Clipping Board » Eat Healthily ─ Introduction to healthy eating, medicinal cuisine, and health supplements
Clipper
Topic & Content
You Might Not Know—Saliva Fights Cancer
pine Webmaster of Pineapple
2009/04/11 03:39
508 topics published
As more and more people develop cancer, the fear among the population grows.

Selenium is an anti-cancer element, but how many people still eat selenium-rich foods like onions and garlic? Carotene is also anti-cancer, yet how many consume stir-fried carrots or pumpkins?

If you calculate one chew per second and chew each bite of food 30 times before swallowing, congratulations: you’ve entered the high-tech realm of cancer prevention.

The Overlooked Anti-Cancer Warrior: Saliva

Scientific research has long confirmed that saliva contains many components found in blood plasma, such as essential electrolytes and enzymes, which play vital physiological roles, including anti-aging, anti-inflammatory, and digestive benefits. The *Huangting Jing* (an ancient Taoist text) states, "Jade spring's clear water nourishes the spiritual roots." Here, "jade spring's clear water" refers to saliva, highlighting its remarkable effects. For this reason, health practitioners throughout history have regarded swallowing saliva as a powerful method for preventing aging and disease (known as the "returning essence" technique). As research deepens, the physiological benefits of saliva—a biologically active substance—continue to be uncovered, particularly its anti-cancer properties, which have drawn significant medical attention.

**The Anti-Cancer Effects of Saliva**

The saying "illness enters through the mouth" is well-known. Statistics show that 40% of cancers are related to food intake, underscoring the critical role of food hygiene in cancer prevention. Further studies reveal that the link between cancer and food lies in carcinogens such as nitrosamines, synthetic chemicals, and preservatives. These substances can stimulate and promote cellular mutations, leading to cancer. Thus, controlling and neutralizing these carcinogens in food is key to cancer prevention—and saliva serves as the frontline defense.

Our saliva contains 13 digestive enzymes, 11 minerals, 9 vitamins, various organic acids, and hormones. Among these, peroxidase, catalase, and vitamin C have the strongest detoxifying effects. They not only act as antioxidants, eliminating free radicals in the body, but also exhibit anti-tumor properties. Research shows that these enzymes can break down carcinogens entering the mouth, effectively reducing cancer incidence. Saliva's anti-cancer power stems from its enzymes' ability to mitigate the attack of nitrosamines on cells, alter mutation pathways, and significantly counteract the harm caused by synthetic additives and preservatives. Additionally, saliva can neutralize and eliminate carcinogens in food.

Scientists at the University of Georgia conducted experiments mixing human saliva with potent carcinogens like nitrosamines, aflatoxins, and benzopyrene, as well as suspected carcinogens like tobacco tar, charred meat, and sodium glutamate. The results showed that the mutagenicity of these substances was completely neutralized within 30 seconds. The study confirmed that saliva's peroxidase transforms carcinogens into harmless compounds, thereby exerting its anti-cancer effects. Given saliva's powerful role, it deserves serious attention. However, as the experiment revealed, carcinogens take 30 seconds to fully degrade when mixed with saliva. Hence, cultivating proper chewing habits is essential to maximize saliva's anti-cancer benefits.

**Developing Good Chewing Habits**

In restaurants, cafeterias, or even at home, it’s common to see people devouring meals at lightning speed—gulping down food like a whirlwind or like Zhu Bajie (a character from *Journey to the West*) swallowing the ginseng fruit whole. Of course, with the fast pace of modern life, people have little time to savor meals, making such "ferocious" eating habits understandable.From a health perspective, the pace of eating should not be too fast. "Chewing slowly and thoroughly" aligns with the principles of wellness and maximizes saliva's anti-cancer effects. The logic is simple: if you wolf down your food and quickly put down your chopsticks, the short stimulation time means less saliva is produced, which inevitably weakens its anti-cancer benefits. On the other hand, if you savor your meal and chew slowly, the prolonged stimulation from food leads to more saliva secretion, naturally enhancing its anti-cancer effects. More crucially, only by chewing slowly can food fully mix with saliva, allowing sufficient time for the enzymes in saliva to break down carcinogens in the food, thereby maximizing saliva's anti-cancer potential.

So, what is the ideal chewing frequency? Scientists have provided a precise answer.

Experiments by experts show that chewing for 30 seconds can reduce the toxicity of carcinogens. If each chew takes about one second, then chewing each bite 30 times before swallowing is the scientifically recommended standard. Given saliva's remarkable functions, Japanese nutritionist Nishioka stated, "Chewing slowly and thoroughly is not only highly significant for human health—I even place hopes for preventing cancer and many diseases on this practice." By chewing each bite 30 times (at one second per chew) before swallowing, you can fully harness saliva's anti-cancer effects. Such a simple measure—why not adopt it?

Source: http://www. 365jk. com/ DZBK/ 2008/ 1210/ article_259. html
expand_less