Is eating a lot of sour food good for you?

I really enjoy eating sour foods like green mangoes with salt, tamarind, star fruit, etc. Not only green fruits, I also like pickled fruits, pickled cucumbers, and kimchi. I eat them almost every day.

I've heard people say that eating too much sour food is bad for the stomach and can cause digestive cancers, so I'm worried. Could you please explain, doctor? (Thanh Nga, 28 years old, Ho Chi Minh City)

Reply:

Eating sour foods such as sour fruits (mangoes, tamarind, tomatoes, lemons...), and fermented foods (fermented dairy, yogurt, pickles, pickled fruits...) helps stimulate the taste buds and is beneficial for digestion. Adults can consume about 100-200g of fermented foods daily, balanced with other foods.

However, consuming multiple fermented foods at once can cause bloating, stomach discomfort, and worsen symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome and gastritis/ulcers. This is because fermented foods irritate the stomach lining, causing further damage to ulcers, making them more susceptible to infection and pain.

On the other hand, fermented foods do not undergo pasteurization to preserve beneficial bacteria, thus creating opportunities for harmful bacteria to grow. Salmonella and E. coli can grow in kimchi, sauerkraut, soy sauce, etc. Salmonella infection causes diarrhea, upper abdominal pain, headache, fever, vomiting, and dehydration. E. coli infection can lead to diarrhea, meningitis, and sepsis (bacteria that enter the digestive tract and then the bloodstream, damaging nearby organs such as the heart, kidneys, and brain, and can be fatal).

Pickled foods contain many beneficial bacteria, and eating them in moderation is good for the digestive system. Photo: Freepik — Pickled foods contain many beneficial bacteria, and eating them in moderation is good for the digestive system. Photo: *Freepik*

Fermented or pickled foods are defined as foods or beverages produced through the controlled growth of microorganisms that transform food components through enzymatic action. There are two main methods for fermenting food. First, food can be fermented naturally, whereby microorganisms are naturally present in the raw food or processing environment, for example, sauerkraut, kimchi, and some fermented soy products. Second, food can be fermented through the addition of pre-existing cultures, such as kefir, kombucha, and natto. Therefore, fermented foods play an indispensable role in the cuisine of most cultures around the world , both Eastern and Western.

However, nitrite levels increase when fermented or pickled foods are left for too long. Nitrites are easily reduced to nitrates during the pickling process, making them unsafe. Nitrates react with certain amino acids in the stomach to form nitrosamines – a carcinogen. Furthermore, eating pickled fruits that have been left for a long time increases the risk of ingesting aflatoxin toxins from mold, which can cause cancer. People who consume large amounts of pickled foods over a long period are also more susceptible to high blood pressure, kidney and heart disease, and stomach cancer due to their high salt content.

Sour foods and fermented foods are rich in vitamin C and beneficial bacteria, which support the immune system. However, if the body has excessively high acid levels, the immune system cannot produce antibodies to fight infections, leading to inflammation throughout the body. This inflammation can easily lead to diseases such as type 2 diabetes, kidney disease, kidney stones, and cancer.

Sour fruits like mangoes, plums, starfruit, and tomatoes are also very rich in acid. For example, 100g of sour starfruit contains 800-1250mg of acid, including 300-500mg of oxalic acid. People with kidney disease who eat sour starfruit or drink starfruit juice may experience oxalic acid poisoning due to high concentrations, which can even be fatal. In addition, high acid levels in the body increase the risk of osteoporosis and anemia. The acid in sour foods also erodes the protective layer of teeth, leading to yellowing, enamel erosion, and eventually tooth decay.

Fruits and sour foods, when consumed in moderation, provide vitamins and minerals to the body. However, people should avoid overconsumption to prevent the aforementioned health consequences.

MSc. Dr. Vo Tuan Phong
Center for Endoscopy and Endoscopic Surgery of the Digestive System - Tam Anh General Hospital, Ho Chi Minh City

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