The Impact of Food on Digestive System Cancer: Expert Insights
By [Journalist’s Name]
The correlation between our dietary choices and the development of digestive system cancers, such as esophageal, stomach, colon, and pancreatic cancer, has been extensively studied. Renowned expert, Kim Ho-gak, Director of Kim Ho-gak Internal Medicine Clinic, sheds light on the foods that influence the incidence of these types of cancer.
The Culprits: Processed Meats and Red Meat
One concerning finding is that processed meats, including sausage, bacon, and ham, have been linked to colon cancer due to the presence of nitrates and nitrites during processing. However, it’s important to note that this risk is associated with consuming large quantities of these meats. Grilling red meat, such as beef or pork, on high-temperature iron plates leads to the production of carcinogens called heterocyclic amines. Furthermore, frying meat at high temperatures generates a carcinogen called acrylamide. Both these carcinogens have been identified as risk factors for colon cancer.
Alcohol Consumption and Sugar-rich Diet
Long-term heavy alcohol consumption has been identified as a risk factor for esophageal, stomach, and liver cancer. While foods high in sugar themselves might not be direct risk factors, they contribute to obesity, which in turn increases the likelihood of developing pancreatic cancer.
Traditional Korean Eating Habits
In addition to specific food items, certain eating habits are associated with an increased risk of cancer. Consuming excessive amounts of salty or salt-pickled foods, a common practice in traditional Korean cuisine, has been linked to stomach cancer.
Smoking: A Clear Risk Factor
It is vital to emphasize that smoking is unequivocally a risk factor for various types of cancer, including esophageal and pancreatic cancer.
While it may seem that avoiding processed foods and refraining from indulging in red meat, sausage, bacon, or sugary delights is crucial to prevent cancer, the statistics tell a different story. According to the 2022 Korea cancer statistics released by the Ministry of Health and Welfare’s Central Cancer Registration Headquarters, the crude incidence rates for colon cancer amount to 54 cases, stomach cancer to 52 cases, and pancreatic cancer to 16 cases per 100,000 people over a lifetime. Notably, the prevalence of stomach and esophageal cancer has decreased, colon cancer has seen fluctuations but is currently on a downward trend, while pancreatic cancer cases have doubled since 20 years ago.
Contrary to popular belief, the impact of food-related risk factors on cancer development is not as significant as factors such as age, smoking, drinking, obesity, and family history. Additionally, genetics play a crucial role in determining an individual’s susceptibility to various types of cancer.
Reducing the Risk: Optimal Dietary Choices
So, what can individuals do to reduce the incidence of digestive system cancers? Eating a diet rich in fresh fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, and fiber is highly recommended. Fruits and vegetables, being excellent sources of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, offer protection against free radicals, mitigate aging, and improve cardiovascular health. High-fiber foods, such as grains, legumes, and vegetables, can reduce colon cancer risk by minimizing the amount of time harmful carcinogens come into contact with the intestinal wall. Opting for proteins like chicken, fish, and soy over red meat or processed foods can further decrease the likelihood of developing colon cancer. In terms of fats, replacing saturated fatty acids or trans fats with healthier alternatives like those found in nuts, olive oil, avocado oil, and peanuts can reduce cancer risk. Adequate exposure to sunlight, coupled with calcium and vitamin D intake, is known to reduce the risk of colon and pancreatic cancer.
However, beyond dietary choices, maintaining a healthy weight through proper calorie intake and exercise, moderating alcohol consumption, and never smoking are of paramount importance in cancer prevention. Lastly, regular check-ups and screenings are essential for early detection, especially for stomach, esophageal, and colon cancer, as well as pancreatic cancer in individuals with familial history or other risk factors.
With these scientifically-backed insights, the path to reducing the incidence of digestive system cancers becomes clearer.
Kim Ho-gak, Director of Kim Ho-gak Internal Medicine Clinic
Kim Ho-gak, Director of Kim Ho-gak Internal Medicine Clinic
It has been found that the food we eat goes down to the digestive tract and affects the digestive tract mucosa and digestive juice secretion system, leading to the development of cancers of the digestive system such as esophageal cancer, stomach cancer, colon and pancreatic cancer. cancer So, let’s find out which foods affect the incidence of digestive cancer. First, processed meats, such as sausage, bacon, and ham, are known to contain nitrates and nitrites during processing, which can cause colon cancer if consumed in large quantities. Next, when red meat such as beef or pork is grilled on a high temperature iron plate, carcinogens called heterocyclic amines are produced, and when fried at high temperatures, a carcinogen called acrylamide is created, known to be risk factors for colon cancer. Long-term heavy drinking is a risk factor for esophageal cancer, stomach cancer, and liver cancer. Rather than being a risk factor in itself, foods high in sugar cause obesity, which becomes a risk factor for pancreatic cancer. Like traditional Korean eating habits, eating a lot of salty or salt-pickled foods is also a risk factor for stomach cancer. Although it is not a food, I would like to emphasize that smoking is a clear risk factor for various cancers, including esophageal cancer and pancreatic cancer.
So, should we live our entire lives without eating processed foods such as red meat, sausage, bacon, or tasty sugars because we are afraid of developing cancer? Or, if you like these foods and eat them a lot over the years, will your chances of developing cancer in the digestive system increase greatly? I don’t think so. According to Korea cancer statistics released by the Ministry of Health and Welfare’s Central Cancer Registration Headquarters in 2022, out of a population of 100,000, 54 cases of colon cancer, 52 cases of stomach cancer, and 16 cases of pancreatic cancer will occur in life This is called the crude incidence rate. Our people’s eating habits have improved and they now eat more of the foods mentioned above, but compared to 20 years ago, stomach cancer and oesophageal cancer are decreasing, colon cancer is increasing from 40 to 60, but it has decreased recently, and pancreatic cancer has doubled from 8. increased. And the risk caused by food is increasing due to eating habits that have continued for at least several decades, not just in recent years. Rather, factors such as age, smoking, drinking, obesity, and family history are far more important risk factors for the development of colon, pancreatic, and stomach cancer than these food-related risk factors, and genes associated with all types of cancer. are also important risk factors.
So what are some ways to eat foods that can reduce the incidence of digestive cancer? Fresh fruit and vegetables which are rich in vitamins, minerals and fiber are useful. In particular, fruit and vegetables are rich in antioxidants, which protect our bodies from attacks by free radicals and have various effects such as preventing aging and improving cardiovascular diseases. The fiber contained in high fiber foods such as grains, legumes and vegetables can reduce the incidence of colon cancer by reducing the time that harmful carcinogens in food come into contact with the intestinal wall. Among proteins, chicken, fish and soy protein reduce colon cancer more than red meat or processed foods. Among fats, fats from nuts such as olive oil, avocado oil, and peanuts instead of saturated fatty acids or trans fats reduce the risk of cancer. Adequate exposure to sunlight along with calcium and vitamin D intake is known to reduce the risk of colon and pancreatic cancer.
However, more important than eating these foods is maintaining an appropriate weight through appropriate calorie intake and exercise, avoiding excessive drinking, and never smoking. Finally, regular examinations are needed to detect stomach cancer, esophageal cancer, or colon polyps in the early stages, as well as pancreatic cancer screening if there is a family history or risk factors.
Kim Ho-gak, Director of Kim Ho-gak Internal Medicine Clinic
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