Lettuce, a ubiquitous vegetable, is actually the stem and leaf part of the annual herbaceous plant lettuce, also known as lettuce, raw bamboo shoots, or goldenrod.
However, there are many people on the Internet who claim that lettuce is an anti-cancer bully, which can kill cancer cells and alleviate the side effects of chemotherapy, are these rumors true?
1. Anti-cancer rumors of lettuce
Lettuce is a common vegetable with a slender shape, a crisp and tender texture, and a fragrant and delicious taste. Lettuce is rich in a variety of nutrients, such as vitamin C, vitamin K, folic acid, potassium, phosphorus, etc., which help promote good health. In addition, lettuce is also believed to have some anti-cancer effects.
Lettuce contains aromatic hydrocarbon hydroxyl esters, which have a variety of biological activities such as antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-cancer. Studies have shown that aromatic hydroxylated esters can inhibit the growth and spread of tumor cells and promote their apoptosis, thus having anti-cancer potential.
The aromatic hydrocarbon hydroxyl esters in lettuce are also able to alleviate chemotherapy side effects. Chemotherapy is currently one of the main means of treating cancer, but chemotherapy will have certain toxic side effects on the body, such as nausea, vomiting, hair loss, etc. Studies have shown that aromatic hydroxyl esters can reduce the side effects of chemotherapy and improve the quality of life of patients.
Although the aromatic hydrocarbon hydroxyl esters in lettuce have certain anti-cancer effects and chemotherapy side effects, further research is needed to confirm these effects.
In addition, lettuce cannot be relied upon to prevent and treat cancer alone, and the right diet and a healthy lifestyle are equally important.
2. The truth of the rumors that lettuce fights cancer
First of all, the active ingredient in lettuce is difficult to reach the study dose. In experimental studies, ingredients extracted from food are used, and these ingredients must reach a specific dose level before they can be carried out in animal experiments in order to exert their anti-cancer effects.
The content of aromatic hydroxyl esters in lettuce is relatively low, and if you want to achieve this dose for experiments, you often need to ingest a few catties or even dozens of catties, which is obviously unrealistic.
In addition, the ingredient content of lettuce will also be affected by a variety of factors, such as the growth environment, climate, variety, etc., which will also affect its anti-cancer effect.
Secondly, a single dietary intake can lead to the body's inability to consume the full range of nutrients. Although lettuce is rich in nutrients, a single food cannot provide the full range of nutrients that the body needs.
In addition, when food is ingested and broken down by digestive enzymes, some ingredients may lose their original potencies, a process that may also weaken the anti-cancer ingredients in lettuce.
Therefore, eating only a certain food cannot achieve the goal of cancer prevention, and it is necessary to diversify the diet and consume a variety of vegetables, fruits, whole grains, legumes, nuts and other foods to obtain comprehensive nutrition.
Although the aromatic hydrocarbon hydroxyl esters in lettuce may play a role in the prevention and treatment of cancer, lettuce alone cannot achieve the effect of cancer prevention.
3. Anti-cancer foods that have been blown into the sky
In addition to lettuce, there are also some foods touted as cancer-fighting foods, such as garlic, tea, okra, broccoli, etc. However, do these foods really have anti-cancer benefits?
1. Garlic: Garlic is rich in sulfides, components that inhibit the growth and spread of cancer cells, hence the potential anti-cancer effects. However, research to date has focused mainly on animal and in vitro experiments, and there is not enough evidence to prove the anti-cancer benefits of garlic in humans.
2. Tea: Tea is rich in compounds such as tea polyphenols and catechins, which have certain antioxidant and anticancer effects. However, the preventive effect of tea on cancer is not very obvious. A recent study showed that there was no significant difference in overall cancer risk between people who drank tea > 4g per day and those who drank tea < once a week. In other words, drinking tea alone does not play a role in preventing cancer.
3. Okra: Okra is rich in mucus, which can protect the mucosa of the gastrointestinal tract, promote intestinal peristalsis, and help prevent cancers such as colon cancer. However, there is currently not enough evidence that okra has a particular anti-cancer effect.
4. Broccoli: Broccoli belongs to the cruciferous vegetable, which is rich in nutrients such as vitamin C, vitamin K, folic acid, and also contains glucosinolates and other compounds, which have certain anti-cancer effects.
However, in order to achieve the potential anti-cancer effect, it is necessary to eat about 6 catties of raw cruciferous vegetables every day, and after eating, it is only a potential anti-cancer effect, that is, it cannot be determined.
Although some foods contain some ingredients with anti-cancer effects, the content and effect of these ingredients are not very obvious, and food alone cannot be relied on to prevent and treat cancer.
4. Poor eating habits and cancer risk
In addition to the type and nutrient content of food, poor eating habits can also increase the risk of cancer. For example, excessive intake of foods high in fat, sugar, salt, and cholesterol can lead to the occurrence of obesity, high blood pressure, hyperlipidemia and other diseases, which in turn increases the risk of cancer.
In addition, high-temperature processed foods such as fried foods and barbecued foods can also produce carcinogens and increase the risk of cancer.
Leftovers and social meals are also examples of poor eating habits, as these foods can easily breed bacteria and molds, produce carcinogens, and increase the risk of cancer.
Therefore, we should try to avoid leftovers and social meals, choose fresh ingredients as much as possible, and reduce the time spent on food processing and storage.
Eating correctly is essential to prevent cancer from occurring. It is recommended that people maintain a diversified diet and consume a variety of vegetables, fruits, whole grains, legumes, nuts and other foods to ensure that the body receives comprehensive nutrition, thereby reducing the risk of cancer. In addition, moderate exercise, quitting smoking and limiting alcohol are also important measures to prevent cancer.
5. Comprehensive management
A single food cannot play a role in fighting cancer, and the right diet is essential to prevent cancer from occurring. Eating a varied diet and eating correctly is the key to cancer prevention.
A varied diet refers to the intake of a variety of vegetables, fruits, whole grains, legumes, nuts and other foods to ensure that the body receives comprehensive nutrition.
Different foods contain different types and amounts of nutrients, and a diversified diet can enable the body to obtain comprehensive nutrition, enhance the body's immunity, and reduce the risk of cancer.
Proper eating habits include eating less fried foods, leftovers, social meals and high-fat foods, avoiding food processing and storage for too long, and reducing the intake of carcinogens. In addition, moderate exercise, quitting smoking and limiting alcohol are also important measures to prevent cancer.
Although some foods contain some ingredients with anti-cancer effects, the content and effect of these ingredients are not very obvious, and food alone cannot be relied on to prevent and treat cancer.
summary
Don't overly believe in the anti-cancer effects of certain foods, establish a correct concept of health, maintain a diversified diet and correct eating habits, in order to truly prevent the occurrence of cancer.
Cancer prevention is a long-term process, which requires us to start from various details of daily life, from diet, exercise, lifestyle and other aspects to change our living habits, maintain good health, and stay away from the harm of cancer.