Water spinach soaked in chemicals, water spinach watered with engine oil, or contaminated water spinach due to pesticide spraying can pose serious health risks if consumed.
Hospitalized Due to Eating Water Spinach
Ms. Xuan Mai (Nui Truc Street – Ba Dinh) shared that during the summer, her family often buys water spinach to boil, stir-fry, or eat raw. However, her mother-in-law advised her to eat it only once a week as it is not good for joint health. Ms. Mai believes her mother-in-law’s leg pain is due to other reasons, not from eating water spinach. Yet, to “please” her, she limited her purchases of water spinach. Instead, she often chopped the stems of water spinach to eat raw with other vegetables to satisfy her craving. However, after one meal of chopped water spinach with fish soup, Ms. Mai had to be taken to the emergency room due to continuous diarrhea and vomiting. At the hospital, based on clinical signs and the vegetable sample tested, the doctor diagnosed her with organic phosphate poisoning – a type of chemical found in commonly used pesticides for vegetables.
Ms. Thanh Hieu (30 years old, Thuong Tin – Hanoi) reported that both she and her child once suffered from food poisoning from eating water spinach. She recalls that day when they met a family selling vegetables, and she felt reassured thinking the vegetables were clean, especially with the seller’s strong assurances. After the meal, her whole family showed signs of stomach pain, continuous diarrhea, pale faces, and exhaustion. After being taken to the hospital for emergency care, doctors concluded that her family suffered from food poisoning.
Eating raw water spinach can cause bloating, stomach pain, allergies, or infection with large liver flukes which are extremely dangerous to health. (Illustrative image)
In addition to Ms. Mai and Ms. Hieu, there are many cases in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City of poisoning from eating water spinach. Most of these patients exhibit symptoms of dizziness, headaches, nausea, and abdominal pain. Among those severely poisoned and requiring stomach washing, doctors found water spinach in the stomach of all individuals mentioned.
Cautions When Eating Water Spinach
According to Dr. Bach Mai from the Center for Health Education and Communication, water spinach contains many vitamins and minerals such as fiber, protein, calcium, iron, vitamin A, and vitamin C, along with threonine, valine, and leucine… These amino acids are essential for the body and beneficial for those recovering from illness, having poor appetite, or lacking protein. It also helps people prevent and support the treatment of diabetes.
The abundant iron source in water spinach makes it a beneficial green food for individuals with anemia and pregnant women. Additionally, water spinach has a laxative effect, stimulates digestion, and is effective for those suffering from constipation. According to Traditional Chinese Medicine, water spinach has a sweet, bland taste, a cooling nature, and is effective for heat clearance, detoxification, diuresis, and treating skin issues like rashes and boils…
However, we should not eat raw water spinach or consume it when not thoroughly cooked, as it can cause bloating, allergies, or stomach pain. The reason is that water spinach contains a type of large intestinal fluke parasite scientifically known as Fasciolopsis buski, which is prevalent in aquatic vegetables including water spinach. When ingested, the eggs of Fasciolopsis buski hatch and develop in the human body, leading to mild abdominal pain and symptoms such as diarrhea, allergies, or even chronic diseases in the gallbladder, ruptured liver, cirrhosis, and liver failure… Therefore, it is best to prevent fluke infections by not eating raw water spinach.
Avoid eating raw water spinach or consuming it when not thoroughly cooked as it may cause bloating, allergies…
Moreover, because water spinach is easy to grow and popular in all seasons, many farmers neglect risks and use stimulants, pesticides, harvest vegetables prematurely to sell in the market, and plant water spinach in polluted ponds, lakes, and rivers… The contaminated water can harbor numerous types of worms, parasites. Consuming raw water spinach can introduce these parasites into the human body, attaching to the intestine, penetrating through the intestinal walls, entering the bloodstream, and spreading to all parts of the body… After some time, the eggs will hatch into worms residing there and causing harm to the body. In reality, many cases have been documented with serious illnesses due to consuming contaminated food.
Additionally, according to Traditional Chinese Medicine, individuals suffering from inflammation, joint pain, gout, or urinary tract infections due to kidney stones, and those with high blood pressure should avoid eating water spinach; likewise, patients undergoing any medical treatment should not consume it. Conversely, for patients with simple osteoporosis or low blood pressure, eating water spinach can be beneficial due to its high calcium content.
Furthermore, it is advisable to limit eating out-of-season water spinach. The best season for water spinach is summer. However, currently, with advances in science and technology, water spinach can be grown year-round. This has led to many places using stimulants and pesticides to make water spinach appear fresher and more appealing.
To avoid the risk of consuming low-quality water spinach, it is best to eat it in-season. If you wish to eat out-of-season water spinach, purchase it from reputable clean vegetable stores and wash it thoroughly before cooking to prevent poisoning.
Avoid eating with high-calcium foods: It is not advisable to consume water spinach with high-calcium foods such as shrimp and milk, as it may reduce the body’s absorption capacity for calcium-rich foods, potentially causing vomiting, dizziness, and other uncomfortable symptoms.
When having an open wound, consuming water spinach can stimulate cells leading to keloid scars.
Avoid consuming with milk: You should not take milk and dairy products together with water spinach. Milk contains a high amount of calcium, while water spinach contains some chemical components that may affect the body’s calcium absorption. Consequently, consuming milk and water spinach together will not allow the body to maximize the nutrition from both foods.
Individuals with open wounds: Experts explain that consuming water spinach at this time will stimulate cells that cause keloid scars, resulting in unattractive skin after healing. Additionally, water spinach may cause more itching on the newly grown skin. Therefore, it is advisable to eat water spinach only when the skin wound has completely healed.
Individuals currently taking medication: If you are undergoing treatment or supplementing your body with Traditional Chinese Medicine, it is best to avoid water spinach. Nutrients in this food may interfere with the effectiveness of the medication, prolonging the illness.
According to the Plant Protection Department – Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, water spinach is one of the leading vegetables in the leafy vegetable group with a high risk of food poisoning, containing numerous stimulants and pesticides… The consumption of vegetables containing pesticide residues exceeding thresholds can lead to chronic poisoning, immune system expansion, and even affect the nervous system.
To ensure health and maintain this beneficial vegetable in family meals, we must ensure hygiene by thoroughly washing each stem, soaking in diluted saltwater, or ideally, washing them clean and letting them drain before storing them in the refrigerator for a few days. This way, any pesticide residues will decompose somewhat.
How to Choose Good Water Spinach:
- Choose bunches with small, uniform, and sturdy tips… this way, the water spinach will be crispy.
- Avoid choosing water spinach with dark green leaves; from a distance, if it appears shiny and slick… this type will make the boiled water not fresh in color.
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