Introduction: Some foods in life are popular but "toxic" and shouldn't be consumed often. Below, we provide several effective "detox" solutions to satisfy your cravings safely.
Youtiao (Fried Dough Sticks)
Youtiao is a breakfast choice for many, but most youtiao contains alum. This aluminum-containing inorganic substance, once absorbed by the human body, can damage brain nerve cells and is difficult for the body to expel, leading to gradual accumulation. The long-term harm to the body includes memory loss, depression, and irritability, and in severe cases, it can lead to可怕的 diseases like "senile dementia."
Detox Solution: 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 lead to an improvement in their memory.
Pickled Fish with Sauerkraut
Pickled Fish with Sauerkraut is a dish many people enjoy. However, after pickling, the sauerkraut has lost all its vitamin C. In addition, the sauerkraut contains a significant amount of oxalic acid and calcium. Due to its high acidity, it is 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 high level of nitrites, which combine with amines in the body to form nitrosamines, a substance that is carcinogenic.
Detox Solution: Scientific research has found that eating more foods rich in vitamin C can block the synthesis of the strong carcinogen nitrosamine, reducing the incidence of stomach and esophageal cancer. The kiwi fruit is known as the "king of vitamin C," with one kiwi fruit generally meeting the body's daily requirement for vitamin C.
Pickled Meats
Cured meats like bacon, cured pork, and sausages are not only delicious but also have a long shelf life, making them popular. However, these foods, which contain a large amount of salt, are pickled with pork over a long period, producing nitrosamines. Once in the body, these are converted into dimethylnitrosamine, a highly carcinogenic substance.
Detox Solution: Research has found that drinking green tea can help break down the harmful effects of these substances. Drinking a few cups of green tea daily can improve your health. If you find it hard to 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 compromising the flavor.
Hot Pot
For those who are prone to "heatiness" (internal heat) or frequently suffer from canker sores, eating hot pot can make things worse. It not only aggravates the symptoms and increases the chance of recurrence, but long-term, repeated episodes can also induce esophageal cancer. In fact, besides causing heatiness, the rich broth in hot pots contains a high level of "porphyrin" substances. After digestion and metabolism in the liver, these generate uric acid, which may also trigger gout.
Detox Solution: After eating a greasy and spicy hot pot, eating a pomelo can help nourish yin, reduce internal heat, strengthen the spleen, and aid digestion.
Barbecue
The aroma of street-side grilled meat skewers is very tempting. Setting aside the issue of meat safety, the benzopyrene contained in meat cooked over an open flame is enough to pose a threat of stomach cancer once it enters the body.
Detox Solution: If you eat grilled meat products in a shop with certain health and hygiene 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, and it can also prevent the large amount of grease from the grilled meat from being absorbed by the body.