Today marks the annual Dragon Boat Festival, and many people eat zongzi on this day, often pairing it with fruits to relieve greasiness. However, doctors warn that eating zongzi together with cold fruits like honeydew melon and watermelon may cause nausea and bloating, or even acute gastroenteritis in severe cases.
According to a report by Sanli News, Dr. Lv Pin from Taiwan's Pin An Clinic advises on their YouTube channel 'Pin An Clinic_Lv Pin Doctor' that zongzi, which contains glutinous rice, braised meat, and salted egg yolk, is not only very greasy but also sticky and hard to digest. Pairing it with cold fruits like watermelon and honeydew melon might cause the glutinous rice to clump together in the stomach, leading to nausea, bloating, or even acute gastroenteritis.
Pair with Pineapple, Apple, Papaya
He suggests pairing zongzi with room temperature fruits that aid digestion, such as kiwi, pineapple, apple, and papaya, or enjoy it with a cup of warm tea, like roselle, hawthorn, dried orange peel, rose, or lotus leaf teas, to help with digestion and protect the stomach.
Additionally, Dr. Lin Siyu points out that a traditional meat zongzi usually contains 400 to 600 calories. 'Glutinous rice' accounts for about 60% of the zongzi's calories, with 100 grams containing approximately 350 calories; 'fillings' like pork, salted egg yolk, and mushrooms have higher fat and protein contents, increasing the total calories; 'seasonings' like soy sauce and oils also add to the calorie and sodium content. Therefore, one whole meat zongzi nearly meets the total caloric needs of a meal, and should be consumed in moderation.