No one was concerned about foods that can cause cancer during the time when our parents were still young since there was less processed food on the market. Besides, most people eat healthier and purer foods were most available before.
At present, it’s hard to determine what food to stay away from as it seems like doctors link everything to food causing cancer. You may think you might be doing /eating the right thing, you’re eating some of the worst cancer-causing foods out there!
Cancer is a scary disease, but there are ways that you can prevent cancer. One way to avoid this disease is to eliminate certain foods from your diet. Some foods have been found to increase your chance of developing cancer while causing other health problems.
Here’s a look at the foods that can cause cancer, and some good alternatives you can choose to prevent cancer and stay healthy.
① Beef Jerky
You probably think that beef jerky is a healthy snack option. After all, it’s packed with great protein and you can take it anywhere. However, most brands of beef jerky that are commercially produced have nitrites in them. Nitrites are added to the beef jerky to keep it fresh and add color to the jerky.
Studies have shown that these nitrites can cause cancer. While other foods contain nitrites, beef jerky has a higher amount of nitrites per ounce than most of the other foods that contain them.
If you love the protein punch that beef jerky offers, consider making your own beef jerky. Start with grass-fed beef. Roll it very thin with a rolling pin and then bake it in your oven at a very low temperature for several hours.
Cancer-Causing Agent: Nitrites in beef jerky have been linked to cancer, and they are added to give the jerky its color and also to preserve it and keep it fresh for months as it sits on store shelves.
② Microwave Popcorn
Another cancer causing food to remove from your diet is microwave popcorn. Many people love curling up with a great movie and a bag of microwave popcorn. However, you may need to choose a healthier option instead of reaching for a bag of microwave popcorn.
From the chemically-lined bag to the actual contents, microwave popcorn is at the center of lung cancer debates around the world. When the popcorn is nuked or microwaved, the substances inside the popcorn bags can create perfluorooctanoic acid. This acid can cause cancer in humans.
The good news is that you don’t have to give up popcorn – just microwave popcorn. You can quickly pop your popcorn at home. Use organic popcorn kernels, and you have a healthy snack. Just avoid movie theater popcorn, since their buttering agent could cause health problems.
Cancer-Causing Agent: Perfluorooctanoic acid is created during the microwave process from substances found on the inside of the bags.
③ GMO Foods
Many crops today are sprayed with multiple pesticides and herbicides. You may be surprised that these toxic chemicals are now actually built into many seeds. When you choose conventional produce, you end up getting all these chemicals in them, and they cannot be washed away before you eat the produce.
Some research has shown that pesticides and herbicides can cause certain types of cancers and other diseases. GMO foods can include both packaged goods and conventional procedure.
To avoid eating GMO foods, make sure that you choose 100% organic foods, or you can look for foods that have the seal saying “Non-GMO Project Verified” on the package. This way you ensure that you are not getting GMOs in your food.
Cancer-Causing Agent: Herbicides and pesticides that have been shown to cause cancer, among other diseases, are in GMO food from conventional produce to packaged goods.
④ Canned Foods
Currently, there’s quite a debate about the bisphenol-A (BPA) and whether there’s enough of this substance in canned foods to raise the risk of cancer.
There’s also a lot of debate around whether BPA can be transferred to canned foods from the cans. Studies were conducted on either side of this discussion, so it’s difficult to know which side is right.
One idea is to avoid eating canned foods. Instead of canned goods, go with frozen or fresh foods. You can also purchase canned food in cans that say they are free from BPA. It’s better to err on the side of caution, in this case, to ensure you’re not eating foods that will cause cancer in the future.
Cancer-Causing Agent: Bisphenol-A (BPA) is the cancer-causing culprit here. This toxic chemical has been linked to different cancers, heart disease and reproductive problems.
⑤ Fried Snacks
Head down your grocery store’s snack isle and you’ll see all kinds of snacks. They are all packaged so they look wonderfully delicious, and many of them can increase your risk for cancer.
The problem with fried snacks (like chips) takes place during the frying process. These snacks are pre-packaged, which means that most consumers forget that the products have been deep-fried, much in the same way as French fries.
These fatty foods don’t only cause weight gain because of their high trans-fat content, they also have excessive sodium levels, which cause high blood pressure and artificial flavors, preservatives, and colors.
During the deep-frying process, the snacks become crisp and brown, but this process can result in the formation of cancer-causing substances that will stay in the food. When frying foods at a very high temperature, the metabolizing of a substance called Acrylamide creates Glycidamide, which may cause cancer.
Cancer-Causing Agent: Glycidamide created by the metabolizing of Acrylamide, a substance produced from frying foods at high temperatures, is theorized as the cancer-causer for many snacks sold in stores today.
⑥ Refined Sugar / Colas
If you enjoy drinking a cold, bubbling glass of cola, take a minute to think about what is in that cola. Shoppers expect a cola to have a rich, brown color, but manufacturers add a dye to the cola to add that color.
This dye has a chemical in it that research shows can cause cancer. Cola gets its caramel color from 4-methylimidazole (4-MI), and this substance has been linked to cancer in many different cases.
Colas also contain a lot of high fructose corn syrup in them, which can feed cancer cells if you already have them. Cancer cells LOVE refined sugars, which spike insulin levels and promote cancer growth.
High-fructose corn syrup is considered the worst offender and it’s found in any sweet you can think of. It’s been known for a long time that cancer cells feed off of sugar, so with so many people addicted to sugary treats, it’s no wonder why cancer rates have skyrocketed.
Instead of waiting for the industry to come up with a better replacement for the dye and high fructose corn syrup, it’s a good idea to stop drinking colas. Not only will you prevent cancer, but you can reduce blood sugar levels and lose weight as well.
Cancer-Causing Agent: 4-MI (4-methylimidazole) is what gives cola its classic caramel color, and is also directly linked to cancer in thousands of individual cases.
⑦ Diet Foods
Unfortunately, all those diet foods that are marketed to help you lose weight rarely actually help you take off those unwanted pounds. In fact, those foods could be increasing your risk of cancer.
Since obesity makes you more likely to get cancer, you may wonder what to do to lose weight the healthy way. Artificial sweeteners are used in many diet foods, giving you the taste you want without increasing the calories and sugar in the food.
Some of these artificial sweeteners are lab-created chemicals that can have a toxic effect on your body. Aspartame, which is the most popular artificial sweetener, has been widely researched and shown to be linked to cancer.
Don’t risk your health by eating this cancer-causing foods. Find healthy alternatives and prevent cancer.
Cancer-Causing Agent: Aspartame. the most widely used artificial sweetener, has been linked to cancer for years, despite the FDA and other groups citing clinical trials that say there isn’t enough clear evidence to pull the toxin from the food supply.
⑧ Farmed Salmon
Next time you want a healthy omega-3 packed, treat yourself to fresh Alaskan salmon instead without contaminants and avoid the farmed version of this fish. A study at the University at Albany found it is often full of cancer causing contaminants as they are fed unnatural diets and contaminated with chemicals, pesticides, antibiotics, PCBs, and other known carcinogens found in materials like asbestos.
⑨ White Flour /Bleached Flour
All nutritional value is removed when flour is refined. Then it’s bleached with chlorine gas to make it more appealing to consumers. The glycemic index for white flour is very high – meaning it spikes your insulin levels without providing nutritional fuel.
Carbohydrates are converted to sugars by your body, so excessive products that contain white flour can lead to increased insulin resistance. Simple sugars (like refined carbohydrates) are the preferred fuel source for cancer.
thanks a lot
Tnks for awarnss
We need to be more aware
Thanks for awareness of cancer information
Thanks a lot for such a good information
Very important information
Thanks
Thanks for awairness of cancer
All good points, hard part is if you depend on food banks, a lot of stuff is pasta or canned food…fresh meat especially seafood is really expensive too…but its still good to know. I’m learning to budget better too, and freeze extra portions, so that goes a long way!
Thanks
good information. i need to be more aware
This beauty tips is nice too