7 Major Side Effects of Consuming Too Many Jujubes
Jujuba or jujube fruit is a species of the Ziziphus genus and belongs to the buckthorn family. They are native to Southern Asia but are now grown in many regions of the world. They are known by some other names such as Korean dates, Chinese dates, red dates, and Indian dates. Jujube provides many health and beauty benefits due to the abundance of essential nutrients like vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and dietary fibers. However, there are also some side effects of eating too many jujubes.
Side Effects of Eating Too Many Jujubes
Some major side effects of eating too many jujubes are as follows.
(1) Too Many Antioxidants Are Bad For Health
Vitamin C, vitamin A, and other antioxidant compounds like phytonutrients, etc in jujube protects our cells from free radical damage and reduces the risk of several cancers.
Free radicals are unstabilized ions that stabilize by stealing electrons from neighboring molecules, and doing so causes oxidative damage to them.
At moderate levels, antioxidants react with free radicals, but in large doses, they may react with healthy cells and cause oxidative damage to them.
Eat jujube fruit in moderation as high antioxidants may increase the risk of several cancers.
As per a 2011 study on 35,500 men, high levels of vitamin E may increase prostate cancer risk by 17 percent.
According to a study by National Cancer Institute, smokers that took high doses of beta-carotene supplements were more likely to develop lung cancer in comparison to those who didn’t.
As per a study by the office of dietary supplements, in large doses vitamin E may increase the risk of hemorrhagic stroke.
If you take antioxidant supplements, eat jujube in moderation to avoid the risk of antioxidant overdose.
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(2) Too Much Dietary Fiber Is Bad For Digestive Health
Dietary fibers in jujube are a natural laxative that improves bowel movement, relieves constipation, and other gastrointestinal problems like abdominal pain, gas, bloating, and, flatulence, etc.
However, too many dietary fibers may over-stimulate bowel movement and give rise to abdominal cramping, malabsorption, diarrhea, constipation, indigestion, intestinal gas, and intestinal blockage, etc.
If you are already eating a fiber-rich diet, adding more fiber ( through jujube) may increase the risk of digestive problems.
Eat jujube in moderation to avoid the risk.
Source-Pixabay.com(3) May Cause Allergies
Avoid jujubes if you are allergic to them.
Itchy skin, skin rashes, swollen lips and tongue, and throat irritation, etc are some common allergies caused by jujube fruit.
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(4) Eating Jujube During Pregnancy And Nursing Stage
Jujube helps in maintaining healthy pregnancy because of its rich nutritious profile.
Vitamin C and other antioxidant compounds in jujube protect the fetus from free radical damage.
Folate in jujube promotes brain development in fetuses and reduces the risk of neural tube defects like spina bifida.
Jujube regulates our blood sugar level and reduces the risk of gestational diabetes that some pregnant women experience between the 24th-28th week of pregnancy.
However, eat jujubes during pregnancy and the nursing period only after consulting with your doctor to ensure there is no food-drug intolerance or complications ( in pregnancy) involved.
In excessive quantity, dietary fibers in jujube may cause abdominal pain, stomach discomfort, diarrhea, intestinal gas, and intestinal blockage, etc.
(5) May Cause Low Blood Sugar
With a low glycemic index of 20, jujube slows down the rate at which sugar is released into the bloodstream, and prevents a sudden spike in blood sugar levels.
This helps in managing diabetes.
Dietary fibers in jujube reduce sugar absorption by the bloodstream and keep blood sugar levels under control.
Despite this benefit, eat jujubes in moderation as overconsumption may drop your blood sugar below the healthy level and cause dizziness, fainting, nausea, dehydration, lack of concentration, blurred vision, and pale skin, etc.
If you take diabetic medication, add jujubes to your routine only after having a word with your doctor to avoid food-drug interference risk.
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(6) May Drop Blood Pressure
Hypertension or high blood pressure is a condition that affects millions around the world and is the leading cause of several cardiovascular and other health problems.
Potassium in jujube is a natural vasodilator that relaxes blood vessels, improves blood circulation, and provides relief from hypertension.
However, excessive intake of jujube may drop our blood pressure below the normal levels, and cause fatigue, dizziness, nausea, clammy skin, depression, and blurred vision, etc.
If you are already taking blood pressure medication, consult your doctor before adding jujube to your routine to ensure there is no food-drug intolerance risk.
(7) May Interfere Weight Loss
Eating 100 grams of jujube provides 79 calories of energy.
When consumed in moderation, jujube boosts our energy level without much calorie overload.
Dietary fibers in jujube provide stomach satiety and control overeating, a major cause of obesity.
Although jujubes are great for weight loss, eat them in moderation as otherwise, they may increase your overall calorie intake.
If you are already enjoying a balanced diet and getting enough calories, excessive calories from jujube or any other fruit may interfere with weight loss.
Even when you eat jujube for weight loss, they should be part of your overall calorie intake and not an addition to it.
Overeating jujubes may interfere with food digestion, cause poor absorption of nutrients, and affect our metabolism negatively.
Disclaimer
The information contained in the post is for general purpose only and shouldn’t be considered as medical advice or as an alternative to medical advice. Although I’ve tried my best to keep the information contained in this post as accurate and updated as possible, I make no guarantee of the accurateness of the same.
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