Houttuynia cordata contains 'aristolochic acid', which is nephrotoxic and carcinogenic? Is Houttuynia cordata still edible?
"Do you eat Houttuynia cordata? I brought some from my hometown, and I ate it on top of a thief."
"Don't eat it, don't you think it has a strange smell? It 's just the stench of dead fish . And I heard that eating this kind of thing is not good for the kidneys, and it also contains aristolochic acid, a carcinogen. , you still don't eat it"
"How could that be? We often eat it in our hometown. In traditional Chinese medicine, Houttuynia cordata is still a blind medicine. It has various effects such as anti-inflammatory and diuretic. My family has eaten it for so many years, and there is no problem. You don't eat it. Well, I ate it myself"
Regarding Houttuynia cordata, the evaluation has always been different. Some people like it, and some people resist it. Especially in recent years, there have been rumors that Houttuynia cordata causes cancer. Is this statement reliable?
1. Research finds: Houttuynia cordata extract may be able to treat prostate cancer
Houttuynia cordata, or Zheergen, is believed to be an irresistible delicacy for most people. In traditional Chinese medicine, Houttuynia cordata is also a medicinal plant with a long history .
Recently, a study on "Houttuynia cordata extract has anti-prostate cancer potential" was published in the world-renowned journal Cancer.
The study pointed out that Houttuynia cordata extract and EA can induce apoptosis in androgen-sensitive prostate cancer cells (LNCaP) and CRPC cells (PCai1) by activating caspase proteases and down-regulating androgen receptors. , so as to play an anti-prostate cancer role.
In the experiment of transgenic rats with prostate adenocarcinoma model, this conclusion was also confirmed. Eating 1% Houttuynia cordata extract-mixed feed can significantly reduce the incidence of prostate lateral lobe adenocarcinoma .
However, it should be noted that this research is a cell experiment and an animal experiment, which is far from the actual situation of the human body. Therefore, everyone must correctly understand that it contains ingredients that can kill cancer cells ≠ Eating it can fight cancer .
If you want to rely on eating Houttuynia cordata to achieve the effect of curing diseases, it is unrealistic, but you may face the risk of kidney damage .
2. Aristolochic acid is confirmed to be carcinogenic, can Houttuynia cordata still be eaten?
For Houttuynia cordata lovers, they may not be able to stop eating it, but Houttuynia cordata contains aristolochic acid, and the carcinogenic effect of aristolochic acid has long been confirmed. Seeing this, many people began to struggle , Is Houttuynia cordata still edible?
Let's take a look at a study from Shanghai Jiaotong University. The study used mice as an experiment and injected them with aristolochic acid. It was found that the mice did develop liver cancer, and the larger the injection amount, the greater the incidence rate . The faster the speed, the larger the tumor area.
In addition, the researchers also randomly selected 62 Chinese liver cancer patients. After investigation, it was found that more than 1/4 of the patients had a history of exposure to aristolochic acid . It can be seen that aristolochic acid is indeed very carcinogenic and can significantly increase the incidence of liver cancer.
The way Chinese people ingest aristolochic acid mainly comes from Chinese herbal medicine. Many Chinese herbal medicines actually contain aristolochic acid. Among them, three traditional Chinese medicines containing aristolochic acid, including Guanmutong, Guangfangji, and Qingmuxiang , were directly banned by the State Food and Drug Administration of China as early as 2003.
Does this mean that Houttuynia cordata containing aristolochic acid is also nephrotoxic, and eating too much will cause cancer? Actually, this statement is not accurate.
Because Houttuynia cordata does not contain aristolochic acid, but its metabolite, aristolochic lactam , whether it can cause cancer has not yet been confirmed .
That is to say, Houttuynia cordata contains aristolochic lactam, which may face the possibility of kidney damage after consumption. At the same time, it is also associated with the occurrence of cancer, but there is no definite carcinogenic evidence.
As for the question of whether Houttuynia cordata can still be eaten, it depends on how you think about it and whether you can accept this risk.
If you are more concerned about this risk, don’t eat it; if you want to pursue health effects and cure diseases, then it’s best not to consider it; if you like to eat and can accept this risk, you can eat occasionally and in small amounts .
3. There are many wild vegetables in spring, but 3 kinds of wild vegetables are often eaten or damage the liver and kidney
In addition to Houttuynia cordata, in fact, there are some wild vegetables that are delicious in daily life, but eating too much may have the risk of injuring the liver and kidneys. Everyone should be careful.
1. Red phoenix
Evidence shows that this wild vegetable contains a substance called pyrrolizidine alkaloid (PA), which has strong liver toxicity and can cause certain damage to the liver after consumption.
2. Fresh cauliflower
This wild vegetable contains colchicine. After entering the human body, it can be oxidized into a highly toxic substance, dicolchicine . After eating, it may cause food poisoning and damage liver and kidney functions.
So it is best to eat less, if you must eat, remember to remove the stamens before eating, then rinse with hot water, and drain, it will be safer.
3, raw bean horn
Generally, no one chooses to eat it raw. After all, the taste of raw food is not good, but it is inevitable that some people do not control the heat when cooking and eat it before it is cooked.
In this case, a plant lectin called saponin may be produced , which can cause nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, headache and other discomforts. Therefore, when cooking beans, it must be thoroughly cooked before eating.
Summary: Some wild vegetables are really delicious, but at the same time there may be certain health risks, so before eating, you must understand clearly and master the correct way of eating, don’t hurt the body for the sake of temporary appetite, it will not be worth the loss. .
References:
[1] Can Houttuynia cordata cure cancer? Inventory of "potential stocks" in 3 anti-cancer foods". Medical Tumor Channel. 2021-07-25
[2] "Science Sub-Journal: Aristolochic acid is related to the occurrence of liver cancer!" Is Houttuynia cordata safe to eat? 》. Ruan Guangfeng Nutritionist. 2017-10-24
[3] "The list of fruits and vegetables that hurt the liver and kidneys, it is the first! Don't want liver and kidney failure, being targeted by cancer, hurry up and shut up". Family doctor. 2020-09-21
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