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I don\u2019t know about you but when I occasionally \u201caccidentally\u201d stuff my face with too much salted egg yolk potato chips, or inhale a rib-sticking pot of kimchi jiggae, I would try to redeem myself by drinking more water. You know, to \u201cflush out\u201d the sodium.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Every time I hit rock bottom \u2013 of an ice cream tub \u2013 I pray that eating some fibre would help to police the sugar high. Ate too much at dinner? Fruit should smooth things out in the digestive tract, right?<\/p>\n
Some of us practise some form of atonement to feel a little better after unbridled moments of sheer indulgence. Like drinking tea, a diuretic, after eating instant noodles in the hope of passing out the water retained by sodium. Just how misguided are our actions or do they actually work?<\/p>\n
No, said the experts. \u201cCountering or neutralising the effects of certain foods with that of another are generally not based on any scientific evidence and do not work,\u201d said Dr Melvin Look, the director and a consultant surgeon in gastrointestinal, laparoscopic and obesity surgery at PanAsia Surgery<\/span>.<\/p>\n In other words, you can\u2019t count on the fibre of fruit to stabilise the sugar spike after, for example, bingeing an entire kunafa chocolate bar in one sitting.<\/p>\n \u201cAdding an apple to a sweet treat simply adds more sugar to an existing glucose load,\u201d said Dr Joel Foo, the managing director and a family physician from ATA Medical<\/span>. \u201cIt does not stabilise the insulin spike that has already been triggered.\u201d But you might be able to help yourself better by eating the apple first, he said, to \u201cslow gastric emptying\u201d.\u00a0<\/p>\n According to Dr Foo, drinking water can be effective to some extent. \u201cWater assists the kidneys in flushing excess sodium,\u201d he said, and recommended sipping 500ml to 700ml of water over the following hour.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cDrinking water immediately after also helps with stopping you from eating more food,\u201d highlighted dietitian Jaclyn Reutens from Aptima Sports and Nutrition Consultant.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Still, water isn’t the panacea to your sodium excesses because it is your kidneys \u2013 and not the amount of water you drink, that manage sodium levels. Too much sodium can actually cause your body to <\/span>retain water to balance the sodium, which can lead to bloating, swelling, and increased blood pressure, according to <\/span>Healthhub<\/span>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\nWHAT ABOUT DRINKING MORE WATER?\u00a0<\/h2>\n