Drinking soy milk and coffee can cause breast cancer? This is a common health rumor. Share it with your mother!

Today is Mother's Day. While thanking mothers for their love and dedication, we should also pay attention to their health. There have been many health rumors and misunderstandings that trouble mothers. Today, let's uncover the truth behind these rumors and protect the health of mothers.

1. Elderly people need more nutrition

Eat more health foods

Rumor: The digestive function of the elderly is impaired and their ability to absorb nutrients is poor, so they need to supplement calcium, vitamins and other nutrients and health products to maintain their health. Truth: A reasonable diet is the first choice for obtaining nutrition. Health foods can be used as supplements, but excessive intake may also harm health. The primary way for people to obtain nutrition is still a reasonable diet. It is best for the elderly to meet their daily nutritional needs through a balanced diet. If there is indeed an unbalanced diet or a special disease, you can choose and supplement it under the guidance of a nutritionist or doctor. But remember that the more health foods you eat, the better. Excessive intake may also damage your health. In addition, health foods are not medicines and cannot replace medicines. For elderly people with chronic diseases, such as diabetes, hypertension, etc., antihypertensive drugs and hypoglycemic drugs should be taken according to the doctor's advice; health foods cannot cure all diseases, nor do they have some fancy magical effects. Don't be superstitious.

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2. It is best for middle-aged and elderly people to eat less meat and more vegetables

Rumor: Elderly people should eat less meat and more vegetarian food, which is good for health. Truth: Not eating meat at all may lead to anemia, sarcopenia and other problems in the elderly, which is harmful to the health of the elderly. Meat is an important source of high-quality protein, iron and other nutrients. Not eating meat at all and only eating vegetarian food can easily lead to anemia, increase the risk of sarcopenia, osteoporosis and malnutrition in the elderly, and damage the health of the elderly. Therefore, middle-aged and elderly people should also eat meat in moderation. The "Dietary Guidelines for Chinese Elderly (2022)" clearly recommends that animal food intake should be sufficient, with an average daily intake of 120g~150g, including 40~50g of fish, 40~50g of livestock and poultry meat, and 40~50g of eggs. If you are worried about the three high problems, pay attention to eating less fat and pickled meat, eat more fish and poultry, and eat more lean meat for livestock. They have low fat content, and the muscle fibers are short, thin and soft, which are easier to digest and absorb, and are very friendly to the elderly with bad teeth.

3. Eating eggplant regularly can prevent high blood pressure

Rumor: Eggplant is rich in nutrients and eating it regularly can prevent high blood pressure. Truth: Eggplant is a vegetable with good nutritional value, but it cannot prevent high blood pressure, and incorrect cooking methods will also increase the risk of high blood pressure. Eggplant is a delicious and nutritious vegetable, and purple eggplant is also rich in anthocyanins. It is good to eat it regularly, but it cannot prevent high blood pressure. There are many dietary factors that lead to high blood pressure, such as high salt and high oil. Therefore, preventing high blood pressure requires practicing a healthy lifestyle, not just focusing on eggplant. Moreover, incorrect eggplant cooking methods, such as drizzling eggplant with oil, will increase the risk of high blood pressure with more oil and salt.

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4. Elderly patients with diabetes cannot eat fruit

Rumor: Fruits are high in sugar, so diabetics should avoid eating them. Truth: Diabetics can eat low-sugar fruits in moderation. The key is to control the total sugar intake and choose foods with a low glycemic index. The glycemic index of most fruits is not high, and the glycemic load is generally low, so diabetics can eat fruits in moderation. The Chinese Diabetes Guidelines and the American Diabetes Association both believe that diabetics can eat fruits. The "Chinese Dietary Guidelines for Type 2 Diabetes" recommends that diabetics can choose fruits with a low GI, pay attention to the reasonable arrangement of the time to eat fruits, and choose to eat fruits between meals or before or after exercise. The amount of fruit eaten each time should not be too much.

5. Walk 10,000 steps a day and live to be 100 years old

Rumor: Walking 10,000 steps a day is the secret to staying healthy and living a long life. Truth: Moderate exercise is good for health, but "10,000 steps" is not suitable for everyone, and blindly pursuing the number of steps may also hurt your body. my country's dietary guidelines recommend that you actively participate in physical activities, actively engage in outdoor sports, and reduce static time such as sitting for a long time: choose the appropriate exercise intensity, frequency and time according to your physical condition and interests and hobbies, and choose a variety of physical activities. Pay attention to choosing slow and gentle exercises; reduce the time you sit and lie down in your daily life. Therefore, the elderly should develop the habit of daily activities. Slow walking is a good way to exercise, but the specific number of steps varies from person to person. You should choose the appropriate exercise intensity according to your own situation, rather than blindly pursuing 10,000 or 20,000 steps, so as to avoid excessive exercise causing damage to the knee joint.

6. Seasonal infusion to clear blood vessels and keep you safe during the winter

Rumor: Infusion therapy during the change of seasons can prevent cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases. Truth: Every time the seasons change, a large number of elderly people rush to the hospital, hoping to clear their blood vessels with infusion. However, there is no scientific evidence that infusion can "clear blood vessels", let alone prevent cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases. So far, there has been no scientific clinical comparison between regular infusion and no infusion every year after a stroke. It is more important to maintain a healthy lifestyle and have regular physical examinations.

7. Massage your breasts regularly

Can clear breast nodules

Rumor: Massage can prevent breast diseases. Truth: Massage cannot prevent or treat breast diseases, and improper massage techniques may cause harm. In medicine, breast nodules are just a symptom, not a diagnosis of a disease. Breast nodules can be seen in a variety of diseases, such as breast hyperplasia, breast fibroadenoma, plasma cell mastitis, breast cancer, etc. The causes of breast nodules are also very complicated, and may include endocrine hormone levels, gene mutations, and environmental influences. However, most breast nodules are benign. As long as you remember to do regular self-examinations and make sure that the nodules are stable, you don't have to worry. In fact, the breast is a very delicate organ, composed of mammary ducts and mammary lobules. It is not suitable for frequent violent massage. If the massage is improper or the force is too strong, it will also cause damage to the mammary lobules and mammary ducts, especially when there are cysts or mastitis in the breast. Massage may also cause the spread of inflammation and worsen the condition. Therefore, it is recommended not to massage blindly. Breast health should be maintained through professional examinations and doctor's advice.

8. Middle-aged women often drink soy milk

Susceptible to breast cancer

Rumor: Soy milk contains phytoestrogens, and drinking soy milk frequently will increase the risk of breast cancer. Truth: Drinking soy milk in moderation is good for health, and there is currently no scientific evidence that soy milk increases the risk of breast cancer. The statement that "soy milk contains estrogen and can cause breast cancer" is not scientifically based. A large number of epidemiological studies have found that among Asian women in China, Japan and other Asian countries and in Europe and the United States, the amount of soy products consumed is negatively correlated with the risk of breast cancer. In 2015, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) conducted a systematic analysis of soy isoflavones and concluded that soy isoflavones do not increase the risk of female-related cancers such as breast cancer and endometrial cancer. The International Breast Health and Cancer Guidelines list some methods of preventing breast cancer in various countries around the world, one of which is to eat soy and its products in moderation. Therefore, drinking soy milk and eating soy products will not cause breast cancer, but may reduce the risk of breast cancer.

9. Can royal jelly cause breast cancer?

Rumor: Royal jelly has a high content of sex hormones, which can cause breast cancer. Truth: The ingredient in royal jelly that "ripens" bees is not sex hormones, but a protein. Moreover, the estrogen content in it is extremely low and will not cause breast cancer. In fact, the ingredient in royal jelly that "ripens" bees is not sex hormones, but an active protein called "Royalactin". When people take royal jelly orally, this protein will be digested and cannot remain active, so there is no need to worry about its impact on the human body. Moreover, the hormone content in royal jelly is particularly low. Data shows that the estradiol content in beef and mutton is 10 to 400 times that of royal jelly, the progesterone content in mutton is more than 500 times that of royal jelly, and the testosterone content in milk is 20 to 150 times that of royal jelly. Therefore, there are very few sex hormones in royal jelly, which can be ignored for normal healthy people.

10. Drinking coffee can cause breast cancer

Rumor: Drinking coffee frequently can cause breast cancer. Truth: Drinking coffee in moderation every day does not cause breast cancer. Chinese scientists have studied the relationship between dietary habits and the incidence of breast cancer. The results show that the incidence of breast cancer in people who drink coffee is no different from that in people who do not drink coffee, and is even slightly lower than that in people who do not drink coffee. There are also a large number of epidemiological surveys abroad that show that drinking coffee does not increase the risk of breast cancer. The evaluation results of the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) believe that there is not enough evidence to show that drinking coffee increases the risk of human cancer. In 2017, a report released by the International Cancer Research Fund WRCF pointed out that there is currently no evidence that drinking coffee can cause cancer in people. At the same time, there is some evidence that coffee can reduce the risk of certain cancers, such as breast cancer, endometrial cancer and liver cancer. Therefore, drinking coffee does not cause breast cancer. However, mothers should be reminded that it is okay to like coffee, but no more than 4 cups a day! Because drinking too much may cause poor sleep and increase the risk of osteoporosis.

Planning and production

Author: Ruan Guangfeng, Director of Science and Technology Department of Kexin Food and Nutrition Information Exchange Center

Review | Zhang Yu, researcher/PhD, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, national health science expert

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