Cancer is mainly caused by environmental factors, and dietary habits and food are important carcinogenic factors. Studies have shown that the occurrence of about 40% of cancers is closely related to diet. There are some dangerous carcinogens in the diet that should receive great attention.
Large amounts of meat and fish may cause cancer
Research has found that people who consume high-fat foods for a long time may have higher levels of bile acid metabolites, cholesterol metabolites, and other components in their stool, which is an important inducing factor for colon cancer. With the improvement of living standards today, people eat large amounts of meat and fish for every meal. If uncontrolled, this could open the door to cancer. Experts have found that high-fat foods may also increase prolactin in the human body, and over time, breast cancer may arrive uninvited.
Cooking forms carcinogens
U.S. researchers have found that fried starchy foods such as french fries contain large amounts of acrylamide, which can lead to the formation of DNA adducts, which in turn can cause gene mutations and even cancer.
Many people like to cook food at high temperatures, but you must remember that once the cooking temperature exceeds 100°C, carcinogens are easily produced. The longer the high-temperature cooking, the more carcinogens are produced. Many people believe that grilled food is more likely to produce carcinogens than fried food, but in fact, frying is done at a higher temperature, and oil is more likely to produce carcinogens under high-temperature conditions. Coupled with the fact that various carcinogens already exist in reused oil, fried food becomes even more terrifying.
Dangerous food additives and pigments
Nitrite is one of the most commonly used food additives. It can inhibit the growth of Clostridium botulinum and keep the meat color fresh. Nitrite itself is not carcinogenic, but when it combines with the rich amine substances produced after protein metabolism, it will form nitrosamines, which are highly carcinogenic.
Currently, humans are using more than 3,000 kinds of additives. For example, stabilizers, antioxidants, flavorings, preservatives, and preservatives in meat products, beverages, and pastries can cause tumors in multiple sites and types.
Many food pigments are toxic, and many are also carcinogenic, with common carcinogenic sites being the liver and breast tissue. Pigments can be synthetic or natural. Most synthetic pigments come from coal tar and are most likely to be carcinogenic.
There are many types of sweeteners currently in use, among which saccharin is the earliest and most widely used. The World Health Organization has stipulated its usage limit to be 0.5 milligrams per kilogram of body weight per day. More recent findings, however, suggest that saccharin may cause bladder cancer and bladder cancer.
Food contamination is an important cause of cancer
Many pesticides have high carcinogenicity to humans. Polychlorinated biphenyls are industrial pollutants that are carcinogenic and are often concentrated in animal foods such as fish, milk, cheese, and eggs. There are more than 100 types of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, and 20 of them have been found to cause cancer. These substances come from polluted soil, air, water, plants, and plant cells. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons have been found in fresh fish, various fish products, and seafood products.
Among the carcinogens that pollute human food, aflatoxin is the most destructive carcinogen. Therefore, it is recommended not to eat nuts, corn, grains, and seeds that are not completely dry and show signs of mold; also, do not eat moldy meals, bread, and pastries.
Nutrient deficiency can also cause cancer
Foreign medical research has found that the incidence of gastric cancer is lower among people who drink milk, which may be related to the high content of tyrosine in milk.
Epidemiological surveys have concluded that areas with high incidence of gastric cancer are mostly areas with insufficient intake of fresh vegetables and fruits. Further research has found that this is due to insufficient absorption of vitamin C.
Lignin in crude fiber can increase the activity of macrophages by 2 to 3 times, thereby greatly enhancing the body's ability to swallow cancer cells. Crude fiber has the function of smoothing bowel movements, which can reduce the residence of certain carcinogens in the intestine and also has an indispensable effect in reducing intestinal tumors. Surveys have found that long-term lack of fiber in the diet increases the incidence of intestinal cancer, and this is the reason.
Although the human body's demand for minerals is not large, some minerals have magical anti-cancer effects. For example, molybdenum is a component of plant nitrate reductase. Once food lacks molybdenum, it may lead to an increase in nitrite and nitrate content. Iodine deficiency in the human body may cause nodular goiter, and in severe cases, it may lead to cancer.