| " In laboratory experiments, a team at the University of Glasgow simulated what happens in the human stomach. " " They found vitamin C (ascorbic acid) mopped up potential cancer-causing compounds that are made when saliva and food mixes with stomach acid. " " But when they added fat to the mix, the ascorbic acid could no longer convert the hazardous compounds into safe ones. " " Nitrite, which is present in saliva and comes from nitrate in our diet, is thought to be able to trigger gastric cancer. " " When it is swallowed and enters the acidic environment of the stomach, nitrite spontaneously forms nitrosating species, and these are able to convert a range of other stomach chemicals into potential cancer-causing agents called N-nitrosocompounds. " " Antioxidants like ascorbic acid protect against the formation of these nitrosocompounds by converting the nitrosating species into nitric oxide. " " However, when fat is present, it reacts with the nitric oxide to reform nitrosating species, the scientists found. " " Lead author Emilie Combet said: "These results show that the presence of lipid can markedly alter the protective effects of antioxidants, and how a diet rich
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