35-year-old Mr. Wang developed symptoms of left mid-upper abdominal pain 4 months ago, which was aggravated on an empty stomach and relieved after eating, but the pain was not severe and did not appear other accompanying symptoms such as blood in the stool, hematemesis, etc., so it had no impact on Mr. Wang's daily life and work, but the pain has intensified recently, and Mr. Wang found that he had lost weight, which made him a little worried, so he went to the hospital for further examination.
After listening to Mr. Wang's narration, the doctor prescribed relevant examinations to Mr. Wang and asked him about some of his living habits, and learned that Mr. Wang had been infected with Helicobacter pylori in the past, but after taking medicine for a period of time, he stopped the drug because of his busy work, and at the same time was very frugal in daily life, always storing unfinished food in the refrigerator, and often still eating after the expiration date, and at the same time, because of personal taste, he especially liked to eat freshly pickled sauerkraut and overnight dishes.
After Mr. Wang completed the relevant examinations, he found that the blood draw showed that Mr. Wang's alpha-fetoprotein was 2.64ng/mL and carcinoembryonic antigen was 4.89ng/mL, which was within the normal range. However, the carbohydrate antigen CA199 was 122.80U/mL, which suggested that Mr. Wang's symptoms may be related to inflammation and tumor of the digestive system, and CT examination found that the localized gastric wall at the small curvature of the stomach was thickened and accompanied by abnormal strengthening, and the surface ulcer was large.
Such a diagnosis made Mr. Wang difficult to accept, he only had occasional pain in his stomach, how could it become a tumor? But in fact, the occurrence of stomach cancer is closely related to Mr. Wang's eating habits.
First, why is stomach cancer closely related to the food in the refrigerator?
A more comprehensive study of the causes of gastric cancer has found that there are unchangeable factors, namely heredity, genes, etc., and a large part of the reason is due to factors that can be changed, such as diet and lifestyle habits. The occurrence and development of gastric cancer is convenient for Helicobacter pylori and nitrite in the diet to have a closer relationship.
Helicobacter pylori can be transmitted to each other due to the lack of habit of using male chopsticks during the meal, but its presence can be detected by carbon 14 experiments, and the carrier is systematically treated so that the carrier no longer carries Helicobacter pylori. However, because it is highly contagious and not easy to be killed by low temperatures, the short storage of the refrigerator can even play a good transit role.
In addition, nitrite as a common element in the diet, widely present in a variety of foods, many literature shows that its existence and gastric cancer has a closer relationship, in 2022 an internationally renowned journal "Nutrients" published, a meta-analysis of nitrite and cancer risk wrote that after 74 papers, 3348 results were analyzed, it was found that with the increase of nitrite intake, the risk of gastric cancer increased, That is, the occurrence of gastric cancer is positively correlated with the dose of nitrite.
And some foods if stored for too long, improper storage methods are also easy to deteriorate or grow mold, and even Aspergillus flavus, aflatoxin as a recognized strong carcinogen, can promote human liver cancer, seriously threaten human life and health.
For daily life, the correct use of the refrigerator and reducing the intake of these three foods are key. Because refrigerators as a tool for preserving food, have entered thousands of households, but refrigerators are not omnipotent, if used improperly, they can even promote microbial reproduction so that a large amount of nitrite appears in food.
Second, which three foods should not be left in the refrigerator for a long time?
1. Leftovers
Some families are more frugal, if the food is not finished, they will store the leftovers in the refrigerator and continue to eat the next day or even the third day, but this behavior is actually very detrimental to health.
This is due to not only a large number of microorganisms in the saliva, but also a lot of bacteria in the refrigerator, in a study of pathogenic microorganisms in the refrigerator freezer, 7.78% of the samples were detected with Staphylococcus aureus, and the detection rate of Escherichia coli also reached 4.44%, although the refrigerator used in the study did not detect Salmonella, etc., but there were more reports that Yersinia, Listeria monocytogenes and other colonies that can cause serious diseases can be isolated from refrigerator samples.
And leftovers as a natural medium, with refrigerator colonies, bacteria multiply in large numbers in leftovers, if not heated continue to eat bacterial invasion, but if overheated nitrite will be converted into nitrite amine, causing serious harm to the human body.
Green vegetables do not overnight, let alone long-term refrigeration and storage, so as not to cause unnecessary harm to the human body, Mr. Wang is a long-term stir-fry a lot of dishes and then eat all the time, so gastrointestinal function has a big problem.
2. Dried fruit foods
Dried fruit food as the most easily contaminated by aflatoxin, such as peanuts, almonds, the market can find the presence of aflatoxin, and in the growth process of the plant itself is difficult to ensure that completely away from soil pollution, and because of many people's concept of putting food in the refrigerator can extend the shelf life of food, even beyond the shelf life can also be eaten, so that dried fruits are stored in the refrigerator for a long time, but this view is limited.
Although the refrigerator slows down the rate of bacterial reproduction by controlling the temperature, if there are fruits and vegetables and other foods with large moisture in the refrigerator, it often makes the refrigerator moist, and the suitable humidity for toxification of aflatoxin is 80-90%. Peanuts and other dried fruit mold products contain aflatoxin, is a strong carcinogen, has been more comprehensive studies have shown that aflatoxin and hepatitis virus is the continent induce liver cancer two major risk factors, and the southern climate of the mainland is humid and hot, more likely to breed mildew, even if stored in the refrigerator does not mean that it can extend its shelf life.
3. Staple foods
Many times families will store some staple foods such as steamed buns, flower rolls, rice, etc. in the refrigerator freezer, which will not have any impact on the body in the short term, but if the storage time is too long, staple foods are easy to mildew. Especially when the temperature of the food placed in the refrigerator is too high, the steam in the food will condense into a large amount of condensate when encountering the cold air in the refrigerator, so that the humidity in the refrigerator rises, and as the humidity rises, it becomes more suitable for the growth and reproduction of mold.
Coupled with long-term failure to clean the refrigerator, and improper storage methods, staple foods have a high carbohydrate content, which is suitable for the growth of mold while breeding bacteria, and aflatoxin, a strong carcinogen, likes rice and other "petri dishes" very much. Even secondary cooking is difficult to destroy the structure of aflatoxin, which is still toxic in food.
Therefore, in the short term, food can be stored in the refrigerator, but if it is left in the refrigerator for a long time, it is easy to breed mildew, which is a serious danger to health.
So what are the ways to reduce bacteria in the refrigerator, store food more healthily, and protect human health, here are 3 methods.
Third, how to use the refrigerator rationally and eat healthily?
1. Clean the refrigerator regularly
Cleaning the refrigerator is important because the refrigerator is where food is stored, and the longer the food is stored in the refrigerator, the more likely it is to harbor bacteria and other harmful microorganisms. Therefore, regular cleaning of the refrigerator can not only remove expired food, clean food residues and eliminate bacteria, ensure the safety and hygiene of food, but also prevent the spread of odors, avoid the presence of odors affecting the taste and quality of food, and even lead to the mutual spread of bacteria, so that other foods in the refrigerator are contaminated, these problems can be solved by cleaning the refrigerator.
Cleaning the refrigerator is not only a useful guide to food safety, but also helps to reduce the accumulation of dust, dirt and frost in the refrigerator, improve the operating efficiency of the refrigerator and extend the life of the refrigerator. And a clean and tidy refrigerator not only makes people feel comfortable, but also makes it easier to manage and organize food.
However, cleaning the inside of the refrigerator is not an easy task, you need to take out all the food in the refrigerator, and sort it for different categories, while carefully checking the shelf life of the food and discarding the expired or spoiled food.
If the refrigerator has a freezer compartment, there may be freezing, but hard ice is difficult to remove, tough means may also cause damage to the refrigerator, so before cleaning, you need to thaw the freezer, clear the frozen food or water, and then continue to clean the shelves and drawers, and finally use food safety special disinfectant spray or damp cloth to disinfect the internal surface of the refrigerator to avoid disinfectant residues affecting food safety.
2. Master strategies for storing food
When storing food, there are also some principles and guidelines that can help people decide which foods need to be put in the refrigerator and which can be stored at room temperature. For example, perishable foods, animal products and high-protein foods, such as raw meat, cooked meat, dairy products and opened canned foods, they are prone to bacteria and therefore need to be stored in a low temperature environment, such as refrigerators or freezers.
But there are also many foods that are not suitable for storage in the refrigerator, such as cured meats, fresh fruits, nuts, etc. These foods usually have a low moisture content and a long shelf life, and are not susceptible to bacterial contamination or even easy to breed bacteria when stored in the refrigerator, so it is recommended to keep such foods in a cool and ventilated place. However, depending on the climatic and environmental conditions, these foods may need to be placed in the refrigerator during the hot season or humid environment to extend their shelf life.
For some canned foods that have been opened, such as sauces, salad dressings, and meat sauces, they often need to be put in the refrigerator to maintain their freshness and quality, and if they cannot be eaten in a short time when eating canned food, it is still recommended to use tools alone to clamp the food to the plate to eat, rather than directly in the can, to reduce the growth of bacteria. In addition to this, pay attention to the appearance, smell, and texture of the food, and if there are suspicious changes, it is best to put it in the refrigerator to ensure food safety.
3. Cultivate food safety awareness
Maintaining a balanced and varied diet is fundamental to promoting food safety. Through the Internet, you can understand the nutritional content of food, control the salt, sugar and fat content of intake, choose fresh, high-quality and organic foods, and avoid relying too much on processed foods, which can reduce potential health risks.
At the same time, when buying food, try to choose reputable suppliers and brands, buy food that meets national and regional standards, such as choosing food with SQ logo, and pay more attention when buying homemade, often homemade wine and other foods because of lack of supervision, often there are bacteria exceeding the standard. Pay attention to check the shelf life and storage conditions of food, and avoid buying expired, damaged or substandard food.
At the same time, proper storage of food can prevent the growth of bacteria and food spoilage. Place perishable foods in the refrigerator or freezer compartment to avoid cross-contamination of food, and clean the refrigerator and pantry area regularly. Pay attention to personal hygiene and food safety measures during food processing and cooking. Dispose of food after washing hands, avoid mixing raw and cooked foods during processing, cook meat and poultry thoroughly to avoid cross-contamination.
Although the appearance of cancer is the result of the interaction of many factors, diet must be an important part of it. It is difficult to say that Mr. Wang did not have a bad diet for a long time, which had a bad impact on the body, and these factors made the occurrence and development of cancer not be controlled early, and eventually cost him his life. Therefore, to maintain food safety is to be responsible for your own health, protect your health, and enjoy every year in the future.
Bibliography:
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