Is pumpkin and spinach a must-eat to fight against lung cancer, the "king of female cancer"? Nutritionist: Eating the right vitamin A and tomatoes and lycopene can nourish your lungs and save your life

Women who don’t smoke or cook can still get lung cancer! It turns out that in addition to secondhand smoke, oil fumes, and genetics, air pollution PM2.5 may also be one of the culprits of lung cancer. In recent years, many well-known women have been reported to have lung cancer, including veteran media person Chen Wenxian, artist Bao Ma, etc. Lung cancer ranks first among the top ten causes of death and has become the "king of female cancer"! In order to fight against air pollution and prevent lung cancer, there are many rumors that you should eat many lung-protecting foods, such as eating more foods with vitamin A, including pumpkin, spinach, carrots, etc. Are these correct? What other foods do nutritionists recommend for protecting the lungs?

Women who don't smoke may also get lung cancer. Be careful to stay away from risk factors.

Lung cancer has been the leading cause of cancer mortality in Taiwan for seven consecutive years. According to the National Health Administration's 2018 Cancer Registry Annual Report, 3,475 women died from lung cancer. Although this is still lower than the relatively high smoking rate among men (5,913 deaths), more than 85% of female non-smokers died from lung cancer. It turns out that even if women do not smoke, as the WHO points out, risk factors for lung cancer include: indoor coal burning, cooking fumes, outdoor air pollution such as PM2.5, smoking harm and family history of lung cancer. Once they are exposed or come into contact with risk factors that cause lung cancer for a long time, they may also be infected.

Lung cancer can be divided into non-small cell lung cancer and small cell lung cancer. 85% of patients suffer from non-small cell lung cancer, which includes lung adenocarcinoma, leukemic cell lung cancer, large cell lung cancer, and neuroendocrine tumors. Among them, lung adenocarcinoma is the most common, accounting for more than 90%. Early stage lung cancer has no symptoms at all. Common symptoms include cough, wheezing or difficulty breathing, chest pain, coughing up blood, hoarseness, back pain, and even headaches, neck pain, and stroke symptoms, which may all be caused by lung cancer.

Rumor has it online: Can vitamin A supplements such as pumpkin, spinach, carrots, etc. prevent lung cancer?

To prevent lung cancer, in addition to avoiding long-term exposure to risk factors, you can also take lung health care measures in your daily life. It is worth noting that protecting the integrity of the respiratory mucosa is also important. There is a rumor on the Internet that supplementing with vitamin A can repair damaged mucous membranes in the respiratory tract and protect the lungs. Therefore, it is recommended to eat more foods rich in vitamin A, including pumpkin, spinach, carrots, corn, papaya and other fruits and vegetables, to prevent lung cancer.

Nutritionist: Vitamin A can prevent or reduce epithelial cell cancer

Nutritionist Joyce Cheng said that epithelial cells are the body's first line of defense against foreign invasion and infection, and are distributed on the surface of the respiratory tract (lungs, trachea), digestive tract (esophagus, stomach, intestines, etc.), skin, eyes, and reproductive and urinary systems (vagina, urethra, bladder, etc.). Vitamin A can prevent or reduce the occurrence of epithelial cell cancers (such as lung cancer, bladder cancer, breast cancer, etc.) because vitamin A can maintain and stabilize the normal functions of epithelial cells.

According to the nutritional composition data of food in Taiwan published by the Department of Health, Executive Yuan: 100 grams of Taiwan pumpkin contains 86.4% water, 49 calories, 0.2 grams of fat, 1.7 grams of protein, 11.1 grams of carbohydrates, and 1.4 grams of fiber. As for the total amount of vitamin A, it reaches 4907 IU (IU). It also contains phytochemical beta-carotene, trace minerals, etc. The β-carotene, vitamin C and E contained in pumpkin all have antioxidant properties, which can help the body eliminate excessive free radicals and avoid excessive oxidation of DNA, lipids, proteins and other molecules in cells, which can cause cell damage and even the risk of cancer.

Cooking, juicing, and chopping carrots can increase the digestion and absorption of beta-carotene.

Fruits and vegetables rich in vitamin A include: carrots, sweet potato leaves, spinach, pumpkin, corn, papaya, etc. Take carrots, for example. They are also known as "small ginseng of the East". They are nutritious fleshy root vegetables, especially rich in beta-carotene, a precursor of vitamin A. After beta-carotene is digested and absorbed in the small intestine, it forms vitamin A. To effectively utilize and obtain vitamin A, it is recommended to use oil and fat for heating during cooking. In addition, juicing and chopping can also increase the digestion and absorption of beta-carotene.

Study: Eating 2 fresh tomatoes or 3 apples a day can inhibit the deterioration of lung function

Eating the right food can help protect the lungs. In addition to foods rich in vitamin A, according to a research report published in the European Respiratory Journal by Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in December 2017, researchers conducted a 10-year diet and lung function test survey on 680 adults living in Germany, the United Kingdom, Norway and other places. The results showed that eating 2 fresh tomatoes, or 3 apples or bananas a day can significantly inhibit the deterioration of lung function.

Apples are rich in the antioxidant quercetin, which is a type of flavonoid. Quercetin can scavenge free radicals in the body and inhibit lipid peroxidation. As for tomatoes, they are rich in lycopene, and the content is the highest among all fruits and vegetables. Lycopene is a phytochemical with high antioxidant capacity. In addition, they are rich in vitamin C, which also has strong antioxidant capacity and helps to eliminate free radicals in the body. However, lycopene is fat-soluble and must be cooked with oils so that it can dissolve in the fat, be more easily absorbed by the human body and increase its utilization rate.

【4 tips for preventing lung cancer】

Nutritionist Zheng Xinyi also reminded that daily prevention of lung cancer should start from the following 4 points:

① Quit smoking and refuse to inhale second-hand smoke and third-hand smoke: People who have the habit of smoking and are frequently exposed to second-hand and third-hand smoke should pay attention. Quitting smoking and staying away from the harm of cigarettes can reduce the risk of lung cancer.

② Eat more antioxidant fruits and vegetables: Fruits and vegetables are rich in chemical phytonutrients and antioxidant trace nutrients. If you can consume enough of them, you can prevent the occurrence of lung cancer.

③Avoid high-temperature frying: In daily cooking, it is recommended to use low-oil cooking methods such as steaming or stir-frying, and try to avoid frying. If you want to cook, be sure to turn on the range hood.

④ High-risk groups should undergo regular check-ups: People with a family history of lung cancer within the third degree of relatives, chronic lung diseases, tuberculosis or chronic lung inflammation, living near factories and other high-risk groups should always include a "low-dose CT scan" of the lungs in their health check-ups for better protection.