There are many articles and even in our website, you can find details regarding the type of foods you can eat and their benefits, but only a few, when compared to other titles have been written about foods/liquids that should never be consumed on an empty stomach. In ancient days, our ancestors suggested that drinking a cup of water from a copper bowl will rejuvenate the body if we consume the mixture first in the morning. Now, copper bowls are a passé, but you can make do with a two glasses of warm water to rejuvenate the body and enhance the energy levels. The water can stimulate the internal organs (Were they sleeping during the night to wake up?) to function effectively. In this article on foods and liquids that should not be consumed on an empty stomach you can get tips on vegetables, fruits and even tablets.
Lots of technological inventions might happen in the future, but the technology that has baffled and will continue to do so is the human body. It is a mysterious and wonderful machine, although medical science, using research solved various mysteries.
Now let us come back to the topic. When you are hungry, nobody is picky or throws a fit. The reason could be ‘over-knowledge’ in recent times that if you do not eat when you are hungry, you will suffer from ulcers in the long run. Agreed, but ‘ulcer’ is the future, what about the foods you have eaten now and suffer from the symptoms such as nausea, stomach burn and headache. To prevent these symptoms kindly read this article and get a few valuable points. The point – A knife can be used for surgery as well as for making a kill. So kindly note the foods that you should not partake when hungry for staying healthy.
Agreed, there are times that you cannot get the best foods because you would be to a remote location or because of meetings you would have skipped meals. When you get a few breathing minutes, you take a bite to silence your growling tummy and give a smile to yourself in the mirror to perk yourself up.
Foods And Liquids That Should Not Be Consumed On An Empty Stomach
1. Coffee
There are millions and millions who cannot begin their day without the performance enhancing drink as they say – coffee. There are some who skip breakfast but will have coffee. In the office, coffee is mainly drunk to suppress the appetite and there is shortage of snacks.
The content, caffeine can bring negative consequences on your health. You could have made the drink a habit, but kindly check after consumption if you are suffering from stress or anxiety. This is due to the suppression of serotonin, the healthy neurotransmitter that is the main reason for pleasure, positivity etc.
Persons with gastritis should never drink coffee on an empty stomach. Agree, the chlorogenic acid is great for health and can prevent diseases such as colon cancer, they are not safe on an empty stomach.
In case of ‘black gold’ as the term for black coffee, when the drink goes into the stomach, it triggers the formation of hydrochloric acid causing gastritis. Simple common sense, hydrochloric acid can be used for breaking the proteins and other substances in the food, but on an empty stomach, it can corrode the intestinal lining. The other symptoms could be irritable bowels and bloating and in the future, colon carcinoma.
Coffee, as you know, is a stimulant. The drink makes your body produce more adrenaline hormone, known as cortisol in the blood stream. When the hormone is released, so does the blood pressure and heart rate and the liver is forced to release energy to muscles. This will make you crave for sugar, you will face clarity in thinking etc.
2. Tea
Similar to coffee, tea is alkaline in nature and can trigger the secretion of gastric acid when taken first in the morning. The culprit is caffeine and it can lead to dehydration and can stimulate the release of gastric acid.
Green tea taken during meal time can restrict the absorption of vitamin B1 or thiamin. Other problems could be removal of calcium in the body can give rise to osteoporosis. If you have an acid reflux problem it can lead to more worse situations.
3. Tomato
You can suffer from stomachache if you have consumed tomatoes in an empty stomach.
Tomato is rich in pectin and several astringent components. Some of the acids present in tomatoes are citric acid, oxalic acid and malic acids etc. They react with gastric juices in the stomach and the result will be indigestive substances that can lead to stomachaches.
4. Raw Vegetables
For those who are diet conscious and believe that salads are great on empty stomach, sorry to burst your bubble as they are not right.
Raw unprocessed vegetables or a salad (has combo of raw vegetables) will make it harder for the body to break it down and produce the appropriate enzymes for digestion when you take them on an empty stomach. They are full of coarse fibre which puts extra load on an empty stomach. Raw vegetables can cause flatulence and abdominal pain when eaten on an empty stomach. On the other hand, fresh fruits are good on empty stomach.
5.Sweets
Avoid beginning your day with caffeine (with sugar), chocolates, sugars, sweets, cakes/pastries and the like.
They are completely unhealthy and your body is not ready to process them first thing in the morning. The pancreas cannot replicate that much level of insulin for that amount of sugars on an empty stomach. The process can make damage to the acid-base balance in your digestion process of the body. Instead, you can carry healthy little sugar treats (not too much processed) like granola bars, peanut butter bars with you and consume it when you feel low on energy.
6. Spicy Food
You have skipped lunch because of a meeting, made up with snacks and want to eat to your fill for dinner. Think again, when choosing the contents of the meal. Having spicy dishes on an empty stomach can cause some irritation with the stomach lining. It is best to avoid dishes with chili peppers, cayenne and jalapenos. The culprit is capsaicin, the chemical component in cayenne.
The situation can turn worse if you are taking medications such as aspirin or if you drink alcohol. Prolonged use of spicy food on an empty stomach can lead to ulcers or gallstones.
7. Curds
The drink has a lot of beneficial bacteria but when consumed on an empty stomach, they get destroyed because of high acidity and can give rise to bloating and gas.
8.Alcohol
One valuable piece of medicine that has passed from generation to another is never to drink on an empty stomach. You will get intoxicated in very less time and can experience symptoms such as vomiting and nausea.
Dangerous Symptoms of alcohol will be the loss of ability of the brain to regulate behavior and body functions. If the stomach is empty the contents reach the stomach and reach the brain within a minute. Having food in the stomach with protein, carbohydrates and fats, the alcohol will be absorbed much slower.
To understand the function of the body, alcohol is processed by the liver and only to a certain amount. More amount will be released to the blood stream and hence the symptoms.
Drinking alcohol on an empty stomach, will make you feel thirsty and you can have cravings for food. This is because the leptin hormone will be reduced which has the function of making the brain know your tummy is satisfied.
9. Sweet Potatoes
The ‘culprits’ that lead to heartburn and other kinds of discomfort are tannin and pectin acid. They make the stomach wall secrete gastric acid.
10. Bananas
Lots of magnesium found in fruit. In an empty stomach, upon consumption, the magnesium in the blood gets more and the calcium – magnesium balance becomes disordered. It can interfere with the working of heart.
11. Soda
It is pure common sense that you should not consume soda on an empty stomach. Intaking of soda during empty stomach will cause the potassium in the blood to drop. In case you have a heart ailment or have undergone surgery, you may be affected with paralysis or cardiac arrhythmias.
The more soda you have consumed and suffering already from gastric ulcers, you can get symptoms such as heart burn or acid reflux.
The reason: The healthy stomach will maintain the acid-alkaline balance. When you drink soda, this balance is disturbed and gives rise to an acidic environment. The result will be inflammation of the stomach as well as duodenal lining.
12.Tablets
Medicines are used to cure, prevent, or reduce the symptoms of a disease, injury or ailment by modifying some chemical reactions in the body. They are found in various forms such as tablets, powders, capsules etc.
Every medicine when administered to a patient by the doctor will have clear instructions. There are some such as erythromycin which when taken on an empty tummy can cause stomach upsets.
Kindly note, there are some which have to be taken on an empty stomach. This is because that the food in the stomach will react with the medicine reducing its effectiveness.
13.Cereals
A cereal bowl will seem very convenient for breakfast, but the large amount of processed sugars and refined carbs in the cereals are totally bad for your body.
Cereals will make you feel ‘so filling’ and will satiate your cravings with their sugar content and ends up with a feeling of ‘comfort food’. But it’s not very good as it quickly spikes your blood sugar and insulin levels. A few hours later, you will start craving more sugary snacks or junk foods as your blood sugar crashes
14. Smoothies
Smoothies are good for breakfast but with the right balance and right food ingredient combos, they are good to go on an empty stomach.
Make sure that your Smoothie is wholesome with right amount of carbs, fats, proteins and nutrients. Your favorite Smoothie may end up being too low or too high in calories and sugars. For a good wholesome Smoothie, avoid sweeteners, Stevie and find natural ways to add protein and fat to it like with a good yogurt, avocado, dates, peanuts etc. You can take good scrambled eggs alongside your Smoothie one day or a bowl of fresh fruits for a day. You can plan it.
15. Pre Mixed Oat Meal
Oatmeal is a healthy breakfast option as they are high in fibre, vitamins, proteinsand are gluten free.
The problem lies with the instant oatmeal packages and flavored oatmeal packages which comes processed with more added sugar, salt and artificial coloring. If you are quick on your wheels and have no time to prepare regular oats, go for unsweetened, unprocessed plain instant oats. Don’t forget to look at the carton box for Nutrition/Ingredient info on preservatives and fiber content.
Other risks if you follow this routine in the long term are eating disorders, decay of tooth, obesity, lack of nutrition etc.
There are similar vegetables, roots and fruits such as garlic (compound – allicin), oranges (vitamin C), hawthorn (chlorogenic acid, caffeine acid) which will give similar reactions when consumed on an empty stomach.
In case of items from the kitchen, eating sugar on an empty stomach will give rise to eye diseases. The body cannot produce insulin to sustain the influx of sugar and the level of sugar will increase.