'Chronic patients should avoid spicy food on Eid'

Eating heavy and spicy meat dishes that too repeatedly for days on and after Eid ul Adha may cause serious health threats for chronic patients and mild to moderate stomach-related problems and other complications, even in apparently healthy persons.

According to gastroenterologists, regular use of heavy, spicy and fried dishes meat may cause severe complications among chronic patients suffering from hepatitis B and C, The News reported.

Patients suffering from heart disease or diabetes should also take care of their diet on and after Eid and should avoid excessive and regular use of meat.

Experts say that eating meat in moderate quantity on Eid days does not cause any problems in healthy persons, but patients with diabetes whose kidneys are not working properly should eat only a small quantity of meat to avoid complications.

According to Senior Vice President of College of Physicians and Surgeons Pakistan Professor Dr Muhammad Shoaib Shafi, diabetics having kidneys with proper functioning like healthy persons can eat meat dishes in moderate quantities as medically they are not advised not to eat meat dishes.

He is of the view that the regular use of meat dishes on the three days of Eid ul Adha or for a whole week may cause problems even in healthy persons.

Chronic patients of hepatitis B and C are medically advised to eat only a small quantity of meat. Chronic patients of hepatitis B and C with ascites, accumulation of fluid in the abdomen, or having a history of blood vomiting can eat only up to 40 grams of meat in 24 hours.

He has explained that chronic hepatitis B and C patients may fall unconscious or have blood vomiting or fits if they consume a heavier quantity of meat.

If a patient of hepatitis B and C is found to be having irrelevant talk after eating meat, he or she should be taken to the healthcare facility immediately.

Experts say that patients who are suffering from hepatitis B or C but have normal functioning liver and kidneys can have a moderate quantity of meat, but they should also avoid regular use of meat on Eid days and afterwards.

People, particularly those who have complaints of peptic or duodenal ulcer, should also restrict themselves to using limited meat.

Many health experts say that using excessive amounts of meat at one sitting, meal may cause health problems in all individuals including healthy ones and should be avoided.