What kind of diet can cause cancer? What is the link between cancer and diet? A piece of science!

According to the 2020 Global Cancer Statistics Report, the number one morbidity and mortality rate is actually the cancer of the digestive system, which includes colorectal cancer, gastric cancer, esophageal cancer and so on.

　　In recent years, the incidence and mortality of gastrointestinal cancer in China have been increasing. The incidence of gastric cancer and esophageal cancer ranks first in the world, and colorectal cancer ranks second.

　　According to the latest research report from the Harvard School of Public Health, nearly 1/2 of gastrointestinal cancers in China are caused by persistent unhealthy eating habits for a long time . This is because unhealthy eating habits can cause mechanical damage to the digestive tract, and some foods also contain carcinogens.

　　So the question is, what kind of diets cause cancer, and how are they related to cancer?

1. Esophageal cancer and hot food

　　For food to enter the stomach for digestion, it must first pass through the mouth and esophagus. The esophagus is the key passage connecting the mouth and stomach. There is a thin layer of mucosa covering the surface of the esophagus, which is commonly known as the digestive tract mucosa.

　　Judging from the current clinical data, the esophageal mucosa is actually very delicate and fragile . The upper limit of its acceptable temperature is about 50 °C . If you eat food exceeding 65 °C , it will cause mild mucosal burns .

　　Repeatedly, the esophageal mucosa can gradually develop into ulcers, inflammation, erosion, intestinal metaplasia, atypical hyperplasia , and then increase the possibility of canceration;

2. Stomach cancer and carcinogenic foods

　　In fact, clinically in China, the majority of gastric cancer patients develop on the basis of chronic gastric diseases, especially chronic atrophic gastritis combined with atypical hyperplasia, which is also called precancerous lesions clinically.

In addition to the hot food mentioned above , there are many unhealthy food choices 　　that cause gastritis . For example , processed meat and preserved foods containing nitrosamines, high-salt foods, alcohol, smoked barbecues containing polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, fried foods containing acrylamide, etc., can cause damage to the stomach, and then suffer from damage to the stomach. The effects of long-term exposure to carcinogens, which in turn increase the rate of carcinogenesis;

　　3. Colorectal cancer and processed meat

In 2015, the " International Agency for Research on Cancer" , a 　　subsidiary of WHO , released a related research report, and researchers listed red meat and processed meat as carcinogens.

　　And processed meat is listed as a class 1 carcinogen , and experts believe it has a certain relationship with the incidence of colorectal cancer . Based on the current sufficient evidence to show that eating processed meat products may lead to colorectal cancer, the risk of colorectal cancer increases by 18% for every 50 grams of processed meat products consumed in one day ;

4. Liver cancer and aflatoxin

　　In fact, the liver is also a part of the digestive system, and its job is to generate bile, which neutralizes stomach acid and aids digestion. At the same time, the liver also has the ability of biotransformation, which plays an important role in detoxification metabolism, nutrient synthesis and storage.

　　Because of this, unhealthy eating habits may cause damage to liver cells, especially eating moldy and spoiled food, low-quality cooking oil or peanut butter , etc., may come into contact with the highly toxic substance " aflatoxin b1" . A related research survey has shown that 1 mg of aflatoxin has reached a carcinogenic dose.

　　Finally, it should be emphasized that the relationship between diet and cancer is not absolute. In fact, not only diet, but also the relationship between other carcinogenic factors and cancer is not completely absolute.

　　However, after all, there are risks, we cannot change genes and age, so it is necessary to start with dietary adjustments, which can reduce the risk of cancer in the future.