What foods should not be eaten with small silver fish?

Small silver fish should not be consumed together with persimmons, strong tea, hawthorn, mung beans, or cold-natured seafood, as combining these foods with small silver fish may affect nutrient absorption or cause gastrointestinal discomfort. Proper dietary pairing is therefore important.

1. Persimmons: Persimmons contain tannic acid, while small silver fish are rich in protein. When consumed together, they can form tannic acid-protein complexes that are difficult to digest. These may accumulate in the stomach and intestines, potentially causing bloating, abdominal pain, and in severe cases, constipation.

2. Strong tea: The tannic acid in strong tea can bind with the protein in small silver fish, reducing protein absorption efficiency. It may also irritate the gastric mucosa, leading to stomach discomfort. Drinking strong tea immediately after meals is especially not recommended.

3. Hawthorn: Hawthorn contains fruit acids and tannic acid. When eaten with small silver fish, it may increase the digestive burden on the gastrointestinal tract. The fruit acids may also irritate the gastric mucosa, causing acid reflux or nausea. Individuals with weak digestive function should be particularly cautious.

4. Mung beans: Mung beans are cooling in nature and high in dietary fiber. Although small silver fish are easy to digest, consuming them in large quantities with mung beans may lead to diarrhea or bloating due to the combined cooling effect and fiber-induced irritation. People with spleen and stomach deficiency-cold should avoid this combination.

5. Cold-natured seafood: Examples include crab and clams. Small silver fish themselves are slightly cooling; when consumed with other cold-natured seafood, the accumulated coldness may impair the spleen and stomach's yang energy, potentially causing symptoms such as abdominal pain and diarrhea.

When consuming small silver fish, portion control is important—avoid eating too much at once. During cooking, consider pairing with warming ingredients such as ginger or scallions to neutralize the cooling properties. If mild gastrointestinal discomfort occurs after consumption, drinking warm congee may help alleviate symptoms.