"Don't eat houttuynia cordata, it's toxic and carcinogenic!"
"Houttuynia cordata has aristolochic acid in it, which is a carcinogen."
Houttuynia cordata is a wild vegetable with a special taste, people who like to eat it can't stop, people who don't like it take a detour, so why does aristolochic acid cause cancer? Is houttuynia really uneaten?
First, the relationship between aristolochic acid and liver cancer, is it really hammered?
Aristolochic acid and cancer are always involved, and the discussion of this "mysterious relationship" begins in 2001.
In 2001, the U.S. Food and Medicines Administration issued a warning to consumers not to take plant products containing aristolochic acid.
In 2008, aristolochic acid was listed as a class of carcinogens, making it clear that aristolochic acid is carcinogenic to humans, and aristolochic acid belongs to the same class of carcinogens, including: cigarettes, betel nut, alcohol, etc.
In 2013, two studies in Science Translational Medicine agreed that aristolochic acid was associated with a specific genetic mutation in cancer cells.
In 2017, a study in Science Translational Medicine involved 1400 liver cancer patients and counted the proportion of aristolochic acid-related gene mutations. It was found that 47% of Chinese mainland carry aristolochic acid-related genetic mutations, while Taiwan accounts for 78%, which may be related to the fact that Taiwanese people like to use Chinese herbal medicine for health, compared with less than 5% in Europe and the United States.
However, the above many only show that aristolochic acid is related to liver cancer, but it cannot be said that aristolochic acid is a carcinogenic factor of liver cancer.
Until 2019, Shanghai Jiaotong University unlocked the secret between the two.
The researchers conducted experiments with mice, and by injecting aristolochic acid into the experimental mice, they found that the mice suffered from liver cancer, and the larger the dose of aristolochic acid injected, the greater the chance of cancer.
The researchers also counted the exposure of domestic liver cancer patients to aristolochic acid, and in the random 62 liver cancer patients, more than 1/4 of the patients had been exposed to aristolochic acid. And unlike mice, aristolochic acid can cause several different genetic mutations in humans, including well-known oncogenes such as TP53.
In summary, aristolochic acid can cause liver cancer, and carcinogenicity is strong, the more ingested, the greater the risk.
Second, houttuynia cordata contains aristolochic acid, kidney toxicity and carcinogenicity?
Why are so many people on the mainland exposed to aristolochic acid?
Aristolochic acid is the most common in Chinese herbal medicine, which is also the main way for Chinese people to contact aristolochic acid. Common proprietary Chinese medicines, such as rheumatic pain relief pills, contain aristolochic acid.
Many Chinese medicinal herbs also contain aristolochic acid, such as cinnabar lotus, great white solution, tianxian vine, duheng, fine spices and so on. China only banned Guan Mutong, Aoki Xiang and Guangfang in 2004 and did not allow re-entry medicine.
Houttuynia cordata, also known as folded ear root, is used for medicinal and food purposes and is very common. It is rumored that Houttuynia cordata contains aristolochic acid, which is nephrotoxic and carcinogenic, is it really fake?
Aristolochic acid has many derivatives, and the aristolochiin contained in houttuynia cordata is a metabolic derivative.
However, according to studies, it is Aristolochia lactam I that is damaged to the kidneys, and Houttuynia cordata contains aristolochia lactam AII, BII and FII, which are not related to aristolochia lactam and aristolochic acid amine I. In the current study, no marquistinum lactam I was found in Houttuynia cordata.
Regarding whether aristolochia lactam II is nephrotoxic, there is no relevant study to confirm it.
Ding Chao's team at Zhejiang Provincial Cancer Hospital has conducted research on the effects of houttuynia cordata use habits on kidney disease in people in various regions of China. Through the investigation of 3561 people, the results were obtained: there was no difference between the use habits of houttuynia cordata and the prevalence of kidney disease, which simply means that there was no increase in the incidence of kidney disease due to the consumption of houttuynia cordata.
Therefore, everyone can still eat the folded ear root with peace of mind.
Third, eat these 4 kinds of vegetables to be careful, or hurt the kidneys and cause cancer
In the consciousness of many people, vegetables are definitely healthier than eating meat. But in fact, many vegetables, if eaten incorrectly, are likely to hurt the internal organs and increase the risk of cancer.
1. Bracken
Many northern friends must be familiar with bracken, and a cold bracken dish is basically a must-order for dinner. However, bracken was rated a Class 2B carcinogen by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) in 2011. Bracken contains a substance called protofern, which has carcinogenic properties.
But this does not mean that eating bracken will cause cancer, Dr. Yan Yuehong, head of the fern diversity research group at Shanghai Chenshan Botanical Garden, said that class 2B carcinogens, that is, the evidence of carcinogenicity found in animal experiments is not sufficient, and the evidence of carcinogenicity for humans is limited. In addition, protoferns are thermally unstable, and if they are blanched many times, toxic substances are easily destroyed, and the risk of carcinogenicity in bracken after correct treatment is not large. But caution is recommended
2, red phoenix dish
The name of the phoenix dish is different in each place, some places are called blood skin vegetables, and some places are called purple-backed sunflower vegetables, blood tonic vegetables, red-backed vegetables, Guanyin dishes and so on.
Red broccoli is not as healthy as we think, and there is evidence that red pineapple contains pyrrolizidine alkaloids, which are hepatotoxic. Long-term consumption may cause damage to the liver.
3. Fresh yellow cauliflower
Yellow cauliflower is sweet and refreshing, and it is also one of the vegetables that many people like to eat. However, fresh broccoli contains the highly toxic colchicine, especially in the parts of the flower buds. If ingested by mistake, mild nausea, diarrhea and vomiting, severe may lead to muscle weakness and even death.
Therefore, be careful to eat fresh broccoli, be sure to pull out the flower buds, soak them in salt water for a while, and finally blanch the water.
4. Raw beans
Although few families generally eat raw beans, if you do not master the heat of cooking, if the beans are not cooked, then you must be careful. Raw beans contain saponins, a plant lectin that, once ingested into the body, may cause symptoms such as food poisoning such as vomiting up and down diarrhea. Therefore, when you cook beans, you must be thoroughly simmered and cooked.
It is not prudent to conclude that houttuynia causes cancer, but for the sake of safety and health, it is also necessary to cook correctly when eating. There are also some vegetables, if you do not know how to cook, or try not to try, so as not to eat the body bad, more than worth the loss.
Resources:
[1] Hammer! Can aristolochic acid cause liver cancer, Chinese herbal medicine, and houttuynia cordata can still be eaten? 》. Pineapple Factor.2019-07-27
[2] "To study whether an ingredient of Lianhua Qing plague is useful, simple and rude!" 》. Health Post. 2020-05-20
[3] "After eating a vegetable, a 4-year-old boy is sent to the hospital for rescue!" Eat these 5 kinds of vegetables to be careful, hurt the liver and kidneys are more carcinogenic". DrX said .2022-01-05
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