What should not be eaten with starfruit?

Apr 17, 2025 Source: Cainiu Health

Dr. Yang Ziqi

Introduction

Starfruit contains oxalic acid, while milk is rich in calcium. When consumed together, oxalic acid can combine with calcium to form calcium oxalate, which may interfere with calcium absorption and, over time, potentially lead to kidney stones and possibly cause digestive symptoms such as bloating and abdominal pain. Starfruit is also high in vitamin C, and seafood often contains pentavalent arsenic compounds, which vitamin C can reduce to toxic trivalent arsenic.

Starfruit generally should not be consumed with milk, seafood, cheese, cucumber, or animal offal.

1. Milk: Starfruit contains oxalic acid, while milk is rich in calcium. Consuming them together allows oxalic acid to combine with calcium to form calcium oxalate, which affects calcium absorption and may lead to kidney stones over time. It may also cause digestive discomfort such as bloating and abdominal pain.

2. Seafood: Starfruit is high in vitamin C, whereas seafood often contains pentavalent arsenic compounds. Vitamin C can reduce pentavalent arsenic to toxic trivalent arsenic (i.e., arsenic trioxide, or砒霜). Although the quantity is small, long-term or excessive consumption may pose health risks and cause poisoning.

3. Cheese: Similar to milk, cheese is also rich in calcium. Consuming cheese with starfruit causes oxalic acid in the fruit to react with calcium in the cheese to form calcium oxalate, which not only reduces the nutritional value of both foods but also increases the risk of kidney stones, adversely affecting health.

4. Cucumber: Cucumber contains vitamin C-degrading enzymes, while starfruit is rich in vitamin C. When consumed together, the enzymes in cucumber degrade the vitamin C in starfruit, significantly reducing its nutritional value and weakening its health benefits.

5. Animal Offal: Animal offal is rich in protein and minerals such as iron. The oxalic acid in starfruit can bind with minerals like iron to form insoluble compounds, impairing the body's absorption of these nutrients, reducing the nutritional value of the food, and potentially causing gastrointestinal discomfort.

In daily diets, balanced intake of various foods and avoiding excessive consumption of any single food item can help maintain good health.

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What is the relationship between liver function and fruit intake?

Under normal circumstances, scientifically consuming fruits can help maintain liver function by promoting liver detoxification, enhancing antioxidant capacity, reducing fat deposition, supplementing vitamin reserves, and improving metabolic circulation. However, individual differences and the principle of moderation should be taken into consideration. Generally, patients with liver disease in northern regions may moderately consume seasonal pears to relieve autumn dryness, while patients in southern regions may combine their diet with carambola (starfruit) to promote diuresis and alleviate jaundice.