5 habits of eating hot pot that harm your kidneys

Cold days are the perfect time to enjoy hot pot, but some eating habits can unintentionally harm your kidneys.

According to China Times, Dr. Hong Yongxiang (China) warns of several mistakes when eating hot pot that can harm the kidneys and are detrimental to health in the long run:

I like rich, flavorful sauces.

Hot pot is inherently a dish full of calories, oil, salt, and sugar. Furthermore, many people enjoy using rich sauces to dip meat and fish into the hot pot, enhancing the flavor. However, this habit leads to high sodium intake – the most harmful substance for the kidneys.

The recommended principle for choosing a sauce is "the thinner the better, avoid strong aromas." For example, you can use diluted soy sauce, black vinegar, and white vinegar, along with minced garlic, cilantro, and chopped onions.

Hot pot is a popular dish during the winter months. (Illustrative photo: Ban Mai)

Eat to your heart's content

According to statistics, a hot pot meal with unlimited servings can cause you to consume up to 3,900 calories, equivalent to the calories in 14 bowls of white rice, far exceeding the recommended 700 calories for lunch or dinner for adults.

Furthermore, the sodium content in an all-you-can-eat hot pot meal can reach up to 6.6g (the recommended amount is only 2g). When eating hot pot, you easily get thirsty and crave sugary drinks or beer. This not only harms the kidneys but also increases the risk of gout.

Eat slowly

Hot pot meals can take 2 to 5 times longer than regular meals. The broth remains boiling for up to 30 minutes, heating up food additives. After cooking hot pot continuously for more than 90 minutes, the concentration of nitrite can increase nearly tenfold. Excessive nitrite levels can cause acute poisoning with symptoms such as oxygen deficiency and difficulty breathing.

Furthermore, after high concentrations of nitrite enter the human body, they are broken down by intestinal bacteria and produce nitrosamines, which are harmful to the kidneys, cardiovascular system, liver, intestines, and stomach; the harm is even greater when combined with alcohol.

Do not separate raw and cooked foods.

Many people are prone to diarrhea after eating hot pot because their digestive system absorbs too many seasonings (oil, salt, sugar), leading to overload. In addition, unhygienic habits when eating hot pot can also cause intestinal problems. For example, using the same pair of chopsticks to pick up both raw and cooked food. Each episode of diarrhea or gastroenteritis not only damages the digestive tract but also puts a burden on the kidneys, the organ responsible for regulating water and electrolytes.

Eat more noodles or vermicelli at the end of the meal.

Even though they're already full, some people still have the habit of finishing their hot pot meal with a bowl of vermicelli or noodles in the broth. Besides absorbing too many calories, slurping up the broth also puts extra strain on the kidneys to process the amount of seasoning, especially salt.

Source: https://giadinh.suckhoedoisong.vn/5-thoi-quen-an-lau-hai-than-172241130101241773.htm