Water spinach is the 'king of all poisons', heavy metals exceed the standard? Harmful to the human body or carcinogenic? the truth is coming

"Don't eat water spinach, because among all green leafy vegetables, water spinach absorbs pesticides and heavy metals the most. It is the 'king of all poisons'. And most of the water spinach circulating in the market is grown in suburban pollution. Very serious vegetable plot ..."

Aunt Li was shocked when she saw the "popular science" video she had seen, and felt uncomfortable all over.

Because among all the green leafy vegetables, she likes water spinach the most. When she went for a walk in the morning, she bought a handful of water spinach for dinner.

Aunt Li forwarded the video to her good sister who also loves water spinach. Both of them were very disturbed. If this is the case, wouldn't the heavy metals in their bodies be seriously overloaded?

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

Water spinach, formerly known as Yongcai, is its "nick name" and is more common in southern China. Is its "crime" true?

Indeed, 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 a lot of heavy metals in the environment, and the ability of water spinach to absorb other heavy metals is slightly inferior. For example, a study in Guangzhou found that lettuce has a stronger ability to enrich cadmium than water spinach .

Taking a step back, even if leafy vegetables contain heavy metals, there is a safe range . According to the national standard GB2762-2017 "National Food Safety Standard Food Contaminant Limits" 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 environment of the place of production is critical . If there is no problem of excessive heavy metals in the ecological environment, such as soil and water sources, then the water spinach grown can naturally be eaten with peace of mind.

As for the "vegetable fields with very serious pollution in the suburbs where water spinach is grown" that is spread on the Internet, it is also nonsense, because water spinach is relatively high for planting conditions, and most of the currently available products on the market are grown 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. Water spinach is a "cramp vegetable"?

Many people said that after eating water spinach, they would experience leg cramps when sleeping at night, so water spinach is also called "cramp vegetable". Does eating water spinach really cause cramps?

In this regard, Liang Donghui, Chief Physician of the Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Zhujiang Hospital, 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. When it is lacking, it is easy to have cramps.

But in fact, calcium in the blood is very stable.

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

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

• Choose ones with a greener color and no yellow leaves or damaged ones;
• Choose a cut that is not rotten or discolored;
• Choose the one with thinner stems and tender taste.

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

3. Three kinds of vegetables that are often eaten are "formaldehyde vegetables", which are poisonous and carcinogenic?

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

1. Tape-bound vegetables

Tape is indeed a gray area, but Shenzhen Institute of Quality Inspection has previously tested 11 samples of vegetables and tape, and no formaldehyde was detected, so you don't 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 does not necessarily mean that formaldehyde has been added, 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 is another matter if it enters the digestive tract, because formaldehyde is easily soluble in water and volatile , and some of it will volatilize during transportation. In addition, after cooking, the content is almost volatile, which is not enough to pose a threat to the human body, so it can be eaten with confidence.

It should be emphasized that the addition of formaldehyde is illegal, and once it is found, it will be held accountable. However, it is relatively rare to use formaldehyde to soak vegetables in daily life, because formaldehyde has a pungent smell, and if it is used, it is easy to be smelled by the nose at once .

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

Therefore, don't be prejudiced against everything about formaldehyde. Its harm is mainly inhalation, and formaldehyde ingested through food is not serious.

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

Extension—Teach you 3 coups to remove pesticide residues and eat vegetables with confidence

Regarding the safety of vegetable consumption, many people are more worried about the problem of pesticide residues, so how to remove pesticide residues? Teach you 3 coups.

• ventilation

The fruits and vegetables just purchased 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 the pesticide residues are basically on the skin, so removing the skin 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 treated by blanching, and some pesticides can also be volatilized and decomposed.

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

References:

[1] "Water spinach is the "king of poison" among vegetables? Can you still eat with confidence? ". The whole people is true-Tencent News. 2017-05-29

[2] "On the Internet, water spinach exceeds the standard of heavy metals, is it the "king of poisons"? This time, you misunderstood it... ". Popular Science China. 2019-02-01

[3] "[Terrible] Spinach is the "king of all poisons", heavy metals exceed the standard? Many people are still in the dark! ". The Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University. 2021-07-07

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