I just came home from a part-time job, and there was a plate of pig nose arches on the table during the meal, so I said to myself: Mom, why do you still eat this? I've heard that the arch of the pig's nose contains a first-class carcinogen.
Unexpectedly, my mother smiled and said: Which of the hell are you? I've been eating for so long, you didn't eat it when you were a child.
As a result, I thought that this was the case, so I didn't care so much, and began to eat it, and the previous taste was particularly delicious. Many people may not know what a pig's nose arch is, in fact, it is what you call houttuynia in your mouth, some people like it, some people hate it, and some people say that houttuynia contains first-class carcinogens, hurting the kidneys and causing cancer, today I will take you to reveal the secret together.
01
Folded ear root, a famous dish of the South with a long history
For the residents of the Yunguichuan area, or southerners, folding ear root is an indispensable dish on the table, a slightly spicy taste with a special fishy taste that they will not forget even when they are far from home. This very fishy smell, which many northerners avoid, is an out-and-out "dark cuisine", for them, the more familiar name is houttuynia, often appears in various Chinese medicine formulas and medicines.
According to historical records, folding ear root was used as a common wild vegetable during the Yue King Goujian period, served on the table, and now it has been cultivated artificially on a large scale, with certain medicinal value, houttuynia cordata contains trace elements necessary for the human body, mineral vitamins, and has a certain effect on caring for the healthy skin of human fur, especially the calcium inside can meet the needs of the human body.
After a long time of dietary experience, people gradually found that the medicinal value of folded ear root was included in a little tradition during the Wei and Jin Dynasties, in the Chinese medicine dictionary, houttuynia can clear heat and detoxify, dissolve phlegm and eliminate carbuncle, but also can be diuretic, mainly treating lung fever, asthma, eczema, etc., widely used in various prescriptions and medicines, in some other areas of the cognition of houttuynia coriace, but also only from the drug to understand, now houttuynia is made into compound capsules, injection tablets and so on to treat some diseases.
Houttuynia can also increase white blood cells, phagocytosis, expand capillaries, and improve immunity by regulating the human immune system, but many people feel that folding ear roots hurts the kidneys and causes cancer, so they avoid it, so where does this statement come from?
02
Houttuynia contains first-class carcinogens, kidney injury and carcinogens? Can you still eat folded ear roots? Tell you the truth
The reason why houttuynia fell into a carcinogenic storm, a paper published by Shanghai Jiaotong University in 2017, the article mentioned that aristolochic phosphate can lead to liver cancer, researchers analyzed more than 1400 liver cancer samples around the world and found that cancer samples carrying aristolochic acid-related gene mutations accounted for a high proportion, especially in Taiwan, the proportion reached 76%.
In 2019, Shanghai Jiaotong University published another paper confirming the relationship between aristolochic acid and liver cancer, and the experiment of the paper found that the more aristolochic acid was ingested, the higher the risk of liver cancer.
From a medical point of view, aristolochic acid is indeed carcinogenic, as early as 2009 by the World Health Organization listed as a class of carcinogens, some traditional Chinese medicines containing aristolochic acid have also been included in the blacklist of countries around the world, such as Aoki Xiang, Guanmutong, Guangfangji and so on. So does houttuynia really hurt the kidneys and cause cancer?
In some of the papers above, you can find that it is aristolochic acid that causes cancer in humans, and houttuynia contains aristolochic phenolamine BII, AII and FII, which is not the same thing as aristolochic acid I. And there is no clear evidence that houttuynia contains aristolochic lactam, which is carcinogenic, and the claim of mulberry is even more groundless, coupled with mixed network information, we must learn to distinguish between true and false, and not be led by pseudoscience.
03
Why is it not recommended to take Houttuynia in large quantities and regularly?
Houttuynia herbal food is universal, Chinese medicine evaluation of his is that long-term intake of cold may cause weakness damage, yang qi, spleen and stomach function is reduced, so you must pay attention when using houttuynia sinensis, in addition to not overdose, because its characteristics will cause, not only can not play a cough and antipyretic effect, but even lead to aggravation of cough.
Some special groups, such as children, pregnant women, weak physique, cold people are not suitable for eating houttuynia, stomach pain, contractions, diarrhea, the gain is not worth the loss.