The relationship between food and cancer is complicated, but it is also very important. It is important because about 30% of cancer deaths are related to dietary factors; It is complicated in two aspects: on the one hand, the harmful ingredients in food have carcinogenic and cancer-promoting effects, on the other hand, its nutritional ingredients have anti-cancer and anti-cancer effects.
Carcinogens in daily life
Medical research has found that there are more than 10 kinds of chemicals with carcinogenic effects, among which nitrosamines, benzopyrene and aflatoxin are recognized as the three major carcinogens, all of which are closely related to diet.
Nitrosamines can cause tumors in almost all organs of human body, among which digestive tract tumors are the most common. Nitrosamines are commonly found in cereals, milk, cheese, tobacco and alcohol, bacon, barbecue, marine fish, canned food and drinking water. The content of nitrite in stale food (especially vegetables cooked for a long time) is high.
Benzopyrene is mainly produced in the combustion process of coal, oil, natural gas and other substances. Fat and cholesterol can also form benzopyrene at high temperature. The content of benzopyrene in smoked products such as sausages can be 60 times higher than that of ordinary meat. It has been proved that long-term exposure to benzopyrene will not only lead to lung cancer, but also lead to digestive tract cancer, bladder cancer and breast cancer.
Aflatoxin is the strongest carcinogen known. Medical scientists believe that aflatoxin is probably an important cause of liver cancer. In some areas with high incidence of liver cancer, people often eat fermented foods, such as tofu and bean paste. If this kind of food is not properly made, it is easy to produce aflatoxin.
Food carcinogenicity ranking
1. Pickled food: Dimethyl nitrite produced by salted fish can be converted into carcinogen dimethyl ammonium nitrite in the body. Salted eggs and pickles also contain carcinogens, so eat as little as possible.
2. Barbecue food: roast beef, roast duck, roast mutton, roast goose, roast suckling pig, roast lamb kebabs, etc. Because it contains strong carcinogens, it is not suitable for eating.
3. Smoked food: Carcinogens containing benzopyrene, such as bacon, smoked liver, smoked fish, smoked eggs and dried tofu, are prone to esophageal cancer and gastric cancer.
4. Fried food: Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) will be produced after frying. After coffee is burnt, benzopyrene will increase by 20 times. Oil cake, stinky tofu, fried taro horn, fried dough sticks, etc. Because most of the repeated oils are used, carcinogens will be produced at high temperature.
5. Moldy substances: rice, wheat, beans, corn, peanuts and other foods are easy to get wet and moldy. After being contaminated by mold, it will produce carcinogenic toxin aflatoxin.
6. Cabbage and sauerkraut cooked overnight: it will produce nitrite, which will be converted into carcinogenic ammonium nitrite in the body.
7. Betel nut: Chewing betel nut is a factor leading to oral cancer.
8. Repeatedly boiled water: Repeatedly boiled water contains nitrite, which forms carcinogenic ammonium nitrite after entering the human body.
Top ten anti-cancer foods
1. Cruciferae plants: including Chinese cabbage, cabbage, mustard greens, radishes, aquatic vegetables (lotus root, water chestnut, water shield, Zizania latifolia, water cress, arrowhead, water chestnut, etc. Studies have shown that cruciferous vegetables can reduce the risk of cancer and cardiovascular disease.
2. Tomatoes are rich in antioxidants and lycopene, which can effectively scavenge free radicals and play a role in preventing cancer. Eating tomatoes regularly can reduce the risk of lung cancer, stomach cancer, bladder cancer, uterine cancer, skin cancer and prostate cancer.
3. Spinach: It is recognized as a golden dish among green leafy vegetables. Rich in lutein, vitamin E and antioxidants, it can prevent liver cancer, ovarian cancer, colon cancer and prostate cancer if eaten regularly.
4. Garlic: Known as "penicillin growing underground", it is rich in trace elements such as allicin and selenium, which is very helpful for preventing cancer from worsening and improving immunity.
5. Strawberry: Anthocyanin is a strong antioxidant. Laboratory studies show that it can inhibit the growth of lung cancer, colon cancer, hematological tumors and other cancer cells.
6. Pumpkins and carrots: The rich carotene can be used as an antioxidant to prevent lung cancer by scavenging free radicals in the body. Carotene can be converted into vitamin A, which is an indispensable nutrient for human body and can prevent normal cells from becoming cancerous.
7. Olive oil: It is a high-quality edible oil, rich in phytochemical antioxidants and vitamin E, and has the function of preventing breast cancer and colon cancer.
8. Pineapple: rich in protease, it can relieve sore throat and cough, treat arthritis and gout, and accelerate protein digestion. The latest research also shows that eating pineapple is also very effective in the prevention and treatment of cancer.
9. Pepper: Known as the obesity terminator. In anti-cancer, research shows that it can effectively prevent or slow down the growth of cancer cells.
10. Lentinus edodes: contains vitamin C, which can lower cholesterol and blood pressure, inhibit and slow down the growth of cancer cells, and reduce the side effects of cancer treatment.
14 anti-cancer policy words: bear hardships, eat sour food, be vegetarian, eat raw food, be light, eat less and chew more.