10 food linked to cancer
- Dietitian.Lauren Hmede
- Jul 26, 2019
- 3 min read
Introduction:
Diet can play a significant role in cancer risk especially if accopanied with a poor overall diet.
To strike a healthy balance in your diet, aim for each meal to be made up of half veggies or fruit, a quarter lean protein and a quarter whole grains.
And if you are at increased risk for cancer (or want to reduce your risk), it might be a good idea to reduce or eliminate these 10 foods that have been linked to the disease.
1. Foods With Low Nutritional Quality
They're the foods you typically think of as "unhealthy," because they provide tons of calories without many nutrients. Examples include "highly processed snack foods, sugar sweetened beverages, refined (white) grains, refined sugar,fried foods, foods high in saturated and trans fats, and high-glycemic foods such as potatoes.
2. Processed Meat
In 2015, (WHO) announced that processed meats like hot dogs, ham, bacon, sausage, prosciutto and salami are carcinogenic. While the exact reasons aren't understood, it's believed to be because sodium used for preservation combines with amines in meat to form carcinogenic compounds and encourages the growth of gut bacteria known to cause cancer.
3. Red Meat
The same 2015 recommendation from the WHO also found that red meat like beef, pork and lamb is "likely" to cause cancer, although the exact reasons aren't well understood.
According to studies cited by the WHO: "The strongest, but still limited, evidence for an association with eating red meat is for colorectal cancer. There is also evidence of links with pancreatic cancer and prostate cancer." Still, in moderation, lean red meat can be a good source of protein, B vitamins and iron.
4. Charred Meat
According to the ACS, charred meat has two concerning components: Heterocyclic amines (HCAs) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), both chemicals that have been found to be mutagenic that is, they cause changes in DNA that may increase the risk of cancer. HCAs form when sugar and substances in meat muscle react to the high heat, and PAHs form when fat and juices drip onto the surface and cause smoke. That smoke then rises and sticks to the meat.
5. Alcohol
Heavy drinking increases the risk of cancer developing in your throat, voice box, esophagus, liver, colon and rectum, especially if you smoke. That may be because alcohol kills cells that have to replace themselves and in that process, mutations can occur.
The ACS and other organizations limit women to one and men to two drinks daily.
6. Processed Foods
Obesity commonly causes GERD, which physically damages the esophagus. Then, mutations sometimes happen as cells replicate.
Fat also produces estrogen, and high levels of the hormone may cause breast and endometrial cancer.
What's more, obesity increases the odds of being insulin-resistant, and hyperglycemia has been associated with a higher risk of many cancers.
7. Canned Foods
BPA in some packaging not only interferes with human hormone production, but high exposure to BPA has been linked to breast, prostate and ovarian cancers.
Use fresh or frozen veggies. It's healthier since it retains more nutrients.
8. Scalding-Hot Tea and Coffee
Thermal irritation is probably the most constant factor predisposing to the cancer of the esophagus.
The reason? High heat kills off cells that can mutate as they're replaced, promoting cancer.
It's recognized as a risk factor for cancer, but not at the heat level Americans tend to drink.
9. Farmed Salmon
Salmon is loaded with good-for-you benefits. It's heart-healthy and has inflammation-taming omega-3 fatty acids and essential vitamins like D and B. However, some of the farmed stuff also has polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), which have been linked to cancer in animal and human studies, according to the EPA.
2-3 servings of salmon weekly is good. And don't forget to check the frozen section of your supermarket if fresh fish isn't available.
10. Full-Fat Milk
Dairy products have been linked to prostate cancer. Excessive intake of whole milk, in particular, has been shown to raise risk of mortality from prostate cancer, adds Kennedy. The likely connection is because high levels of calcium can block the body's ability to produce vitamin D, which is known to protect against all types of cancers. But it's hard to achieve high levels of calcium through diet alone. You generally need to take a supplement to reach 1,500 milligrams or higher per day.
So instead of swearing off dairy, opt for lower-fat versions instead, and get some calcium from plant-based sources like spinach, Swiss chard, kale and tofu.
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