The Downsides of Eating Ice Cream During Lactation

During the hot summer, everyone wants to enjoy a refreshing ice cream that can relieve heat and cool down, providing instant comfort. However, for some special groups of people, eating ice cream cannot be done randomly, as it can easily lead to unnecessary troubles, especially for lactating mothers. What are the disadvantages of eating ice cream during lactation? It is not good for both the mother and the baby, so it is recommended that lactating mothers avoid cold and raw foods like ice cream.

Reasons Why Lactating Mothers Should Not Eat Ice Cream

The main reasons why lactating mothers should not eat ice cream are as follows: Firstly, the gastrointestinal function of lactating mothers is relatively weak. Eating too much cold food can suddenly contract the gastrointestinal blood vessels, reduce gastric juice secretion, and decrease digestive function, leading to symptoms such as abdominal pain and diarrhea. Secondly, after eating ice cream or other cold foods, the mother's milk quality can be affected, and babies with weak gastrointestinal systems may even experience diarrhea. Additionally, ice cream is not a healthy food as it often contains additives such as sweeteners, flavorings, stabilizers, and food colorings, which can also affect the quality of breast milk. These additives can also affect the mother's appetite, and the sugar content can consume vitamins and zinc elements in the body during metabolism.

Disadvantages of Eating Ice Cream

1. Easy to Catch a Cold: Eating ice cream can easily lead to common illnesses such as fever, so it is advisable to consume it sparingly.

2. Triggering Diseases: For individuals with conditions such as diabetes, dental caries, laryngeal spasms, coronary heart disease, anemia, and hepatitis, eating ice cream can be detrimental to their health.

3. Damaging the Spleen and Stomach: During the summer, the yang energy in the body decreases, especially the yang energy of the spleen. Consuming cold drinks at this time can further weaken the already cold spleen and stomach, causing disorders in body regulation. The digestive system is particularly vulnerable, and excessive consumption of cold drinks can damage the spleen and stomach. Weak spleen and stomach can lead to symptoms such as diarrhea and drooling, making the body more susceptible to external pathogens.

4. Affecting the Kidneys: The normal body temperature is 37°C, while cold drinks are at 0°C. Our excretions are hot and rely on the absorption of cold food by the gastrointestinal tract. If the gastrointestinal tract cannot handle the cold, it may malfunction, and the kidneys may have to intervene to convert vital energy into heat to warm up the body, leading to kidney qi deficiency.

Precautions for Eating Ice Cream

1. Avoid Eating Before or After Meals: Eating ice cream before meals can affect appetite, and eating it after meals can hinder digestion. It is advisable to choose a time between meals. Additionally, it is also not recommended to consume large amounts of cold drinks when the body is sweating heavily after exercise as it can cause discomfort such as diarrhea, abdominal pain, and coughing. It is recommended to wait for about half an hour before consuming cold drinks.

2. Control Consumption: It is recommended to limit the consumption of ice cream to one serving per day and cold drinks to less than 100ml at a time. In hot weather, drinking warm beverages is more effective for cooling down as it allows sweat to evaporate fully, promoting detoxification.

3. Consume Slowly: When enjoying cold drinks, it is important to avoid gulping them down as it can stimulate the internal organs and blood vessels, leading to poorer digestive function and decreased sterilization ability in the gastrointestinal tract, which can trigger conditions like gastroenteritis, cholecystitis, and even hepatitis.

Although eating ice cream can provide some relief from the heat in summer, lactating mothers should be cautious and avoid it as it may not be beneficial for their babies.