"Are you trying to kill my son?"
The relationship between Lili and her mother-in-law has always been very poor, and her mother-in-law thinks that she doesn't cook or do housework every day, and she feels very sorry for her son.
One day, Lili was really annoyed by her mother-in-law's nagging, thinking that she would cook a meal for her husband so that he could come home from work and eat hot.
After working on the recipe for a long time, she added some oyster sauce when she was out of the pot and was seen by her mother-in-law, who directly scolded Lili and said that oyster sauce was a carcinogen.
The mother-in-law's scolding made Lili angry, and quarreled with her directly, and neither side was convinced, will oyster sauce cause cancer? #文章首发挑战赛#
1. Is the high incidence of cancer in mainland China due to eating too much seasoning?
Compared with other countries, the number of cancer cases in the mainland is among the highest, and many people say that the high incidence of cancer in the mainland is caused by eating. Many common condiments have also been labeled as unhealthy, and are even thought to cause cancer, such as oyster sauce, monosodium glutamate, and soy sauce are all more common in the "carcinogenic list", but do these condiments really cause cancer?
- oyster sauce
Rumor has it that the monosodium glutamate in oyster sauce will form sodium pyroglutamate when heated, which is a carcinogen and long-term consumption will increase the body's risk of cancer, is this true?
The answer is no, monosodium glutamate is actually very common in daily life, and it is contained in many meats and vegetables. When heated above 120°C, it does produce sodium pyroglutamate, but sodium pyroglutamate is not a carcinogen, but it will make oyster sauce lose its umami flavor.
What we really need to pay attention to in daily life is that oyster sauce should be refrigerated in time after opening, as it contains a variety of organic acids and trace elements that are easy to oxidize and decompose at room temperature, and there is a risk of microbial contamination and mildew.
- monosodium glutamate
There are two main theories that MSG causes cancer, one is from a Chinese-American doctor, who claims that he will have a rapid heartbeat, physical exhaustion and paralysis after eating in a Chinese restaurant, which is related to the MSG used in the restaurant. There is also a theory similar to that of oyster sauce, where it is rumored that sodium pyroglutamate, which is formed by heating the monosodium glutamate, has a carcinogenic risk.
There is not enough scientific basis for these two claims, and sodium pyroglutamate itself is not a carcinogen, but it will make MSG lose its original umami.
But it is true that there are many people who feel dry and uncomfortable after eating MSG. This is likely to be caused by excessive intake of sodium, about 393mg of sodium in 1g of salt, 136mg of sodium in 1g of monosodium glutamate, and salt will be added at the same time as monosodium glutamate is added daily.
- soy sauce
Rumors say that soy sauce contains carcinogenic ingredients such as 4-methylimidazole and nitrosamines, and long-term intake will increase the body's risk of cancer, is this true?
The contents of soy sauce produced by regular manufacturers have clear standards, and as long as they meet the standards, they will not bring excessive risks to health. As for nitrosamines, they are produced by combining the nitrite in soy sauce with proteins in other foods, but as long as soy sauce is consumed in moderation, it will not cause the body to overdose nitrite and will not pose an additional carcinogenic risk, so there is no need to worry too much about this.
We can't blindly talk about toxicity regardless of dose, which is an unscientific approach, and we should not believe rumors in our daily lives and bring unnecessary effects to our lives.
Second, these 3 kinds of condiments are really not to be used indiscriminately
In life, what we really need to pay attention to is actually these kinds of condiments, which are not recommended for everyone to eat unless necessary.
1. Self-pressed oil
Many people feel that self-pressed oil is more mellow than the oil they buy, but there are also great health risks associated with self-pressed oil. Because the raw materials of self-pressed oil may be improperly stored and spoiled, and mold, these spoiled raw materials may contain aflatoxin, resulting in contamination of the oil. However, the small workshop does not have refining equipment, so it cannot filter and remove aflatoxin and impurities in the oil, which is likely to threaten health after eating.
2. Fish sauce
Fish sauce is actually fish soy sauce, which has a high umami content. However, some studies have found that fish sauce needs to be fermented during processing, and fermentation will produce ethyl acetate, which will bring adverse stimulation to the nose, throat, liver and kidneys, and easily induce symptoms such as abdominal pain and diarrhea, and may also lead to cancer over time.
3. Prepare soy sauce
Soy sauce is a liquid condiment made with the theme of brewing soy sauce and adding acid hydrolyzed vegetable protein seasoning liquid and food additives. This kind of soy sauce has a certain chance of chloropropanol contamination in the production process, which has acute and chronic effects, as well as certain genotoxicity, neurotoxicity and carcinogenicity.
3. How to tell if the seasoning has deteriorated?
After the lid is opened, the condiment will continue to come into contact with microorganisms in the air, and some nutrients inside may oxidize and decompose, or even deteriorate. How can we tell if the condiments in the kitchen have gone bad?
1. Solid seasoning
If the seasoning is lumpy, spicy, color or taste, it is likely to be caused by deterioration.
2. Liquid seasoning
Liquids that become cloudy, have sediment, or smell strange may be the result of deterioration.
3. Semi-liquid seasoning
If the condiment has a sour and rancid taste, or there is obvious sediment in the lower layer, do not continue to eat.
In life, it is recommended that the seasonings should not be placed next to the stove, and it is best to use a sealed container to put them in a cool, dry place alone, and different condiments should be stored separately.
Condiment is an indispensable part of our lives, and we must pay attention to distinguish between rumors about it, and we must not affect our lives because of unfounded rumors.
Resources:
[1] "Eating Oyster Sauce Regularly Can Cause Cancer?", China Food News Official Platform, 2023-11-21
[2] "The high incidence of cancer in China is caused by oyster sauce?Doctor's advice: Try to touch as few of these 3 condiments". Dr. Zeng Health Science 2022-12-28
[3] "The correct way to store seasonings is like this!Wrong for so many years, waste and hurt the body", People's Daily Online Science 2022-06-14
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