The World Cancer Research Fund has clearly pointed out that 1/3 of people who die of cancer each year are related to poor eating habits, and more than 30 kinds of cancers come from this. If you keep your mouth shut and keep your diet in check, you can prevent cancer simply and effectively, and reduce the risk of cancer by 40%. Cancers most affected by dietary factors include two types: one is cancer of the digestive system, including esophageal cancer, stomach cancer and intestinal cancer; the other is cancer related to hormone levels, including breast cancer, endometrial cancer, ovarian cancer and prostate cancer.
The three major principles of diet for cancer prevention are summarized.
I. What to eat: “Four more and three less” principle
”A balanced diet is the basis of cancer prevention diet.” Although the living condition is better, we cannot eat whatever we want. The reasonable diet structure is “two high and one low”: high vitamin, high fiber and low fat. Vitamins mainly from fresh fruits and vegetables, fiber exists in fruits and vegetables and coarse grains, control fat need to eat less pork, beef, lamb and other red meat, with chicken, fish and other white meat instead. On this basis, but also try to ensure a diverse diet, the easiest way is to count the colors, a day to eat enough food of 5 to 7 colors is best. White food represented by onion, garlic, cabbage and cauliflower has good anti-cancer effect; pay attention to the coarse and fine combination, change millet, corn, oats, etc., 100 grams per day is appropriate.
There are more than one hundred kinds of common anti-cancer foods, which are mainly divided into four categories. “Eating more anti-cancer foods appropriately can be the icing on the cake.”
1. fresh fruits and vegetables. The antioxidants, carotenoids, vitamin C, flavonoids and other active ingredients contained in them have anti-cancer effects. Dr. Yang Binghui, chief physician of the Department of Internal Medicine, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, is very impressed with the anti-cancer effect of fruits and vegetables: “The daily intake of vegetables per person increases from 50 grams to 300 grams, and the risk of stomach cancer can be reduced by 50%.” Asparagus, cabbage, tomatoes, sweet potatoes, konjac, kiwi, radish and carrot are all good anti-cancer foods.
2.Soy products. Tofu and soy milk are rich in soy isoflavones, so eating soy products regularly can reduce the risk of breast cancer, colon cancer and prostate cancer.
3, mushrooms. About 96% of mushrooms have anti-cancer effect, such as mushroom, shiitake, enoki and fungus, which are rich in polysaccharides and can enhance human immunity and have better effect on preventing stomach and lung cancer. At present, shiitake mushroom polysaccharide has been used as anti-cancer drug for the treatment of tumor patients.
4.Green tea. Green tea is rich in tea polyphenols, which can combine with carcinogens to break them down and inhibit the growth of cancer cells. Make a habit of drinking 2 to 3 cups of green tea every day can prevent stomach cancer, liver cancer and lung cancer, but it must be noted that the tea should not be too strong.
”On the contrary, some foods are not good for cancer prevention and should be eaten sparingly.” The Chinese Cancer Foundation has released 10 recommendations for cancer prevention, and 3 types of foods are listed as off-limits in the cancer prevention diet.
1. High-energy foods lead to obesity. Foreign fast food and sugar drinks are typical small but high-calorie foods, which can easily induce obesity if you do not pay attention to exercise after eating. Clinical research shows that 33% of cancers occur in obese people. In this regard, Chen Junshi, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering and a researcher of the Institute of Nutrition and Food Safety of the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, said figuratively, “For every 1 inch increase in people’s waistline, the risk of getting cancer will increase more than 8 times.”
2. Processed meat products induce cancer of the digestive system. Salted fish, ham, sausage and other foods often contain high nitrite, which will react with protein under the action of stomach acid after entering the body to produce carcinogenic nitrosamines, thus increasing the risk of esophageal cancer, stomach cancer, liver cancer and colorectal cancer.
3. Excessive drinking and liver cancer are closely related. China Cancer Foundation recommends that men drink no more than 20-30 grams of alcohol per day and women no more than 10-15 grams. If you drink too much alcohol for a long time, it will lead to alcoholic liver and liver cirrhosis, after which liver cancer will come to your door.
How to cook: the principle of “three reductions
After understanding the principles of choosing ingredients, learning scientific cooking methods is equally important to prevent cancer. Even good food can produce many chemical carcinogens through unreasonable cooking methods, so it is best to master the “three reductions” principle.
1.Reduce pesticide residues
Chemical fertilizers, pesticides and other residual chemicals are closely related to cancer. In addition to urging relevant departments to increase supervision, people can also take some measures to reduce pesticide residues in their daily life. Cucumbers, peppers, carrots, bitter gourds, etc. can be soaked in warm water for 1~2 minutes and then scrubbed with a brush; cabbage, cabbage, etc. can be removed from the peripheral leaves, and the internal leaves can be rinsed with running water piece by piece; winter squash and other non-perishable vegetables can be exposed to sunlight to make the pesticide residues decompose.
2, reduce frying
Xun Xiaolin said, frying process, a little inattention, the oil temperature is too high, it will produce a large number of benzopyrene, acrylamide and other carcinogens, repeated frying oil, more carcinogens. Studies have shown that people who eat fried food are more likely to suffer from lung cancer and intestinal cancer. In addition, cooking methods such as grilling and marinating can form many carcinogens. In contrast, steaming, boiling and stewing are more healthy and low-carbon. If you really can’t resist the temptation of barbecue food, you can eat a kiwi after the meal to reduce the damage.
3. Reduce salt
Salt and cancer are also “related” to each other. Among Asian countries, Korean people love to eat salty food most, and at the same time, the incidence of stomach cancer is very high. Japan and China follow with a high incidence of stomach cancer. Therefore, it is best to eat a light diet. In addition to the best not to eat more than 5 grams of salt per person per day, we should also pay attention to the existence of “hidden salt” when cooking, which is also contained in MSG, soy sauce, sauces and seasoning packets.
3. How to eat: the “slow” principle
To prevent cancer, the last part of eating should follow one more principle – “slow”. Experts point out that eating slowly has three major benefits for cancer prevention.
1. Chew slowly to reduce carcinogenic substances
Chinese saliva contains peroxidase, catalase and vitamin C, which not only have antioxidant effects, but also can break down carcinogenic substances entering the mouth, effectively reducing the incidence of cancer. American studies have confirmed that when strong carcinogens such as nitrite compounds and aflatoxin encounter saliva, cellular mutagenicity is completely lost within 30 seconds. From this point of view, the rhythm of dining should not be too fast, chew slowly to help saliva play anti-cancer effect, a mouthful of food chewed 30 times before swallowing the best.
2.Prevent esophageal cancer by eliminating high temperature
People who eat too fast or too quickly are prone to eat too hot. Over time, the stimulation of high temperature diet will cause frequent breakage of oral mucosa, esophagus and stomach mucosa, and even ulceration and bleeding, thus inducing cancer. Data show that more than 90% of esophageal cancer patients usually prefer hot food and hot drinks. Therefore, it is important to slow down and wait for the food to cool down, preferably to about 40 degrees Celsius before eating.
3.Control the amount of food can also prevent cancer
”Only when you eat slowly can you feel the fading hunger and the feeling of gradual filling in your stomach, and then put down your chopsticks at the right time to ensure the state of seven percent full.” If you see a good meal is a gobble, it is often easy to eat too much, bringing huge digestive pressure to the stomach and intestines. Japanese research shows that eating too much can reduce the ability to inhibit the activity of cellular cancer factors and increase the risk of cancer. Therefore, adhering to the “slow” principle when eating is beneficial to cancer prevention.