Health Guidelines on People Who Should Avoid Beer and Food Combinations That May Cause Disease

Who Should Drink Less Beer?

Beer is popular for its refreshing taste and ability to quench thirst, making it a common beverage among men. However, did you know that not everyone is suitable for drinking beer? The following groups of people should drink less or no beer for their health.

1. People with gastritis. Medical research has found that beer reduces the secretion of prostate gland E, which protects the gastric mucosa. Drinking large amounts of beer can cause gastritis, and for those already suffering from gastritis, drinking beer can worsen their condition.

2. People with liver disease. After being absorbed into the body through the gastrointestinal tract, the alcohol in beer needs to be metabolized by the liver. People with acute or chronic liver disease have impaired liver function and cannot effectively detoxify the liver, making them more susceptible to alcohol poisoning. Furthermore, alcohol can directly damage liver cells, exacerbating their existing condition.

3. People with gout. Gout patients suffer from hyperuricemia due to abnormal purine metabolism. Because beer contains high levels of purines and nucleic acids, drinking beer may trigger gout attacks in gout patients due to increased uric acid levels in the blood.

Patients with heart disease. Beer contains a lot of water, which increases the burden on the heart. Furthermore, frequent and excessive beer consumption can cause continuous damage to the heart from alcohol, leading to myocardial hypertrophy and potentially heart failure.

Patients with diabetes. Although beer contains low levels of alcohol, the calories it produces can interfere with a patient's normal diet. When diabetic patients are taking sulfonylurea hypoglycemic drugs, excessive beer consumption may cause hypoglycemia.

Patients with urinary tract stones. The malt used in brewing beer contains the main components that form stones, so patients with urinary tract stones should not drink beer.

Patients with peptic ulcers. Beer contains a lot of carbon dioxide. Drinking small amounts is fine, but excessive consumption can increase the risk of stomach perforation.

Beware of "Disease-Causing Combinations"

Food hygiene inspectors remind male consumers that there are seven food combinations that may lead to disease, even cancer.

Seafood and beer can easily trigger gout. Seafood is rich in purines and nucleotides, while beer is rich in vitamin B₁, an important catalyst for breaking down these two components. Drinking beer while eating seafood increases uric acid levels in the blood, potentially leading to difficult-to-pass urinary tract stones. If someone has metabolic problems, drinking beer while eating seafood can cause a sharp rise in blood uric acid levels, triggering gout and potentially leading to gouty nephropathy and gouty arthritis.

Processed meat products and lactic acid beverages are potentially carcinogenic. To preserve processed meat products such as sausages, ham, and bacon, food manufacturers add nitrates to prevent spoilage and the growth of Clostridium botulinum. When nitrates come into contact with organic acids (lactic acid, citric acid, tartaric acid, malic acid, etc.), they are converted into nitrosamines, a carcinogen. Therefore, avoid frequent consumption of these processed meat products to reduce the risk of cancer.

Radishes and oranges can easily induce goiter. Radishes produce thiocyanate, an anti-thyroid substance. If large amounts of oranges, apples, grapes, or other fruits are consumed simultaneously, the flavonoids in these fruits are converted into thiocyanate by bacteria in the intestines, potentially inducing goiter.

Eggs and soy milk reduce protein absorption. Raw soy milk contains trypsin inhibitors, which inhibit the activity of human proteases, affecting protein digestion and absorption. Egg whites contain mucoproteins that can bind to trypsin in soy milk, hindering protein breakdown and reducing the body's absorption rate.

Milk and chocolate can easily cause diarrhea. Milk is rich in protein and calcium, while chocolate contains oxalic acid. If consumed together, the calcium in milk combines with the oxalic acid in chocolate to form insoluble calcium oxalate. This not only prevents absorption but can also cause diarrhea, dry hair, and other symptoms, affecting growth and development.

Fruits and seafood are difficult to digest. Eating seafood along with fruits like grapes, hawthorns, pomegranates, and persimmons can cause vomiting, bloating, abdominal pain, and diarrhea. This is because these fruits contain tannic acid, which reacts with the protein in seafood to coagulate and precipitate, forming substances that are difficult to digest. Men should wait at least four hours after eating seafood before consuming these fruits.

◎ Spinach and tofu can increase the risk of kidney stones. Tofu contains magnesium chloride and calcium sulfate, while spinach contains oxalic acid. When these two foods are combined, they can form magnesium oxalate and calcium oxalate. These two white precipitates cannot be absorbed by the body, not only affecting calcium absorption but also increasing the risk of kidney stones.