Some common foods are our favorites but can be harmful to our health. This article reveals six "toxic" everyday foods. If you can't give them up, try using the corresponding "antidote" to slow down the damage they do to your body!
Youtiao (fried dough sticks) are a breakfast choice for many, but most youtiao contain alum. This aluminum-containing inorganic substance can damage brain nerve cells after being absorbed by the body and is difficult to excrete, gradually accumulating. The long-term harm to the body includes memory loss, depression, and irritability. In severe cases, it can lead to terrible diseases like "senile dementia."
If you eat youtiao with soy milk, you are inadvertently protecting yourself. This is because soy milk is rich in lecithin. Scientists have found that administering a certain dose of lecithin to patients with senile dementia can improve their memory to some extent.
Suancai Yu (pickled vegetable fish) is a popular dish. However, after pickling, the vitamin C in the pickled vegetables is completely lost. In addition, pickled vegetables contain more oxalic acid and calcium. Due to their high acidity, they are easily absorbed by the intestines and can easily form stones in the urinary system when excreted by the kidneys. Furthermore, most pickled foods contain a significant amount of nitrites, which combine with amines in the body to form nitrosamines, a substance that can easily cause cancer.
Scientific research has found that eating more foods rich in vitamin C can block the synthesis of the potent carcinogen nitrosamine, reducing the incidence of stomach and esophageal cancer. The kiwi fruit is known as the "king of vitamin C," and one kiwi can basically meet the body's daily requirement of vitamin C.
Cured meats, such as bacon, cured pork, and sausages, are not only delicious but also have a long shelf life, making them popular. However, these foods contain a large amount of salt. When long-term pickled with pork, they produce nitrosamines, which are converted into dimethylnitrosamine in the body—a substance with strong carcinogenic properties.
Research has found that drinking green tea can help break down the harm caused by these substances. Drinking a few cups of green tea daily can promote health. If you really can't resist the temptation of cured fish or meat, try steaming or boiling it thoroughly during cooking and adding a little vinegar. This can break down nitrosamines without losing the delicious flavor.
For those who are prone to "heatiness" (internal heat) or frequently have canker sores, eating hot pot is like adding fuel to the fire. It not only aggravates the symptoms and increases the chance of recurrence but can also induce esophageal cancer over the long term. In fact, besides causing "heatiness," the rich broth in hot pot contains a high level of "porphyrin" substances. After digestion and metabolism in the liver, these generate uric acid, which may also trigger gout.
If you eat a greasy and spicy hot pot, eating a pomelo afterward can help nourish yin, reduce "heatiness," strengthen the spleen, and aid digestion.
The aroma of street-side grilled meat skewers is very tempting. Leaving aside the issue of meat safety, the benzopyrene in the meat after being grilled over an open flame is enough to pose a threat of stomach cancer once it enters the body.
If you eat grilled meat products in a shop with certain health and safety standards, eating a baked sweet potato afterward can be helpful. The large amount of fiber in sweet potatoes can wrap up the harmful substances from the grilled meat and expel them from the body. It can also prevent the large amount of oil in the grilled meat from being absorbed by the body.