Questions and answers about the carcinogenicity of red meat and meat products

carcinogens are harmful to the body

Carcinogens are now being talked about everywhere. In oncology, there is even a whole section devoted to the relationship between exposure to carcinogenic substances and the occurrence of tumors. The very name “carcinogens” speaks for itself. These are substances that cause cancer and other tumors.

How are carcinogens formed? Where in everyday life can a person meet them? What carcinogens are the most harmful and how to protect yourself from their harmful effects?

Chemical carcinogens[ | ]

Among the chemical carcinogens, the most common are the following:

• Nitrates and nitrites. Nitrites enter the body with food (they are found in small quantities in cereals and root vegetables, as well as in meat products, where they are added as preservatives). The main source of nitrates entering the body is vegetables grown under conditions of excessive use of nitrogen fertilizers. Some nitrates during food storage or directly in the digestive tract can be reduced to nitrites. Once in the stomach, nitrites can, under the influence of gastric juice, be converted into nitrosamines
  - substances with a wide range of carcinogenic effects [7] [8].
• Nutritional supplements. Some food additives (for example: E123-Amaranth (not to be confused with amaranth), E121-Citrus Red 2) are proven carcinogens and are prohibited by law in many countries.
• Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and their derivatives are formed during the combustion of household waste, incomplete combustion of petroleum products and are present in car exhaust gases. Among them there are extremely carcinogenic substances, hundreds of times more dangerous than benzene. Some can be formed when frying food, overheating vegetable oils [ source not specified 593 days
  ].
• Benzopyrene - formed during frying and spit cooking. There are a lot of them in tobacco smoke. Protein pyrolysis products are formed during prolonged heating of meat in the oven. Also found in pyrolysis products of wood and some other organic products [ source not specified 593 days
  ].
• Peroxides - are formed in rancid fats and during strong heating of vegetable oils [ source not specified 593 days
  ].
• Aflatoxins are deadly mycotoxins (a subclass of polyketides). These toxins are produced by molds - micromycetes of several species of the genus Aspergillus ( Aspergillus
  ), in particular
  Aspergillus flavus
  (where the name aflatoxins comes from) and
  Aspergillus parasiticus
  , which grow and infect grains, seeds and fruits of plants with a high content of vegetable oils and fatty acids (for example , on peanut seeds, oilseeds) and other substrates. Among all biologically produced poisons, aflatoxins are the most potent hepatocarcinogens discovered to date[9].
• Dioxins are organochlorine compounds formed during the combustion of household waste [ source not specified 593 days
  ].
• Vinyl chloride is an extremely flammable and explosive substance. Its combustion products are toxic. It has a carcinogenic, mutagenic and teratogenic effect on the human body[9][10].

• Benzene is a toxic and carcinogenic substance[9]. Benzene vapor can penetrate intact skin. If the human body is exposed to benzene in low concentrations for a long time, the consequences can also be very serious. In this case, chronic benzene poisoning can cause leukemia (blood cancer) and anemia (lack of hemoglobin in the blood) [ source not specified 593 days
  ].
• Formaldehyde is toxic and has a strong negative effect on the central nervous system. Formaldehyde is included in the list of carcinogenic substances GN 1.1.725-98 in the section “probably carcinogenic to humans”, while its carcinogenicity to animals has been proven [11][12][13].
• Cadmium is cumulative (capable of accumulating in the body to quantities hazardous to health). Carcinogenic[14]. Cadmium compounds are poisonous.
• Arsenic is a toxic and carcinogenic substance[9]. All arsenic compounds are also poisonous.
• Hexavalent chromium is a recognized carcinogen when inhaled[15].
• Nickel - nickel compounds are toxic, carcinogenic, allergenic, mutagenic [ source not specified 593 days
  ].
• Asbestos stands apart among carcinogens[9]. It is difficult to classify it as a chemical carcinogen, which, as a rule, is a chemically active substance. The carcinogenicity of asbestos, on the contrary, is expressed in the fact that a living organism is not able to get rid of microscopic, chemically extremely inert particles of this substance.

Mechanism of action of chemical carcinogens[ | ]

Most chemical carcinogens are organic compounds; only a small number of inorganic substances have this ability. According to Miller, all carcinogens, to one degree or another, are electrophiles that easily interact with nucleophilic groups of nitrogenous bases of nucleic acids, in particular DNA, forming strong covalent bonds with them [16]. Negative effects from carcinogens are manifested in the chemical modification of nucleic acid. The consequences of such a modification are manifested in the impossibility of the correct processes of transcription and DNA replication, the reason for which is the formation of so-called DNA adducts covalently bound to it. For example, during replication of modified DNA, the nucleotides of which are associated with a carcinogen may be incorrectly read by DNA polymerase, resulting in mutations. The accumulation of a large number of mutations in the genome leads to the transformation of a normal cell into a tumor cell, which is the basis of carcinogenesis.

Chemical carcinogens can be divided into two large groups:

• Genotoxic
• Non-genotoxic

Genotoxic carcinogens are chemical compounds that, when interacting with DNA components, can cause damage and mutations to the cell genome. Mutations, in turn, can lead to cell transformation processes, that is, to the formation of tumor cells.

Non-genotoxic carcinogens are chemicals that can cause genome damage only in high concentrations, with very long and almost continuous exposure. They cause uncontrolled cell proliferation, inhibit apoptosis, and disrupt the interaction between cells (cell adhesion). Most non-genotoxic carcinogens are promoters of carcinogenesis, such as: organochlorine pesticides, hormones, fibrous materials, asbestos, especially its dust.

Based on their mode of action, genotoxic carcinogens can be divided into:

• direct - substances with high reactivity that directly form covalently bound adducts with DNA (these are alkylating and acetylating substances - N-nitrosyl alkyl urea (NAM), epoxides (especially PAHs), ethyleneimine and its derivatives, chlorethylamine, etc.).
• indirect - low-active substances that form covalently bound DNA adducts only after enzymatic activation, which occurs with the formation of highly active electrophilic metabolites that can interact with nucleophilic groups of DNA (PAHs and their derivatives).

• Chemical carcinogens
• Aflatoxin B1 is a powerful hepatocarcinogen and a deadly mycotoxin[17].
• Benzene is a strong carcinogen, has a pronounced myelotoxic effect (affects the bone marrow), thereby causing aplastic anemia, leukemia and other diseases of the hematopoietic system (hematopoiesis)[18][19].
• Methylcholanthrene is a strong carcinogen, formed in the human body as a result of a disorder in cholesterol metabolism. Causes adenocarcinoma of the prostate.
• Ethylene oxide has a strong alkylating effect on the nucleophilic groups of the DNA molecule, causing mutations.
• Vinyl chloride is a toxic and carcinogenic substance. It affects the liver (causes angiosarcoma), lungs, central nervous system, hematopoietic system and immune system.
• Dimethylnitrosamine is one of the most common nitrosamines, highly toxic, causing stomach cancer, hepatocellular carcinoma and irreversible liver damage.
• 2,3,7,8-Tetrachlorodibenzodioxin or TCDD is one of the most extremely toxic compounds

  anthropogenic origin, has strong carcinogenicity, mutagen, teratogen, reduces the activity of the hematopoietic, endocrine, reproductive system, immunosuppressant. Causes malignant neoplasms of the liver, blood and breast.

• Ethanol or ethyl alcohol, at home "alcohol"

  , exhibits carcinogenic and mutagenic properties, is a narcotic substance, and suppresses the activity of the central nervous system. Chronic consumption of alcohol containing high concentrations of ethanol increases the risk of malignant diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, blood system, nervous system and brain.

How to protect yourself from exposure to carcinogens

washing vegetables before eating

To avoid the carcinogenic effects of certain foods, you should avoid them. We need to switch to organically grown fruits and vegetables. If this is not possible, the plants should be washed very thoroughly and the skins removed. Fish and meat must be purchased from trusted sources. It is better to avoid processed meat products completely. Avoid foods containing GMOs and sweeteners. It is better to stay away from carbonated drinks, white bread and confectionery products, popcorn, breakfast cereals and chips. It is better to prefer canned tomatoes in glass jars rather than in tin jars. Do not abuse alcohol.

How to remove carcinogens from the body? Our liver is capable of this. It is she who “collects”, accumulates and removes all harmful elements from our body. You need to eat often and in small portions, at least 4–5 times a day. Eat more vegetables and fruits. Use natural enterosorbents (bran, plantain, apples, cabbage). Several studies have proven that cabbage removes carcinogens formed when frying meat.

The main place of accumulation of carcinogenic substances is adipose tissue. Accordingly, in order to remove them, you need to get rid of excess weight. Different diets do not always help, and sometimes they are even harmful. The emphasis should be on proper nutrition and exercise. Physical activity will not only help you lose weight, but will also increase your metabolism and speed up the elimination of carcinogens.

Physical carcinogens[ | ]

The most well-known physical carcinogens are various types of ionizing radiation (radiation, x-rays, neutron radiation, proton radiation, cluster radioactivity, ion fluxes, fission fragments), although they are also used to treat cancer. Ultraviolet radiation is completely absorbed by the skin, and therefore can only cause melanoma. Whereas ionizing radiation, which freely penetrates into the body, can cause radiogenic tumors of any tissues and organs of the body (quite often hematopoietic, due to high sensitivity).

If you eat meat and sausage, you will definitely get cancer

But this claim has more solid grounds. Red meat (pork, beef) is included in category 2A in the IARC classification. And meat products - sausages, sausages, smoked meats - are even assigned code 1. In the same group there are such known carcinogens as cigarette smoke, solar and X-ray radiation, exhaust gases and, for example, plutonium.

But are sunlight and ham or beef jerky really as harmful as X-rays and plutonium?

Of course not. As the WHO Q&A on the carcinogenicity of red meat and meat products explains, just because substances or exposures fall into the same category does not mean they are equally dangerous. The IARC classification reflects only the strength of the scientific evidence that a particular factor causes cancer. But it does not assess the risks, that is, the frequency and rate of DNA mutations.

Thus, the connection between meat and the occurrence of cancer (specifically, colorectal) has been established. But meat products do not lead to cancer quickly and not always: a lot depends on how many steaks or sausages you eat.

According to the WHO Questions and Answers on the Carcinogenicity of Red Meat and Meat Products, eating 50 grams or more of meat products daily increases the risk of colorectal cancer by 18% compared to those who eat less. However, the same WHO calls not to give up red and processed meat altogether, but only to reduce its amount in the diet, rightly pointing out that animal protein is important for health.

To reduce risks, it is enough to eat no more than 50–70 g of meat or sausages per day.

And, as mentioned above, food is by no means the main factor in the development of cancer.

Biological carcinogens[ | ]

The role of biological factors in carcinogenesis is not as great as that of chemical and physical factors, but in the etiology of some malignant tumors it is very significant. Thus, up to 25% of cases of primary liver cancer in Asia and Africa are associated with infection with the hepatitis B virus. About 300,000 cases of cervical cancer per year and a significant proportion of cases of penile cancer are associated with sexually transmitted papillomaviruses (primarily , type HPV-16

,
HPV-18
,
HPV-33
)[20]. Approximately 30-50% of cases of Hodgkin's lymphoma are associated with damage to the human body by the Epstein-Barr virus[21].

In the 1990s, convincing data were obtained on the dependence of most types of gastric cancer on infection with the bacterium Helicobacter pylori

[2].

If you avoid all chemicals and lead a healthy lifestyle, you will not get cancer

“Before, people ate normal food, breathed clean air, didn’t wash with any chemicals - and they didn’t have cancer!” Surely you have heard something like this. Many people associate carcinogenicity with synthetic, artificially created substances or phenomena. But in reality there is no such connection.

DNA mutations that trigger the development of malignant cells are also caused by completely natural Paracelsus to parascience: the environmental cancer distraction factors: a monotonous diet, fungi living on certain types of nuts and grains, and certain infections.

Moreover, scientists from Johns Hopkins University discovered New Study Finds That Most Cancer Mutations are Due to Random DNA Copying 'Mistakes' that two-thirds of the mutations that lead to cancer arise due to random errors during natural DNA copying. And only the remaining part is under the influence of carcinogens.

Cancer occurs no matter how healthy your environment is New Study Finds That Most Cancer Mutations are Due to Random DNA Copying 'Mistakes'.

Bert Vogelstein, professor of oncology

That is why cancer often affects even those who lead a healthy lifestyle: do not drink, do not smoke, live in an ecologically clean area, eat natural foods, play sports and watch their weight.

Notes[ | ]

1. EMF Research (English). EMF Research. Retrieved January 27, 2019. [ unauthorized source?
   (obs.)]
2. ↑ 1 2 Hatakeyama M.
   Helicobacter pylori CagA: a new paradigm for bacterial carcinogenesis: pdf / Hatakeyama M., Higashi H. // Cancer Science: J. - Japanese Cancer Association, 2005. - Vol. 96, no. 12 (December 9). — P. 835—843. - doi:10.1111/j.1349-7006.2005.00130.x. - PMID 16367902.
3. ↑ 12
   Cherenkov, 2010, p. 21.
4. ↑ 1 2 Alexey Vodovozov.
   What is more dangerous: a cigarette or a sausage? Lecture on YouTube
5. Agents Classified by the IARC Monographs. Volumes 1–123 (English). International Agency for Research on Cancer
   (9 November 2018). Retrieved January 26, 2020.
6. List of classifications, Volumes 1–123: [English]: pdf // IARC Monographs on the identifications of Carcinogenic Hazards to Humans. - WHO, 2020. - September. — P. 4. — 17 p.
7. Nitrates and Nitrites - what are they? (undefined)
   .
   // Website prodobavki.com
   .
   Retrieved February 13, 2020. [ unauthorized source?
   ]
8. Galachiev S. M., Makoeva L. M., Dzhioev F. K., Khaeva L. Kh.
   Possibilities of endogenous formation of nitrosamines in gastric juice
   in vitro
   // Proceedings of the Samara Scientific. center of the Russian Academy of Sciences. - 2011. - T. 13, No. 1 (7). - S. 1678-1680.
9. ↑ 1 2 3 4 5 Kutsenko S. A.
   Fundamentals of toxicology. - St. Petersburg: Foliant, 2004. - 720 p. — ISBN 5-93929-092-2.
10. Chlorinated derivatives of unsaturated aliphatic hydrocarbons (undefined)
    .
    New reference book for chemist and technologist.
    Radioactive substances. Harmful substances. Hygienic standards . ChemAnalitica.com. Retrieved November 5, 2009.
11. “List of substances, products, production processes, household and natural factors that are carcinogenic to humans,” Appendix 2 to GN standards 1.1.725-98 dated December 23, 1998 No. 32]
12. The same list, Laboratory of Analytical Ecotoxicology, Institute of Ecology and Evolution. A. N. Severtsov RAS
13. Territorial department of Rospotrebnadzor for the Tula region
14. McDonald's is recalling 12 million cups due to cadmium contamination (unspecified)
    . Interfax (June 4, 2010). Retrieved June 4, 2010.
15. “There is sufficient evidence
    in humans for the carcinogenicity of chromium[VI] compounds as encountered in the chromate production, chromate pigment production and chromium plating industries” // Volume 49: Chromium, Nickel, and Welding. - Lyon: International Agency for Research on Cancer, November 5, 1999. - ISBN 92-832-1249-5. Archived from the original on December 24, 2008.
16. Miller EC
    Some current perspectives on chemical carcinogenesis in human and experimental animals: presidential address.. - S. p. 1479 - 1496. - (1978).
17. Ilic Z., Crawford D., Vakharia D., Egner PA, Sell S.
    Glutathione-S-transferase A3 knockout mice are sensitive to acute cytotoxic and genotoxic effects of aflatoxin B1. (English) // Toxicology and applied pharmacology. - 2010. - Vol. 242, no. 3. - P. 241-246. - doi:10.1016/j.taap.2009.10.008. — PMID 19850059. []
18. Kasper, Dennis L. et al.
    (2004)
    Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine
    , 16th ed., McGraw-Hill Professional, p. 618, ISBN 0071402357.
19. Smith, Martyn T.
    Advances in understanding benzene health effects and susceptibility (English) // Ann Rev Pub Health: journal. - 2010. - Vol. 31. - P. 133–48. - doi:10.1146/annurev.publhealth.012809.103646.
20. Cherenkov, 2010, p. 22.
21. Gandhi MK, Tellam JT, Khanna R.
    Epstein-Barr virus-associated Hodgkin's lymphoma //
    British Journal of Haematology
    , 2004,
    125
    (3). - P. 267-281. - doi:10.1111/j.1365-2141.2004.04902.x. - PMID 15086409.

If you fry food in a Teflon pan (especially a scratched one), the dish will become carcinogenic

This myth has some basis. Teflon non-stick coatings are sometimes made from materials containing perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), a probable carcinogen (IARC Group 2A). When heated, this substance can theoretically be released into the air.

In practice, it was not possible to confirm the danger of such a coating. For example, Robert Wolk, professor of chemistry at the University of Pittsburgh and author of What Einstein Said to His Cook, recalls Teflon Pans and Cancer: Is There a Link? : The production of non-stick cookware is a long process that includes heating to high temperatures. So all the perfluorooctanoic acid leaves the coating before the pan even gets to the store.

There is no PFOA in the final Teflon product, so there is no risk that the cookware will cause cancer to those who use it.

Robert Wolk, professor of chemistry, commentary for WebMD

In a study, Investigation into the migration potential of coating materials from cooking products, published in the journal Food Additives and Contaminants, scientists tested 26 nonstick pans and pots. They heated them to 250 °C for 30 minutes and also found no harmful substances - neither in the surrounding air nor in the prepared dishes.

The only negative effect is the possible appearance of flu-like symptoms if you inhale fumes from a very overheated coating. According to the American Cancer Society, Perfluorooctanoic Acid (PFOA), Teflon, and Related Chemicals, there are no other proven health risks when using Teflon cookware.

Rice pudding

Rice helps cleanse the intestines and free it from carcinogenic toxins. To prepare porridge, take brown rice and boil it in milk. Add chopped banana, maple syrup, coconut sugar, dried fruit, a little nutmeg and sea salt to the saucepan where the rice is cooked (one and a half cups of cereal).

Now beat this mixture with a whisk (alternatively, you can use a blender). After beating the mixture, another half cup of rice is added. It is simmered over low heat until it thickens.

The pudding can be diluted a little with milk, add orange or lemon zest, and sometimes a sweetener.

Glutamates

Carcinogens are also various food additives, flavor enhancers, preservatives and dyes. It is strictly not recommended to consume foods containing monosodium glutamate. To avoid causing irreparable harm to health, it is enough to avoid purchasing products that contain substances with the designation E.

Nowadays, glutamates can be present in the most unexpected foods. By saturating food products with glutamates, manufacturers are not just trying to enhance their taste and make them more attractive to consumers, but also to “get the population hooked” on certain types of new products. Therefore, when purchasing food in supermarkets, you should familiarize yourself with the composition of the products and always remain vigilant.

Oatmeal with blueberry sauce

The benefit of this porridge is that it treats diseases of the digestive tract, has a positive effect on the functions of the heart and blood vessels and at the same time effectively removes toxic elements. For porridge, you need to take oat grains in the amount of 1 cup. The sequence of cooking the dish is as follows.

1. Pour 2 and a half cups of water into a saucepan and boil it. Pour oats and spices into boiling water - cinnamon and mace. Turn off the heat and cover the pan.
2. In the morning, stir the porridge again and cook for another 10 minutes.
3. To prepare the sauce, you need to simmer blueberries and agave nectar for 10 minutes.
4. Pour the still warm sauce over the porridge.

Brussels sprouts with almonds and pumpkin

Cabbage perfectly cleanses the body of carcinogenic toxins, does not cause allergies, and relieves excess weight. Almonds and pumpkin cleanse the blood and stabilize glucose levels.

The dish contains the following components:

• peeled and sliced ​​butternut squash;
• chopped Brussels sprouts (2 cups);
• grated almonds (one third of a glass);
• chopped ginger (teaspoon);
• lemon zest (tablespoon);
• lemon juice;
• tamari sauce (tablespoon);
• a tablespoon of vinegar (preferably brown);
• sea ​​salt.

Stages of cooking.

1. Boil the pumpkin in a steam bath (be careful not to overcook it).
2. Cook Brussels sprouts in the same way. Add it to the pumpkin.
3. Fry almonds in a frying pan.
4. Mix all ingredients.

Video: carcinogens in food.

Conventional shampoos contain carcinogens, so you need to switch to organic ones

The ability to cause cancer is most often attributed to sodium lauryl and sodium laureth sulfate, surfactants that are found in many shampoos, shower gels, facial washes, dishwashing detergents and other detergents. And this is an outright misconception.

Neither sodium lauryl sulfate nor sodium laureth sulfate are included in the IARC list of carcinogens or in the similar list of Table 1. Prioritized Chronic Dose-Response Values ​​for Screening Risk Assessments compiled by the US Environmental Protection Agency. So there is not the slightest sense in switching to more expensive (and not always effective) organic cosmetics solely for fear of getting cancer.

Aflatoxins

A separate category of carcinogenic substances includes biological substances – aflatoxins. Their source is certain types of fungi that grow on grains, plant seeds and fruits with a significant oil content.

Aflatoxins are the most powerful biological carcinogens that lead to the destruction of liver cells. Chronic saturation of the body with aflatoxins or their one-time intake in concentrated quantities leads to death within a few days as a result of irreversible liver damage.

Microwave ovens add carcinogens to food

A microwave oven warms food, but does not change Microwaves, Radio Waves, and Other Types of Radiofrequency Radiation its chemical or molecular structure. Moreover, microwave radiation does not change the DNA in your cells - at least for the simple reason that it is inside the oven, and you are outside.

Some people are afraid to stand near operating microwaves. But WHO never tires of repeating Microwave ovens: working ovens are safe, and their radiation outside the closed door tends to zero. If you are still worried, just move half a meter away from the switched on device: at this distance, the level of even the minimum radiation that can theoretically be detected near the door will decrease by a hundred times.