Question

Which of these terms best describes foods that contain carcinogens as the result of cooking method or processing? Cancer initiators Cancer promoters Cancer antipromoters?

Answer 1

Ans. Carcinogens are those compounds or substances , radiation which are capable of inducing cancer .Food is processed or preserved in different number of ways before we consume it and this effects the chemical nature of the food .

Processed meat generally red meat which is preserved by salting,fermentation etc and to them nitrites are added and after cooking it becomes nitrosamines which is carcinogenic in nature .Acrylamide is formed in over fried or overcooked carbohydrates which is also a carcinogenic.

Cancer initiator causing cancer by irreversibly changing DNA .It can be radiation, chemical etc

Cancer promoter don't interact with DNA but change its expression .It can be hormone, plant product ,drugs

Food carcinogens belong to cancer promoter category.

Cancer antipromoter induce changes in gene expression , suppress proliferation and cause apoptosis.