Talking about the side effects of fruits, vegetables, or any healthy food is odd since most fruits provide health benefits and rarely damage our bodies.
However, specific properties can become risks, leading us to suffer from various diseases or discomforts. In the case of kumquat, we find that consuming some of its properties in excess produces certain damages, mainly in people with heartburn problems or sensitive to citric acid.
Join us going deep on what are possible side effects after eating kumquats.
Risk of heartburn
Heartburn is a burning sensation in the upper part of the stomach that reaches the pharynx, caused by the regurgitation of fluids and stomach acids.
This type of stomach discomfort is produced by the excessive consumption of drinks such as alcohol, spicy and especially the excessive consumption of citric acid, which is found in kumquat. The pulp contains a large amount of citric acid, which, medicinal studies recommend eating only one citrus fruit a day, every day.
Therefore, to avoid heartburn due to kumquat, we should only eat 100 to 150 grams of kumquat, around 5 to 8 daily, since each weighs between 10 to 20 grams.
Risk of kidney disease
Kidney failure or kidney failure is due to damage to the kidneys. In addition, the significant excess of vitamin C, which Kumquat con has in abundance, can cause this disease.
To combat these extremely harmful and, even in some cases, deadly results, we must consume vitamin D, found in some fruits and foods, such as avocado.
Skin damage from kumquat
Like other citrus fruits, kumquat contains a substance called bergapten, a chemical or plant substance sensitive to the sun’s rays, or the sun’s rays activate that.
This element found in kumquat, having contact with human skin and being activated by the sun’s rays, tends to burn the skin producing spots with a dark tone. The size of the stain will depend on how much citrus juice has fallen on your skin.
It is best to wash the skin area with plenty of water before contact with the sun’s ultraviolet rays to avoid this. [1]
This problem is caused by spilling their juice on our skin or through homemade exfoliants made from kumquat or lemon.
A typical exfoliant is a mixture of kumquat juice with a bit of turmeric powder, used to moisturize, rejuvenate and lighten the skin. It also acts as an antiseptic and antibacterial agent. Still, if it is poorly used, it could lead to some damage. We will talk more about this in a dedicated post soon.
Citrus fruits have properties that lighten or even stain the skin, however, they also have a substance (already mentioned above) that, when exposed to the sun, stains and seriously affects the skin, leaving it up to more than two months with the condition, and there are certain cases where we apply body scrubs based on these citrus fruits that we then do not remove or remove entirely from our skin. [2]
The recommendation is to apply these creams or exfoliants at night, removing them very well with plenty of water before going to bed.
Frequently asked questions
Kumquats are unknown for the vast majority of the population; for that reason, we have prepared a set of questions related that will indeed help you.
If I do exfoliation with kumquat, how could this generate an irritation? How often must it be applied for this, or with what concentration?
Well, not only the exposure to the sun, having the kumquat-based scrub affects our skin, also exfoliating very often causes conditions or irritations in it.
Cosmetological studies recommend exfoliating the skin once or twice a week. If we exfoliate the skin every day, we can wear or eliminate the epidermis (outer layer), protecting us from the sun’s rays and others.
So, suppose we constantly apply kumquat-based exfoliations (or any other type). In that case, we will cause burns and irritation on the skin.
How do I know if I am a citric acid allergist from kumquat?
Citric acid is found in the vast majority of fruits. Therefore, it would be unfortunate to have an allergic reaction to citric acid.
The symptoms that manifest themselves when detecting citrus allergy are bruises, rash or reddish spots on the skin, also swelling on the face, hands and feet. In some cases, it also manifests its symptoms through the digestive system, causing diarrhea, severe stomach pains, gas and vomiting sensations.
The allergy to citrus fruits causes our immune system to interpret that some nutrients found in these fruits are harmful, so it produces the set of symptoms mentioned above.
Therefore, if you present any of these symptoms after eating kumquat or any other type of citrus, go for medical analysis or check-up to detect any allergy. Then the doctor will proceed to attack the problem from its root.
If I suffer from chronic gastritis, can I consume Kumquats?
Citrus fruits, such as kumquat, are not recommended in cases of gastritis or any stomach problem since these tend to increase their severity.
Thus, causing the aggressive actions of stomach acids to increase, which produces severe pains and a burning sensation. If you suffer from this chronically, you should apply the prohibition of kumquat or any other citrus immediately.
How many Kumquats can a pregnant woman consume?
Pregnant women can consume a maximum of five kumquats a day during their gestation cycle since each kumquat weighs approximately 20 grams. Therefore, every five fruits make 100 grams, the necessary nutrients each day.
Kumquats have qualities that nourish the baby; however, pregnant women are at risk of suffering from heartburn during pregnancy because of the citric acid that the pulp has. That’s why you should avoid the excessive consumption of this fruit.
Can I consume kumquat if I am under medical treatment?
Kumquat should not be consumed in the case of pharmaceutical treatments because it interacts with medications, often preventing the required effects of the treatment indicated by doctors.
Some people usually take medications or pills with juice instead of water. Suppose that juice is made from some citrus fruit, including kumquat. In that case, it is much worse since, as we mentioned before, citrus fruits and some drugs do not get along. The chemicals of the fruits interfere with the complex proteins or enzymes that metabolize the drug in the digestive system.
Therefore, you must prioritize asking your doctor if the fruits you consume do not interfere with the drugs or treatment you should apply.
[1] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4641707/
[2] https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1524-4725.1997.tb00391.x