[Medical Q&A] What are the dietary precautions in autumn?

Author: Hu Bingjie Zhou Yi Xi'an Medical College

Reviewer: Xiao Xinli, Associate Professor of Xi'an Jiaotong University

Autumn has arrived, the weather is getting cooler, the temperature difference between morning and evening is increasing, and many diseases are coming quietly. To prevent diseases and protect health, you can start with dietary adjustments.

1. Nourish Yin and prevent dryness: The climate in autumn is dry, so the diet in autumn should focus on moistening dryness, promoting body fluids, and maintaining Yin. You can eat more honey, lotus root, lily, white fungus, etc.

2. Less spicy food and more acidic food: In autumn, the diet should be more acidic. "Acid enters the liver" can protect the liver qi and resist the invasion of excessive lung qi. In terms of diet, eat less dry and spicy food, such as onion, ginger, garlic, chili, pepper, onion, leek, etc.; eat more acidic food, such as hawthorn, orange, grape, apple, lemon, pear, etc.

3. Clear heat and moisten the lungs: The lungs are delicate and cannot tolerate cold or heat. The dry climate in autumn can easily damage the lung fluid and cause dry lung disease. The most important thing in autumn diet is to nourish the lungs. You can eat more pears, sugar cane, water chestnuts, bananas, loquats, etc.

4. Avoid eating raw or cold food: As the weather turns from hot to cool in autumn, the spleen and stomach are relatively weak, so the diet should be mild to avoid damaging the spleen and stomach and causing various digestive tract diseases.

5. Balanced nutrition: Pay attention to a reasonable combination of food, balanced intake of various nutrients, drink plenty of water, and avoid overeating.

6. Prevent diseases from entering the body through the mouth: The temperature in autumn is suitable, which provides good conditions for the reproduction of bacteria. Pay special attention to cleanliness and hygiene in diet. Food should be cooked thoroughly before consumption. Try to avoid eating leftovers. Store raw and cooked food separately. Wash tableware frequently and keep it clean.