Pickled food has always been one of the traditional ways of eating in my country. In ancient times, when there were no refrigerators and fresh food was scarce, pickled foods such as pickles and salted fish were the basis for ensuring that the family would not go hungry in autumn and winter. .
But now, people are becoming more and more strict in their pursuit of health, and pickled foods have also been put on the "criticism table": for example The World Health Organization once listed salted fish as a "Class 1 carcinogen", such as Spicy cabbage , pickles such as pickles, have also been held in a negative attitude. More and more people think that pickles and salted fish cannot be eaten because they may cause cancer...
Do pickles and salted fish really pose a risk of cancer?
The reason why many people think that pickles and salted fish cause cancer is that they are inseparable from one Special substances - nitrite .
In other words, it is precisely because nitrite is widely present in pickled foods that people think these foods are carcinogenic.
But in fact, , nitrite itself is not a carcinogen. On the contrary, it is a regular food additive. According to State Food and Drug Administration regulations, nitrite can be added in appropriate amounts to pickled foods and canned meats to resist botulinum toxin contamination.
For example, salted fish and pickles may indeed contain nitrite, but they themselves do not pose a cancer risk. What actually causes cancer is that after ingestion of nitrite, combines with amines in the body to form " nitrosamines ". "Nitrosamines" are chemicals that pose a cancer risk. Therefore, salted fish and pickles do have certain carcinogenic risks, but they are not the cause of "nitrite".
On the other hand, pickles, salted fish, etc. generally contain too much salt. Excessive salt intake will increase the risk of gastrointestinal ulcer inflammation and may increase the risk of digestive tract diseases.
Speaking of this, some friends may say: "Sure enough, pickles and salted fish are carcinogenic!"
It is true that salted fish and pickles are carcinogenic, but it does not mean that they cannot be eaten. Just like table salt, although eating too much is not good, it is still an essential condiment in life. It’s not that you can’t eat pickled foods, but you need to pay attention to some precautions when eating them.
If you want to eat pickled food healthily, pay attention to 4 "prerequisites"
① Don't eat too much
As the old saying goes, "You can't chew more than you can chew." Excessive consumption of any food may not necessarily be beneficial to health. The same goes for pickled foods. Moderate amounts can add flavor to your daily diet without any obvious risk of cancer. However, if you eat too much, the threat of excessive intake of nitrosamines and salt cannot be ignored.
Therefore, if you want to eat pickled food healthily, controlling the amount is the first prerequisite. According to the provisions of " Dietary Guidelines for Chinese Residents " , the intake of pickled food should account for 15% of the daily salt intake.
② Leave it for a while
You can eat the bought pickled food without opening it immediately. According to research, the nitrite content in pickled food is the highest from the completion of pickling to more than ten days. After that, it will It is gradually reduced and does not pose much of a threat to health.
Therefore, if it is home-made pickles, salted fish, etc., it is best to marinate it for more than 20 days before eating. If it is bought, it should be left for about a week before consumption. Relatively healthy and safe.
③ Eat foods containing vitamin C
The nitrite component in pickled foods mainly produces oxidative damage after entering the human body. Therefore, antioxidant nutrients can reduce the carcinogenic risk of nitrite to a certain extent.
Vitamin C is a very good choice.When eating salted fish and pickles, if you eat them with oranges, winter dates, and various vegetables and other foods rich in vitamin C, the risk of cancer can be reduced to a relatively low level.
But one thing to remember is that even with vitamin C, don’t eat too much, it’s still important to control the amount.
④ Certain groups of people should not be forced to eat
Although pickles do not pose a risk of cancer when eaten in a reasonable way. But for certain groups of people, it’s still not a good food choice.
For example, high blood pressure patients have strict control over salt in their daily diet. Even a small amount of pickles has a high salt content, so it is not recommended to eat pickled foods.
There are also people who already have gastrointestinal diseases, such as patients with gastric ulcer, patients with acute gastritis, etc. Pungent foods such as pickles and salted fish may aggravate the condition and are not recommended.
In short, any food has its reason for existence. Even pickled foods, as long as you eat healthily and choose wisely, you can still minimize the risk of cancer and enjoy delicious food with more confidence. At the same time, in the process of daily diet, we must also pay attention to nutritional balance. We cannot just eat pickles. A variety of nutrients is the basis of good health.
Reference:
[1]: "Can't you eat pickles and bacon? Will it cause cancer? If you want to eat with confidence, keep these 4 points in mind..." Popular Science China, 2021-12-10
[2] Liu Shaowei, Ruan Zanlin. Learn from strengths and avoid weaknesses - starting from the food safety of nitrite in classic foods [J]. Quality and Standardization, 2012(3):2.
