I. Avoid overcooked meat No matter what kind of meat you eat, people tend to think the longer it is stewed, the better. So, people stew pork ribs in a pressure cooker, and in just over ten minutes, even the bones become soft. However, at high temperatures of 200-300°C, amino acids, creatinine, sugar, and other harmless compounds in meat undergo chemical reactions to form aromatic amines. These food-derived aromatic amines contain 12 compounds, 9 of which are carcinogenic.
II. Do not wash pork with hot water Some people often soak fresh pork in hot water after buying it. This practice causes the pork to lose many of its nutritional components. When pork is soaked in hot water, a large amount of myosin is lost. Meanwhile, myosin contains components such as organic acids, glutamic acid, and monosodium glutamate. Losing these affects the taste of the pork.
III. Avoid eating pork from diseased pigs The gastrointestinal tracts of pigs contain a large number of bacteria, including Salmonella, Streptococcus, Staphylococcus, and Proteus. When a pig is ill and its resistance is low, these bacteria enter the bloodstream through the lymphatic system, multiply extensively in the internal organs and muscle tissues, and produce toxins. If a person eats pork from a pig that died of Salmonella infection, they may also become infected with Salmonella and develop acute gastroenteritis, experiencing vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, high fever, and other complications. If not treated promptly, it can be life-threatening.
IV. Eat lean meat in moderation Some people believe that eating fatty meat causes weight gain, while eating lean meat does not and ensures nutritional intake, so they consume large amounts of it. In fact, eating too much lean meat is not necessarily good. Lean meat has a high content of methionine, which can be converted to homocysteine under the catalysis of a certain enzyme. Excessive homocysteine can also lead to atherosclerosis. Therefore, lean meat should be eaten in moderation.
V. Do not eat "bean pork" "Bean pork" is pork that has died from disease caused by the pork tapeworm (Cysticercus cellulosae) parasitizing in the pig's body. If a person eats undercooked "bean pork," the cysticercus will develop into an adult tapeworm in the human small intestine. The eggs hatch into larvae in the pig's intestine, then penetrate the intestinal wall into the bloodstream, travel throughout the body, and develop into cysticerci in the muscles or brain. Therefore, "bean pork" must not be eaten.
VI. Avoid consuming high-temperature fried salted meat Salted meat contains nitrites. When fried or pan-fried, it produces the carcinogenic substance N-nitrosopyrrolidine. Therefore, when eating foods like salted fish, salted meat, sausages, and ham, avoid frying or pan-frying. The correct way to eat them is to boil or steam them thoroughly, allowing the nitrosamines to volatilize with the steam. Additionally, when cooking salted and smoked foods, it is best to add some rice vinegar, as vinegar has the effect of breaking down nitrites and can also kill bacteria.
VII. Do not eat meat nodules When eating, remove the gray, yellow, or dark-red meat nodules from areas like the pig's neck, which are called "meat jujubes," because these areas contain many bacteria and viruses, and consuming them can easily lead to infection.