Water spinach is the 'king of all poisons', and heavy metals exceed the standard? Is it harmful or carcinogenic? Here comes the truth

"Don't eat water spinach, because among all green leafy vegetables, water spinach absorbs pesticides and heavy metals the most, and it is the 'king of all poisons'. And most of the water spinach in the market are grown in polluted suburbs. Very serious vegetable patch ..."

Aunt Li was stunned when she watched the "Science Science" video she had brushed, and instantly felt uncomfortable all over her body.

Because of all the green leafy vegetables, she likes to eat water spinach the most. When she went for a walk in the morning, she also bought a handful of water spinach and prepared it for dinner.

Aunt Li forwarded the video to the good sisters who also love water spinach. Both of them are very uneasy. If this is the case, wouldn't the heavy metal in her body be seriously loaded?

1. Is water spinach the "king of all poisons"? Many people are still in the dark

Water spinach, formerly known as Yong Cai, macaroni and Wuxin Cai are its "nicknames", which are more common in southern China. So its "criminal" is true?

It is true that some studies have found that water spinach has a relatively strong enrichment ability for some heavy metals such as lead, but this does not mean that it is the same for all heavy metals.

There are many heavy metals in the environment, and the adsorption capacity of water spinach for other heavy metals is slightly inferior. For example, a study in Guangzhou found that the enrichment capacity of cadmium of lettuce is stronger than that of water spinach .

Taking a step back, even leafy vegetables contain heavy metals, and there is a safe range . According to the national standard GB2762-2017 "National Food Safety Standard Limits of Contaminants in Foods" on leafy vegetables, lead <0.3mg/Kg, cadmium <0.2mg/Kg, total mercury <0.01mg/Kg, total arsenic <0.5mg /Kg.

Therefore, as long as the heavy metal content in water spinach does not exceed these standards, it will not threaten human health.

In addition, whether the heavy metal content is high or low, the production environment is very important . If the ecological environment, such as soil and water sources, does not have the problem of excessive heavy metals, then the water spinach grown can naturally be eaten with peace of mind.

As for the "very polluted vegetable field in the suburbs where water spinach grows vegetables", it is also nonsense. Because water spinach has relatively high planting conditions, the current market purchases are basically planted on land or in greenhouses .

Therefore, as long as you buy water spinach from regular vegetable markets and supermarkets, you can eat it with peace of mind.

2. Is water spinach a "cramp dish"?

Many people say that they have leg cramps when they go to bed at night after eating water spinach, so water spinach is also called "cramp food". Does eating water spinach really cause cramps?

In this regard, Liang Donghui, chief physician of the Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine of Pearl River Hospital of Southern Medical University, said that many people think that eating water spinach will cause cramps because it contains oxalic acid, which can affect the body's absorption of calcium, and calcium ions in the blood. When it is lacking, it is easy to have cramps.

In fact, calcium in the blood is very stable.

Once there are fluctuations and calcium ions decrease, the calcium in the bones will extend a "helping hand" and make up for it in time . Therefore, there will not be too little calcium ions, so naturally there will be no cramps, and everyone can eat water spinach with peace of mind.

Before eating water spinach, there is a very important link, that is, selection. So how to choose a good water spinach?

• Choose the ones that are greener in color and have no yellow leaves or damaged ones;
• The selected incision is not rotten or discolored;
• Choose the ones with thin stems and tender taste.

As long as you master the above 3 selection skills, you can have fresh water spinach!

3. The 3 kinds of vegetables that are often eaten are "formaldehyde vegetables". Are they toxic or carcinogenic?

Regarding "formaldehyde vegetables", there are many vegetables that have been "unjustly wronged" in life. Everyone should learn to distinguish rumors and not wrong these vegetables.

1. Vegetables tied with tape

The tape is indeed a gray area, but the Shenzhen Quality Inspection Institute has specially tested 11 samples of vegetables and tape, and no formaldehyde has been detected, so there is no need to worry too much.

2. White tofu

The color of tofu is mainly related to factors such as raw materials and the type of coagulant. It is not necessarily the addition of formaldehyde, so it is not possible to judge whether food contains formaldehyde by color alone.

3. Chinese cabbage

Formaldehyde cabbage has a pungent taste, so inhalation may damage the respiratory tract, but if it is used as food, it will be another matter if it enters the digestive tract, because formaldehyde is soluble in water and volatile , and some will be volatilized during transportation. In addition, after cooking, the content is almost volatilized, which is not enough to pose a threat to the human body, so you can eat it with confidence.

It should be emphasized that adding formaldehyde is illegal, and once it is found, legal responsibility will be pursued. However, it is relatively rare to use formaldehyde to soak vegetables in life, because formaldehyde contains a pungent odor. If it is used, it is easy to be smelled by the nose .

In addition, some natural foods actually contain formaldehyde, including fruits and vegetables, meat, fish, dried fungi , etc.

So, don't be prejudiced about everything about formaldehyde, its harm is mainly inhalation, and formaldehyde ingested through food is not seriously harmful.

However, from the perspective of safety, it is recommended that you buy ingredients from regular, large supermarkets and other places, and cook them completely before eating. Because formaldehyde is a volatile substance at high temperature, this can help us remove possible residual formaldehyde to reduce the risk.

Extension - teach you 3 coups to remove pesticide residues and eat vegetables with confidence

Regarding the food safety of vegetables, many people are more worried about the problem of pesticide residues. How to remove pesticide residues? Teach you 3 coups.

• ventilation

The fruits and vegetables just bought from the store should not be thrown into the refrigerator directly. It is best to put them in a ventilated and dry place to disperse the poison, which will help the volatilization of pesticides and reduce the amount of pesticide residues.

• peeled

For example, cucumbers, radishes, bitter gourds, etc., can be peeled as much as possible, because pesticide residues are basically on the epidermis, so removing the epidermis can maximize the removal of pesticide residues.

• Boiled water

For example, vegetables and fruits that are difficult to wash, such as cauliflower, cowpea, and lentils, can be blanched, and some pesticides can also be volatilized and decomposed.

Summary: Regarding the edible safety of vegetables, there are many true and false claims circulating on the Internet, and everyone must learn to distinguish them. After purchasing vegetables, the processing of ingredients is also very important, and try to handle them in place to reduce food safety risks.

References:

[1] "Is the water spinach the "king of poison" in vegetables? Can you rest assured to eat? ". The whole people are true - Tencent News. 2017-05-29

[2] "On the Internet, it is said that the heavy metals in water spinach exceed the standard. Is it the "King of Poisoning"? This time, you're wrong about it...". Popular Science China. 2019-02-01

[3] "[Scary] Water spinach is the "king of all poisons", heavy metal exceeding the standard? Many people are still in the dark! 》. The Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University. 2021-07-07

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