Be alert, these five ＂carcinogenic assassins＂ are hiding around us.

The 2022 anti-cancer progress report shows that more than 40% of new cancers can be attributed to unhealthy lifestyles, and exposure to strong carcinogens in life will greatly increase the risk of cancer. In fact, cancer is not far from us. There are five strong carcinogens lurking around us, and many people are in contact with them every day. What are these five "cancer assassins"? How to avoid the sneak attack of "cancer assassin"? With these questions, New Jiangsu Media invited Sarah, director of the Clinical Nutrition Department of Jiangsu Cancer Hospital, to interpret it.

Tobacco: Smoke contains 69 carcinogens.

Cigarettes are many people’s "old friends" in their daily lives. You may think that you are in good health and smoke less, which will have no impact, but tobacco is a veritable "cancer catalyst". Tobacco is a first-class carcinogen officially stamped by the World Health Organization’s Institute for Research on Cancer (IRAC). When it is burned, it will release 69 carcinogens, such as N- nitrosamine, benzopyrene, formaldehyde, 2- naphthylamine and 4-aminobiphenyl. Smokers will be more likely to get lung cancer, nasopharyngeal cancer, laryngeal cancer, oral cancer and bladder cancer.

Smoking will not only threaten the health of smokers, but also cause serious damage to the health of non-smokers. Long-term inhalation of second-hand smoke will increase the risk of cardiovascular diseases such as heart disease and stroke, especially lung cancer. Dr Sarah warned that there is no safe dose for smoking, so it is not safe to smoke less. Because everyone has different sensitivity to carcinogens in tobacco, a small number of smokers still have the risk of cancer.

Alcohol: causing 280,000 new cases of cancer in China.

In 2020, there will be about 740,000 new cancer cases caused by drinking in the world, and there will be about 280,000 cases in China. Alcohol is a first-class carcinogen identified by IARC, an international cancer research center. At least seven cancers in human body are clearly related to it: oropharynx, larynx, esophagus, liver, colon, rectum and breast.

It is worth noting that drinking can’t make people happy, and even hurt their health. Even a small amount of drinking will increase the risk of cancer. Although most alcohol-related cancers are caused by heavy drinking (daily alcohol intake > 60 grams), dangerous drinking (daily alcohol intake of 20-60 grams) and moderate drinking (daily alcohol intake < 20 grams), a small amount of drinking (daily alcohol intake of up to 10 grams) may also lead to cancer. Therefore, if you want to completely avoid the harm of alcohol, the best way is not to touch alcohol.

Areca catechu: It was listed as a first-class carcinogen in 2003.

"Betel nut plus smoke is boundless; Betel nut with wine is immortal "was once the mantra of many betel nut lovers, but the small betel nut is the culprit of many people’s disfigurement." The World Health Organization listed betel nut as a first-class carcinogen in 2003. Long-term chewing betel nut will lead to oral mucosal fibrosis, and patients will have symptoms such as mucosal pain, gray mucosal lesions, difficulty in opening their mouths, and even loss of taste.

Why does chewing betel nut cause cancer? This is because when chewing betel nut, it will repeatedly rub the oral mucosa and gingival mucosa, causing physical damage. Secondly, arecoline in areca catechu will lead to oxidative damage, which will lead to oral submucosal fibrosis and then induce oral cancer. Many people will leave obvious scars on their faces after surgery. The doctor reminded that betel nut is not a snack. For the sake of your health, please quit the habit of chewing betel nut for a long time.

Processed meat: 50 grams a day increases the risk of colon cancer by 18%

Sausage, ham, bacon and bacon, which are convenient and delicious processed meat products, are the favorite of many office workers and children, but they are classified as a kind of carcinogen by the World Health Organization, because nitrite, a preservative, is added to these processed meat products. Eating 50 grams of processed meat every day will increase the risk of colon cancer and rectal cancer by 18%.

Although nitrite itself does not cause cancer, it will combine with human protein to form a new strong carcinogen-nitrosamine. Nitrosamines are highly toxic, which will increase the incidence of liver cancer, esophageal cancer, lung cancer and other cancers. However, in daily life, it is difficult for us to completely avoid eating processed meat products. Dr. Sarah suggested eating as little as possible, and occasionally relieving our cravings. In addition, processed meat can be matched with vegetables rich in vitamin C, such as bell peppers, tomatoes, carrots, etc., which can inhibit nitrite from producing nitrosamines.

Aflatoxin: The toxicity is 68 times that of arsenic.

As we all know, arsenic is highly toxic, but the toxin of this fungus is 68 times that of arsenic! When we eat peanuts, corn and nuts, we sometimes taste obvious bitterness. These moldy and deteriorated foods may contain aflatoxin. Aflatoxin is the most toxic mycotoxin known at present, its toxicity is 68 times that of arsenic, and it is classified as a carcinogen by the World Health Organization. It is the culprit of inducing a variety of cancers, such as liver cancer, stomach cancer, kidney cancer, rectal cancer and so on.

Can heating kill mold? The answer is no. Aflatoxin has stable molecular structure and high temperature resistance, and its melting point is 237-299℃, so it is difficult to achieve the degree of decomposition and destruction by ordinary cooking and heating. Experts remind you to buy fresh food with brand protection in regular supermarkets and markets, and try to buy food in small packages. Avoid storing food in high temperature and high humidity environment, and clean up moldy and spoiled food at home in time. At home, the chopping board should be cooked separately, and the dishes and chopsticks should be cleaned and dried in time after use, so as to keep the kitchen environment clean and ventilated and reduce the chance of exposure to aflatoxin.

Correspondent Lin Yuhang Xu Linhua

Xinhua Newspaper New Jiangsu Reporter Sun Jun