What should you pay attention to in your diet to prevent liver cancer? Eating too much of this may increase your risk of liver cancer

There are many folk proverbs similar to the traditional view that "a man cannot live without ginger for a day, and a woman cannot live without sugar for a hundred days", such as "keep ginger at home, and you won't panic when you have a minor illness", "eat ginger often in summer, and you will live longer and stay healthy", "eat radish in winter and ginger in summer, and you won't need a doctor to prescribe medicine", "eat ginger in all seasons, and all diseases will be gone", and "eat three slices of ginger in the morning, it's better than ginseng soup". These proverbs all affirm the health benefits of ginger. It should be affirmed that natural spices do have the functions of promoting blood circulation, dispelling cold, removing dampness, and sweating, especially ginger has the functions of promoting bile, strengthening the stomach, stopping vomiting, eliminating fishy smell, and eliminating edema. However, ginger also contains an ingredient that is not good for health - safrole.

Safrole, a component of ginger, may cause liver cancer

Research by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) shows that safrole can cause liver cancer. Adding 0.04% to 1% safrole to the feed of mice for 150 days to 2 years can induce liver cancer in mice. The process by which safrole is metabolized into active carcinogens is now relatively clear: safrole is first metabolized into phenylethanol in the mouse body, and then activated and converted into acetate or sulfate, becoming the final carcinogen. If safrole combines with oxidants, it will produce epoxy safrole with stronger carcinogenic activity.

Safrole is not allowed as a food additive in the United States

Safrole is no longer allowed as a food additive in the United States. Recently, the European Union Expert Committee decided to further reduce the permitted dosage of safrole within the EU to reduce its harm to the human body. The Codex Alimentarius Committee on Food Additives is currently initiating the formulation of the "Guidelines for the Use of Flavors", which stipulates that the maximum limit of safrole in food and beverages is 1 mg/kg.