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Have you ever noticed what kind of material the liner of your rice cooker is made of? Have you ever heard that the inner liner of a rice cooker may release harmful substances that can cause rice to turn into poison or even a catalyst for "liver cancer"?
It may sound scary and incredible, but it's not alarmist, it's backed by science. According to reports, the inner liner of some rice cookers is made of stainless steel or aluminum alloy, which will release some heavy metal elements such as nickel, chromium, aluminum, etc. under high temperature and high pressure conditions.
These elements can penetrate into the rice, and long-term consumption can cause serious harm to the human body, especially liver damage, increasing the risk of liver cancer. So, how true are these reports? How do we identify and choose the liner of a rice cooker?
1. Xiao Zhang's tragic experience
Xiao Zhang, a recent college graduate, cooks rice in a rice cooker in his dormitory every day to save money, and then serves it as a meal with some simple dishes. His rice cooker was bought when he was a freshman, and he has been using it for more than four years, and the inner tank has worn out a lot, but he thinks it can still be used, so he has not replaced it.
One day, after Xiao Zhang finished eating, he suddenly felt a stomachache, thinking that he had eaten a bad stomach, so he didn't care. But the next day, his stomach hurt even more, and it was accompanied by nausea, vomiting, fever and other symptoms, so he rushed to the hospital for examination. The results showed that there was an abnormality in his liver, which may be an early symptom of liver cancer and required further examination and treatment.
Xiao Zhang can't believe that he usually doesn't have any bad habits, how can he get liver cancer? He asked the doctor if there was any possibility of misdiagnosis, and the doctor said that although he could not be 100% sure, based on his symptoms and examination results, the possibility of liver cancer was very high, and his liver cancer may be caused by long-term consumption of foods containing heavy metals.
Xiao Zhang thought back for a while, his usual diet was very simple, except for rice and some dishes, there was nothing special, and he couldn't think of any foods that might contain heavy metals. It suddenly occurred to him that the inner liner of his rice cooker had worn out badly, could it be the reason for it?
He quickly took out his rice cooker and looked at it carefully, and found that there were many black spots on the inner tank, and some places had lost the paint, revealing the true color of metal. He suddenly remembered that he had read some reports on the rice cooker liner on the Internet before, and he wondered, is it because he ate these "poisonous rice" that he suffered from liver cancer?
2. Does the material of the rice cooker liner really affect human health?
Xiao Zhang's speculation is not unreasonable, in fact, the material of the rice cooker liner does affect human health, especially when the liner is worn or aged, it is easier to release harmful substances. According to a study, different rice cooker liners release different amounts of heavy metals during the cooking process.
Among them, the stainless steel liner releases the most nickel and chromium, the aluminum alloy liner releases the most aluminum, and the ceramic liner releases the least heavy metal elements. These heavy metal elements will be absorbed with the moisture of rice and enter the human body, causing chronic poisoning, which affects the normal material of the rice cooker liner will indeed affect human health.
Especially when the inner tank is worn or aged, it is easier to release harmful substances. According to a study, different rice cooker liners release different amounts of heavy metals during the cooking process.
So, what kind of harm will these heavy metal elements cause to the human body?
Nickel is a common metallic element, it is widely distributed in nature and is also found in some foods such as nuts, chocolate, tea, etc. Nickel has a certain physiological effect on the human body and can participate in the activity of some enzymes, but excessive nickel will be toxic to the human body, especially to the liver, kidneys, heart, lungs and other organs.
Nickel interferes with the body's redox reaction, leading to oxidative stress in cells, causing cell damage and death. Nickel also affects the body's immune system, lowering the body's resistance and increasing the risk of infection. Nickel is also a carcinogen, which can induce cell carcinogenesis through genetic mutations, epigenetics, cell cycle and other pathways, especially liver cancer, lung cancer, nasopharyngeal cancer, etc.
Chromium is an important trace element, which has a variety of physiological functions in the human body, such as participating in the action of insulin, regulating blood sugar levels, and promoting the metabolism of proteins, fats and carbohydrates. However, chromium also has two different valence states, namely trivalent chromium and hexavalent chromium, which have very different effects on the human body.
Trivalent chromium is an essential nutrient that is beneficial to the human body, whereas hexavalent chromium is a toxic substance that is harmful to the human body. Hexavalent chromium damages the body's cell membranes, leading to increased cell permeability, causing edema and necrosis of cells. Hexavalent chromium will also react with the body's DNA, resulting in DNA fragmentation and mutation, causing cell cancer, especially liver cancer, lung cancer, stomach cancer, etc.
Aluminum is the most abundant metallic element in the earth's crust, it is widely found in nature and also in some foods such as tea, cola, beer, etc. Aluminum does not have any physiological effect on the human body, but excessive aluminum can be toxic to the human body, especially to the nervous system, skeletal system, blood system, etc. Aluminum can interfere with the balance of minerals such as calcium, phosphorus, and magnesium in the body, leading to osteoporosis, fractures, anemia, etc.
Aluminum can also affect the synthesis and release of neurotransmitters in the human body, leading to dysfunction of nerve cells, causing memory loss, mental retardation, Alzheimer's disease, etc. Aluminum also reacts with the body's DNA, leading to DNA damage and mutations, increasing the likelihood of cell cancer, especially liver cancer, breast cancer, etc.
From the above introduction, it can be seen that the material of the rice cooker liner will release some heavy metal elements, which will cause different degrees of harm to the human body, especially liver damage, and increase the risk of liver cancer. So, how do we choose and use a rice cooker? Is there any way to reduce the intake of these heavy metals?
3. How to choose the material of the inner liner of the rice cooker
The material of the inner liner of the rice cooker is a key factor affecting human health, therefore, when choosing a rice cooker, we should pay attention to the material of the inner tank and try to avoid using stainless steel or aluminum alloy liners, because these materials will release more heavy metal elements. We should choose ceramic or purple sand liners, as these materials will release less heavy metal elements, and there are some other advantages.
Ceramic liner is a relatively common liner material, its advantages are high temperature resistance, not easy to deform, not easy to stick to the pan, not easy to rust, not easy to produce peculiar smell, but also has a certain thermal insulation effect, which can keep the rice sweet and soft glutinous. The disadvantage of ceramic liners is that they are relatively heavy, not easy to clean, and easy to break, so they need to be used and maintained carefully.
Zisha liner is a relatively high-end liner material, its advantage is that it has good air permeability, which can make the moisture and smell of rice naturally dissipated, will not cause mildew and deterioration of rice, and can also absorb the nutrition and aroma of rice, making rice more mellow and delicious. The disadvantage of purple sand liners is that they are more expensive, not easy to buy, and need to be maintained frequently, and cannot be cleaned with chemicals such as detergent, otherwise it will destroy the texture and color of purple sand.
4. Precautions for using rice cookers
The service life of the rice cooker is generally about 3-5 years, if it exceeds this time, the inner tank will be worn or aged, at this time, the rice cooker should be replaced in time, so as not to release too many harmful substances from the inner tank. If you find that the inner liner has paint loss, discoloration, deformation, cracks, etc., you should also replace the rice cooker immediately and do not use it again.
After each use of the rice cooker, it is necessary to clean the rice cooker in time to remove the rice residue and oil stains on the inner liner, so as not to breed bacteria and mold, which may affect the quality and taste of the rice. When cleaning the rice cooker, use a mild detergent, such as edible alkali or white vinegar, and do not use a strong detergent.
Such as dish soap or bleach, so as not to damage the surface and coating of the inner tank, resulting in corrosion and oxidation of the inner tank. When cleaning the rice cooker, use a soft cloth or sponge, not a hard brush or steel wool ball, so as not to scratch the surface and coating of the inner tank, causing wear and tear and cracks on the inner tank.
Before cooking, it is best to soak the rice in clean water for a period of time, so that the rice grains can fully absorb the water, increase the fullness and taste of the rice, and also remove some impurities and pesticide residues in the rice, reducing the harm to the human body.
The time of soaking rice is generally about 30 minutes to 1 hour, not too long, otherwise it will lead to the loss of nutrients and spoilage of the rice. Use clean water to soak rice, not tap water or mineral water, because these waters may contain some heavy metal elements, such as lead, mercury, arsenic, etc., which will increase the burden on the human body.
After cooking, it is best to dry the rice, which will reduce the moisture and temperature of the rice, reduce the reproduction of bacteria and mold in the rice, extend the shelf life of the rice, and also make the rice more fluffy and fragrant. The drying time of rice is generally about 15 minutes to 30 minutes, not too long, otherwise it will cause the rice to dry and harden. Choose a ventilated and clean place where the rice is dried, and do not place it in direct sunlight or dusty places, so as not to affect the quality and hygiene of the rice.
epilogue
Stainless steel liners release the most nickel and chromium, aluminum alloy liners release the most aluminum, and ceramic liners release the least heavy metal elements. These heavy metals will be absorbed with the moisture of rice and enter the human body, causing chronic poisoning, affecting the normal metabolism and function of the human body, especially the damage to the liver, and increasing the risk of liver cancer.