If eaten improperly, spring bamboo shoots may turn into "spring damage"! Read quickly →

Every February and March is the time when bamboo shoots are available in large quantities. While enjoying this "spring limited" delicacy, you should also be aware that if you eat it improperly, the bamboo shoots may become "spring damage".

Two men fainted and vomited blood due to eating too much bamboo shoots

Recently, two men in Hangzhou, Zhejiang, were rushed to the hospital because they felt unwell after eating spring bamboo shoots.

Mr. Wang ate a lot of spring bamboo shoots and Chinese toon for dinner. After the meal, he suddenly felt dizzy, then his eyes went dark and he fainted.

Mr. Qian also has a special liking for spring bamboo shoots. One day, he ate a lot of spring bamboo shoots for dinner and had symptoms of vomiting blood and bloody stools at night.

△Source: Zhejiang Provincial Tongde Hospital Emergency Department

The emergency doctor found that both of them had digestive system bleeding, but they did not feel obvious stomach pain before the bleeding. After emergency treatment, their conditions gradually stabilized.

In fact, many people are hospitalized for eating spring bamboo shoots every year. In the spring of 2024, the Department of Gastroenterology of a hospital in Ningbo, Zhejiang Province, received five patients with gastrointestinal bleeding caused by eating spring bamboo shoots for several consecutive days, and some patients almost went into shock.

Why does eating bamboo shoots cause gastrointestinal bleeding?

Doctors say that spring bamboo shoots contain more oxalic acid, tannic acid and crude fiber. These ingredients are either difficult to digest or easily combined with other food ingredients. Eating a large amount of them can easily irritate the stomach and intestines and affect the digestion and absorption of nutrients such as calcium, iron and zinc.

Especially for people with weak gastrointestinal function or who suffer from gastrointestinal diseases, excessive consumption can easily damage the gastric mucosa, leading to indigestion, stomach bloating, acid reflux, belching and other uncomfortable symptoms. In severe cases, it can also cause gastrointestinal bleeding, vomiting blood, black stools and other complications.

In addition to the above-mentioned groups, the following types of people should not eat too much bamboo shoots↓↓↓

■ Patients with urethral stones and kidney stones

Spring bamboo shoots contain oxalic acid, which easily combines with calcium in the human body, affecting calcium absorption and even causing stones.

■ Children and the elderly

Oxalic acid will affect the body's absorption of calcium and zinc. Children eating spring bamboo shoots will not only hurt their stomachs, but may also affect their growth and development. The elderly have weak digestive abilities, poor physical fitness, and easily disordered gastrointestinal functions, so they should also try to eat less bamboo shoots.

How to eat "spring vegetables" more healthily?

Doctors remind that even people without gastrointestinal diseases should be more careful when eating bamboo shoots.

■ Blanching

It is best to blanch the bamboo shoots in boiling water for 7-10 minutes or even longer before cooking. This will not only remove the astringency of the bamboo shoots, making them taste crisper, but also remove most of the oxalic acid.

■ Do not eat on an empty stomach or mix with raw or cold food

Do not eat spring bamboo shoots on an empty stomach. It is best to eat a few mouthfuls of rice or drink some soup first, which can effectively reduce the irritation of spring bamboo shoots to the gastric mucosa. After eating spring bamboo shoots, try not to eat raw or cold food immediately to avoid inducing gastrointestinal discomfort.

At present, spring vegetables such as Chinese toon and fern are also on the market in large quantities, and you need to be cautious when eating them.

The nitrite content in Chinese toon is high, and excessive intake of nitrite can cause acute poisoning symptoms such as dizziness. However, considering that Chinese toon is a seasonal vegetable, the possibility of poisoning is relatively small if the ingredients are kept fresh, blanched (about 30 to 40 seconds), and consumed normally.

Eating large amounts of ferns for a long time will increase the risk of cancer, and it is best to soak, blanch, and cook them before eating.

Although spring vegetables such as bamboo shoots and bracken are delicious, you should not eat too much. Once you experience abdominal pain, blood in the stool, nausea, vomiting and other symptoms, you must pay attention and seek medical attention in time.