Hot and salty: tasty, but not healthy
Print Edition
Eating hot and salty food and drinking alcohol are all risky factors for esophagus cancer, said medical specialists.
Esophagus cancer is the fifth leading cancer in China and only one third of patients survive for more than five years, a medical measure of clinical recovery.
Experts say an unhealthy diet and lifestyle play a key role.
Over half of esophageal cancer cases in the world take place in China — where people like to eat hot and salty food.
Regions with high incidence of esophageal cancer are in the middle and lower reaches of Yellow River and Yangtze River, mainly in the Taihang Mountains area, the Dabie Mountains area and in Jiangsu Province, Sichuan Province and the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.
“People in these regions like to eat highly salty food and also like hot drinks,” said Dr Li Zhigang from Shanghai Chest Hospital. “Salty food can result in chemical stimulation and chronic injury to esophageal mucosa, while hot drinks and food over 70 degrees Celsius can cause serious influence to cells’ normal reproduction and provide ideal condition for cells’ cancerous change. Tea is good for health, but do not drink one that is too hot.”
People with a family history and those who have unhealthy lifestyle like smoking or drinking too much, eating preserved, salty or over-hot foods are more likely to suffer esophageal cancer. “People aged between 50 and 70 are the group with the highest incidence of esophageal cancer and people living in regions with higher incidence should pay more attention from 35 years old,” Li said. Doctors say those in at-risk groups should receive annual checks for early detection and treatment. Gastroscopy and low-dose spiral CT are also effective checks.
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