We often say that when taking medicine or when we are sick, we should avoid "triggering substances." These substances refer to foods that are harmful to the body. In fact, these "triggering substances" are various types of food ingredients, but their effects on different individuals can vary. Let's take a look at the dangers of triggering substances and the dietary taboos for different diseases.
Dangers of Triggering Substances
Triggering substances come in various forms and have a wide range, but they can be categorized into the following harmful effects based on the mechanism of disease development.
1. Hormone Induction
Certain foods, such as pork head meat, rooster, lamb, and old goose, contain a large amount of animal hormones. Even after cooking, the basic substances for synthesizing hormones still exist. After consumption, they can stimulate or excite the endocrine system, blood vessels, and nervous system in the human body. Some diseases related to these systems are more likely to be induced.
2. Allergy Induction
Many protein-rich foods, such as livestock, poultry, fish, seafood, eggs, milk, certain vegetables, and fruits, contain a considerable amount of bioactive substances that can act as allergens when they enter the body. They can trigger allergic reactions and cause diseases. In reality, these foods are also triggering substances.
3. Irritation and Promotion
Some spicy foods, such as chili, onion, ginger, leek, garlic, and pepper, have a pungent taste and can irritate the gastrointestinal tract and the body. They can aggravate diseases such as febrile diseases, bleeding disorders, and various inflammations such as sores, abscesses, and swelling. Some beverages like strong tea, coffee, and alcohol can stimulate the nerves and often have an inducing effect on nervous system diseases.
Dietary Taboos
1. People with Pruritic Skin Diseases Should Eat Less Leek
"Hair-growing triggering substances" refer to foods that have hair-growing properties, such as leek, bamboo shoots, fragrant Chinese toon, shiitake mushrooms, and coriander. These foods can easily trigger skin itching, rashes, and should be consumed in moderation by individuals with such diseases.
2. People with Allergies Should Eat Less Seafood
"Wind-triggering substances" refer to foods that have wind-like movements but do not raise yang energy, such as seafood, fish, shrimp, and crab. These triggering substances can induce and exacerbate allergic diseases such as urticaria and allergic asthma. In addition, they contain purines, so they are not suitable for gout patients.
3. Avoid Cold and Raw Foods for Diarrhea
Cold drinks, fruits, greasy foods, and slippery foods such as spinach, radish, leek, and honey can worsen diarrhea.
4. Avoid Eating Rooster Meat for Excessive Liver Fire
"Yang-promoting triggering substances" refer to substances that can induce liver wind and raise qi and yang energy. These substances are mostly hot and yang foods, such as pork head meat, rooster meat, and goose meat. They are not suitable for hypertensive patients, patients with excessive liver yang, migraines, and epilepsy.
5. Avoid Hot Fish for Stroke Patients
"Blood-moving triggering substances" refer to yang and hot foods, such as dog meat, deer meat, wine, pepper, garlic, and hot fish like eel, loach, grass carp, catfish, and white crucian carp. These triggering substances can promote blood circulation, so patients with skin itching, eye diseases, and stroke should avoid consuming them.
6. Avoid Hard and Rough Foods for Liver Cancer Patients
Because liver cancer patients may have gastric-esophageal varices, it is easy for them to experience variceal rupture and bleeding, which can be life-threatening. Therefore, these patients should avoid consuming hard and rough foods such as old corn and broad beans. When eating fish or ribs, they should carefully remove bones and chew them thoroughly to avoid piercing the veins on the gastric and esophageal mucosa, causing severe bleeding.
7. Avoid Lamb for Respiratory System Diseases
"Moisture-inducing triggering substances" refer to meat with a strong and gamey smell, such as lamb and beef. Patients with upper respiratory tract infections and other respiratory system diseases should not consume them frequently.
8. Eat Less Mushroom and Fermented Bean Curd for Oral Ulcers
"Aromatic triggering substances" have a fragrant smell, such as mushrooms, coriander, and fermented bean curd. Fermented foods have a volatile nature, which can easily cause skin diseases and mouth ulcers. Therefore, they should also be avoided.
In fact, triggering substances are also food. They only produce corresponding reactions in individuals with specific constitutions or certain diseases. Therefore, patients should avoid "triggering substances" based on the causes of their own diseases, rather than avoiding all foods.
