Can eating snacks cause cancer? It sounds incredible. But nutritionists have confirmed that in a sense, overindulging in snacks can make one as susceptible to cancer as radiation exposure.
The synthesis and repair of the body's genetic material—DNA—require nutrients such as folic acid, vitamin B12, vitamin B6, vitamin C, and vitamin E. If these nutrients are insufficient, DNA damage cannot be repaired, and the consequences are very similar to the harm caused by radiation. Many surveys have also shown that compared to well-nourished people, those deficient in certain vitamins are more prone to diseases such as lung cancer, stomach cancer, breast cancer, and cervical cancer.
What is worrying is that as the pace of work quickens and the variety of food increases, vitamin deficiency has become more common. This is because most snacks, including biscuits, chips, candy, chocolate, sugary drinks, and convenience foods, contain very few vitamins. In addition, many people don't have time for breakfast before work, settle for biscuits in the morning, eat instant noodles at noon, and rely on frozen foods at night. Snacking heavily when hungry and turning to sugary drinks when thirsty is bound to lead to deficiency. Moreover, since the body's daily requirement for vitamins is small, it is difficult to detect their deficiency through appetite alone, gradually creating hidden dangers for the body.
Today, many people fear pollution, colorings, radiation... yet they fail to realize that poor dietary choices are also a major cause of cancer. The diseases and pains caused by unhygienic food are easily visible, but nutritionally unbalanced food also brings diseases and suffering. Furthermore, this pathogenic process is relatively slow and often overlooked.
Therefore, it is necessary to remind ourselves that fruits, vegetables, potatoes, legumes, and coarse grains are important sources of vitamins. We should often cook fresh vegetables, coarse grains, and potatoes ourselves. The nutrients in these foods mostly have antioxidant effects, which can eliminate "free radicals" in the body and thereby protect DNA from damage. Additionally, it is important to note that vitamin supplements cannot completely replace natural foods because vitamins can only exert their most effective anti-cancer role when they are present in natural foods along with other healthy components.