Cancer is a devastating disease that affects millions of people each year. Unfortunately, it is not always easy to detect since most tumors don’t develop until the later stages of the disease. If caught early enough, 90% of all cancers are curable. However, many cancer cases go undetected and lead to large tumors that affect the function and structure of organs and tissues, ultimately leading to death. To reduce your risk of getting this disease, there are certain actions you can take. One of those is to watch what you put in your body. This article will look at common food and drinks that can lead to cancer.
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Processed Meat
Processed meat is any meat that has been preserved by smoking, curing, salting, or adding other preservatives. Examples include ham, bacon, pepperoni, and hot dogs. Hotdogs are sometimes even made with meat scraps from different animals like cattle, horses, and pigs. Unfortunately, the preservatives used in these meats can lead to cancer. As a result, many health organizations like the World Cancer Research Fund (WCRF) advise against eating them because they may increase your risk of getting cancer, especially colorectal cancer.
Alcohol
Alcohol is a double-edged sword; it can be good or bad for you, depending on how much you drink. Those who consume small amounts of alcohol, such as a glass of wine with dinner, have fewer heart problems than those that don’t drink at all. However, heavy drinkers have an increased risk of many diseases, including various cancers. Alcohol can cause damage to damage the liver, pancreas, and brain, which increases your risk of cancer in these organs. Furthermore, it can damage your mouth and throat, leading to a higher chance of developing cancers there as well.
Fried Foods
Since cooking fried foods is done at extremely high temperatures, often in unhealthy oils, studies show them to contain a cancer-causing chemical called acrylamide. In fact, french fries and potato chips have the highest levels of this chemical of all fried foods. Therefore, if you must eat the occasional snack made with potatoes, try baking them instead of frying them. Doing so will significantly reduce your intake of acrylamide, which in return can lower your risk of developing certain cancers.
Sugar-Sweetened Beverages
Sugar-sweetened beverages contain large amounts of sugar, significantly increasing your risk for obesity and Type 2 diabetes. In addition, excessive fat around the abdomen is one of the leading causes of colorectal cancer. This type of cancer has been linked to drinking lots of soda containing high fructose corn syrup or sugar. Heavy soda drinkers have double the risk of developing this cancer than people who don’t drink soda.
Salt
Too much salt in your diet raises blood pressure, which can cause heart attacks or kidney disease. Not surprisingly, it’s also connected to stomach cancer, one of the deadliest forms of the disease. However, some studies suggest that too much salt might also increase the risk of other types of cancer. So next time you go to eat that bag of chips, consider keeping your intake at a minimum and maybe even try eating healthier snacks like carrots or celery instead.
Red Meat
Red meat is not a problem when consumed in moderation but eating it every day can lead to health concerns. For example, research has shown that a high intake of red meat increases the risk of colon cancer by 29% and pancreatic cancer by 38%. Furthermore, other studies have found that men who eat two servings of red meat per day are 19% more likely to develop prostate cancer than those who only have a single serving.
Milk and Dairy Products
According to 2014 research, dairy consumption raises insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) levels. An increase in this may cause a greater risk of prostate cancer. IGF-1 can also promote the proliferation of manufacturing of prostate cancer cells. In addition, hormones given to cows may increase your risk of breast cancer. Although this is not true for all dairy products, some brie and goat cheese can contain ten times more estrogen than other types of cheese like cheddar.
Artificial Sweeteners
Too much sugar is bad for your health and can cause obesity and other diseases. The negative effects of sugar are why many food manufacturers add artificial sweeteners to their products instead; it’s a healthier alternative that reduces the calorie count. Unfortunately, these sweeteners can be bad for your health too. For example, Saccharin (Sweet N’ Low) can lead to bladder cancer in rats and mice. Some research suggests Saccharin might also increase bladder cancer risk in humans. This may be due to benzene’s carcinogenic chemical, which forms when the sweetener is heated and processed.
High-Fructose Corn Syrup
HFCS is known to raise insulin levels more than table sugar does. An increase in insulin can raise your risk of diabetes, which may, in turn, heighten your chance of developing pancreatic cancer. Furthermore, HFCS contains contaminants that have been shown to cause various types of cancer in animals, including lymphoma, leukemia, and pancreatic cancer. These contaminants arrive when processing HFCS into its final product.
Refined Grains
Grains are an important part of our diet, providing vitamins and minerals that the body needs to function properly. However, eating too much-refined grain can increase your risk of cancer. Refined grains have been linked to an increased risk of esophageal adenocarcinoma, a malignant tumor that develops in the cells that line the inside of the esophagus. This is due to refined carbohydrates’ potential to cause high blood glucose levels, which one source claims may be another risk factor for colorectal cancer.
Conclusion
A balanced diet with healthy ingredients is important to keep your body in top shape. The human body is like a machine. Healthy, non-toxic ingredients keep the engine running while toxic ingredients harm it. It is good for consumers to know what to avoid and what contains cancer-causing chemicals. Eating the right foods is one of the best steps you can take to reduce your risk of developing cancer!
