Will eating pickles cause cancer? Will it be harmful to the body? Keep 4 points in mind to reduce health risks

Pickles that are quick and easy to eat have always been popular with people, but it’s okay to eat pickles occasionally, but it’s not a good thing to eat them often.

Uncle Liu, who lives in Dongguan, is 76 years old this year. He has always been in good health, but he can't live without pickles. He doesn't listen to his daughter's advice to eat less, and feels that he has been eating well for so many years.

Half a year ago, Uncle Liu felt hot in his chest, and he had a sense of obstruction and acupuncture when swallowing food. After a period of time, it didn't get better. He quickly took his son to the hospital, and it turned out to be early gastric cancer.

Fortunately, it was discovered in time. After treatment, Uncle Liu has been discharged from the hospital, but the doctor advised to do regular check-ups and try to eat less pickles.

Some people eat pickles three times a day and like to mix porridge or bibimbap with pickles, but is eating pickles harmful to the human body? Is there a risk of cancer if you eat too much?

1. Pickles contain nitrite, which can cause cancer when eaten?

Regarding pickled foods such as pickles, the most common statement is that "the content of nitrous acid is high, and eating too much is easy to cause cancer, especially gastric cancer, esophageal cancer, etc.". Does eating pickles really cause cancer?

Pickled vegetables are listed as group 2B carcinogens in the WHO International List of Structural Carcinogens for Research on Cancer.

Class 2B carcinogens refer to a class of substances with limited or insufficient evidence of human carcinogenicity, so it cannot be directly determined that eating pickled vegetables such as pickles will cause cancer .

However, pickled vegetables generally contain nitrite. Excessive intake of nitrite may produce nitrosamines, thereby increasing the risk of cancer. And pickles are also high in salt, and eating too much will increase the risk of stomach cancer.

In fact, during the pickling process of pickles, the nitrite content will change. At first, the nitrate in the vegetables is converted into nitrite by bacteria during the pickling period, and the nitrite content will continue to rise, and then reach a peak.

At the same time, the nitrite in pickles will also undergo oxidation, and the content will gradually decrease to less than 10 mg/kg, which will reach the edible level .

In addition, nitrite itself is not actually carcinogenic .

The predecessor of nitrite is nitrate, which is not low in many daily foods and vegetables. It may be converted into nitrite under the action of reducing bacteria or high temperature cooking.

Nitrite is one of the food preservatives allowed by the state, and it will not be poisonous if it meets the national standards.

The real carcinogens are actually nitrosamines. When nitrites combine with amine compounds in food, nitrosamines are produced . Excessive intake of nitrosamines increases the risk of cancers such as stomach, esophagus, and liver cancer.

2. Eat too much pickles or cause cancer risk, how to reduce harm?

Many families have more or less such a small dish of pickles on the dining table, with rice, noodles and other staple foods, all of which are proper meals.

However, eating pickled vegetables such as pickled vegetables for a long time will not only increase the risk of cancer, but may also lead to excessive salt intake, high blood pressure, loss of nutrients from vegetables, intake of other harmful chemicals, etc. What can be done to reduce the risk of pickled vegetables What about the harm?

1. Supplement with vitamin C

Vitamin C, phenols, flavonoids and other substances can inhibit the synthesis of nitrosamines and nitrites, so it is necessary to eat more vegetables and fruits containing vitamin C.

2, marinate enough time before eating

The nitrite content in pickles will gradually decrease over time and reach an edible range. Most vegetables can reach a safe level after three weeks of pickling. It is safer to eat at this time, so pay attention to pickling enough. Time to eat.

3. Control the amount and cook reasonably

Pickles can be eaten, but remember to control the amount. It is best for adults to consume about 50 grams each time, not more than three times a week. In addition, it should be eaten with reasonable cooking methods. It is recommended to wash it before eating, eat it with vegetables, and use garlic, ginger, pepper and other seasonings appropriately.

4. Special groups should eat less

Digestive tract cancer patients, people with a family history of gastrointestinal cancer, and patients with coronary heart disease, hypertension, stroke, renal insufficiency, etc. should try to eat less.

3. The four common foods are actually first-class carcinogens, and they should be removed from the table as soon as possible.

In addition to the pickles that many people love to eat every day, there are also some common foods that are first-class carcinogens, that is, those that have been proven to have cancer risks to the human body. It is recommended that you eat less of these foods every day.

• processed meat

Such as ham, bacon, bacon, meat sauce, corned beef, etc. are all processed meat, the International Agency for Research on Cancer has classified processed meat as a first-class carcinogen.

Processed meat generally needs to be cured with nitrite or nitrate. Once converted into nitroso compounds, it may cause cancer and increase the risk of cancer such as colon cancer, stomach cancer, and pancreatic cancer.

• BBQ, fried food

In the process of making roasted meat, fried foods and other foods, a first-class carcinogen, benzopyrene, may be produced. The longer it is fried, the more carcinogens.

• Chinese Salted Fish

Chinese-style salted fish is listed as a first-class carcinogen, mainly because when Chinese-style salted fish is made, it needs high-salt pickling and dehydration, which will produce nitrosamide compounds and increase the risk of cancer.

• Alcohol

Alcohol is associated with various cancers such as oral cancer, throat cancer, liver cancer, and esophageal cancer, and has long been listed as a carcinogen by the World Health Organization.

In addition to the above 4 kinds of food should be eaten as little as possible, in the diet should also pay attention to a balanced and comprehensive nutrition.

Usually eat more vegetables, fruits, control the intake of red meat, eat less burnt food. Also remember to drink plenty of water, exercise properly, and have a good state of mind.

As the saying goes, diseases enter from the mouth, and many diseases are related to poor diet. Take pickles as an example. Although eating fast food, eating too much may cause cancer, so usually eat less. There are also things like processed meat, barbecue, fried food, Chinese salted fish, alcohol, hot food, etc. should be eaten less.

References:

[1] "I heard from childhood that "eating pickles causes cancer", is it true or false? There is only one truth...". Popular Science China. 2020-05-13

[2] "Is eating pickles prone to cancer? Do you know the pros and cons of nitrite?”. People’s Daily Online. 2019-07-09

[3] "When is the safest time to eat pickled vegetables? Beware of nitrite poisoning earlier than this time! 》.Health Times.2018-09-27

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