Why is Guangdong a high-incidence area for liver cancer? Can eating white meat prevent liver cancer?

Why is Guangdong a high-incidence area for liver cancer?

The cause of liver cancer is the result of the combined action of multiple factors, mainly related to hepatitis B virus, hepatitis C virus, aflatoxin, drinking water pollution, lack of certain trace elements, genetic factors and alcoholism.

The intake of certain foods is inversely proportional to the risk of cancer. For example, milk and yogurt play a role in reducing the incidence of liver cancer. Because the gastrointestinal tract of liver cancer patients is often in a state of congestion, they should eat foods with less stimulation. Yogurt has been fermented to reduce the burden on the gastrointestinal tract. The large amount of yeast in yogurt can fight against the putrefactive bacteria in the intestines, and at the same time, a large number of lactic acid bacteria are reproduced, making the intestinal environment acidic.

Some living habits are directly proportional to the chance of getting cancer. For example, Guangzhou people love to eat raw fish, and they pair raw fish with strong liquor to kill bacteria. In the Tang Dynasty, the custom of eating raw fish reached a peak in food culture. Eating "raw fish" can easily induce liver fluke disease, which is a chronic parasitic disease caused by "liver flukes" parasitizing the bile duct of the liver. Strong liquor puts a burden on the liver. Over time, the chance of getting liver cancer increases greatly. This explains why Guangdong is a high-incidence area for liver cancer.

The symptoms of liver cancer are not obvious in the early stage, and patients may not feel anything for a long time after the onset of the disease. When the disease progresses to a certain extent, some symptoms such as liver pain, loss of appetite, fatigue, and weight loss will gradually appear. In the late stage, there will be jaundice, ascites, vomiting blood, coma, etc. A huge mass can often be felt in the upper abdomen of liver cancer patients, but at this time it is already in the middle and late stages, and has even metastasized to the lungs. The total course of liver cancer is about 2 and a half years, of which 2 years are in the early stage without symptoms. Once symptoms appear, it is the late stage.

Can eating white meat prevent liver cancer?

Recently, some media reported that research has found that eating more "white meat" such as chicken and fish can reduce the risk of primary hepatocellular carcinoma by 22%-31%, so it is recommended that citizens eat more white meat and less red meat in their daily diet. But is the research really reliable? Experts said that this statement is too exaggerated. The only thing that is clear in the diet that induces liver cancer is aflatoxin. Other foods have not been effectively proven to cause cancer or prevent cancer. In addition, as for the anti-cancer effect of white meat, in fact, red meat contains a substance called conjugated linoleic acid, which is an anti-cancer substance.

What is red meat? What is white meat?

At present, red meat in the usual sense refers to livestock meat, such as pork, beef, lamb and other livestock meat, while white meat generally refers to poultry (such as chicken, duck, goose), fish, reptiles, amphibians, crustaceans (shrimp, crab, etc.) or bivalves (oysters, clams), etc.

The main difference between the two is whether their muscle tissues are more slow-twitch fibers or more fast-twitch fibers. Red meat has more slow-twitch fibers, while white meat has more fast-twitch fibers. From a nutritional point of view, both are healthy. Red meat contains a substance called conjugated linoleic acid, which is an anti-cancer substance.

The cause of liver cancer is not clear, and aflatoxin needs to be prevented in the diet

my country is a country with a high incidence of liver disease, so the incidence of liver cancer is also high. It is understood that 15%-20% of hepatitis patients will develop cirrhosis within 5 years, and 10%-15% of cirrhosis patients will develop liver cancer. Therefore, preventing hepatitis B has become one of the main means to eliminate liver cancer.

In addition to hepatitis B and alcohol, aflatoxin, nitrite, drinking water pollution, parasitic infection and genetic factors can also lead to liver cancer. According to the "Survey on High-risk Factors for Liver Cancer in Guangzhou Community Population", hepatitis virus, aflatoxin pollution, alcoholism, drinking water pollution and liver fluke infection are the five major high-risk factors for liver cancer.

Five things to do to prevent liver cancer

First, widespread vaccination against hepatitis B can effectively control the spread of hepatitis B;

The second is anti-hepatitis virus treatment. If hepatitis B patients have liver function damage and active viral replication, they should consider active antiviral treatment, which can reduce the damage of the virus to the liver and inhibit the progression of liver disease.

Third, the damage of alcohol to the liver cannot be ignored, and it is recommended to quit bad habits such as smoking and drinking;

Fourth, pay attention to the freshness of the food, eat more fresh fruits and vegetables, and eat less pickled food;

Fifth, avoid using drugs that can cause clear damage to the liver, including anti-tuberculosis drugs, antipyretic analgesics, some antibiotics, and large amounts of long-term Chinese medicine treatments.