no need to worry too much.
Because carotene does not cause too much impact on the body, it does not need special treatment, just need to drink more water to promote the excretion of the kidneys.
Usually it can be alleviated to cure in 3 to 5 days. However, when the symptoms are severe, it is still recommended to seek medical treatment in time.
Carotene is mainly found in dark green or reddish-yellow vegetables and fruits, such as carrots, broccoli, spinach, pumpkins, papayas, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, and kale .[2]
Carotene is good for the human body and is a precursor to vitamin A, which has long been thought to induce the normal development of precancerous cells and prevent the progression of cancer [2].
But even the best food should be eaten in moderation, too much.
Finally, Zhimei gives you a tip for eating fruit without changing yellow:
Tips
1. Even if you love to eat a certain fruit, don't eat it violently. Can be eaten with apples, grapefruit, kiwi fruit, bananas, etc., and the nutritional composition of each fruit is different, which can play a complementary role.
2. Do not overdose the intake of each fruit. It is recommended to be between 200 and 350 grams per day [3].
Note: How much is 200 to 350 grams? If you take the fist of an adult woman, for example, about 2-3 fists; boys with larger hands have about 2 fists.
Reviewer
Liu Juying | Deputy Chief Physician of the Department of Nutrition, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University
bibliography
[1] Dawson MI. The importance of vitamin A in nutrition. Curr Pharm Des. 2000 Feb;6(3):311-25. doi: 10.2174/1381612003401190. PMID: 10637381.
[2] Kummet T, Moon TE, Meyskens FL Jr. Vitamin A: evidence for its preventive role in human cancer. Nutr Cancer. 1983;5(2):96-106. doi: 10.1080/01635588309513785. PMID: 6359074.
Chinese Nutrition Society. Dietary Guidelines for Chinese Residents (2016)[M].People's Medical Publishing House, 2016.
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