Will eating midnight snacks cause cancer?

With the improvement of living standards, people's love for food has gradually emerged. Faced with various food temptations, many people find it difficult to resist. Look, I am a real foodie who has a great passion for food. Not only breakfast, lunch and dinner are indispensable, but even midnight snacks are an indispensable part of my life. However, many people think that although eating midnight snacks makes the mouth feel good, it puts a great burden on the stomach and if this continues for a long time there is a risk of developing cancer. Hearing this, I couldn't help but shudder. Can eating midnight snacks really cause cancer?

Does eating midnight snacks cause cancer?

Many people think that eating midnight snacks is a very unhealthy behavior. They believe that the life span of gastric mucosal epithelial cells is very short, and they need to regenerate about every 2 to 3 days. The regeneration process usually occurs at night when the gastrointestinal tract is resting. However, eating frequently at night will prevent the gastric mucosa from being repaired in time, and may even damage the gastric mucosa. In the long run, it will not only leave the root of stomach disease, but may also lead to serious consequences such as gastric cancer. So what is the relationship between eating late night snacks and gastric cancer?

There is no evidence that eating late-night snacks will damage the gastric mucosa

The gastric mucosa, like the skin or mucosa of other parts of the human body, maintains its stability and balance by replenishing the aging cells that are shed from the epidermis with the creation and growth of new cells. In addition, the gastrointestinal mucosa is one of the fastest proliferating tissues in the human body. It is completely renewed in about 3 to 5 days, and the process of mucosal cell renewal is also ongoing. There is no such thing as the gastric mucosa being repaired at night. This shows that there is no significant difference in the impact on the gastric mucosa whether people eat during the day or at night.

In addition, there is currently no research data to suggest that eating late-night snacks is related to the risk of gastric cancer. Various professional organizations do mention that diet is an important factor affecting the incidence of gastric cancer, but they pay more attention to the impact of the food we eat on human health. For example, eating too much salt and pickled foods are the real risk factors related to gastric cancer.

Eating late-night snacks is the most harmful to the esophagus

Eating a midnight snack and going to bed right after eating can indeed cause considerable trouble to the digestive system. Studies have shown that a short interval between eating and sleeping can increase the risk of gastroesophageal reflux. Gastric acid reflux not only causes the discomfort of "heartburn", but the refluxed gastric contents mixed with gastric acid can also cause damage to the esophagus. If the esophageal mucosa is exposed to the stimulation of gastric acid for a long time, it may produce the so-called "atypical hyperplasia", which will gradually develop into precancerous lesions and increase the risk of esophageal cancer.

Studies have shown that a short interval between eating and sleeping is indeed a potential risk factor for esophageal cancer, and this factor is also related to cardiac cancer that occurs at the junction of the stomach and esophagus. However, the study also said that this risk can be reduced by avoiding going to bed right after a midnight snack and taking a walk after the meal.

To avoid stomach cancer, you should eat healthy food

In addition to genetics, several important factors that affect the incidence of gastric cancer include diet, occupation, smoking, Helicobacter pylori infection, obesity and radiation exposure, etc. In terms of diet, high salt intake, excessive intake of pickled foods, and insufficient intake of vitamins A and C are all associated with an increased risk of gastric cancer. Therefore, choosing healthy foods to eat can reduce people's risk of stomach cancer. Especially high-salt cured meats, sausages or barbecues, it is healthy to eat less in daily meals.

In addition, another factor worth noting is Helicobacter pylori. This is because the process of gastric cancer is roughly as follows: normal mucosa turns into chronic atrophic gastritis, then transforms into intestinal metaplasia to atypical hyperplasia, and finally cancer. In recent years, the view is that gastric cancer is an infectious disease and that the virulence factors of Helicobacter pylori may occur at the beginning of gastric cancer. That is to say, the key to the initial destruction of the gastric mucosa and the induction of mucosal inflammatory reactions is the presence of Helicobacter pylori. In order to prevent Helicobacter pylori infection, it is important to pay attention to food hygiene. If you choose a food stall with poor hygiene conditions for a midnight snack, you may also increase the risk of Helicobacter pylori infection. At the same time, staying away from tobacco, eating more fruits and vegetables and maintaining a healthy weight can also help prevent stomach cancer.