“Cabbage is recognized as a healthy food, and eggs are a standard part of daily nutrition, but why do doctors repeatedly remind elderly people to eat less of these two?” This is a topic that many elderly people are confused about after hearing the advice. If you are getting older then you should eat less cabbage and eggs.
Some people don’t take it seriously and think it’s just “alarmism”; others think there’s nothing wrong with their bodies and they don’t need to worry about it. And it is these seemingly harmless daily eating habits that are quietly posing a threat to the health of some elderly people. If care is not taken, serious health risks may arise.
Are cabbage and eggs dangerous?
Cabbage and eggs are not unhealthy ingredients in themselves. On the contrary, they play an important role in the dietary structure. The crux of the problem is that although the ingredients themselves are good, they are not suitable for everyone, especially some elderly people suffering from specific diseases.
Cabbage is rich in dietary fiber, vitamin C and potassium. It is a good product for ordinary people to promote intestinal health and improve immunity. For some elderly people, excessive intake of cabbage may aggravate the condition.
Cabbage is rich in crude fiber, which can easily cause flatulence, abdominal pain and other problems in the elderly suffering from chronic gastritis, peptic ulcer and other gastrointestinal diseases.
In addition, cabbage is cold in nature. For the elderly with spleen and stomach deficiency, excessive consumption may cause diarrhea, and indigestion, and even induce the recurrence of chronic diseases.
Eggs are representative of high-quality protein, but their high cholesterol content is a potential threat to the elderly suffering from hyperlipidemia and coronary heart disease. Studies have shown that excessive egg consumption may lead to elevated cholesterol levels and increase the risk of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases.
Egg yolks, in particular, are particularly high in cholesterol, and excessive consumption can have a negative impact on blood vessel health. In addition, some elderly people with protein metabolism disorders or renal insufficiency also need to strictly limit their egg intake to avoid increasing the burden on their kidneys.
The relationship between disease and diet: analysis from the perspective of integrated traditional and Western medicine
From the perspective of traditional medicine, cabbage is cold in nature and enters the spleen and stomach. Excessive consumption can easily damage the already fragile spleen and stomach yang of the elderly. Traditional medicine believes that insufficient yang energy and weak spleen and stomach are common physical characteristics of the elderly, and cold and cold foods can easily aggravate these problems.
Especially in winter or when the climate is cold, excessive consumption of cabbage may cause “cold air to enter the body”, leading to symptoms such as diarrhea and stomach pain.
Eggs are considered a “warm” food in traditional medicine. Eating them in moderation can nourish qi and blood, but excessive consumption may “generate dampness and help heat”. Traditional medicine believes that the ability of the spleen and stomach to transport and transform in the elderly is weakened, and endogenous dampness and heat can lead to aggravation of high blood pressure, arteriosclerosis and other problems, and even cause symptoms such as dizziness and chest tightness.
From the perspective of Western medicine, cabbage is rich in crude fiber, which can promote intestinal peristalsis for people with sound digestive functions. However, for the elderly with reduced gastrointestinal function, crude fiber is not easy to digest and may irritate the gastric wall, leading to increased gastric acid secretion, thereby exacerbating the symptoms of gastrointestinal diseases.
The cholesterol problem in eggs is the focus of Western medicine, especially the yolk part. The cholesterol content in every 100 grams of egg yolk is as high as 1,500 mg. For the elderly, excessive intake can easily lead to blood lipid disorders and increase the risk of cardiovascular diseases such as arteriosclerosis.
The hidden dangers of not listening to advice: Harm of disease and case analysis
Real cases are often more convincing. A 65-year-old Mr. Chen pays great attention to healthy eating, especially cabbage and eggs. He can hardly do without these two foods for breakfast and dinner every day. Uncle Chen has been suffering from gastritis for a long time, but recently he suffered from frequent abdominal distension and stomach pain.
After examination at the hospital, it was found that his gastritis had worsened, mainly due to long-term consumption of large amounts of cabbage, which further damaged gastrointestinal function. In addition, Uncle Chen’s blood lipid levels continued to be high. Further examination revealed that he consumed too many eggs every day, which directly led to the accumulation of cholesterol.
This case is not unique. Data shows that more than 40% of people over 65 years old in my country suffer from cardiovascular diseases of varying degrees, and excessive dietary cholesterol intake is one of the main causes.
At the same time, the incidence of digestive system diseases among the elderly is as high as 30%, and the deterioration of many patients’ conditions is related to unreasonable diet.
Disease treatment and prevention
For these health problems caused by improper diet, treatment and prevention should be two-pronged.
In terms of treatment, and Western medicine can combine their respective advantages. Traditional medicine can improve the physical condition of the elderly by regulating the spleen and stomach and clearing the meridians.
For the elderly with spleen and stomach deficiency, traditional medicine that can warm and nourish the spleen and stomach can be used, such as Codonopsis pilosula, Atractylodes macrocephala, yam, etc., or moxibustion, acupuncture and other methods can be used to speed up the conditioning.
Western medicine, on the other hand, focuses on symptomatic treatment, such as using statins to control cholesterol in patients with hyperlipidemia and using proton pump inhibitors in patients with gastrointestinal diseases to alleviate problems such as excessive gastric acid secretion.
In terms of prevention, doctors recommend that the elderly should pay attention to adjustments in their diet. Cabbage and eggs are not completely inedible, but they need to be eaten in moderation. Cabbage can be cooked with warm ingredients, such as mutton and ginger, to neutralize its cold nature;
It is recommended to eat no more than one egg per day, especially the yolk part. Elderly people with hyperlipidemia should reduce their intake. In addition, the elderly should have regular physical examinations, monitor blood lipids, blood pressure and other indicators, and adjust their diet according to their health conditions.
Doctor’s unique advice: balance between diet and health
As a doctor, I often see many cases in which the elderly’s condition worsens because they “disobey advice” during daily consultations. The key to a healthy diet is that it varies from person to person, rather than blindly pursuing so-called “healthy ingredients.”
- Diversify your diet: Don’t rely too much on a single ingredient to avoid nutritional imbalance or excessive intake of certain nutrients.
- Choose food ingredients based on your physical condition: Elderly people with spleen and stomach deficiency should reduce their intake of cold foods as much as possible, while patients with hyperlipidemia should control their intake of high-cholesterol foods.
- Regularly review health indicators: Understand your own health status through physical examinations and adjust your diet plan in a timely manner.
- Adhere to the principle of moderation: Even if it is high-quality ingredients, we must pay attention to controlling the consumption to avoid “excessive”. Although cabbage and eggs are common healthy ingredients in daily life, for the elderly, whether they can be eaten in an appropriate amount and reasonably determines whether they are “healthy” or “harmful”. The doctor’s warning is not alarmist, but is based on a summary of scientific research and clinical experience. It is hoped that more elderly people will realize the close relationship between diet and health, follow professional advice, adjust their diet structure according to their own conditions, and protect their health in their later years. Disclaimer: The contents of this article are all original content based on authoritative medical information combined with personal opinions. In order to facilitate everyone’s reading and understanding, some storylines contain fictional elements and are “artistic processing”. It is intended to popularize scientific health knowledge. Please be informed; if you feel unwell, please consult a professional doctor. Friends who like it can pay attention to it, share health knowledge every day, and be your exclusive online doctor. #deepgoodarticleplan#
Doctors recommend that the elderly should pay attention to the following points in their daily diet: If you are getting older then you should eat less cabbage and eggs and listen to advice.
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