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"Maybe it's the ones your neighbors brought you that you are allergic to. The doctor said to Li Guoqing while reviewing the report that there was a professional concern hidden under his eyes.
Li Guoqing, a 60-year-old retired physics teacher, is widely loved by his neighbors for his helpful work.
This trip to the hospital was originally just because after eating the souvenirs brought from his hometown, he had some symptoms of skin allergies.
He never imagined that this examination would deviate the trajectory of his life so much.
The doctor continued, "We did the allergy test at the same time as we did some other basic physical examinations, including a color ultrasound of the intestines.
The results show some unusual shadowing in your rectal part and I recommend further colonoscopy. ”
Rectal cancer, a disease that is not often mentioned in ordinary conversations but has a high incidence of disease, suddenly broke into Li Guoqing's peaceful life at this time.
Despite the shocking discovery, Li Guoqing decided to face the reality that he wanted to know how to deal with it in the coming days.
The results of the colonoscopy confirmed the doctor's fear: Li Guoqing's rectum found early signs of cancer.
Fortunately, due to the timely detection, the recovery of the treatment is very optimistic.
However, this unexpected discovery made Li Guoqing begin to reflect on his living habits, especially his dietary choices.
During an in-depth conversation with the doctor, Li Guoqing learned many dietary factors related to rectal cancer.
The doctor explained that while there is no direct evidence that specialty products cause rectal cancer, certain "bad things" in the diet do increase the risk of disease.
"A high-fat, low-fiber diet is an important risk factor for rectal cancer. The doctor said.
This diet causes food debris to remain in the gut for too long, which in turn increases the exposure of intestinal cells to potential carcinogens.
In addition, processed meats such as sausages, bacon, etc., contain preservatives, such as nitrites, which are also thought to be associated with the development of bowel cancer.
Statistics show that people who regularly consume processed meat have an 18% higher incidence of rectal cancer than those who don't eat it regularly.
However, Dr. Li suggested a more unique idea: there may be a link between the mineral content of water quality and the risk of bowel cancer.
He explained that while this idea is not common in routine studies, there are studies that show that higher hardness in drinking water, mainly calcium and magnesium content, is associated with a lower risk of bowel cancer.
This association may be due to the protective role that minerals play in the gut.
The physician further supplemented some specific patient cases to support this view.
He mentioned a small town where the inhabitants drank water from a particular mountain range for a long time, which was rich in a variety of minerals.
A long period of observation has found that the incidence of rectal cancer in the resident population of this town is significantly lower than the national average.
This information made Li Guoqing realize that health is not only about eating healthy, but also about environmental factors and even the water he drinks every day.
He began to adjust his eating habits, increasing his intake of fiber, reducing processed foods, and paying more attention to the health factors in his living environment.
Through this unexpected health crisis, Li Guoqing not only gained a deeper understanding of rectal cancer, but also re-examined his lifestyle.
His experience is a reminder to everyone that health is multifaceted and that we should maintain it from multiple perspectives.
In this article, we discuss the link between dietary habits, environmental factors, and rectal cancer.
But this begs a broader question:
In addition to known risk factors, what are some of the other everyday behaviours or environmental factors that may be overlooked that may also affect our health?
Our daily life environment, such as household chemicals, indoor air quality, and even sitting for long periods of time, can have adverse effects on gut health.
For example, volatile organic compounds and other fine particulate matter in indoor air can indirectly affect gut health by affecting our respiratory and immune systems.
These factors, although not noticed by us in our daily lives, have potential health effects that deserve our in-depth exploration and attention.
What do you have to say about this? Feel free to leave your thoughts in the comment section!