Can eating too much ginger cause liver cancer? How can we prevent liver cancer?

Ginger is one of the most commonly used cooking condiments and is also widely believed to have health benefits. As the saying goes, "Eat radish in winter and ginger in summer, and you won't need a doctor to prescribe medicine," and "Eat ginger in all seasons, and all diseases will be gone," which shows that eating ginger is very good for the human body. However, recently some friends reported that they found in the research of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) that safrole contained in ginger can cause liver cancer. Adding 0.04% to 1% safrole to the feed of mice will induce liver cancer in mice within 150 days to 2 years.

Could eating too much ginger cause liver cancer?

This rumor mainly stems from a study by the US FDA, which found that ginger contains safrole, an ingredient that is unhealthy. The study showed that adding 0.04%-1% safrole to mouse feed for 150 days to 2 years can induce liver cancer in mice. Liang Fang explained that ginger contains a small amount of safrole, a carcinogen. The safrole content in rotten ginger increases, and adding safrole to mouse feed can cause liver cancer in mice. However, there is no definitive conclusion on the content of safrole in ginger or rotten ginger.

Although the rumor that "eating ginger may cause liver cancer" has some basis and reason, eating ginger in moderation is not related to cancer and will not necessarily lead to cancer. If you refuse to eat ginger for this reason, it would be an overreaction. Unmoldy ginger contains very little safrole. If you only add some to cooking, it will far from reach the warning line of 1 mg/kg for the maximum limit of safrole in food and beverages stipulated in the "Guidelines for the Use of Edible Flavors".

In addition, ginger is spicy and slightly warm, so it is more suitable for people with cold constitution. People with hot constitution are not suitable for eating ginger, as it is easy to "get angry". People with yin deficiency and hyperactivity of fire (heat in the five hearts, hot flashes and night sweats, dry mouth and nose, irritability, etc.) and people with severe internal heat (lung heat and dry cough, stomach heat and nausea, constipation, mouth and tongue sores, etc.) are not suitable for eating ginger.

How can we prevent liver cancer?

Compared with not eating ginger, we have more reliable preventive measures to implement -

1. Comprehensively promote the vaccination of hepatitis B vaccine

Hepatitis B vaccine is now routinely given at birth, but it is not strictly enforced in some areas. Hepatitis B vaccine given at birth generally lasts for about 15-20 years. If the antibody titer is too low after this period, it is recommended to get a booster shot again. In addition, if you are unfortunately diagnosed with chronic hepatitis, you must take the initiative to receive treatment.

2. Do not eat moldy food, stay away from tobacco, alcohol and high-fat diet

Using a reliable water source is also a major means to help us prevent liver cancer. Foods such as broccoli, onions, seaweed, and blueberries may have certain anti-cancer effects. Eating more fruits and vegetables can also help reduce the toxic effects of safrole. The Chinese Liver Cancer Guidelines recommend that high-risk groups such as men aged ≥40 or women aged ≥50 who are infected with hepatitis B and/or hepatitis C, alcoholics, have diabetes, and have a family history of liver cancer should undergo AFp (alpha-fetoprotein) + abdominal ultrasound examinations every 6 months to strive for early detection. For the general population, the guidelines do not recommend routine screening, and regular physical examinations every year are sufficient.

3. Eat more fruits

(1) Raspberry

Raspberries can also prevent liver cancer because they are rich in "tannic acid". When "tannic acid" is mixed with liver cancer cells, it is found that "tannic acid" can actually inhibit tumor growth.

(2) Grapes and apples

Later, the study found that fruits such as grapes and apples also have an effect. Among them, grape skin contains anthocyanins, flavonoids, plant polyphenols and other highly effective anti-cancer substances, and substances with antioxidant effects, tumor cell proliferation inhibition and angiogenesis promotion can be extracted from grapes and apples. Studies have found that virus carriers, people who have long eaten moldy food in rural areas, and high-risk people with a family history of genetic diseases can effectively prevent primary liver cancer if they eat raspberries, grapes and other fruits for a long time.