There are 5 super carcinogens hidden around us. Check if you eat them often!

Have you ever paid attention to the carcinogens around you? Recently, the topic of "aflatoxin, a super carcinogen around us" has attracted attention on Weibo.

Aflatoxin is a strong carcinogen produced by Aspergillus flavus! As early as 1993, aflatoxin was classified as a Class 1 carcinogen by the World Health Organization. Its toxicity is 68 times that of arsenic, 10 times that of potassium cyanide, and 70 times that of dimethylnitrosamine. It is extremely destructive to liver tissue. Regular intake may increase the risk of liver cancer. [1]

In addition to aflatoxin, there are actually some "carcinogens" around us, which may be ingested through our daily diet and daily life.

1. Aflatoxin: Moldy grains and nuts

Among moldy foods, one type of mold comes from Aspergillus flavus, which is especially common in grains. A 2007 study published in the Chinese Journal of Food Hygiene on the dietary exposure to aflatoxin in the Chinese population pointed out that corn and rice are the main foods that contribute to the dietary exposure to aflatoxin in the Chinese population. [2]

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In addition, peanuts and peanut oil may also contain aflatoxin.

2. Benzopyrene: Foods that have been grilled or fried at high temperatures

Pan Zhanhe, deputy chief physician of the Department of Oncology at Xiamen University Zhongshan Hospital, published an article in Health Times in 2017 stating that grilling or smoking may produce heterocyclic amines and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons during the production process. The most well-known of these is a chemical called benzopyrene, which may be contained in many grilled and smoked foods. [4]

A Jinan University study published in 2018 found that the human body's intake of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons during the barbecue process is: eating barbecued food > skin contact > lung inhalation.

This means that when grilling, more carcinogens are absorbed through the skin than through the lungs.[5]

3. Nitrosamines: Smoked, cured, and pickled foods

Zhang Qin, deputy director of Jiangsu Cancer Hospital, said in a 2019 Jiangsu City Channel program “Meeting a Famous Doctor” that smoked and cured foods contain a large amount of nitrosamines, and the incidence of certain digestive system tumors, such as esophageal cancer, is related to the amount of nitrosamines ingested in the diet. When smoked and cured foods are consumed together with alcohol, the harm of nitrosamines to human health will increase exponentially. [7]

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Pickled foods often contain a lot of nitrite. Although nitrite itself is not carcinogenic, it will combine with protein in the body to form nitrosamines. In addition, during the dehydration process of Chinese salted fish, some nitrosamine compounds, such as nitrosodimethylamine, will be generated. These nitroso compounds are carcinogenic. [8]

4. Tar: Inhaled from burning tobacco

Smoking and secondhand tobacco smoke are both classified as Class 1 carcinogens. During the burning process of cigarettes, nearly 4,000 new chemical substances are formed. Most of these substances are harmful to humans, and the most harmful are nicotine, nitric oxide, and tar, the latter of which is the main culprit for cancer. [10]

Moreover, smoking not only causes lung cancer, but is also closely related to the occurrence of related cancers such as nasopharyngeal cancer, oral cancer, and esophageal cancer.

5. Acetaldehyde: an intermediate product produced after drinking

The main component of alcohol is ethanol, which is oxidized into acetaldehyde after entering liver cells. Acetaldehyde is hepatotoxic and carcinogenic. Excessive accumulation in the body can cause serious damage to the liver. [11]

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Acetaldehyde associated with alcoholic beverage intake is classified as a Class 1 carcinogen. The 2014 World Cancer Report made a statistic that 3.5% of cancers are caused by alcohol, and one in every 30 cancer deaths is caused by alcohol. [12]

Although there are various carcinogens around us, carcinogens can cause certain cancers only after long-term and excessive intake. If you only eat a little bit occasionally, or come into contact with it occasionally, don't worry, it's still safe.

References:

[1] 2018-03-30 Health Times: "Strict control of aflatoxin without ambiguity"

[2] Wang Jun, Liu Xiumei. Assessment of dietary exposure to aflatoxin in the Chinese population[J]. Chinese Journal of Food Hygiene, 2007, 19(3):3.

[3] 2015-05-22 CFDA: “How harmful is aflatoxin in food?”

[4] 2017-06-20 Health Times Disease Prevention and Cancer Edition "Barbecue does not cause cancer as soon as you eat it"

[5] Lao JY, Xie SY, Wu CC, et al. Importance of Dermal Absorption of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons Derived from Barbecue Fumes. Environ Sci Technol. 2018 May 23. DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.8b01689.

[6] 2012-11-15 Health Times: "Benzopyrene: The most common carcinogen"

[7] 2019-11-26 Lychee News: “Why is eating pickled food more likely to cause esophageal cancer?”

[8] 2018-03-13 Health Times: “Why are nasopharyngeal cancer more common in southern my country?”

[9] 2023-07-07 Health Times: "Eat homemade pickles 20 days later"

[10] 2018-04-10 Health Times: “True and False Carcinogens”

[11] 2017-03-24 Health Times: “High incidence of liver cancer is caused by drinking”

[12] Rehm J, Shield K. Alcohol consumption. In: Stewart BW, Wild CB, eds. World Cancer Report 2014. Lyon, France: International Agency for Research on Cancer; 2014.

Review: Li Nannan Director of Hunan Science Writers Association Deputy Director of Research and Publicity Department of Hunan Science and Technology Association Second-level Researcher Chinese Science Writer (Medical)

Source: Health Times

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