Cancer is a terrible disease that can only be cured in its very early stages. Where does it come from? Scientists have already identified dozens of causes, and hundreds more have yet to be identified. Of the known for certain, the most dangerous "culprit" of the disease is ionized radiation. X-rays, radiation, excessive sunburn are its common household sources. But even those who live far from nuclear power plants, don't like to sunbathe and don't take X-rays, are not immune from cancer. It can be caused by many food products and materials containing one or another carcinogenic substance. Consider the most dangerous.
Carcinogens and mutagens
Modern people, especially residents of large industrial centers, live in a complex environment, the atmosphere, water and soil of which contain a lot of chemical compounds.
Many of them are deadly, such as carcinogens. This is a group of chemical elements that provokes the growth of cancer cells. Another group of substances can cause changes at the DNA level, which leads to various mutations in the organs of living beings. Fall on Wednesday suchcarcinogens and mutagens from car exhaust gases, from drain and gas pipes of enterprises, with smoke coming from waste incineration at landfills. They are found in food and everyday items. In our technological age, it is unlikely that it will be possible to completely isolate yourself from all harmful substances, but you can try to minimize contact with them.
Nitrates, nitrites, nitrosamines
The "terrible" word "nitrates" is familiar to almost everyone as a powerful carcinogen. However, they are indispensable in agriculture as necessary fertilizers for plants, especially for greenhouse vegetables.
There are especially many of them. Nitrates by themselves are not that dangerous. The harm from them occurs because, once they enter our body, they turn into nitrosamines and nitrites. These are already very poisonous. Nitrites can also be found on their own in natural products and added to industrial products, such as sausages, to give them a "meaty" color. They are designated E250. Nitrites have a strong effect on hemoglobin, impairing its ability to deliver oxygen to cells and remove carbon dioxide from them, which means they disrupt respiration processes. Nitrosamines cause the growth of cancer cells. You can reduce the nitrate content like this:
- soak vegetables in water for a couple of hours;
- peel;
- blanch in hot water;
- s alt, pickle.
Food additives and other hazardous foods
When buying food, you should always study their composition. For example, additive E123, oramaranth is recognized as a carcinogen in the US and banned in the food industry.
Amaranth is a dye and is used not only in food, but also in leather, textile and paper industries. In some countries, such as England, it is not banned.
The second additive is E121, or citrus red. This yellow-orange powder is also recognized as a carcinogen. In Russia, its use is prohibited. Carcinogenic substances also include a special type of mold fungi that produce aflatoxins. They are recognized as "leaders" in carcinogenicity, causing mainly liver cancer. They live on moldy foods, especially peanuts, pumpkin seeds, and stale tea. They are also found in the milk of animals that feed on "sick" food. It should be borne in mind that heat treatment does not kill these mushrooms. Another dangerous substance that we often encounter is peroxides. They are found in rancid fats (such as butter) and reusable cooking oils.
Benzopyrenes
These carcinogens cause cancer in animals and humans, and are known to be powerful mutagens. They are dangerous even in small doses. They have one bad ability to accumulate in the body, in water, in anything, and also to move from one object to another without any damage to themselves.
As a result, many environmental objects that were "clean" also become dangerous. Get into the bodybenzapyrene can be taken with breath and food (the norm is 1 mcg per kg of product for adults and 0.2 mcg for children and nursing). His sources:
- cigarette smoke (each one piece is 0.09 mgc/kg);
- vehicle emissions;
- smoke from fuel combustion;
- cereals;
- fats;
- edible oils;
- smoked fish;
- dark chocolate (0.08 to 0.6 mcg/kg);
- coffee;
- heavily fried meat (grilled meat).
Atmospheric carcinogens
The air around us contains many of the substances that adversely affect humans. Benzene is one of the most famous. It is present in gasoline, used for the production of plastics, rubber, medicines, dyes. Inhalation of its vapors causes poisoning and can lead to leukemia. Dioxins are not as well known, but even more dangerous. These carcinogens cause fetal developmental disorders, immune suppression (chemical AIDS), cancer, and gene mutations. They can enter the body with food, air, through the skin, with breast milk and through the placenta. Some very harmful substances are released into the air when burning garbage, coal, food waste, smoking, and exhaust gases. Benzathracene is one of them. This carcinogen is especially abundant in industrial areas, where factory chimneys smoke around the clock. It enters the body not only when breathing, but also through the skin and can cause cancer of the liver, lungs, and gastrointestinal tract. Its oxidation products are 100 times more carcinogenic than benzene.
Dangerous objects of everyday life
In everyday life, we are also surrounded by mutagenic and carcinogenic substances. Many people are familiar with formaldehyde. It has antiseptic properties, therefore it is used in medicine (for example, the Formagel drug) and cosmetology as part of some antiperspirants and oral hygiene products. In the food industry, formaldehyde is used to increase the shelf life of products and is called E240. Formalin (formaldehyde solution) in large quantities can cause poisoning, and a dose of 60 g is considered fatal. Its carcinogenicity to animals has been absolutely proven. The effect on a person is being specified.
The second common carcinogen is vinyl chloride. It is used for the production of vinyl, from which the well-known vinyl wallpapers, linoleum and a bunch of other useful and necessary things are made. The harm from them to he alth is still being specified, although it is known for certain that vinyl wallpaper contributes to the formation of fungus on the walls. But vinyl materials are especially harmful when heated and burned, because then the aforementioned dioxins are released into the air.
And finally, asbestos. Its variety of chrysotile is used in the production of pipes, plates, heat insulators, roofing, wall panels, bricks, mastic and more. The carcinogenicity of asbestos to humans has been fully proven, therefore its use is prohibited in many countries.
