Mr. Tran, 63 years old (in China) burst into tears when he received the news that he had late-stage stomach cancer. He was shocked because before going to the hospital, he only thought he had a sore throat due to the cold weather.

As a teacher, he always thought that the discomfort in his throat was related to the nature of his job, which required him to talk a lot. Recently, the pain became more severe, he had difficulty swallowing and lost a lot of weight, so he went to the hospital for a check-up.

At the hospital, after examination and tests, the doctors concluded that he had late-stage stomach cancer in stage 4. That is, the final stage when the tumor has metastasized to many places and the prognosis is poor.

Upon receiving the news, Mr. Tran was shocked. At first, he did not believe it, thinking that the hospital had misdiagnosed him. But after investigating his medical history, it was learned that Mr. Tran had a habit of eating very salty foods. In addition, his favorite dish that appeared on his dinner tray every day was pickled vegetables. The doctor said that this eating habit, accumulated over time, could be the cause of his stomach cancer.

Why does eating a lot of pickled and sour foods cause sto.mac.h ca.n.cer?

According to nutritionists, pickled vegetables, especially pickled vegetables, contain a lot of nitrate and high salt content, two factors that are harmful to the stomach.

When vegetables are grown, they are fertilized with urea fertilizer, so there is still a significant amount of nitrate left. When pickling vegetables, the nitrate in the vegetables will be converted into nitrite by microorganisms.

The nitrite content is especially high in the first few days, then decreases and disappears completely when the vegetables are yellow and sour. Thus, pickled vegetables contain a lot of nitrite, when we eat them, the acid in the stomach will create conditions for nitrite to react with amino acids from other foods such as meat, fish, etc. to form nitrosamine compounds.

When eating foods processed through fermentation stages such as wine, beer, salted fish, pickles, fish sauce containing a lot of nitrosamines are related to the risk of cancer, including nasopharyngeal cancer, stomach cancer. Notably, experts warn that quick pickles have a higher risk than traditional compressed pickles.

In stomach cancer, Helicobacter pylori bacteria (abbreviated as HP) is the main risk factor, because this type of bacteria causes chronic inflammation in the stomach and creates ulcers, leading to cancer.

Salt is a factor that promotes the activity of this HP bacteria. Salt makes HP bacteria grow faster and more strongly, thereby increasing the risk of stomach cancer. Salt also acts as an inflammatory stimulant on the stomach wall, making the stomach wall more sensitive to other carcinogenic factors.

4 principles for eating pickled vegetables safely, without worrying about c.anc.er

First, absolutely do not eat when newly pickled. When pickling, the process of converting nitrate into nitrite occurs. Nitrate is a residual substance in vegetables and tubers due to urea fertilizer or absorption from soil with high nitrate. In the first few days after pickling (about 2-3 days), the nitrite content increases due to the microbial process of denitrification, then gradually decreases and disappears when the vegetables are yellow and sour. Nitrite in the body will react with secondary amines to form nitrozamin compounds that can cause cancer.

Second, do not eat pickled cabbage and eggplant with white, yellow, or black mold that may contain aspergilus flavor fungus, this fungus produces aflatoxin, which is a factor that causes liver cancer. It is best not to eat.

Third, pickled cabbage and eggplant are often salted and are not suitable for people with high blood pressure or kidney disease. People with this disease should limit their intake. In addition, in daily meals, healthy people only eat about 5mg of salt/day, so the best amount of pickled melons and eggplants is only 50 - 100g/day. Pregnant women and children should limit this food group.

Fourth, when pickling melons, you need to choose safe foods. The pickling process should use ceramic or porcelain utensils, not plastic containers or boxes. Using plastic products can leach harmful substances.