List of primary carcinogens: In addition to Chinese salted fish, there are 4 kinds of food that should be kept on your table as little 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 in the minority. "The Lancet Oncology" has published 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 worldwide suffered from cancer and 396,000 died of cancer.

As the main killer of health threats, cancer may sometimes be "provoked" by oneself.

1. Why is there a high incidence of cancer?

Now the high incidence of cancer, part of the reason is completely self-inflicted, it is "provoked" cancer. Poor eating habits, lifestyle and mentality, etc., will increase the risk of cancer.

Smoking, for example, has been identified as a high-risk factor for many cancers, which increases the risk of lung cancer and other cancers. Alcohol consumption is also associated with various diseases such as hepatitis, oral cancer, pharyngeal cancer, laryngeal cancer, esophageal cancer and stomach 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 shy away from medical treatment and have no awareness of early screening. I think that what I have is a minor illness, and I don’t want to go to the hospital to see a doctor, or I think that if I don’t see a doctor, it means I’m not sick. As a result, the minor illness is delayed and becomes a serious illness. Some people even misuse drugs and credulously believe in folk remedies, which in turn leads to the aggravation of the disease.

The research team of the Harvard School of Public Health analyzed and studied the data collected for 20 years in 12 representative provinces/municipalities in China, and found that about 50.4% of common digestive tract cancers in China are related to unhealthy diet (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 kinds of foods all contain carcinogens

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

1. Alcohol

Although alcohol itself is not a carcinogen, acetaldehyde, a metabolite of alcohol, is a Class 1 carcinogen.

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

Acetaldehyde can directly damage the DNA of cells, cause gene mutation, and at the same time induce inflammation and cell replication, make normal cells cancerous, and increase 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 listed betel nut as a first-class carcinogen, which has a clear 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 wound non-healing, resulting in fibrous lesions of the mucosa, and the tendency of malignant transformation of oral mucosa fibrous lesions is high.

In addition, arecoline in betel nut can be converted into ammonium nitrite under the action of nitrosylation, which is mutagenic to the 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 strong carcinogen. Ingesting a large amount at one time can cause acute poisoning and cause severe liver damage. Exposure to even small doses can increase the risk of liver cancer.

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

4. Chinese style salted fish

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

In addition, salted fish needs to be marinated by adding a lot of salt when making it. Long-term intake of excessive salt will increase the risk of stomach problems and cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases. If the salted fish is not preserved 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 temperatures, benzopyrene, a grade 1 carcinogen , may be produced and covered on the food or inhaled into the body through oily fumes. The more burnt the part, the higher the content of benzopyrene .

Long-term high-frequency consumption of foods containing benzopyrene will increase the risk of cancers such as gastric cancer, rectal cancer and lung cancer.

Of course, regarding carcinogens in food, one cannot talk about toxicity regardless of dosage. Even if it is a level 1 carcinogen, it does not mean that you will get cancer if you come into contact with it. But if you don't pay attention, the risk of cancer will increase in the long run.

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

Sweet potatoes, okra and onions can be seen in the list of super cancer-fighting foods that have been circulated 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 list of so-called anti-cancer foods.

From a nutritional point of view, the main component of sweet potatoes 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 potatoes is relatively reasonable, which can complement the protein in rice noodles and improve protein utilization. But sweet potato is just a common food . According to the dietary guidelines for Chinese residents, the recommended daily intake of potato food is 50-100 grams.

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

Next, can onions fight cancer? Although onions do contain flavonoids, sulfur-containing substances and other substances with certain anticancer activities, some cell or animal experiments have also verified the anticancer effects of these substances. However , the presence of certain anti-cancer active ingredients in food does not mean that this food has anti-cancer effects, so it is not credible to eat onions to fight cancer.

If you want to rely on food to fight cancer, it is better to stay away from the known carcinogens as much as possible, and at the same time eat a healthy diet, 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 exercising regularly are the only ways 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 unfortunately diagnosed with cancer, you should not be superstitious about folk remedies. You should go to a regular hospital for standardized treatment, so as not to delay the treatment and cause regret.

References:

[1] Why are many cancers diagnosed at an advanced stage? A lot of early signals go unnoticed! .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 levels"! It's a pity that all of your favorite foods are on the list. Life Times, 2017-10-15

[4] 5 kinds of "anti-cancer foods" that have been blown into the sky, but they are really useless! The most useful trick, but it was ignored. Popular Science China, 2019-12-13

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