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"Oh, that's good!" Aunt Li sighed with a bowl of leftovers from yesterday in her hand. Aunt Li is 54 years old and lives a frugal life, often storing unfinished meals in the refrigerator and reheating them the next day.
And so, day after day, year after year, the habit became a part of her life. However, a year later, she was diagnosed with stomach cancer, and the news was like a bolt from the blue, catching her off guard.
After learning about Aunt Li's lifestyle, the doctor pointed out some misunderstandings, especially about the problem of repeated heating of leftovers. That's not a good idea, he explains, because frequent heating of leftovers can produce nitrite, a potentially carcinogenic substance. This seemingly harmless chemical is actually a potential carcinogen.
Especially in vegetables and meats, the nitrite content gradually increases after several times of heating and storage. Cases of stomach cancer due to excessive nitrite intake are gradually increasing each year, especially in families who are used to frugality and often eat leftovers.
Aunt Li was very surprised by this, because she always thought that she was just doing this to save food, but she didn't expect that it would bury hidden dangers for her health.
The doctor also added that when nitrite combines with amines in the body, it forms a strong carcinogen called nitrosamines. Especially at high temperatures, this substance is more likely to form. Long-term intake of these carcinogens greatly increases the risk of stomach cancer.
The doctor went on to mention that a healthy diet is the key to preventing many chronic diseases, and Aunt Li's eating habits are clearly very problematic. Unreasonable diet and unbalanced nutrient intake are one of the important factors leading to the high incidence of gastric cancer. There are about 680,000 new cases of gastric cancer every year, and the trend is younger, which has a lot to do with unhealthy eating habits.
In addition, many people think that microwave heating is safe and convenient, and Aunt Li also thinks so. She uses the microwave to heat leftovers almost every day, but doctors point out that the microwave oven is not evenly heated, which can easily cause the local temperature of the food to be too high, which further promotes the production of nitrosamines.
The doctor also mentioned that plastic containers, if used at high temperatures, may release harmful substances such as bisphenol A (BPA), which is also bad for health.
Not only reheating leftovers, but also high-temperature fried foods are also a risk factor for stomach cancer. The doctor specifically mentioned that Aunt Li likes to eat fried food, especially fried food repeatedly with leftover oil.
In fact, this practice is very dangerous. Oil decomposes at high temperatures to produce a range of carcinogens, such as acrylamide and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. Repeatedly used oil is even more "poisonous", and its carcinogen content is higher.
The doctor advised Aunt Li to change her eating habits, eat more fresh food, and avoid eating leftovers and high-temperature fried food. He also made a point of eating foods rich in antioxidants, such as fruits and vegetables.
These foods help reduce the production of free radicals, protect the gastric mucosa, and reduce the risk of stomach cancer. The doctor emphasized that Aunt Li can greatly reduce the risk of stomach cancer recurrence by changing her eating habits.
In addition, the doctor also mentioned that leftovers are prone to breeding bacteria such as salmonella and E. coli during storage. Even though some bacteria can be killed by heating, some bacteria produce toxins that remain active at high temperatures, and long-term ingestion of these toxins can cause great damage to gastrointestinal health.
In order to avoid similar problems from happening again, doctors have given scientific methods for storing food. Leftovers should be cooled as soon as possible and refrigerated within 2 hours. Try to eat all the refrigerated food within two or three days, and if you want to store it longer, it's best to freeze it. When storing food, remember to use safe food containers and try to avoid plastic bags or regular plastic boxes.
The doctor also reminded Auntie Li to reduce the intake of salt and preserved foods, as these foods are high in nitrite and eating too much for a long time may increase the risk of stomach cancer. People who consumed more than 6 grams of salt per day had a 20% higher risk of stomach cancer than those who consumed less than 6 grams.
The doctor said that a healthy diet is essential to prevent stomach cancer, and Aunt Li should try to eat more fresh vegetables and fruits and reduce the intake of leftovers.
Avoid high-temperature frying and reused oils, choose a dedicated microwave container when using a microwave oven to heat food, and avoid heating for too long, control salt intake, avoid pickled foods, develop good eating habits, and have regular health check-ups.
In order to reduce the risk of stomach cancer, the doctor advised Aunt Li to eat more foods rich in vitamin C. Vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant that sweeps away free radicals in the body and helps protect cells from damage. In addition, a high intake of vitamin C can also reduce the risk of stomach cancer.
After listening to her doctor's advice, Auntie Li decided to add some vitamin C-rich foods to her diet, such as oranges, lemons, strawberries, and kiwi. She also plans to drink a glass of lemonade every morning, which will not only help her replenish her vitamin C, but also boost digestion and immunity.
These doctor's recommendations apply not only to Aunt Li, but to everyone. For the sake of our health, everyone should pay attention to their eating habits and avoid unnecessary health risks.
Dietary habits have an important impact on the occurrence of gastric cancer, and changing unhealthy eating habits can not only prevent gastric cancer, but also reduce the risk of other chronic diseases and ensure our health and quality of life.
After listening to the doctor's explanation, Aunt Li realized the seriousness of the problem and decided to change her eating habits from then on. She began to focus on the freshness of her diet, avoiding reheating leftovers and reducing her intake of high-temperature fried foods. Although she was a little uncomfortable at first, she was willing to make these changes for the sake of her own health.
Through these adjustments, Aunt Li's eating habits gradually became healthier. These changes not only allowed her stomach to be protected, but also made her body healthier. In this way, Aunt Li not only learned valuable health knowledge, but also started the first step of a healthy new life.
May everyone be like Aunt Li, pay attention to their eating habits, stay away from the threat of stomach cancer, and have a healthy body and a happy life.
What do you think about reheating leftovers to eat? Welcome to discuss in the comment area!
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[1] Chen Shuangshuang. The Effect of Dietary Structure on the Health of the Elderly in China, Journal of Shandong Normal University (Natural Science Edition), 2016-09-15