As we all know, nutrition is essential for our physical and mental well-being. Indeed, thanks to a healthy and balanced diet, we offer our body all the nutrients it needs to function properly. On the other hand, what we do know less is that certain postprandial habits, that is, after meals, can be dangerous for your health.
Many people have certain habits after meals. However, some are harmful to health, as is the case for the following 5:
1. To sleep
It happens that after eating, drowsiness is felt. Provoked by the process of digestion, it encourages some people to take a nap after the meal. However, this habit is harmful to the extent that the extended position impacts the normal phenomenon of digestion. Indeed, in this position, the food does not descend directly into the stomach and when they reach the latter, they stay there longer. This can then cause bloating and heartburn as gastric juices rise up to the esophagus.
2. Drink tea or coffee
It is customary to consume a cup of tea or coffee after a meal. However, these drinks contain polyphenolic molecules, tannins, which inhibit the action of certain digestive enzymes and hinder the absorption of iron by the body, especially when ingested directly after a meal. So while these drinks may be beneficial under certain conditions, they should not be consumed after eating, at the risk of suffering from anemia; a condition characterized by a decrease in hemoglobin and iron deficiency, the symptoms of which are severe fatigue, pallor, headache, decreased energy, cardiac and respiratory problems, and vertigo.
3. To eat fruits
Obviously, it is recommended to eat fruits during the day. However, to properly digest and take advantage of their nutritional benefits, it is appropriate to consume one to two hours before or after meals. Indeed, eating fruit right after a meal slows down the digestive process because the fibers and nutrients in fruits are not digested in the same way as other foods. Thus, it is possible that they ferment and cause bloating and flatulence.
4. Smoke
In general, smoking causes many conditions including lung cancer. Smoking is therefore a dangerous habit for health, especially after eating. Indeed, smoking a cigarette immediately after a meal affects digestion, damages digestive cells and increases the risk of suffering from type 2 diabetes, according to a recent study by Filip K.Knop, MD and consultant endocrinologist, and Jonatan I.Bagger, MD, MD, Endocrinology, University of Copenhagen, Denmark. The researchers studied the effects of smoking on postprandial glycemic metabolism of smokers compared to non-smokers. They found an increased risk of type 2 diabetes in chronic smokers, who usually smoke cigarettes after eating, due to smoking-induced alterations in postprandial glycemic and hormonal responses.
5. Take a shower
Bathing or taking a shower after a meal can be synonymous with poor digestion, discomfort, loss of consciousness, or even hydrocution. This is because body temperature fluctuates during digestion, so abrupt change with cold water can cause discomfort, and in severe cases, hydrocution. Moreover, the blood flow is diverted by this change in temperature, digestion is slowed down and digestive disorders (stomach pain, bloating, constipation) may appear.
