The "Top Ten Carcinogenic Foods" are not completely scientific. The key lies in how to eat them

Sunflower seeds grow fast, so they absorb more heavy metals. Eating too much of them may increase the risk of liver cancer. The sweetener aspartame in chewing gum is a carcinogen. Pork liver is a detoxification organ and will accumulate a large amount of metabolic toxins, so it should not be eaten... In recent days, a "blacklist of the top ten carcinogenic foods" has been frequently forwarded on WeChat and Weibo. Many middle-aged and elderly people and even young white-collar workers are afraid of the carcinogenic foods mentioned in the list. The reporter interviewed nutritionists and oncologists, and the doctors said that the list was not scientific enough and could easily mislead the public.

1. Sunflower seeds:

A small amount every day is good for health

Spit it out and rinse your mouth

Reasons for being on the list:

Sunflower grows fast and can easily absorb heavy metals such as lead, cadmium and nickel in the soil. It can effectively reduce heavy metal pollution in the soil and has the ability to purify the environment. It is the best landscape green manure crop. However, eating these heavy metals is harmful to the body, and eating sunflower seeds will consume a large amount of choline, which will cause fat metabolism in the body to be impaired, leading to a large amount of fat accumulation in the liver, which will seriously affect the function of liver cells.

Doctor's analysis:

It is not scientific to judge whether a plant is edible based on its growth rate. The growth rate of various grains, vegetables, and mushrooms far exceeds that of sunflower seeds, and their ability to absorb heavy metals is greater. The key to avoiding ingesting heavy metals is to purify the soil, otherwise any plants growing on it will be "toxic." At the same time, Director Gao said that peanuts, almonds, cashews, and pistachios, including sunflower seeds, are all nut foods, and consuming a small handful every day is good for health. But it is especially important to remind you that nuts are prone to oxidation, rancidity, mold and deterioration. If you taste bitter or moldy when eating them, be sure to spit it out immediately and rinse your mouth.

Long Jiang, deputy chief physician of pancreatic and hepatobiliary surgery at the Affiliated Tumor Hospital of Fudan University and executive vice secretary-general of the Shanghai Anti-Cancer Association, said that aflatoxin in rotten nuts is a proven strong carcinogen and contact should be avoided as much as possible.

2. Chewing gum:

food additives

Not all are tigers

Reasons for being on the list:

Although the natural rubber in chewing gum is non-toxic, the white rubber used in the production process is added with toxic vulcanization accelerators, antioxidants and other additives, which irritate the stomach and intestines and cause discomfort. The sugar substitute aspartame in chewing gum is also a carcinogen.

Doctor's analysis:

Chewing gum may contain certain additives and the sweetener aspartame, but there will be no safety risks as long as a person does not consume it in large quantities every day. However, doctors do not recommend chewing gum for more than 20 minutes, as excessive chewing can cause strain on the oral muscles.

Long Jiang said that unlike aflatoxin, nitrite and other substances that have been proven to be carcinogenic, some additives are still at the stage of being possible or suspected of being carcinogenic, but as long as the amount consumed is within a safe range, food additives are still safe. If consumed in large amounts, it may cause health problems.

3. MSG:

Half of the ingredients are good for the body

Reasons for being on the list:

Half of MSG is L-Glutamine, which is beneficial to the body, but the other half is D-Glutamine, which cannot be used by the body and turns into free radicals that are harmful to the body. The daily intake of MSG per person should not exceed 6 grams. Excessive intake will increase the levels of glutamate and sodium in the blood, reduce the body's utilization of calcium and magnesium, may lead to calcium deficiency, and affect the strength of teeth and bones. It can also cause short-term symptoms such as headaches, palpitations, nausea, etc., and has adverse effects on the human reproductive system.

Doctor's analysis:

Whether it is the US FDA, the World Health Organization or the European Union, they have all passed the safety monitoring of MSG. The "delicious" taste created by MSG and chicken essence is monosodium glutamate, an ingredient widely found in natural foods. Even without MSG, the food still tastes good. So far, no research has proven that MSG is harmful to the human body. However, MSG does contain a certain amount of sodium. After adding MSG to dishes, you can reduce the amount of salt appropriately.

4. Pork liver:

There are also a lot of nutrients, especially iron

Reasons for being on the list:

Each kilogram of pork liver contains more than 400 mg of cholesterol. Excessive intake of cholesterol can lead to atherosclerosis. At the same time, the liver is a detoxification organ and will accumulate a large amount of aflatoxin, antibiotics, sleeping pills and other metabolic toxins. Therefore, pork liver should not be eaten.

Doctor's analysis:

Pork liver contains high cholesterol, so people who are obese, overweight, or have high cholesterol should try not to eat it. At the same time, pig liver is indeed a metabolic and detoxification organ, but this does not mean that it cannot be eaten. As a natural food, pork liver also contains a large amount of nutrients, especially iron. The key is to see who eats it and how to eat it. There are a considerable number of people suffering from anemia in urban areas, especially women and children. How can they avoid toxins and obtain nutrients from pig liver? Director Gao Jian said that using small amounts and multiple times is a good method. For example, only six or seven slices of liver are needed in the liver soup, and the whole family can share it, with each person eating two or three pieces, and cooking it two or three times a week. In addition, from a safety perspective, it is safer to buy raw branded pork liver and cook it at home.

5. Fried dough sticks, rice noodles, rice noodles, and vermicelli:

Eat once a week at most

Reasons for being on the list:

Alum (potassium aluminum sulfate) must be added during the production process. If you eat these things frequently, it can easily lead to anemia and osteoporosis. At the same time, too much aluminum in the body is difficult to excrete from the kidneys, which can be toxic to the brain and nerve cells, and even cause Alzheimer's disease. In addition, the oil reused in frying dough sticks is also harmful to health due to excessive oxidation.

Doctor's analysis:

This is basically correct. The oil used in the cooking process of fried dough sticks is generally reused, causing excessive oxidation. In order to make rice noodles and vermicelli foods chewy, some vendors will add more alum during the production process. If consumed frequently, it will have a certain impact on health. But most people don’t eat it every day, and there will be no health risks if it does not exceed once a week.

6. Pickled vegetables and dried radish:

Eat within 24 hours of pickling or more than 20 days

Reasons for being on the list:

Long-term consumption will cause sodium and mercury to accumulate in the body, thereby increasing the chance of heart disease.

In addition, it also contains nitrosamines or is preserved by unscrupulous businesses using formalin, which are carcinogens and can easily induce cancer.

Doctor's analysis:

Pickled vegetables and pickled foods have different properties due to different production methods and additives. But almost all pickles and pickles contain nitrite, which is a carcinogen.

Director Gao Jian revealed that the nitrite content is highest when salt is added to food and pickled within 24 hours to 20 days after pickling. Therefore, if you like to eat pickled vegetables, try to eat pickled vegetables in two time periods: within 24 hours or more than 20 days after making them.

Director Gao Jian also mentioned that compared with pickled vegetables, kimchi is relatively safe. Vegetables will produce probiotics during the pickling process, which is healthier for the body. In addition, try not to buy kimchi or pickled vegetables in bulk. It is best to buy packaged, branded, and expiration-date ones.

7. Commercially available bottled fruit juice drinks:

Most of them are blended with sugar and flavors

Reasons for being on the list:

It contains too much sugar and has more calories than soda. It is recommended to eat fresh fruits or freshly squeezed juice.

Doctor's analysis:

Director Gao Jian said that most sweet drinks are mixed with sugar and flavors, and generally 8 to 15 sugar cubes are added to each bottle. If you can taste the sweetness of a 500ml bottle of sweet drink, it basically contains 14 to 15 sugar cubes. Most of these sweet drinks contain "empty calories", that is, apart from sugar, there are almost no other nutrients, and the human body needs to consume a lot of vitamins B and C when metabolizing sugar.

At the same time, Director Gao Jian does not recommend freshly squeezed juice. On the one hand, if the juice squeezing machine is not cleaned in time after squeezing, it is easy to breed bacteria, thus contaminating the next squeezed juice; on the other hand, many restaurants and beverage outlets also add various additives to the freshly squeezed juice sold, and even the pulp may be fake. Doctors recommend that it is best to eat fruits in their original state.

8. Preserved Eggs

No more than once a week

Reasons for being on the list:

Preserved eggs contain a certain amount of lead, and regular consumption can cause lead poisoning in the human body. Symptoms of lead poisoning include insomnia, anemia, hyperactivity, intellectual impairment, etc.

Doctor's analysis:

The traditional method of making preserved eggs does result in a certain amount of lead remaining in the eggs. Modern new processes use zinc salts to significantly reduce the lead content, and occasional consumption will not affect health. Director Gao Jian reminds us that it is important not to consume it too often, no more than once a week, and to purchase branded packaged products through regular channels.

9. Stinky tofu:

Doctors' "least recommended food"

Reasons for being on the list:

Stinky tofu is easily contaminated by microorganisms during the fermentation process. It also contains a large amount of volatile basic nitrogen and hydrogen sulfide, which are corrupt substances produced by protein decomposition and are harmful to the human body.

Doctor's analysis:

Stinky tofu is a food that Director Gao Jian does not recommend. First of all, it is very easy to add "stinky essence" during the production process of stinky tofu. This "classic" smell of stinky tofu is actually a chemical raw material; secondly, the black part of the stinky tofu often accumulates residues of heavy metals and toxic substances, which can easily cause cancer; thirdly, the oil used to make stinky tofu is also repeatedly used and is prone to over-oxidation. The safety of stinky tofu sold at roadside stalls is not guaranteed, so don’t eat it!

10. Popcorn

Eating too much may

"Popcorn Lung"

Reasons for being on the list:

The converter used to make popcorn contains lead. When heated under high pressure, a certain amount of lead in the pot will melt, and part of the lead will turn into lead vapor and smoke, polluting the raw materials, especially at the last moment of "popping". The lead content in popcorn is as high as 10 mg/500 g, which is harmful to the human body's (especially children's) hematopoietic, nervous and digestive systems. If you eat too much, you may get "popcorn lung."

Doctor's analysis:

As mentioned in the post, popcorn made by traditional methods has a certain risk of lead intake, but the possibility of suffering from "popcorn lung" is extremely small. There was a case of this in the United States. The reporter interviewed doctors in Shanghai, but no related case reports have been made so far. Modern people tend to eat popcorn sold at the entrance of cinemas. In recent years, there has been a trend towards high sugar and salt content. Many people find that today's popcorn is sweeter, slightly salty, and crispier than before. This is because more sugar, salt, butter, sweeteners and other ingredients are added.

Director Gao Jian said that movie theater popcorn is an absolutely high-calorie, high-fat, high-additive food, and a large cup of it contains more calories than two bowls of rice. But popcorn is also a food that can bring happiness. Doctors recommend that if you control the amount when eating it, you can reduce health risks. It is recommended that two people share a small cup each time.

Long Jiang said that a list like the "Blacklist of Top Ten Carcinogenic Foods" is not scientific, because cigarettes and the burnt parts of barbecued foods are clear carcinogens. Cigarettes may not only cause lung cancer, but are also associated with more than a dozen types of cancer. Even if you only eat meat every day, it will cause cancer-related factors. The formation of a tumor is not caused by one day's diet, but is a chronic disease. The changes you make every moment of every day will affect whether a tumor will develop.

Like diabetes and cardiovascular disease, cancer prevention and treatment should not start from when cancer is diagnosed, nor from the age of fifty, but should start from childhood. The earlier the prevention, even if the congenital genetic risk is high, a healthy lifestyle can reduce the risk of disease. Therefore, by making adjustments in your daily diet, sleep, exercise, and psychology, insisting on physical examinations, and early diagnosis and treatment of any illness, you can stay away from cancer and stay healthy to the greatest extent possible.