There are two types of star fruit: sweet star fruit and sour star fruit. Each type is processed into daily dishes and drinks, especially in the summer and hot weather. Star fruit is also a medicinal herb used in oriental medicine to treat some diseases in folk medicine. A pot of sour fish soup certainly cannot lack star fruit. Sour star fruit makes the dish both sour and attractive, and also has a cooling effect. Braised star fruit with fish is a dish that "cleans the rice pot" even for picky eaters like children...

On the scientific side, it shows that star fruit contains many substances that are good for health such as vitamin C, vitamin B, star fruit can also provide energy although not much, providing fiber to help digestion. Star fruit leaves also have the effect of treating sore throats and some other uses that have been used effectively by oriental medicine practitioners for patients.

In addition to the beneficial effects of star fruit, star fruit also contains a substance that is not beneficial, even dangerous for people with certain diseases. In this article, we only mention some substances in star fruit that can have negative effects on health so that people can pay attention when using star fruit as food and drink.

First, star fruit contains many different organic acids, but the most abundant is oxalic acid, accounting for 50-60%. Oxalic acid is suspected of creating calcium oxalate precipitates, causing kidney stones, and in the past, people also suspected oxalic acid as the cause of poisoning for people with kidney disease. Through a long research process, it has been shown that oxalic acid is present in star fruit with a fairly high content ranging from 100-10,000mg/100g of star fruit. Oxalic acid will create oxalate crystals, which is the cause of kidney stones.

Although oxalic acid is considered the raw material for "preparing" kidney or bladder stones (oxalate)... it is not the main cause of kidney stones. Oxalate is very small in size, so it is excreted through the stool and urinary tract, except for a few cases where it gets stuck in the kidney, bladder, and gradually grows into stones. But anyway, people who suspect they have kidney stones should limit their intake of star fruit, it is best not to eat star fruit, remember that sour star fruit contains more oxalic acid than sweet star fruit. However, it is important to note that in star fruit there is an amino acid called Caramboxin. In 2013, thanks to research by the University of Sao Paulo (Brazil), a substance was discovered and named caramboxin. Caramboxin is an amino acid, although caramboxin is an amino acid, it has nothing to do with the protein components of animals. Caramboxin is considered a neurotoxin, people with kidney failure, who have to undergo dialysis (artificial kidney) can be poisoned after eating star fruit, with symptoms of hiccups, vomiting, convulsions, epilepsy, panic attacks...

Some cases of death due to eating star fruit in people with kidney failure have been recorded. Most recently, a 70-year-old patient with kidney failure ate 4 star fruit and was poisoned, leading to a deep coma in Dong Nai and is currently being treated at Cho Ray Hospital, which is a warning about caramboxin poisoning.

Therefore, people with kidney disease, kidney failure, and those undergoing dialysis... should avoid eating star fruit. Even people with kidney stones should not "challenge" the oxalic acid in star fruit, because with such a high oxalic content, kidney stones are likely to recur. Star fruit can also interact adversely with some medications, hindering drug absorption in the intestine.

With the message that eating requires choosing what to eat and what to drink to ensure food safety, especially in the hot season like now, people with chronic diseases need to consult a doctor to have a reasonable treatment and nutrition regimen.

THANH CHUNG