DRINKING COFFEE MAY HELP PREVENT LIVER CANCER, STUDY SUGGESTS

Drinking coffee may help prevent liver cancer, study suggests

People who drink more coffee – even decaffeinated are less likely to develop liver cancer, an analysis of data from 26 studies has found.

For those who drank two cups of coffee a day, the risk of hepatocellular cancer was reduced by 35% compared to those who drank no coffee. Photograph: Erik de Castro/Reuters

Increasing coffee consumption may help to stave off liver cancer, a new study has suggested.

Researchers have found that people who drink more coffee are less likely to develop hepatocellular cancer (HCC), the most common form of primary liver cancer – and the effect was even found in decaffeinated coffee.

Experts from the University of Southampton and the University of Edinburgh examined data from 26 studies involving more than 2.25 million participants.

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Compared with people who drank no coffee, those who drank one cup a day had a 20% lower risk of developing HCC, according to the study, published in the journal BMJ Open.

Those who consumed two cups a day had a 35% reduced risk and for those who drank five cups, the risk was halved. They found the protective effect for decaf was “smaller and less certain than for caffeinated coffee”.

The authors wrote: “It may be important for developing coffee as a lifestyle intervention in chronic liver disease, as decaffeinated coffee might be more acceptable to those who do not drink coffee or who limit their coffee consumption because of caffeine-related symptoms.”

Lead author Dr Oliver Kennedy, of the University of Southampton, said: “Coffee is widely believed to possess a range of health benefits, and these latest findings suggest it could have a significant effect on liver cancer risk.

“We’re not suggesting that everyone should start drinking five cups of coffee a day though. There needs to be more investigation into the potential harms of high coffee-caffeine intake, and there is evidence it should be avoided in certain groups such as pregnant women.

“Nevertheless, our findings are an important development given the increasing evidence of HCC globally and its poor prognosis.”

Professor Peter Hayes, of the University of Edinburgh, added: “We have shown that coffee reduces cirrhosis and also liver cancer in a dose-dependent manner.

“Coffee has also been reported to reduce the risk of death from many other causes. Our research adds to the evidence that, in moderation, coffee can be a wonderful natural medicine.”

Figures from the Office for National Statistics show that in 2015, 4,673 new cases of liver cancer were diagnosed in England.

Source: https://www.theguardian.com/science/2017/may/25/drinking-coffee-may-help-prevent-liver-cancer-study-suggests

HOW TO CHOOSE THE RIGHT STREET FOOD WHEN VISITING SAIGON

How to choose the right street food when visiting Saigon

Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC), Vietnam, offers a wonderful array of delicious food for visitors. When at this place, everywhere you look you will find people preparing food at any time of the day. Down alleyways, on the streets and in any “hole in the wall”, something related to food is occurring at any time. As you walk through the streets HCMC be sure to smell all kinds of wondrous smells. As you read through this, you will discover how to get the right food you want to take when in this awesome place.

Street stall in HCMC, Vietnam

Many people shy from trying street food when overseas and this also goes for tourist visiting Saigon. I’ve seen people shy from fresh vegetables, ice or basically anything that has not been thoroughly cooked. While these can be sensible precautions in many circumstances, overdoing the “paranoia” side of eating street food will make you miss some great experiences. People ask themselves questions like “how do I know if it is safe? What if I get stomach upsets? Is it hygienic”? Two things will make you find answers to your questions. One is that you should eat where you see locals are eating from and two is that you should look for the food that you see is being cooked so that you can trust the source.

Regarding the first tip is that locals eat where they know food is of a good quality and has no risk in it. If you get to a place where many locals have gathered to eat then know that you are at the right place. This is because if food was of low quality the locals would be avoiding it.

For the second tip, know that most of the street hole and carts in the wall restaurants in HCMC have cooking and raw ingredients in a view that is usually clear. If something very fresh is being cooked in your presence or in front of your eyes, you can be keen on how it is being cooked. Contrast this to a hotel or restaurant where food is being cooked when you can’t see.

Street food in Saigon

Some of the great food that you will get in the streets of HCMC are; banh mi, rice paper rolls, noodles and Pho among others. Banh mi is one of the foods associated with HCMC and is a very delicious snack and shows that fusion food can be the best when cooked in the right manner. Banh mi is a Vietnamese word that means all kinds of bread. This food, when cooked with pate and thit (meat) is the best. The thit is some kind of roasted or steamed pork belly, Vietnamese sausage, grilled chicken or other meat that is often related to pork. Usual condiments include paté, sliced cucumber, pickled carrots, coriander and shredded daikon. Stalls selling this banh mi can are found all over HCMC. Have a look at the ingredients that are being used and if it impresses you then go for it.

Rice paper rolls are also common in HCMC. The rolls are prepared when fresh in front of you with seafood and pork as it pleases you. This is a simple a delicious meal that you can have with no worries at all.

Street carts selling food is common in HCMC and both men and women do this. At times they are selling one kind of fruit or different kinds and at times they can also be selling the above mentioned foods. Do not hurry and purchase the food, watch how the locals get it from a particular cart. If many people take the food from the cart then buy from them.

One last resort if you need a little help, there now are guided tours that are exclusively focused on getting you to experience authentic street food by taking you to stalls and restaurants around the city. This will be a less authentic experience from a personal point of view but the food will be the real deal. Have a look at available tour companies operating in Saigon HCMC and see the reviews about them carried out by independent writers before you choose one.

Street food vendor in Vietnam

Read more: http://go-vietnam.com/places-things-vietnam/choose-street-food-visiting-saigon-2/#ixzz2ztGgGjXI
Source: http://go-vietnam.com/places-things-vietnam/choose-street-food-visiting-saigon-2/

A WONDERFUL CRUISE TO MEKONG DELTA!

A wonderful Cruise to Mekong Delta!

Last Thursday, I had a wonderful one-day cruise to Mekong Delta with my family. We had chance to learn many interesting things about the life and friendly people who are living here.

Most of people living in Mekong Delta use boats as a main vehicle to transport from one place to the other places, boats can be used for putting fruits and boats are also used as a house to live. That is the reason why all visitors who once have visited this place can have chance to have a boat-journey. Last Thursday, we also went by boat. Here are some pictures of boats we met on our cruise:

People using a boat to transport fruits to floating markets:

As you can see, houses here are specially designed so that they can stand still in river:

One petrol station in Mekong Delta:

The boat is decorated with two eyes with the hope that it will not get any accident during its journeys:

This boat is used as a house. Boats also have registered number as other vehicles in Vietnam.

This is a house that I visited, a very nice and relaxing place to have a meal when you are in the heart of the Mekong Delta in Vietnam:

Banana tree and its flower in Mekong Delta:

People fishing in the Mekong Delta:

On our cruise, we visited a traditional pottery factory in Mekong Delta:

These are the pottery finishing:

 Watch out! That is one of the ovens and it is hot, notice the rice husks used to keep the fire alive.

 This the roof or chimney of one of the ovens, very mystical to see the light pour down the opening.

We also had chance to visit a family that makes rice paper- the cover of Nem- traditional dish of Vietnam.

This woman is waiting for the rice paper to be cooked before taking it out and pouring the mixture of rice flour and water to make a new rice paper.

She carefully takes the rice paper out of the stove.

And this is a family that makes coconut sweet:

These photos show how they separate rice from the rice husks and then heat the rice to make it pop and become suitable for making sweet rice bars, very crunchy and delicious!

I hope you enjoyed these photos of my trip to the Mekong Delta, if you live in the south of Vietnam like in Ho Chi Minh City, you can do this in a one-day tour.

Read more: http://go-vietnam.com/tourism-in-vietnam/places-to-visit-in-vietnam/places-to-visit-in-southern-vietnam/wonderful-cruise-mekong-delta/#ixzz2ztCxWf1R

Source: http://go-vietnam.com/tourism-in-vietnam/places-to-visit-in-vietnam/places-to-visit-in-southern-vietnam/wonderful-cruise-mekong-delta/

STREET FOOD – A PART OF VIETNAMESE CULTURE THAT YOU SHOULD NOT MISS WHEN VISITING SAIGON, VIETNAM

Street food – a part of Vietnamese culture that you should not miss when visiting Saigon, Vietnam

Saigon, also known as Ho Chi Minh City, is one of the biggest cities in Vietnam. When visiting Saigon, you will find a blend of culture coming from many regions in Vietnam especially three main regions: North of Vietnam, the Center of Vietnam, and the South of Vietnam. Each region has its own features and all these things make a very diverse Saigon. Besides enjoying the landscapes and culture when visiting Saigon, one thing that you should not miss is tasting street food in Saigon. In this post I will tell you some kinds of street food in Saigon that all locals like to eat. Hopefully, you – future visitors – will enjoy or try to eat these kinds of street food when visiting Saigon

1. “Banh trang tron” (Mixed pancake)

This is the favorite street food of most school boys and school girls or students and even office staff in Saigon. “Banh trang tron” is a mixture of many ingredients such as “trung cut” (quail eggs), “dau phong” (peanut), “rau ram” (laksa leaf), “du du xanh” (unripe papaya or sometimes people use unripe mango instead), sausage and “banh trang” (pancake- an indispensable ingredient). Banh trang is cut into small pieces (like a fiber) then it is mixed with other mentioned ingredients. Each ingredient has its own flavors but when they are mixed together they can make a very delicious food. It is advised that you should not buy “banh trang tron” when you are hungry because your taste buds will water during the 10 to 15 minutes it takes a street food vendor to prepare it correctly. Here are some places that you can enjoy your wonderful “ banh trang tron”: Banh trang tron chu Vien (38 Nguyen Thuong Hien street, ward 5, district 3, price is from 10.000VND-20.000VND/bag), Banh Trang Thao (90 Nguyen Thuong Hien, ward 5, district 3, price is from 10.000VND-22.000VND.

2. “Hot vit lon” (eggs)

The Vietnamese like this food a lot because they think it is very good for your health. They say that if you eat a lot of “hot vit lon”, you will not suffer from headaches. Pregnant women should eat “hot vit lon” if they want to give birth to intelligent babies. “Hot vit lon” is an egg with an embryo inside. Some of you maybe do not like this food and the thought might make you sick however it is a popular street food in Vietnam. You can enjoy boiled “hot vit lon” with some special spices such as “muoi tieu” (a mixture of salt and ground pepper), “chanh” (lemon), and “rau ram” (laksa leaf). There are also many other dishes made from “hot vit lon” such as “hot vit lon xao me” (“hot vit lon” is fried with tamarind), “lau hot vit lon” (“hot vit lon’’ hotspot). This street food is very wonderful so you should try eating it when visiting Saigon. You can close your eyes when you try eating this food. Here are some places that sells good “hot vit lon”: Kim Thao quan (Thao Dien, district 2), Dien Bien Phu quan (303 Dien Bien Phu Street, district 3), Quan in Cao Thang street (51/21 Cao Thang, ward 3, district 3), etc.

Photo credit

3. “Pha lau”

This is special food coming from China. “ Pha lau” is made from the internal organs of animals. You will find many kinds of “pha lau” such as “pha lau heo” (made from the internal organs of pigs), “pha lau bo” (made from the internal of cows), etc. In Saigon, people prefer “pha lau bo”. After cleaning the internal organs of cows, people cut them into piece and cook with “nuoc dua” (coconut water) and other spices such as garlic, chilly, “sa” (lemongrass), etc.  You can eat “pha lau” with “banh mi” (bread) or noodle. Many Vietnamese from young to old people love this food. They can enjoy this street food if they do not want to eat rice. You can try “pha lau” at these places: Pha lau bo Ba hat (533 BA Hat street, district 10), Pha Lau Li (1A Suong Nguyet Anh Street, district 1), Pha Lau bo Cay Tram (208 Cay Tram, Go Vap District).

   Photo credit

4. “Sup cua”

This street food is very popular in Saigon in all seasons, especially in cold weather, “sup cua” is always a wonderful choice. “Sup cua” (crab soup) is made from crabs, pork, eggs, pail eggs, “bot nang” (all-purpose flour – this kind of flour will make “sup cua” viscous). You can enjoy this kind of soup at : Sup Cua Hanh (402, Nguyen Tri Phuong, ward 4, distrcit 10), Sup Cua Hanh (521 Su Van Hanh street, district 10). You just need to pay from 11.000VND to 22.000VND, you can have a wonderful and nutritious street food for your hungry stomach.

                                                             Photo credit

Street food in Saigon is very diverse and I cannot list all of them just in a post. If you want to enjoy street food in Saigon, just take a visit to this city. You yourself will discover many other kinds of street food. You can maybe open a store that sells Saigon street food  in your country someday. Now pack yours bag and go, Saigon is waiting for you!

Read more: http://go-vietnam.com/places-things-vietnam/street-food-part-vietnamese-culture-visiting-saigon-vietnam/#ixzz2ztFtfFXx

Source: http://go-vietnam.com/places-things-vietnam/street-food-part-vietnamese-culture-visiting-saigon-vietnam/