Esophageal cancer is related to long-term consumption of overheated food

Esophageal cancer refers to a malignant tumor of the esophageal mucosa, which is more common in middle-aged men. It may be caused by long-term consumption of overheated, dry, or hard food, swallowing too quickly, or long-term alcohol stimulation and consumption of food containing nitrosamine compounds.

The human oral cavity and esophagus have limited tolerance to temperature. The most suitable temperature for eating is about 10~40℃, and the highest temperature that can be tolerated is about 50~60℃. When very hot food enters the mouth, it will cause congestion of the oral mucosa, damage the mucosa and cause ulcers. If these stimuli are repeatedly received for a long time, the mucosal epithelium will have abnormal morphological and functional "heteromorphic" cells in the process of repeated proliferation and repair. If these abnormal cells accumulate, they will gradually become malignant and gradually develop to the middle of the esophageal wall.

Because the mucosa will partially proliferate or even thicken after being stimulated by heat, the thickened mucosa will become less and less sensitive to heat stimulation. The hotter the food, the thicker the oral mucosa will be, gradually forming a vicious cycle, just like "boiling a frog in warm water". In this state, the burning stimulation will become more and more serious, leading to long-term esophagitis. This type of esophagitis is often accompanied by gradual cells, which may be one of the precancerous lesions.

Therefore, eating too much hot food is a bad habit from the perspective of cancer prevention and other aspects. Everyone should correct this habit as soon as possible. As the saying goes, "You can't eat hot tofu in a hurry."