Salted fish is a common food that is popular in the south of China. People enjoy the process of chewing it and it enriches the taste of the dishes. But eating too much salted fish can give you cancer.

Salted fish is produced with a large amount of salt, which later turns into nitrites (亚硝酸盐). When nitrites reach our stomach, they turn into another kind of chemical that can cause cancer.

So does this mean we can’t eat salted fish anymore?

“People don’t need to worry too much. It has to do with how often you eat certain foods and how much of them you eat.” Huang Yufang, an expert said. If you really like eating salted fish, you can eat a small amount once or twice a month. Meanwhile, you should also eat more fruit and vegetables that are rich in vitamin C, as this can help to prevent the formation of nitrites.

In fact, a lot of food is thought to cause cancer, such as pickles (咸菜), areca palm (槟榔), certain fried foods and even red meat, such as pork, lamb and beef.

Although these foods can potentially cause cancer, it doesn’t mean a person will get cancer just from eating them, according to the World Health Organization.

Cancer is caused by many different factors, such as one’s genes (基因), environment, lifestyle and eating habits. As long as one has a balanced diet, one doesn’t need to avoid cancer-causing foods entirely.

We all know that food gives us energy, but do you know it can make us much happier when we feel bad? Studies show that foods such as sea fish, bananas, pumpkins and chicken can help fight against bad moods. How can they affect our moods?

Studies show that people living by the sea seem much happier than other people, because the fresh sea air helps them clear their minds and they eat a lot of sea fish.

Bananas have something that is full of Vitamin B6. Having more bananas can help us make a quick decision, and become more confident.

Eating pumpkins can also help get into a good mood because it’s rich in Vitamin B6 and iron (铁) and it can make us happier.

Are you in a bad mood? If you are, don’t sit alone. Go to eat such happy food with your friends. And you will be better soon.