Stomach cancer seems to favor office workers, with many developing the disease. Office workers often cannot eat on a regular schedule, and when they do, they tend to wolf down their food. These eating habits are contributing factors to stomach cancer. The following four eating habits can increase the risk of cancer, let's take a look.
1. Overeating
Our ancestors recognized long ago that overeating is harmful to the body. The *Huangdi Neijing* (The Yellow Emperor's Inner Canon of Medicine) contains a very classic saying: "When food intake is doubled, the stomach and intestines are injured." This indicates that overeating primarily damages our own digestive system. The ancient Chinese medical book *Jisheng Fang* also points out: "Overindulgence in the five flavors—fish, meat, dairy, and cold fruits and vegetables—accumulates in the stomach... over time, this accumulates and forms masses and tumors." From the perspective of ancient wisdom, excessive eating disrupts the function of the digestive system. Over time, illness and cancer become inevitable.
2. Eating too few fruits and vegetables
A balanced diet is essential, and fruits and vegetables are a crucial part of our daily meals. Therefore, if one only loves to eat meat and dislikes fruits and vegetables, the risk of cancer increases. Research shows that long-term, high consumption of red meat and processed meat products increases the risk of colorectal cancer by 29% and 50%, respectively.
3. Eating too quickly
Wolfing down food seems to have become a common ailment among office workers in this era. The pressures of work and life leave office workers in a constant state of high tension, making eating seem like a mere bodily necessity, resulting in very fast eating. This is actually very detrimental to health. Eating quickly means food is not chewed thoroughly, which can easily damage the mucous membranes of the digestive tract, leading to chronic inflammation. Additionally, eating quickly results in larger food boluses, which can cause strong mechanical stimulation to the esophagus, cardia, and other parts of the digestive tract. Over time, this can lead to damage and even cancerous changes in the digestive tract.
4. Eating very hot food
In clinical practice, doctors have found that many patients with digestive system cancers, especially esophageal and stomach cancer, share a common trait: they love to eat very hot food, preferring dishes fresh out of the pot at every meal. When consulting a patient diagnosed with esophageal cancer about their dietary habits, it was found that not only did they enjoy piping hot meals daily, but they were also very fond of drinking hot tea. It was precisely these poor eating habits that led to the onset of the disease in middle age.