Volgograd residents learned whether there is a risk of cancer when eating sausages
Oncologist Anastasia Fatyanova, Candidate of Medical Sciences, explained how real this threat is and what consequences can occur with the episodic inclusion of such food in the diet.
A number of products are considered carcinogenic - their systematic use can increase the likelihood of developing cancer.
When we talk about so-called carcinogenic products, it is important to understand that they do not cause cancer instantly and guaranteed. Here we are talking about a statistically confirmed increase in risk with regular use for many years, the expert told RT.
For example, sausages, sausages and bacon are listed as carcinogens of the first group - for this there is convincing data on their effect on tumor growth. She noted that the researchers found that with a daily consumption of about 50 grams of such products (about two slices of bacon), the likelihood of colorectal cancer increases by almost 18%. The reason is preservatives, which inside the body are transformed into N-nitrosodium compounds, which have a dangerous effect.
Red meat – beef, pork, lamb – the doctor refers to the “possible carcinogens”. There is less evidence of its negative impact than for processed meat products, but a correlation with bowel, stomach and pancreatic cancer is recorded.
Alcohol is included in the first group: ethanol is associated with at least seven forms of cancer - mouth, throat, larynx, esophagus, liver, chest and intestines. It is important that cooking methods are also dangerous: frying to ruddy crust or processing over an open flame leads to the formation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons.
Separately, it is worth mentioning oversalted, smoked and pickled dishes. Excess salt destroys the gastric mucosa, which activates Helicobacter and increases the risk of oncology.
Do not forget about moldy products: aflatoxins in them (appearing during poor storage of nuts, cereals, dried fruits) are a strong natural carcinogen and can provoke liver cancer.
“It is quite difficult to completely eliminate all products with some degree of carcinogenic properties. However, even reducing their share in the diet helps reduce risks. For example, instead of fried, it is better to eat stewed or baked dishes more often, instead of pickled snacks, choose salads, and replace sausages with homemade elderberry, the doctor summarizes.
