Can hawthorn and chestnut be eaten together? What will happen if you eat them?

Review expert: Wang Xuejiang, professor of pathophysiology and doctoral supervisor at Capital Medical University

The Beginning of Winter has passed, the weather is getting cooler, and it is time to eat sugar-roasted chestnuts. Another old Beijing specialty food - candied haws - is also in its hot selling season. A bite of soft, sweet chestnut paired with a bite of sour, sweet and refreshing hawthorn candied haws, isn't winter-limited romance here?

But! Eating chestnuts and hawthorns together may pose health risks! It may also cause stomach stones! Is this true?

Mixed food will cause gallstones

Mr. Zhang, 47, has been suffering from loss of appetite, abdominal distension and nausea for nearly half a month. His abdominal pain worsened in the past two days, and his stools were all black. After a checkup at the hospital, it was found that there was a 5*8cm stone in Mr. Zhang's stomach. Mr. Zhang said that he liked to lie on the rocking chair in the yard and eat chestnuts and candied hawthorns. Two days ago, he even ate half a pound of hawthorns in one go...

So, will mixing chestnuts and hawthorns cause stomach stones? Before that, let's first understand stomach stones.

What are gastric stones ? Gastric stones, also known as gastric stones and gastric lithiasis, are lumps of material formed by the retention of indigestible substances in the stomach. These substances can neither be digested nor pass through the pylorus smoothly, so they stay in the stomach for a longer time and gradually form stones under the action of gastric acid.

Gastric stones can be roughly divided into three categories: plant stones, hair stones and mixed stones . ① Plant stones: mainly composed of various undigested plant components, including tannic acid, cellulose, pectin, colloid, etc. Among them, hawthorn stones are one of the most common plant stones . ② Hair stones: composed of hair, and can also be mixed with wool and animal hair, etc., more common in children and adolescents, especially adolescent women with mental illness .

③Mixed stones: They are made of hair as a dense support, with plant fibers and other ingredients sandwiched in the middle.

Who is prone to gallstones?

Eating too many persimmons, hawthorns, and black dates on an empty stomach, especially eating unripe persimmons with the skin.

Drinking tea or drinking alcohol after eating persimmons or hawthorns on an empty stomach is also a risk factor for forming gastric stones.

People with poor digestive function are prone to gastric stones. In addition, patients with a history of gastroparesis, diabetes, peptic ulcer, subtotal gastrectomy, and children are also prone to gastric stones.

Hawthorn + chestnut, will it really cause kidney stones?

Hawthorn is rich in tannic acid and pectin , while chestnut is rich in plant protein and dietary fiber . When eaten together, under the action of gastric acid, tannic acid mixes with the protein in food to form a tannic acid protein precipitate that is not easily soluble in water. The tannic acid protein precipitate is mixed with plant fiber, pectin and other food residues, accumulates more and more, and eventually forms plant-type gastric stones .

However, not everyone will develop gastric stones. It is related to individual differences and the amount of food consumed. In addition, not all hawthorns contain a lot of tannic acid. The tannic acid content of hawthorns that have been de-astringent (why de-astringent? Because if the tannic acid content is high, the hawthorn will be very astringent and unpalatable) is generally very low. For healthy people, even if there is a small amount of tannic acid protein precipitation, it can be excreted from the body with gastrointestinal peristalsis. Can I still eat hawthorn and chestnuts?

In fact, there is no special taboo to eating hawthorn and chestnuts together. There is currently no direct evidence that eating hawthorn and chestnuts at the same time will cause gastric stones in healthy people.

However, we still have to remind everyone that it is not recommended to eat foods rich in tannins such as hawthorn, persimmon, and black dates on an empty stomach, and do not eat acidic fruits such as oranges and kiwis together with high-protein foods such as chestnuts, crabs, and meat.

People with gastritis, gastric ulcers and poor gastrointestinal motility, especially children and the elderly, should try to eat less persimmons and hawthorns, and don't eat them together. If you experience abdominal pain, bloating, nausea, vomiting and other discomfort after eating, please see a doctor as soon as possible.