Can you eat loofah as you like? Reminder: The following 5 types of people try to eat as little as possible, many people still don't understand
"Grandma Liu, you can't eat loofahs casually! Don't you know that? For some people, it can have adverse health effects! The old horse caught a glimpse of the tender loofah in her hand, quickly approached, and pointed out with a worried face.
When Grandma Liu heard this, she couldn't help but be stunned, and then asked with a smile: "Old Ma, what do you mean by this?" I've been eating loofahs for decades, how can I be bad for my health? ”
Lao Ma waved his hand and warned with a thoughtful look: "You don't know, some people really shouldn't eat loofahs frequently, otherwise their health may have problems. ”
These words sounded a bit exaggerated, although Grandma Liu seemed unimpressed on the surface, but she muttered in her heart, is there really a problem with the loofah? If this is the case, then who is not suitable for regular consumption?
Can you eat a loofah?
The loofah contains 94% water. For every 100 grams of loofah, protein accounts for 1 gram, carbohydrates account for 4.2 grams, and fat accounts for only 0.2 grams.
Because of its low-fat and low-calorie properties, loofah is extremely suitable for people who are losing weight and patients with three highs. It is worth mentioning that loofah is also rich in carotene, containing 90 micrograms of carotene per 100 grams of edible portion, which has a certain effect on protecting eyesight and skin.
Who should eat less loofah?
1. Splenogastric and cold people
Luffa is a cold food, and for people with a weak spleen and stomach, excessive consumption may cause adverse reactions such as diarrhea and abdominal pain. Therefore, this group of people should be restrained when eating loofah, and it is recommended to consume some warm foods at the same time, such as ginger and green onions, to balance the cold nature of loofah.
2. People with high potassium
Loofahs are rich in potassium, which is fine for most people. However, for people with high levels of potassium in their bodies, the intake of loofah may cause an excessive accumulation of potassium, which in turn increases the risk of diseases such as heart disease. Such people with high potassium mainly include patients with kidney disease, high blood pressure and heart disease.
3. Those with weak constitution
These people often lack yang energy, but the nature of loofah is cold, and excessive consumption may aggravate the cold qi in the body, which in turn will lead to further weakening of the physique. In particular, the elderly and children, who are already in a fragile physical condition, may feel more cold if they consume too much loofah, and may even cause symptoms such as abdominal pain or diarrhoea, causing unnecessary distress.
4. Pregnant women
The loofah contains an ingredient called "loofah bitterness", which has an inducing effect. For pregnant women who are in good health, moderate consumption of loofah has no significant adverse effects, however, excessive intake may increase the risk of miscarriage or preterm birth. Therefore, pregnant women must pay attention to the amount of loofah when enjoying it and beware of overconsumption.
5. Diabetics
The loofah contains an ingredient called polysaccharide, which has the potential to assist in lowering blood sugar levels. However, it is important to note that this effect of polysaccharides is not significant. For people with diabetes, relying solely on loofah consumption to lower blood sugar may have little effect and may even lead to instability in blood sugar levels.
Additional reading: Can you eat bitter loofahs that poison arsenic?
Alkaloid glycoside alkaloids are the main culprits of bitter loofah poisoning, which are toxic substances that cannot be removed by rinsing or adding salt, and are difficult to decompose in a high-temperature environment.
However, it is not entirely accurate to compare the toxicity of bitter loofahs to arsenic. The ingredient of arsenic is arsenic trioxide, which is a single compound; Alkaloid glycoside alkaloids, on the other hand, contain a variety of substances, and the toxicity of each alkaloid is not the same, so the toxicity between them cannot be simply analogized.
There is variation in the tolerance of alkaloid alkaloids. For poorly tolerated individuals, ingestion may cause mild symptoms such as dry mouth, dizziness, and nausea, and severe cases may cause nausea, vomiting, severe abdominal pain, diarrhea, dehydration, and in extreme cases, even life-threatening.
Onset usually occurs within 30 minutes to 7 hours of consumption, so medical attention should be sought as soon as there are signs of poisoning.