Foods you love that can cause cancer

We probably do not think the food we are eating every day might be cancer causing. However  there is a clear connection between diet and cancer.

As cancer became the plague of our modern age, a lot of research has been done on its prevention. With many reports on the relationship of diet to cancer available nowadays, we want to inform you about the most cancer causing foods. One part of the prevention plan is avoiding such foods, some other tips on the prevention we will discuss at the end of the article. So keep reading and stay healthy.

Though fresh organic tomatoes help the body resist infections and actually fight cancer, canned tomatoes are carcinogenic (cancer causing) food.

Sodas have no nutritional value, contain high amounts of phosphates, and tremendous amounts of white sugar and chemicals. They can easily deplete the body of nutrients and can cause weight gain and promote obesity. Sodas often contain artificial flavoring, artificial coloring and artificial sweeteners, all of which are cancer causing substances [2]. Among artificial sweeteners, saccharin is the greatest concern.

We tend to think that eating fish is very healthy, especially cold water ones like salmon because of high omega-3 content. The omega-3 essential fatty acids found in saltwater fish come from a diet of deep-water plankton and smaller fish. Farm-raised species of fish do not have such high omega-3 content. That is because farmed fish are usually fed an unnatural diet.
Also,  they are contaminated with antibiotics, pesticides, chemicals and other cancer causing substances.

Processed meats include bacon, sausages, hot dogs, deli meats, beef jerk, ham. These meats have been modified to change their taste or to extend shelf life, to do this  the main methods of processing are smoking, curing, adding salt and preservatives.
Recently the World Health Organization (WHO)’s International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) announced that consumption of processed meat is “carcinogenic to humans”.

While popcorn is so convenient snack, you should be aware of negative health impacts of microwave popcorn. The bag inside is lined with a non-stick coating,  and the chemical used in the lining, as well as in Teflon coating, decomposes, producing a dangerous compound called perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA). PFOA is a known carcinogen, which is toxic to the liver, immune system, and affects hormones as well as altering thyroid hormone levels, studies suggest. This chemical has been associated with increased risk of certain cancers, including liver, bladder, kidney and prostate cancer.

Being one of the most popular snacks, potato chips are cheap, tasty and very convenient to munch on. However, they usually contain artificial flavors and colors and numerous preservatives. They are very salty and their high sodium levels can cause high blood pressure issues for many people. Moreover, potato chips are high in fat and calories and can help to gain excess weight. They are also full of trans fat, which are really bad for your health, reports say, and can cause high cholesterol in most people.
Potato chips are prepared at very high temperatures, which creates Acrylamide, cancer causing chemical.

You may be surprised to find out that drinking alcohol increases your risk of developing many types of cancer, including cancer of the breast, colon and rectum, esophagus, larynx, liver, mouth and pharynx, as per Canadian Cancer Society. These risks are increased when alcohol use is combined with cigarette smoking.

Artificial sweeteners are usually used to minimize obesity or help regulate blood sugar in diabetes. However, studies show that artificial sweeteners do not really help weight loss in most people, but actually promote weight gain. Another research shows that aspartame, in fact, worsens insulin sensitivity to a greater degree than sugar. And artificial sweeteners make you crave even more sweets as well.
Among all synthetic artificial sweeteners, aspartame (NutraSweet) is most widely used. It can actually be a neurological irritant and can affect the user’s mood and energy. Studies have found intake of aspartame to be associated with migraine headaches and increased risk of brain tumors in animals.

Chemical treatments to refined flour to make it white results in the formation of alloxan in the flour. Alloxan is a toxic contaminant causing diabetes. It is actually used in labs for causing diabetes in healthy animals so that the researchers can experiment with treatments for diabetes. White processed flour has a high glycemic index which quickly raises the blood sugar level. Cancer cells feed mostly on the sugars in the bloodstream. So avoid refined carbohydrates such as white flour and white sugar, as they can encourage cancer growth.

Highly salted pickled foods may influence stomach and digestive lining.  Furthermore, these foods can be very high in nitrates and nitrites. Nitrates and nitrites may convert to cancer causing nitrosamines in the body, which damage DNA cells.

Genetically modified produce is damaging to your health according to the latest studies. For example, tomatoes are modified to increase shelf life and resistance to pests and some protein genes are added to zucchini to protect against viruses. The research links GMOs to cancer, liver and kidney damage and severe hormonal disruption. Though there are still debates on this topic.
Unfortunately, there is no requirement to state that the product is GMO on food labels in Canada and US. Be careful, buy organic.

“Dirty” fruits and vegetables are those that are most contaminated with pesticides. Canadian Cancer Association says that the research suggests a possible connection of pesticides with cancers such as non-Hodgkin lymphoma, multiple myeloma, chronic lymphocytic leukemia, and prostate, testicular, pancreatic, lung and non-melanoma skin cancers.

Various hormones are used to increase weight of animals, while antibiotics are used to compensate for bad conditions and to prevent any illness, some of them promote growth as well. The use of hormones and antibiotics in food-producing animals has provoked many concerns about their effect on human health.
There are a number of studies that suggest that hormones and antibiotics in meat are not safe for consumption.  In 1989, The European Union banned the sales of hormone-treated US meat in member countries. On top of that, most of estrogenic hormones are carcinogenic (cancer causing) in humans, especially in women.


I hope I have helped a little. Buy organic if you can and avoid anything that has been processed. To your good health ... Cheers!! (drinking orange juice)