What's the health secret you've heard the most in recent years? The answer is only four words: drink more hot water!
Hot water in the Chinese health care industry, just like the magic of the elixir, there is no disease is a cup of hot water can not be solved, if there is, then another cup!
However, is it really good to drink more hot water? Not really!
Of course, the hot water referred to here is not water with temperature, but water with higher temperature.
The International Agency for Research on Cancer, a subsidiary of the World Health Organization, has released a list of carcinogens, and water and food above 65 ° C are in the ranks of Class 2A carcinogens. The most direct relationship with hot water is known as cancer with Chinese characteristics: esophageal cancer!
So the question is, obviously the body needs water, why does scalding water increase the possibility of carcinogenicity?
First of all, there is a layer of mucosa distributed on the mucosa of the human digestive tract, which is both delicate and very fragile. Food that enters the stomach and intestines for further digestion and absorption must pass through the esophagus.
Usually, the temperature of the digestive tract is about 37 ° C, and the safest eating temperature is about 10-40 ° C. Relevant studies have shown that the limit of the temperature tolerated by the esophagus is about 50-60 ° C, and once the safe temperature is exceeded, it will cause mild burns to the mucosa of the esophagus.
In fact, everyone has had a similar experience in life, eating an overheated food, or suddenly drinking a sip of hot milk tea, you will feel that the esophagus has a burning feeling, which is actually a manifestation of burns.
Usually, there are three areas in the esophagus that are most susceptible to damage: the entrance to the esophagus and the intersection of the esophagus and left bronchi. This is so because these three parts have something in common, they are the most narrow areas of the esophagus, and food will have a short stay when passing by, and then burn the mucosal epithelium of these areas.
However, fortunately, the mucosa of the esophagus has the ability to self-adjust and repair, and a chance mild burn will soon return to normal.
However, if you repeatedly eat too hot food for a long time, the esophageal mucosa will be repeatedly damaged, from mild damage to inflammation, erosion and ulceration, over time hyperplasia, atypical hyperplasia, and eventually cancerous.
All in all, the association between hot water and cancer is not actually about the word water, but the specific temperature of water.
Although the relationship between Class 2a carcinogens and cancer is not absolute, there is a certain risk after all, it is easy to promote chronic diseases. Therefore, everyone should try to avoid drinking too hot water and eating hot food in daily life.