Baby Hoa (6 months old, residing in Long An) was admitted to Children’s Hospital 1 in Ho Chi Minh City in a state of respiratory distress, with signs of cardiac arrest and a bluish tint to the skin. The cause was that the baby consumed milk mixed with beetroot juice – two foods that are fundamentally incompatible.
According to Hoa’s grandmother, the child showed signs of being tired of breast milk, so family members mixed beetroot juice with milk for her to drink, thinking both foods were nutritious and beneficial. After consuming this mixture for a month, the baby displayed the aforementioned symptoms. Thanks to the application of intensive resuscitation measures, the baby was able to survive the critical condition.
Dr. Nguyen Thi Hoa, Head of the Nutrition Department at Children’s Hospital 1, stated that if help had been delayed, baby Hoa could have died. The reason is that the nitrate in beetroot juice easily combines with the red blood cells of the patient, hindering oxygen transport in the body. Prolonged exposure can lead to oxygen deficiency, cyanosis, and life-threatening situations. Previously, the emergency department of the hospital received many such cases, and due to late transfers, some could not be saved.
Tofu should not be consumed with honey
Ms. Nga from Dong Thap bought tofu for her mother-in-law. Since she ran out of granulated sugar, she used honey mixed with the tofu. A few hours after eating, her mother-in-law complained of fatigue and difficulty breathing, and soon after, she fell into a coma. The elderly woman died on the way to the hospital.
To this day, Ms. Nga is unsure whether her mother-in-law died due to pre-existing heart disease or because of the incompatible foods. However, according to herbalist Tran Khiet, a lecturer at Ho Chi Minh City University of Medicine and Pharmacy, it is likely due to the food. Tofu often contains gypsum, and honey contains sugar. When these two components meet, they can clump together and harden in the stomach, causing difficulty in breathing, shortness of breath, and eventual coma. Especially if the victim has pre-existing heart conditions, the risk of rapid death increases.
Some food combinations to avoid
Master Dao My Thanh, Head of the Food Safety Hygiene Department at the Ho Chi Minh City Preventive Medicine Center, advises against the following food pairings:
Soy milk and chicken eggs: This soy milk contains protease that inhibits the proteins in chicken eggs, hindering digestion and causing indigestion and bloating.
Cow’s milk and fruit juice: Fruit juices are acidic, altering the properties of cow’s milk and making it difficult to digest.
White radish with pears, apples, or grapes: The copper acetone in these fruits reacts with the cyanogenic acid in the white radish, leading to thyroid dysfunction and goiter.
Sweet potatoes and persimmons: The starch in sweet potatoes stimulates the stomach to secrete acid, reacting with the tannins in persimmons, causing ulceration and gastric bleeding.
Dog meat and tea: The tannins in tea react with the protein in dog meat, causing intestinal mucosal tightening and reducing intestinal motility. This can lead to the accumulation of harmful substances, resulting in constipation and an increased risk of cancer.
