Recognizing the risks of summer night snacking
Print Edition
IN summer, crayfish, seafood, barbecued meat and iced beer are standard night snacks for people in Shanghai. However, improper intake of such foods can be harmful — and sometimes even fatal.
Local hospitals say they’ve received many patients this summer who felt sick after eating too much crayfish.
“Some patients ate a lot crayfish with iced beer and suffered acute enterogastritis,” said Dr Shen Zhenhe from Shanghai Ren’ai Hospital. “In addition, crayfish may cause rhabdomyolysis, a condition that leads to muscle breakdown.”
As this disease takes hold, damaged muscle cells are released into the bloodstream, which can result in kidney damage and other complications. The condition can be fatal and patients can deteriorate quickly.
“If one experiences muscle stiffness and pain, fatigue as well as fever and dark urine after consuming crayfish, they must go to a hospital immediately,” Shen said. “There have been dozens of cases in local hospitals.”
Experts encourage people to consume cooked crayfish and only in moderation. To avoid digestive sickness, diners should avoid eating crayfish with persimmon, guava, grapes and hawthorn.
Moreover, some barbecued meats contain high levels of hazardous chemicals. Long-term accumulation of such chemicals in the body can damage the stomach and liver and induce gastric cancer, liver cancer and pancreatic cancer, according to doctors.
“Don’t eat barbecue too frequently and choose low-fat meats like chicken and seafood instead of fatty meats,” Shen said. “We suggest people not eat processed meat products like sausage and ham, as such foods already contain nitrite. Removing chicken skin is also healthier. Wrapping food with foil before cooking can ward off harmful smoke.” Experts also warn not to drink too much beer, as well as beer that’s too cold.
“Drinking beer with barbecued food is likely to result in gout. Young and middle-aged men are the major sufferers of this disease,” Shen said.
The best temperature for iced beer is 10 degree Celsius. Excessively cold beer can cause stomach and intestinal sickness and also influence digestion. The elderly and people with poor digestion are most at risk of such complaints.
Even though night snacking is a delicious summer pass time, people with chronic diseases, gastric diseases and diabetes had better not eat such snacks.
Of course, as with other high-calorie foods, eating popular night snacks to excess can lead to obesity, which in turn can bring on a host of chronic health conditions.
TIPS
1. Carbohydrates are the best night snacks.
If you're really craving a night snack, we suggest carbohydrates, as such foods can increase chemical reactions of the brain and make the body generate insulin, which is good for insomnia.
2. Don’t sleep soon after eating night snacks.
People should wait one to two hours before sleeping.
3. A good variety of food is healthy night snack.
Night snacks should not account for over one-fifth of total food intake in a single day. A meal of varied snacks is recommended. Banana, milk, honey, oat and whole-wheat bread are good choices.
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