As the saying goes, "illness enters through the mouth," and cancer, a much-feared disease, is no exception. The character for cancer "癌" (cancer) contains three "口" (mouth) characters, and many cancers are caused by the uncontrolled intake of carcinogens. Today, let's talk about these 7 types of cancer related to diet.
Liver Cancer: Eating Moldy Food and Drinking Alcohol
When food is contaminated by mold, it produces mycotoxins (such as aflatoxin) that have carcinogenic properties, leading to liver cancer. Foods most susceptible to mycotoxin contamination include peanuts, corn, rice, sorghum, and peanut oil. Heavy alcohol consumption can cause cirrhosis, which can eventually develop into liver cancer.
Stomach Cancer: Eating Pickled Food
A frequent liking for smoked foods and regularly eating pickled vegetables and dried salted fish can induce stomach cancer, possibly due to the high content of nitrites and nitric acid in these foods. Overeating for long periods can cause the body's immune function to weaken or decline prematurely. A long-term diet in excess keeps the digestive system, such as the intestines and stomach, in a constant state of stress, leading to functional disorders and potentially causing cancer.
Esophageal Cancer: Loving Spicy and Hot Food
Overly spicy food can easily damage the esophageal epithelium, affecting mucosal inflammation and cellular nucleic acid metabolism. Long-term, repeated spicy stimulation increases the sensitivity to carcinogens and may promote cancerous changes in the esophagus. The normal tolerance temperature for the inner walls of the mouth and esophagus is 40°C-60°C. Once subjected to long-term, repeated thermal stimulation above 50°C-60°C, the body's "mucosal barrier" of the esophagus is destroyed, leading to atypical changes, atypical hyperplasia, and ultimately, cancer.
Oral Cancer: Chewing Betel Nuts and Smoking
When chewing betel nuts, the oral mucosa reacts with alkaloids and other substances contained in the nut, causing lesions. Over time, this can lead to fibrosis of the oral mucosa, thereby triggering oral cancer. The smoke from smoking has a very high temperature and also produces trace amounts of radioactive radiation, which stimulates the abnormal proliferation of oral mucosal epithelial cells, causing the mucosal keratin layer to gradually thicken. It can also induce leukoplakia, which, if not treated promptly, is likely to develop into oral cancer.
Colorectal Cancer: Loving Meat and Disliking Vegetables
When meat is broken down by bacteria, it produces many carcinogenic substances. Additionally, as it is not soluble fiber, it lacks sufficient bulk in the stool, causing slow intestinal motion and accumulation in the intestines, which irritates the intestinal lining and can lead to cancer. The crude fiber in vegetables stimulates gastrointestinal motility and promotes bowel movements, allowing carcinogens from contamination or decomposition to be excreted quickly, thereby reducing intestinal absorption and local stimulation to the intestinal wall.
Pancreatic Cancer: Loving Sweets and a "Triple-High" Diet
Excessive intake of sweets can overload the pancreas, and if the pancreas cannot bear the burden, it may induce cancerous changes. A high-fat, high-protein diet also stimulates the gastrointestinal tract to release cholecystokinin and other hormones, increasing the pancreas's sensitivity to carcinogens and leading to pancreatic cancer.
Breast Cancer: Eating Cream Cheese and Health Supplements
A frequent liking for fried foods, cream, and cheese, along with long-term, large-scale intake of fat, can lead to weight gain, weaken the immune system, and produce large amounts of estrogen-like and prostaglandin-like substances that stimulate the occurrence and growth of tumors. Although the estrogen in health supplements can prolong a woman's "youthful period," it can also cause hyperplasia of breast ductal epithelial cells and even lead to cancer.