As the saying goes, "disease comes from the mouth", in fact, the occurrence of many cancers is also closely related to daily diet. In addition to maintaining a healthy lifestyle, if you want to avoid being invaded by cancer, you also need to understand these questions: What flavors do cancer cells "prefer" the most? What foods are eaten regularly that increase the risk of cancer?
Fried chicken Photo by Mao Yuanyuan of Health Times
Cancer cells like a "greasy" taste
Fried chicken, burgers, small barbecues...... These high-fat foods are so delicious and delicious to eat. But it's not just you who like to eat it, cancer cells probably like it too!
In May 2024, the team of academician Song Erwei of Sun Yat-sen University published a study in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) of the United States of America, revealing one of the major harms of high-fat diets - promoting cancer development and inducing breast cancer, melanoma and other cancers.
Studies have found that a high-fat diet affects the gut microbiome, causing it to release a large amount of leucine, thereby promoting the production and differentiation of myeloid-derived inhibitory cells with polymorphonuclear morphology, and further promoting cancer progression.
This study uncovered the mechanism by which a high-fat diet promotes cancer development through population trials and animal models: "gut → bone marrow → tumors". At the same time, it also provides new ideas for anti-tumor treatment strategies.
Cancer cells like a "high sugar" taste
Fruit juice, cola, milk tea...... Many people love to drink these sweet drinks, especially many girls like to drink milk tea, fruit tea, etc., but cancer cells may also like these sweet foods.
A foreign study in 2020 showed that high sugar intake will increase the risk of cancer! The study involved more than 100,000 participants, with an average age of 40.8 years and an average follow-up of 5.9 years.
Studies have shown that total sugar intake is associated with a higher overall cancer risk, particularly breast cancer; Sugars in both added sugars, free sugars, sucrose, milk-based desserts, dairy products, and sugar-sweetened beverages were significantly associated with an increased risk of cancer.
Sweetened beverages, as one of the foods with added sugar, are becoming more and more popular among young people. In 2022, scientists from Harvard University and other research institutions published a study in Current Developments in Nutrition, which found that women who drank more than one serving of sugary drinks a day had a 78% higher risk of liver cancer than women who drank no more than 3 sugary drinks per month!
The study included more than 90,000 women aged 50-79 years, and a total of 205 women were diagnosed with liver cancer with a mean follow-up of 18.7 years.
The study found that about 7.3% of women drank 1 serving (335 ml) or more of sugar-sweetened beverages per day, including soft drinks and fruit drinks. Women who drank more than 1 serving of sugar-sweetened beverages per day had a 78% increased risk of developing liver cancer compared to women who rarely drank beverages (< 3 servings of sugar-sweetened beverages/month). Even after removing the interfering factors, the intake of a high-sugar diet is associated with an increased risk of liver cancer.
Why do cancer cells like a "high-sugar diet"? Ling Yiqun, director of the Department of Nutrition at Fudan University Cancer Hospital, said in a media article in 2021 that long-term high sugar intake can lead to obesity and insulin resistance, causing internal oxidative stress, endocrine disorders and immune dysfunction, which will lead to an increased risk of tumors. After the tumor has occurred, cancer cells will use the anaerobic digestion of sugar as the main way of energy supply, so both ordinary people and cancer patients should control the intake of added sugars.
Health Times Figure
Cancer cells like to have a "too salty" taste
Pickles, bacon, pickles...... Many people like to eat salty food in their lives, after all, there is less salt and it is bland and tasteless. However, eating too salty can also increase the risk of cancer.
In 2023, the "Public Guidelines for Gastric Cancer Risk Management in the Chinese Population" issued by the Gastric Cancer Professional Committee of the Chinese Anti-Cancer Association pointed out that excessive salt intake will cause damage and atrophy of the gastric mucosa, increase the possibility of genetic mutations, and increase the risk of gastric cancer. There is research evidence that excessive salt intake can significantly increase the risk of gastric cancer in people.
The guidelines comprehensively analyzed the results of 26 relevant studies around the world, showing that compared with people with lower salt intake, the risk of gastric cancer was increased by 20% in people with moderate salt intake, and the risk of gastric cancer was increased by 25% in people with higher salt intake. Further analysis found that the relationship between salt and gastric cancer was particularly pronounced in the Asian population.
The Dietary Guidelines for Chinese Residents (2022) recommends that adults consume no more than 5 grams of salt per day, and reduce the single intake and frequency of high-salt foods such as pickled vegetables and salted fish.
Photo by Health Times Kou Xiaowen
Anti-cancer diet, remember these 7 points
In 2023, the Tumor Nutrition Committee of the Chinese Anti-Cancer Association and others issued an "Expert Consensus on Anti-inflammatory Diet for Tumor Prevention", which pointed out that the chronic low-grade inflammatory state of the body is one of the mechanisms that induce tumors, and the cancer prevention diet should remember these 7 points:
1. Choose whole grains as a staple food. Whole grain carbohydrates are an important component of anti-cancer and anti-inflammatory diet, whole grain carbohydrates can reduce the risk of pancreatic cancer, breast cancer and colorectal cancer, especially wheat bran and wheat germ are rich in dietary fiber and various phenolic plant compounds.
2. Choose unsaturated fats for fats. Choosing monounsaturated fatty acids and polyunsaturated fatty acids in the daily diet can reduce the level of inflammation in the body and reduce the risk of obesity and cancer.
3. Choose more high-quality protein for meat. The best sources of high-quality protein are fish, poultry, eggs, a small amount of lean meat, low-fat dairy products, soy foods, nuts, etc., and try to eat as little processed meat and red meat as possible.
4. Fruits and vegetables account for 2/3 of the total food. Vegetables and fruits should make up 2/3 of the total food weight in an ideal anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer diet. Increasing the intake of fruits and vegetables can reduce inflammatory markers in the body and have a positive effect on the body's metabolism.
5. Drinking tea in moderation can prevent cancer. Occitron, catechin, flavonoids, polyphenols and other components can be isolated from green/black tea, which has a clear preventive effect on a variety of tumors.
6. Don't drink alcohol and quit drinking in time. Research by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) shows that more than 740,000 new cancer cases in 2020 may be related to alcohol consumption, with esophageal, liver, and breast cancers being the most common.
7. Use less frying, frying, and baking. Healthy cooking methods are mainly steamed, boiled, stewed, and stir-fried, and less frying, frying, baking, etc.
Source: Health Times