We often say that a healthy lifestyle is important to be in good health. However, many traditional folk health habits are not scientific or healthy. If you stick to the wrong lifestyle for a long time, you may "secretly" destroy your health! Next, let's take a look at a few "good habits" that Chinese people believe to be true in their daily life.
1. Drink strong tea to live longer?
Some old tea drinkers like to drink strong tea, thinking that drinking strong tea can lead to better health and longevity, but this view is actually wrong.
First of all, strong tea contains a high amount of caffeine, and if consumed in excess, it may lead to a series of adverse reactions, including heart palpitations, insomnia, anxiety, etc., and even increase the risk of cardiovascular disease.
Secondly, the theophylline content in strong tea is relatively high, and long-term excessive intake may have a negative impact on the nervous system and increase the risk of neurodegenerative diseases such as dementia. In addition, excessive intake of theophylline may also cause headaches, nausea, vomiting and other uncomfortable symptoms, affecting the quality of daily life.
In addition, although the tea polyphenols in tea have antioxidant effects, overly strong tea may lead to excessive tea polyphenol content, increasing the possibility of gastrointestinal discomfort such as heartburn, stomach cramps, etc. Moreover, the excessive intake of tea polyphenols may also be related to iron absorption, which affects the body's absorption and utilization of iron, and then affects the health of the body.
2. Drink tea immediately after a meal to help digestion?
While some people believe that drinking tea immediately after a meal can help with digestion, there is actually a certain misconception of this view.
First of all, components such as tea polyphenols and caffeine in tea can affect the normal activity of digestive enzymes, thereby reducing gastric acid secretion and delaying the digestion of food in the stomach. This means that drinking tea immediately after a meal may cause food to stay in the stomach for too long, increase the burden on the gastrointestinal tract, and even trigger digestive problems such as stomach upset and flatulence.
Secondly, the tannic acid in tea can also affect the digestion and absorption of food. Tannic acid has an astringent effect and may slow down gastrointestinal motility and cause food to stay in the digestive tract for longer, leading to indigestion or stomach upset.
In addition, the caffeine in tea can stimulate gastric acid secretion, and a large amount of gastric acid may increase the burden on the stomach, especially for people who already suffer from gastric ulcers or excessive gastric acid, drinking tea immediately after meals may trigger stomach discomfort and even aggravate symptoms.
In addition, tea itself is also irritating, which may irritate the gastric mucosa, which in turn can cause stomach discomfort or aggravate existing stomach symptoms.
3. Can drinking intestinal cleansing tea effectively improve constipation?
Advertisements often advertise that drinking colon cleansing tea can improve constipation, but in fact, colon cleansing tea usually contains some ingredients with mild laxative effects, such as aloe vera, senna, etc., which may stimulate intestinal peristalsis, resulting in increased bowel movements in the short term. However, long-term dependence on these laxative ingredients may lead to intestinal dependence on them, which can eventually lead to worsening constipation.
Secondly, some of the ingredients in colon cleansing tea may have an impact on the intestinal flora, and long-term use may disrupt the balance of intestinal flora, leading to intestinal health problems. Colon cleansing teas are not usually herbal formulas specifically designed for constipation, and the ingredients in them may have different effects on different populations.
For some people, colon cleansing tea may cause gastrointestinal discomfort such as diarrhea, abdominal pain, etc., and excessive use of colon cleansing tea may lead to water and electrolyte imbalances, posing potential health risks.
The most important thing is that constipation is usually caused by a variety of factors such as lifestyle habits, dietary structure, etc., and relying solely on colon cleansing tea cannot fundamentally solve the problem. To improve constipation, we should start by adjusting dietary habits, increasing dietary fiber intake, maintaining adequate water intake, and exercising appropriately, so as to truly improve constipation in the long run.
4. Can drinking a lot of water at one time quench your thirst after exercise?
Many people like to drink a lot of water at once after exercising, but this practice is not right and even somewhat dangerous. First of all, the body sweats a lot after exercise, which leads to the loss of water and electrolytes. Drinking plenty of water may replace lost fluids, but not enough lost electrolytes, resulting in an imbalance in the electrolyte concentration of body fluids, which can lead to serious problems such as water intoxication.
Secondly, drinking a large amount of water at one time may bring excessive burden to the stomach and digestive system, especially after exercise, the body is in a state of fatigue, the gastrointestinal tract's ability to absorb a large amount of water may decrease, and excess water may stay in the stomach for too long, resulting in stomach discomfort, nausea, vomiting and other symptoms, and even the risk of water poisoning.
In addition, drinking a lot of water does not really solve the problem of dehydration in the body. Under normal circumstances, water loss in the body is accompanied by the loss of electrolytes, and drinking a lot of water may only replenish water, but not effectively replenish electrolytes, so that the problem of dehydration cannot be truly solved, and it is only a temporary relief on the surface.
In addition, drinking a lot of water may cause a certain burden on the kidneys, excessive urination may cause an increase in the burden on the kidneys, and even for people with pre-existing kidney disease, drinking a lot of water may aggravate the condition.
5. Thick soup is nutritious, and drinking more soup has a great tonic effect?
Chinese people like to make soup, especially low-heat slow-cooked soup, and they firmly believe that thick soup is nutritious and can replenish the body well. But nutrition experts don't think so.
First of all, bisquees usually contain a lot of fat and salt. While these ingredients can enhance taste and flavor, excessive intake can increase calorie and sodium intake, which can have a negative impact on cardiovascular health, especially for patients with high blood pressure, hyperlipidemia, etc., and excessive salt intake may increase the risk of disease.
Secondly, meat, bones, etc. in bisques usually release some fat, cholesterol, and saturated fatty acids. Long-term intake of too much saturated fatty acids may increase the risk of chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease, obesity, and diabetes. In addition, the fat and cholesterol in the soup may also put a burden on the gallbladder and liver, adding to the burden on the digestive system.
In addition, soups are often cooked for long periods of time, which can lead to the destruction or loss of some of these nutrients, such as water-soluble vitamins and certain minerals. In contrast, lightly salted soups are more likely to retain more nutrients.
On top of that, no single food provides all the nutrients your body needs. Although drinking thick soup can consume a certain amount of protein, fat and calories, it lacks the rich nutrients provided by fruits, vegetables, whole grains and other foods, such as vitamins, minerals, fiber, etc., which can easily cause nutritional imbalance and may lead to health problems in the long run.
6. Can drinking tea immediately in the morning clear the stomach?
Some people like to start drinking tea in the morning, believing that drinking tea on an empty stomach can clear the stomach and regulate the body. But in fact, the morning is the time of the day when the stomach and intestines are in a state of rest, and drinking tea immediately at this time may irritate the stomach and intestines, leading to stomach discomfort, heartburn and other digestive problems, especially for people who are already on an empty stomach, which may aggravate the discomfort.
Secondly, ingredients such as caffeine and theophylline in tea may irritate the gastric mucosa, and for people with sensitive gastric mucosa, drinking tea immediately in the morning may cause stomach discomfort and even aggravate stomach symptoms.
In addition, ingredients such as tannic acid in tea may also have a stimulating effect on the gastrointestinal tract, and excessive intake may cause gastrointestinal discomfort such as diarrhea, stomach cramps and other symptoms.
On top of that, drinking tea in the morning doesn't really clear the stomach. The cleansing of the stomach and intestines needs to be combined through the adjustment of dietary structure, adequate water intake, appropriate dietary fiber intake and other aspects, and the effect of completely cleaning the stomach and intestines cannot be achieved by simply drinking tea.
7. Can drinking yogurt after a meal improve digestion?
Although some people believe that drinking yogurt after a meal can improve digestion, this opinion is not entirely true. First of all, yogurt contains probiotics, which some people believe can help with digestion by promoting the balance of intestinal flora. However, the probiotics in yogurt don't work immediately after ingestion after a meal, they need to grow and multiply in the gut to really have an impact on the gut microbiota. Therefore, simply drinking yogurt after a meal does not immediately improve digestion.
Secondly, the lactic acid bacteria in yogurt may react with the stomach acid in the food, reducing the acidity of the stomach acid, which may affect the digestion of the food in the stomach. This can lead to food staying in the stomach for a longer period of time, which in turn increases the burden on digestion and causes problems such as stomach discomfort and flatulence.
In addition, yogurt contains a certain amount of lactose, and for some lactose intolerant people, ingesting yogurt after meals may cause indigestion symptoms such as bloating and diarrhea, which can aggravate digestive problems.
On top of that, drinking yogurt after a meal is not a one-size-fits-all solution to digestive problems. Digestive problems may be related to many factors such as diet structure and lifestyle habits, and simply relying on drinking yogurt after meals cannot fundamentally solve the problem. It is more reasonable to maintain a diversified diet, moderate intake of dietary fiber and water, and cultivate good eating habits to better promote digestive health.
Therefore, drinking yogurt after meals cannot simply promote digestion, and it is necessary to comprehensively consider individual conditions and dietary habits, and adopt a reasonable diet and lifestyle to maintain good digestive system function.