List of first-class carcinogens: In addition to Chinese salted fish, there are 4 kinds of food that should be avoided on your table as much as possible

According to the latest cancer data released this year, there were about 4.064 million new cancer cases and 2.414 million deaths in China in 2016. The overall cancer incidence and mortality are still on the rise.

Not only that, young cancer patients are not a minority. "The Lancet Oncology" has released data on the global burden of cancer among young people, showing that cancer has become the fourth leading cause of death among young people. In 2019, 1.19 million people aged 15-39 had cancer and 396,000 died of cancer globally.

Cancer, as the main killer that threatens health, may sometimes be "provoked" by oneself.

1. Why the high incidence of cancer?

There is a high incidence of cancer now, and part of the reason is completely self-inflicted. Unhealthy eating habits, lifestyle and mentality can increase the risk of cancer.

Smoking, for example, has been identified as a high-risk factor for many cancers, and it increases the risk of lung cancer and other cancers. Similarly, alcohol consumption is associated with various diseases such as hepatitis, oral cancer, pharyngeal cancer, laryngeal cancer, esophageal cancer and gastric cancer.

Others such as staying up late, lack of exercise, obesity/overweight, long-term psychological depression, overeating, etc. are all risk factors for cancer.

In addition, many people are taboo and avoid doctors and do not have the awareness of early screening. I think I have a minor illness, and I don’t want to go to the hospital to see a doctor, or I feel that if I don’t see a doctor, I don’t have a disease. Some people even use drugs indiscriminately and believe in folk remedies, which in turn leads to aggravation of the disease.

The Harvard School of Public Health research team analyzed data collected from 12 representative provinces/municipalities in China for 20 years and found that about 50.4% of common digestive tract cancers in China are related to unhealthy diets (high sodium diet, high red Meat and processed meat intake, low vegetable and fruit intake, etc.), smoking and drinking, lack of exercise, overweight, etc.

2. These foods contain carcinogens

Carcinogens are actually very close to us. The following foods contain Grade 1 carcinogens and should be avoided as much as possible.

1. Alcohol

Although alcohol itself is not a carcinogen, the alcohol metabolite acetaldehyde is a class 1 carcinogen.

After alcohol is ingested into the human body, it is first metabolized to acetaldehyde by alcohol dehydrogenase, and then metabolized to acetic acid by acetaldehyde dehydrogenase, and finally excreted from the body. If the acetaldehyde dehydrogenase in the drinker's body is insufficient and cannot convert acetaldehyde to acetic acid in time, it will lead to the accumulation of acetaldehyde in the body.

Acetaldehyde can directly damage the DNA of cells, cause gene mutations, and also induce inflammation and cell replication, making normal cells cancerous, increasing the risk of cancers such as head and neck cancer, oral cancer, throat cancer, and esophageal cancer.

2. Betel nut

As early as 2003, the International Cancer Research Center under the World Health Organization classified betel nut as a class 1 carcinogen, which has obvious correlation with pharyngeal cancer, laryngeal cancer and esophageal cancer.

Long-term chewing of betel nut will repeatedly rub and irritate the oral mucosa and gingival mucosa, which may cause edema, inflammation and non-healing of wounds, resulting in fibrous lesions of the mucosa.

In addition, arecoline in betel nut can become ammonium nitrite under the action of nitrosylation, which is mutagenic to human body and can cause cancer.

3. Moldy food

Foods such as moldy rice, corn, peanuts and cooking oil will produce aflatoxin , which is a very strong carcinogen and can cause acute poisoning and serious liver damage if ingested in large quantities at one time. Exposure to even mild doses can increase the risk of liver cancer.

It should be noted that some bamboo or wooden chopsticks, shovels, etc., which have been used for a long time, may also contain aflatoxin due to moldy deterioration of food residues hidden in the cracks.

4. Chinese salted fish

In the process of making Chinese-style salted fish, because the organs in the fish maw are not taken out, N-nitroso compounds can be produced under chemical action and suitable conditions . Long-term consumption or one-time consumption of large quantities may induce nasopharyngeal cancer and esophagus. cancer, stomach cancer, and liver cancer.

In addition, salted fish needs to be marinated by adding a lot of salt when making it. Excessive intake of salt for a long time will increase the risk of stomach problems and cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases. If the salted fish is not stored properly, it will also become moldy and deteriorate, producing a large amount of toxic bacteria such as aflatoxin.

5. Baked food

After meat and other foods are roasted or smoked at high temperature, benzopyrene, a class 1 carcinogen , may be produced, which may be covered on food or inhaled through oily smoke. The more charred the part, the higher the benzopyrene content .

Long-term high-frequency consumption of foods containing benzopyrene increases the risk of cancers such as stomach, rectal, and lung cancers.

Of course, when it comes to carcinogens in food, toxicity cannot be ignored without dose. Even a class 1 carcinogen does not mean that you will get cancer upon exposure. But if you don't pay attention, the risk of developing cancer in the long term is increasing.

3. Are sweet potatoes, okra, and onions the nemesis of cancer?

Sweet potatoes, okra and onions can be seen in the list of super anti-cancer foods circulating in the market. Can they really fight cancer?

First, let's talk about sweet potatoes. Although sweet potatoes are rich in nutritional value, there is no evidence that sweet potatoes can fight cancer , and China has never released a so-called anti-cancer food list.

From a nutritional point of view, the main component of sweet potato is starch, which is rich in dietary fiber, which can promote defecation to a certain extent. At the same time, the amino acid structure of protein in sweet potato is relatively reasonable, which can complement the protein in rice noodles and improve the utilization rate of protein. But sweet potato is just an ordinary food . The dietary guidelines for Chinese residents suggest that the recommended intake of potato food is 50-100 grams per day.

Second, let’s talk about okra. The main components of okra are carbohydrates, protein, vitamins and some minerals. It is the same as other ordinary vegetables, and there is nothing special about it. The research that the polysaccharide contained in okra can inhibit the growth of cancer cells is still in the experimental stage . Even if this polysaccharide can really inhibit cancer, it is often purified in large quantities in the test, which is difficult to eat in the daily diet. It is not advisable to eat okra to prevent cancer.

Again, can onions fight cancer? Although onions do contain flavonoids, sulfur-containing substances and other substances with certain anti-cancer activities, some cell or animal experiments have also verified the anti-cancer effects of these substances. However , the presence of a certain anti-cancer active ingredient in a food does not mean that the food has an anti-cancer effect, so the claim that eating onions is anti-cancer is not credible.

If you want to rely on food to fight cancer, it is better to stay away from the known carcinogens as much as possible. At the same time, eat healthy, keep exercising, maintain your weight, have a good attitude, and have regular physical examinations.

In recent years, the incidence of cancer in China has continued to increase, and there is a trend of younger people, which is largely related to poor eating habits and lifestyles. A balanced intake of various nutrients in the diet, maintaining good living habits, and insisting on regular exercise are the only way to maintain health. You should also pay more attention to the changes in your body at ordinary times. Once symptoms of suspected cancer appear, you should go to the hospital for further examination in time. If you are unfortunate enough to be diagnosed with cancer, don’t be superstitious about remedies, and you should go to a regular hospital for standardized treatment, so as not to delay the treatment and cause regrets.

References:

[1] Why are many cancers diagnosed at an advanced stage? A lot of early signals are ignored! .Health Times, 2020-12-28

[2]Wu Y， Li Y， Giovannucci E. Potential impact of time trend of lifestyle risk factors on burden of major gastrointestinal cancers in China. Gastroenterology. 2021 Dec;161(6)：1830–e8.

[3] Food is also divided into "carcinogenic grades"! It's a pity that these kinds of food you love are on the list. Life Times, 2017-10-15

[4] 5 kinds of "anti-cancer foods" that have been blown to the sky are actually useless! The most useful trick, but ignored. Popular science China, 2019-12-13

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