Korean Job Discussion Forums

[nourozi]

So I was innocently reading up on the healthiest foods and their benefits when I came across the word Kimchi.

http://theseoultimes.com/ST/?url=/ST/db/read.php?idx=3171

[Papa Smurf]

[polonius]

[BigBuds]

Kimchi is healthy for you in small doses but not in the amounts that Koreans eat it.

Korea has one of the highest, if not the highest, rate of stomach cancer in the 1st world. It's from all the chilli and spices in their diet, especially kimchi.

[I'm no Picasso]

This article didn't happen to be based on an online poll, did it?

[nourozi]

[quote=

when you've also got Soy on the same list, it damages the credibility of the article.
[/quote]

Soy has been touted as easing menopause symptoms and preventing cancer, and it earned an FDA-approved health claim based on evidence that eating 25 grams a day could help lower cholesterol. Isoflavones, components of soy with estrogen-like properties, may also decrease your risk of osteoporosis.

[Socks]

BAD for your teeth - BAD for your stomach...

RICE: While a nutritionally sound food, rice (like pasta contains starch, which turns into plaque in the mouth leading to tartar build up and trouble. Less sticky, brown rice is a better choice.

HOT SPICES: Highly spiced foods irritate and stretch gum tissue, leaving openings for small particles to invade - it also irritates gums mid contribute to gingivitis. The worst offenders are pepper, hot chili peppers, spices


KIMCHI:

There are many articles written by korean persons - stating that Kimchi is healthy and is an anti-cancer food...

then why does Korea have the highest rate of stomache and bowel cancer in the world?

Most people believe that kimchi is healthy, as kimchi contains lots of vitamins and anti-oxidants. However, as early as 1985, Kim JP has noticed the correlation between red pepper/high salt diet and gastric
carcinogenesis (i.e. stomach cancer) in their study [Co-carcinogenic
effects of several Korean food on gastric cancer induced by
N-methyl-N'-nitrosoguanidine in rats. Jpn J Surg. 1985 Nov;15(6):427-37].

In late 1990s, Ahn Yo from Seoul National University College of Medicine,
Korea, observed that stomach cancer was the most prevalent malignant
neoplasm in Korea. He noted an increased risk of stomach cancer was
among those who frequently had broiled meats and fishes, pickled
vegetables, salted side dishes and salty stewed foods, such as soybean
paste thick stew as their meals. On the other heand, Dr. Ahn Yo reported
that ginseng intake could decrease the risk of gastric cancer in his review
article.[Diet and stomach cancer in Korea, Int J Cancer. 1997;Suppl 10:7-9]


Gomez SL et al, Northern California Cancer Center, CA, compared the rates of stomach cancers among Korean, Korean American and Caucasian American. They found that the Korean in Korea have the highest rate for stomach cancers and the Caucasian Americans have the lowest rate. [Cancer Causes Control. 2003 Mar; 14 (2):167-74]

In 1990-1995, Lee JK et al at Hanyang University, Korea also investigated
how the dietary factors in Korean food related to Stomach cancer. They
recruited 213 patients with stomach cancer and 213 subjects as controls.
They found that increased risk of stomach cancer was associated with
consumption of stewed foods (such as soybean paste stew and hot
pepper-soybean stew, broiled fish) and salty foods (including pickled
vegetables). They concluded that heavy salt consumption and cooking
methods like broiling and salting seem to play a major role in gastric
carcinogenesis among Koreans. [Dietary factor and stomach cancer: a case study in Korea Int J Epidemiol. 1995 Feb;24(1):33-41]

In 2003, Lee SA et al from Seoul National University, Korea recruited 69
patients diagnosed with early gastric cancer and 199 healthy subjects as
controls. They assayed helicobacter pylori infection and interviewed the
subjects on dietary habits. They found a high intake of salt-fermented fish and kimchi associated with an elevated risk of early gastric cancer. Subjects with positive H. pylori infection and a high salty preference had a 10-fold higher risk of early gastric cancer than subjects without H. pylori infection and with a low salty preference. [Effect of diet and Helicobacter pylori infection to the risk of early gastric cancer, J Epidemiol. 2003 May;13(3):162-8].

While Kim HJ et al from University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
concluded that that the risk of gastric cancer decreased with high
consumption of fresh vegetables and fruits, whereas high consumption of
foods rich in nitrate and carcinogenic substances produced during the
cooking process increased the risk of gastric cancer from their clinical studies
[Dietary factor and gastric cancer in Korea: a case-control study. Int J Cancer. 2002 Feb 1;97(4):531-5].

Seel DJ et al, Presbyterian Medical Center, Korea, analyzed two traditional and widely consumed home-prepared food products, salted pickled cabbage (kimchi) and salted seafood sauce (chut-kal) (a) for nitrite, nitrate, total secondary amines and pH in these food products prior to nitrite incubation and (b) for volatile nitrosamines and total N-nitroso compounds before and after incubation with nitrite in simulated human stomach conditions. They found that the nitrate levels were significantly higher in kimchi (median 1550 mg/kg) than in chut-kal (median 140 mg/kg) (P < 0.001). After nitrosation, the demonstration of high levels of total N-nitroso compounds in kimchi and the high volume of kimchi comsumption in Korea, Seel DJ believed that kimchi may play a role in gastric carcinogenesis in Southwest Korea.,
[N-nitroso compounds in two nitrosated food products in southwest Korea. Food Chem Toxicol. 1994 Dec;32(12):1117-23]

Kim YK et al, Seoul National University, Korea, considered ethyl carbamate was associated with cancer and this chemical was mainly found in fermented foods and beverages. They determined ethyl carbamate concentrations in some of the staple food items and estimated the daily intake for the Korean population to be 2.8 micrograms/day. They considered the amount is not negligible. They suggested that it is necessary to reduce the daily intake of these products [ Determination of ethyl carbamate in some fermented Korean foods and beverages. Food Addit Contam. 2000 Jun; 17 (6): 469]

Korea FDA found 16 out of 502 domestic kimchi products containing
roundworm eggs. The products are from different companies. The parasite eggs are believed to have come from excrement of cats and dogs raised in the farms. [Parasite eggs found in's Korean Kimchi products. Asia Pulse News, November 3, 2005 ] [ Kisaengchunghak Chapchi Action of serveral chemicals on the parasites eggs and larvae in Korean Pickle(Kimchi) 1966 Aug;4(1):47-51]

[Ukon]

Just a reminder folks, Spicy food is healthy.

[FistFace]

[okayden223]

I believe that some regions in Korea produce kimchi that is healthier than others. I think there is a region in the south that is known for having a particularly salty kimchi that is dangerous if consumed in large quantities. I love the stuff, sometimes I'll polish off the bowl before the food shows up. Maybe I should cut back.

[movybuf]

[Yesterday]

Parts of India have the world's highest incidence of cancers ...


The Japanese have the highest rates of stomach cancer in the world ...



As with most cancers, researchers don't know yet what causes stomach cancer. Several risk factors have been identified, however. These include:

age (most people diagnosed are over 55 years old)
alcohol abuse
chemical exposure to certain dusts or fumes
diets high in nitrates and nitrites, with foods that are preserved by drying, smoking, salting, or pickling
family history of stomach cancer
gastric atrophy
gender (more men than women are affected)
a history of ulcers (H. pylori infection)
pernicious anemia
previous stomach surgery
race (people of African descent are more likely to be diagnosed than Caucasians)
smoking cigarettes
socio-economic status - it's not known why, but people in lower socio-economic classes seem to have a higher rate of stomach cancer

Stomach cancer begins in the glandular tissue of the stomach and is also known as gastric cancer. The stomach is only one of many organs in the abdomen that can develop cancer.

The stomach is a sack-like organ that holds food and mixes it with gastric juice to begin the process of digestion. It is divided into 5 different sections, cancer can start in any of these areas. Most of the time cancer starts in the mucosa, the innermost layer where the stomach acid and digestive juices are made.

Stomach cancer grows slowly over many years and can spread in several different ways. It can grow through the wall of the stomach and into nearby organs. It can also spread to the lymph nodes via the lymph system. When stomach cancer is more advanced, it will travel through the bloodstream and form deposits of cancer cells in organs such as the liver, lungs, and bones.


Risk factors
Age

There is a sharp increase in stomach cancer after the age of 50.

Gender

Stomach cancer is about twice as common in men as it is in women.

Ethnicity

The highest rates of stomach cancer are seen in Asian populations and Pacific Islanders.

Diet

A diet high in smoked foods, salted fish and meats, pickled vegetables, and certain foods high in starch and low in fibre can increase the risk of stomach cancer.

Family history of stomach cancer

People with several close relatives who have had stomach cancer are more likely to develop the disease.

Bacteria infection

There is some evidence that infection with bacteria called Heliobacter pylori could be a major cause of stomach cancer. Long-term infection with these bacteria can lead to inflammation and damage to the inner layer of the stomach, a possible precancerous change. This bacterium is also linked to some types of lymphoma of the stomach. However most people who carry this germ in their stomach never develop cancer.

Alcohol

There is no conclusive evidence linking alcohol use to stomach cancer. However it is recommended that alcohol is drunk in moderation.

Tobacco

Smoking almost doubles the risk of stomach cancer.

Earlier stomach surgery

Stomach cancer is more likely to occur in people who have had part of their stomach removed to treat other problems such as ulcers.

Type A Blood

People with type A blood have a higher risk of developing stomach cancer, it is not known why.

Stomach polyps

Polyps are small mushroom-like growths of the lining of the stomach. Most types of polyps do not increase the risk of stomach cancer. However one type, adenomatous polyps, can sometimes develop into stomach cancer.