Why shouldn't one eat lychee immediately after drinking white spirits?

Generally speaking, there are several reasons why one should not immediately eat lychee after consuming white spirit (Chinese hard liquor): increased digestive burden, increased gastric acid secretion, blood sugar fluctuations, triggering heatiness symptoms, and impaired alcohol metabolism. A detailed analysis is as follows:

1. Increased Digestive Burden

Alcohol in white spirit strongly irritates the gastric mucosa, possibly causing mucosal congestion, edema, or even erosion. If lychee is consumed immediately afterward, the sugar and organic acids in lychee may further irritate the gastric mucosa, increasing the digestive burden on the stomach and potentially triggering or worsening symptoms such as stomach pain and bloating.

2. Increased Gastric Acid Secretion

Organic acids in lychee may stimulate the gastric mucosa to secrete large amounts of gastric acid. After alcohol consumption, the gastric mucosa is already irritated by alcohol and in a sensitive state. Additional stimulation from organic acids in lychee can further increase gastric acid secretion, potentially worsening gastric discomfort.

3. Blood Sugar Fluctuations

Lychee is a high-sugar fruit with a high sugar content. After drinking alcohol, the liver's ability to metabolize sugar may be affected, leading to reduced blood sugar regulation capacity. Consuming lychee immediately after drinking may cause a sharp increase in blood sugar levels, which is especially detrimental to individuals with diabetes or unstable blood sugar levels.

4. Triggering Heatiness Symptoms

White spirit is hot in nature and highly stimulating, easily causing heat accumulation in the body. Lychee is also a heaty fruit, and its consumption can increase internal body heat. Eating lychee immediately after drinking white spirit can intensify internal heat, making heatiness symptoms such as sore throat, swollen gums, mouth ulcers, dry mouth, and thirst more likely to occur.

5. Impaired Alcohol Metabolism

Lychee contains certain amounts of sugar and nutrients, which require liver metabolism after ingestion. However, after alcohol consumption, the liver's primary function is to metabolize alcohol. Eating lychee immediately afterward may increase the liver's workload and interfere with the normal metabolism of alcohol.

It is recommended to wait half to one hour after drinking before consuming lychee in moderation. Additionally, individuals with specific health conditions may experience adverse reactions when consuming lychee after drinking alcohol.