Five Dietary Taboos
Five Dietary Taboos
One: Avoid very hot food
Some people enjoy eating extremely hot foods—like scalding porridge, soup, or freshly fried dough sticks. This habit is harmful. Hot food can cause oral mucosal congestion, damage the mucosa, and lead to ulcers, impairing its protective function. Hot food also harms teeth, potentially causing gingival ulcers and allergic dental issues. Extremely hot food can injure the esophageal mucosa, stimulate abnormal mucosal proliferation, and leave scars and inflammation that may lead to malignant changes. Experts suggest that esophageal cancer may be linked to habitual consumption of hot food. Long-term intake of hot food may also destroy taste buds on the tongue, impairing taste nerves and reducing appetite.
Two: Avoid eating too quickly
Some people eat very fast—three or four bites, and a bowl of rice is gone. Truly “wolfing down.” This leads to inadequate chewing, increasing the burden on the stomach, raising the risk of gastric ulcers and gastritis. Moreover, swallowing too quickly increases the chance of injury from hard, fried, or stir-fried foods to the throat. Chicken or fish bones may accidentally get stuck or choke the throat. Therefore, eat slowly and chew thoroughly, allowing saliva and digestive enzymes to mix fully with food for better digestion and nutrient absorption.
Three: Avoid overeating
Some people love binge eating. When faced with delicious dishes, they cannot stop—leading to constant fullness. Excessive intake of rich animal foods triggers large-scale secretion of bile and pancreatic juice, increasing the risk of biliary disease and pancreatitis. It also raises the likelihood of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases. Patients with hypertension, high cholesterol, or arteriosclerosis cannot tolerate such overindulgence. Overeating can also cause severe indigestion, abdominal pain, or diarrhea. Consuming large amounts of undigested food may result in acute gastric dilation, which can be life-threatening if not treated promptly.
Four: Avoid snacking
Some women and children enjoy snacking—ignoring regular meals in favor of nuts, peanuts, pastries, candies, and other miscellaneous items. Snacking leads to insufficient intake of starches and proteins. Skipping or reducing vegetable intake causes serious deficiencies in vitamins and inorganic salts. Long-term imbalance in diet affects physical constitution. Snack lovers lack regular eating patterns, disrupting the digestive system’s conditioned reflexes for scheduled meals, impairing digestive rhythm. Meanwhile, the gastrointestinal tract gets no rest, inevitably leading to reduced appetite.
Five: Avoid excessively salty food
Some people prefer very salty foods—adding excessive salt to dishes and soups, and even extra soy sauce to side dishes. This increases sodium chloride intake, causing fluid retention, elevated blood volume, and excessive strain on the heart and kidneys, ultimately leading to increased blood pressure.