Is drinking tea unhealthy? 500,000 Chinese study: more than 4 grams of tea per day may increase the risk of stomach cancer

"My client's recent birthday, he loves tea, I'm going to buy Pu'er tea for him, what do you think?"

Brother Zheng is in the real estate industry and is considering what to give to clients. However, Brother Wang heard it and felt that it was not very reliable.

"I just read it on the Internet yesterday and said that there are many bacteria and carcinogenic molds in Pu'er tea. Is it not good to send it to customers?"

"Really? I remember that drinking tea is healthy. I haven't heard that drinking tea can cause cancer. Besides, Pu'er tea is so famous, it shouldn't be."

"I don't know. I'm not afraid of ten thousand, just in case. I plan to drink less tea in the future."

Hearing what Big Brother Wang said, Big Brother Zheng was very confused. Is this tea still drinkable?

1. Research finds: Tea drinking is related to cancer?

A study published in the European Journal of Epidemiology analyzed the relationship between tea drinking habits and cancer risk in more than 500,000 Chinese , and the results were surprising.

People who drank tea regularly had an increased risk of overall cancer compared to those who drank tea infrequently. Specific to the type of cancer, the risk of lung and stomach cancer increased, colorectal cancer, liver cancer, breast cancer, cervical cancer and tea drinking. Quantity doesn't matter .

So, does drinking tea really increase cancer risk?

The researchers pointed out that in the study population, people who drink a lot of tea tend to smoke and drink a lot . In fact, it can be seen here that drinking tea can not completely resist the harm caused by smoking and drinking.

Finally, the researchers screened out participants who did not smoke or drink excessively and found that those who consumed more than 4 grams of tea per day had an increased risk of stomach cancer compared with those who drank tea less than once a week. , but the risk of developing several other cancers and the overall cancer risk did not differ significantly.

The researchers believe that this may be related to the high temperature of the tea leaves and the stimulation of caffeine in the tea leaves.

For now, more research is needed on the association between tea drinking and cancer. In fact, we have always said that drinking tea can prevent cancer, but in fact there is no definite conclusion. However, the benefits of drinking tea are obvious and easy to see, and it also has certain benefits for the cardiovascular system.

There are various types of tea, among which, Pu-erh tea is loved by many people. But some people say that there are 500 million molds in one gram of Pu-erh tea. Drinking it is equivalent to drinking bacteria. Is it true?

2. Does Pu-erh tea really explode with bacteria?

During the accumulation period of Pu- erh tea , it is indeed necessary to use strains such as Penicillium, Saccharomyces and Aspergillus niger in order to emit a unique fragrance and achieve health care effects.

However, most of the bacteria are beneficial to the human body. The reproduction of mold and yeast can also inhibit the growth of bacteria. The bacteria produced are very small and have little impact on health.

So is there any risk of Aspergillus flavus in Pu-erh tea?

Under normal circumstances, the production process of Pu-erh tea is not conducive to the production of Aspergillus flavus , but it cannot be ruled out that it may be contaminated in raw materials or storage.

However, does the detection of Aspergillus flavus equal to cancer? it's not true. Talking about toxicity without the dose is hooliganism . Generally speaking, the concentration of Aspergillus flavus in food is relatively low. If it is not eaten in large quantities at one time, the possibility of acute poisoning is very small. The main harm is long-term intake, especially the increase in liver cancer. Risk occurs.

In fact, the production of Aspergillus flavus in agricultural products is almost unavoidable . For example, according to Chinese standards, the content of Aspergillus flavus in peanuts, corn and their products cannot exceed 20ppb, and the content of Aspergillus flavus in rice and their products cannot exceed 10ppb.

Dr. Yun Wuxin, a food engineer, pointed out that the state has not formulated relevant standards for the content of Aspergillus flavus in tea, mainly because the content of Aspergillus flavus that may appear in tea and the daily consumption of tea by consumers will not harm health.

Although the concern about the carcinogenicity of Pu-erh tea can come to an end, Pu-erh tea is not like the legend that "the older it gets, the more fragrant it gets".

Pu-erh tea also has a shelf life, and the best shelf life is only about 10 years. Moreover, if stored improperly, the shelf life of Pu-erh tea will be shortened.

Therefore, it is also important to preserve Pu-erh tea. First of all, avoid high temperature and humid environment. It is best to store it in a cool and ventilated place with a temperature of 20°C~30°C, humidity <75%, and be careful not to store it with peculiar food, so as to prevent Pu-erh tea from inhaling peculiar smell and causing deterioration .

If you find that there are water stains on the wrapping paper of Pu-erh tea, or the tea cakes have hoarfrost and mildew, and smell musty, it means that it has deteriorated. It is recommended not to drink it to avoid health risks.

3. Drinking tea healthily, pay attention to " 4 nos "

Tea is a good thing. To drink tea healthily, you must pay attention to the "4 nos":

1. Do not drink hot tea

Hot drinks with a temperature over 65°C will not only scald the mouth, but also scald the delicate esophageal mucosa and gastric mucosa, which may cause cancer in the long run.

2. Do not drink strong tea

Tea contains caffeine, theophylline, etc. The content of strong tea is higher, which is very irritating to the gastric mucosa. Long-term use of strong tea is easy to stimulate the stomach, causing gastritis, gastric ulcer, and may also cause nausea, vomiting, headache. , insomnia, etc.

3. Drink tea immediately after meals

Drinking tea immediately after a meal does not promote digestion, because the tannic acid in tea can inhibit the secretion of gastrointestinal juices, which may lead to indigestion.

Moreover, tannic acid will also combine with protein to generate tannic acid protein, which will weaken the peristalsis speed of the intestine and easily cause constipation. It is recommended to drink tea 1 hour after meals.

4. Do not drink tea on an empty stomach

Drinking tea on an empty stomach may stimulate the stomach, dilute the digestive juice, cause indigestion, and may also cause "tea drunk", causing palpitation, nausea, headache and other uncomfortable symptoms.

There is no definite inference on whether drinking tea can prevent cancer and cause cancer. Studies have found that drinking tea can reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, stroke, dementia and other diseases. However, drinking tea is also important, otherwise it may be unhealthy.

References

[1] "Data from 500,000 Chinese people found that drinking more tea is more likely to get cancer? It can't be so simple to understand! 》.Academic latitude and longitude. 2019-07-22

[2] "If you stick to these 7 "good habits", your health may get worse and worse! 》.Medical Endocrinology Channel. 2022-04-10

[3] "Pay attention to drinking tea correctly". Human Health 2020-12-13

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