JAMA Internal Medicine published a large-scale medical research report in 20 15, which lasted for 7 years and tracked the diet of more than 70,000 Christians with healthy living habits and the incidence of colorectal cancer.
The study found that compared with non-vegetarians, the risk of colorectal cancer decreased by 65,438+06% for vegans and by 65,438+08% for egg-milk vegetarians. Other people who eat half meat and half vegetarian have only a 7% reduction in risk.
This study emphasizes that a large intake of fruits and vegetables can reduce the probability of colorectal cancer. In recent years, there are many concepts of vegetarianism. However, some vegetarians still suffer from colorectal cancer. For example, Chadwick Boseman, the hero of the American film Black Panther, who recently died of colon cancer, was a vegetarian all his life.
In fact, diet is not the only cause of colorectal cancer. Exposure to environmental carcinogens, bad living habits, age over 40, and family history of colorectal cancer or colorectal polyps are all high risk factors for colorectal cancer.
But as far as diet is concerned, "vegetarian diet" cannot be equated with "healthy diet". It depends on what you eat. Although many people are vegetarians, the content and cooking methods they eat may increase the risk of colorectal cancer.
To prevent colorectal cancer, we should pay attention to two major vegetarian minefields: vegetarian processed products and high-temperature cooking.
There are all kinds of vegetarian processed products on the market. Vegetarian meat, vegetarian pine, vegetarian ham and vegetarian sausage are mostly imitations of meat, which seem to be more nutritious than meat, but they are actually "processed" in a similar way as processed meat.
The reason why processed meat is harmful to health is that high temperature, curing, smoking and other processes used in the processing process are easy to produce carcinogens. For example, protein in meat is easily denatured at high temperature. Similarly, the raw materials of vegetarian processed products are mostly soybeans, which belong to plant protein. After high temperature treatment, there are also questions about carcinogens.
Some vegetarian processed products will add a lot of oil, sugar, soy sauce or smoke to enhance the flavor. However, foods that are high in fat, sugar, smoke or pickled will increase the risk of colorectal cancer. Not only that, high-salt food will also increase the probability of cardiovascular disease. In addition, some vegetarian processed products will also add a lot of chemical additives, such as pigments, flavor enhancers, preservatives, fungicides and so on.
Vegetarian processed products also have their advantages, which can increase the color, fragrance and taste of food, so they can be eaten in moderation, but choose foods produced by qualified manufacturers to avoid listing too many chemical additives in the ingredient list.
According to the colorectal cancer report published by the American Cancer Society in Gut magazine last year, the incidence of colorectal cancer in adults under 50 years old in Korea is the highest. Scholars believe that this is related to Koreans' love of barbecue.
High temperature cooking methods such as barbecue and frying are not conducive to the prevention of colorectal cancer. Vegetarian barbecue, vegetables are particularly easy to burn, and the burnt part is best not to eat.
In addition, some restaurants sell vegetarian cooked food, which is made by frying the processed vegetarian meat at high temperature again, adding another layer of risk.
High temperature cooking methods such as barbecue and frying are not conducive to the prevention of colorectal cancer. It's best not to eat burnt vegetables.
If you want to prevent colorectal cancer through vegetarianism, have a healthy diet.
1. Eat more high-fiber and dark green vegetables.
Eating high fiber food is the key to prevent colorectal cancer. To reduce the incidence of colorectal cancer, we must keep the environment of the large intestine in a good state. Dietary fiber can capture the waste in the body, stimulate intestinal peristalsis, make defecation smooth, and then discharge the waste out of the body, reducing intestinal lesions.
Among them, dark green vegetables are the best. Dark green vegetables are rich in antioxidants, which are beneficial to anti-intestinal cancer.
2. The ingredients are mainly prototype foods, avoiding excessive seasoning and high-temperature cooking.
Cooking suggestions include scalding, frying, marinating and stewing, and reducing high-temperature cooking techniques such as frying and frying. And avoid heavy tastes such as high sugar, high oil and high salt.
Lausanne Shen Jia, a famous psychosomatic preventive medicine expert and president of Lausanne Preventive Medicine Group, suggested eating more prototype and unrefined food, such as eating less refined starch and eating more whole grains.
3. Eat high-quality plant protein.
Plant protein source, can choose prototype beans, such as soybean, black bean, edamame and pea; Or vegetarian food with a low degree of processing, such as tofu, dried tofu, soybean milk and tofu (non-fried tofu skin, also known as yuba).
At the same time, reduce the excessive processing of plant proteins with low nutritional value, such as fried vegetarian meat, tofu, fried bean skin and so on.
4. Balanced diet, rich and colorful, indispensable.
Intake all kinds of fruits and vegetables. Because different kinds and colors of fruits and vegetables contain different phytochemicals, which can increase human immunity and help prevent cancer. The Taiwan Province Cancer Foundation recommends that adult women eat 7 servings of fruits and vegetables every day, including 4 servings of vegetables and 3 servings of fruits. Adult men should eat 9 servings of fruits and vegetables every day, including 5 servings of vegetables and 4 servings of fruits.
Some fruits and vegetables can't be eaten. For example, if you think spinach is nutritious, you should eat a lot. Spinach has a high mineral content, which is absorbed by human body too much, which may cause imbalance in physiological response.
5. Supplement fermented food to improve intestinal flora.
Dairy-egg vegetarians can eat more fermented dairy products such as yogurt and yogurt. Fermented dairy products can not only provide nutrients such as protein and calcium, but also contain a lot of beneficial bacteria, which is beneficial to intestinal health. However, if people are lactose intolerant, it is recommended to eat a small amount to avoid problems such as bloating and diarrhea.
At the same time, you can also eat other fermented foods, such as miso, kimchi, natto, red yeast, vinegar, etc., which all contain probiotics. It's just that kimchi on the market should be eaten in moderation. In addition to the possibility of excessive sodium intake, there are concerns about more additives.
6. Eat more foods containing Omega-3.
ω-3 is a polyunsaturated fatty acid, which is beneficial to reduce the occurrence, progress and distant metastasis of colorectal cancer.
Ordinary people can supplement Omega-3 by eating fish, and vegetarians can get this nutrition from natural foods such as sesame seeds, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, walnuts, avocados and chia seed oil.
Finally, in addition to a healthy diet, we should exercise moderately, don't drink too much, quit smoking and maintain a healthy weight. People over the age of 50 should receive annual fecal screening for colorectal cancer and regular colonoscopy. If there is a change in defecation habits, bloody or mucus in the stool, foul smell, shape change, etc. You should see a doctor as soon as possible.