Introduction: A bite of cured meat followed by a sip of baijiu. While the taste of the liquor is long-lasting, it hides health risks. Smoked, cured, and pickled foods contain high levels of nitrosamines, which are highly soluble in alcohol. This increases the risk of developing esophageal cancer, stomach cancer, and other diseases.
Grilled Meat and Skewers
Nothing beats a skewer with a few beers, but this combination is harmful to your body. Not only does grilling food cause it to lose nutrients like fat and protein, but it also easily produces carcinogens. Alcohol dilates blood vessels in the digestive tract and damages the mucous membrane, making it easier for these carcinogens to be absorbed by the body.
Cured Sausages and Preserved Meat
A bite of cured meat followed by a sip of baijiu. While the taste of the liquor is long-lasting, it hides health risks. Smoked, cured, and pickled foods contain high levels of nitrosamines, which are highly soluble in alcohol. This increases the risk of developing esophageal cancer, stomach cancer, and other diseases.
Cold Noodles and Jelly
Tangy, spicy, and smooth cold noodles and jelly are also popular drinking snacks, but Fu Jinru, honorary director of the Tianjin Nutrition Society, says that alum is added during their processing. Alum has an astringent effect, which slows down blood flow and prolongs the time alcohol stays in the blood, increasing the harm alcohol does to your health. Additionally, both alum and alcohol need to be detoxified by the liver, so consuming them together increases the burden on the liver.
Raw Fish and Sashimi
Raw fish, sashimi, and other cold raw seafood are major taboos when drinking alcohol. This is because fish and shellfish contain thiaminase, an enzyme that breaks down and destroys vitamin B1. Thiaminase is only deactivated when heated to 60°C, so long-term consumption of raw fish and shellfish can easily lead to a vitamin B1 deficiency. When drinking alcohol, it impairs the small intestine's absorption of vitamin B1. Therefore, consuming large amounts of alcohol while eating raw seafood will exacerbate the vitamin B1 deficiency problem.