Recently, the discovery of Aspergillus flavus in the stomach of a woman who hasn't changed her chopsticks for 5 years has attracted a lot of attention. A 60 year old woman from Zhengzhou, Henan went to the hospital for treatment due to vomiting and diarrhea. Doctors found Aspergillus flavus in her stomach after testing. After inquiry, it was found that this lady is usually frugal in her daily life and has not changed a pair of chopsticks for many years, which is highly suspected to be related to this. Aflatoxin is a strong carcinogen with a clear carcinogenic effect on the human body. In daily life, some habits that should not have been frugal may appear to be frugal in managing the household, but they may increase the risk of illness. 01 Damaged non stick pans are reluctant to be replaced. In daily life, some elderly people are reluctant to throw away damaged non stick pans, thinking that the pans are still in good condition and that it is a pity to lose them just because the coating is damaged, so they continue to use them. The reason why non stick pots can be "non stick" is because the coating "polytetrafluoroethylene" or "PTFE" is used to fill the uneven gaps on the surface of the pot, forming a smooth "film". This coating is a synthetic plastic belonging to the PFAS (perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances) family. Although this material has good thermal stability, scratches and damage may occur when it is aged for a long time or rubbed against hard objects. In 2023, research showed that for every doubling of the concentration of straight chain perfluorooctane sulfonate (n-PFOS) in PFAS, the diagnosis rate of thyroid cancer increased by 56%, and the diagnosis rate of papillary thyroid adenoma also increased by 56%. In addition, in the production process of Teflon, some unscrupulous manufacturers may use a processing aid called PFOA (perfluorooctanoic acid ammonium), which may be associated with thyroid disease, high cholesterol, ulcerative colitis and other diseases, and has a certain carcinogenic risk. Moreover, when the non stick coating of the pan falls off in large areas, stir fried food is also prone to sticking to the pan and burning, producing more harmful substances such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, which increases the risk of cancer. It is not recommended to continue using non stick pans or rice cookers at home if the coating is visibly damaged! 02 Leftover food is always reluctant to be thrown away. Many people put uneaten food in the refrigerator and continue to eat it the next or third day. It's okay to have a meal occasionally, but if you eat leftovers for a long time, it may bring harm. Zhou Zhiwei, director of the Department of Gastroenterology at the Cancer Prevention and Treatment Center of Sun Yat sen University, stated that leftover food and vegetables are the "driving force" behind stomach cancer. It is suggested that instead of feeling heartbroken when faced with leftovers, it is better to remind oneself and family to make appropriate meals and avoid leftovers; Choose fresh and healthy food; The World Health Organization recommends that cooked food should not be stored at room temperature for more than two hours, should not be stored in the refrigerator for more than three days, and leftover food should not be heated more than once. 03 To save electricity, turn off the range hood early. When frying at high temperatures or on high heat, the decomposition of oil and food will produce a large amount of PM2.5 particles and volatile organic compounds (such as acrolein, benzo [a] pyrene, etc.). These substances may cause lung inflammation when inhaled, and long-term exposure may damage respiratory cells and increase the risk of cancer. Many elderly people think that the dishes are almost cooked and should quickly turn off the range hood, otherwise they will waste electricity. This is actually a wrong approach. Suggest allowing the range hood to continue running for a while after stir frying before turning it off. Even after turning off the heat, the residual heat in the pot, on the spatula, and on the stove continues to evaporate oil and produce a small amount of oil smoke; During the combustion of gas, a small amount of exhaust gas (such as carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxides, etc.) is generated, which is harmful to health. When frying food, a lot of oil is often used. In order to avoid waste, some people keep the oil from fried food for frying. The doctor explained that the oil used for frying food looks normal, but little do they know that when heated at high temperatures, the oil produces trans fatty acids and toxic oil oxidation products. When this oil is used for high-temperature cooking, carcinogens will increase sharply. Suggest avoiding repeated high-temperature cooking with leftover oil and using low-temperature cooking instead; Leftover oil can be used to make soup, especially vegetable soup, and a little can be added to the soup; When blanching vegetables, you can add a few drops of leftover oil to make the vegetables bright in color and enhance their taste. The sponge used for washing dishes has not been replaced for a long time. Many people realize that the cutting board and chopsticks need to be replaced regularly, but there is one thing that is rarely noticed - the dishwashing sponge/scouring pad. Many people use it for several months or only replace it when it's worn out. Zhu Shichao, assistant researcher at the Infection Management Department of West China Hospital of Sichuan University, introduced that in the kitchen, the most common types of bacteria include Acinetobacter, Moraxella, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, mold, and yeast, which can cause various diseases. Among all kitchen utensils, the detection rate of pathogenic bacteria in dishwashing sponges with complex aperture, good water absorption, and difficult to thoroughly clean is often the highest. These pathogens can enter the human body through the route of "sponge → hand or bowl → mouth" and cause disease. Suggest regularly replacing dishwashing sponges/scouring pads, at least once a month; Wash and squeeze out the dishwashing sponge every time you use it; Hang the dishwashing sponge after use for easy drying. (New Society)