11 Unhealthy, Cancer Causing Foods – Backed by Science:
Cancer is a disease that can arise from numerous factors. Although diet plays an important role in causing cancer, one should never disregard the fact that lifestyle and exposure to environmental chemicals can also increase one’s chance of developing cancer.
Statistics disclose that over 50% of cancer cases are caused by lifestyle, and the most influential lifestyle factor that can lead to cancer is the drink and food people consume frequently.
Here are some of the top unhealthy cancer-causing foods that should be avoided:
1. Artificial Sweeteners
Artificial sweeteners, also called sugar substitutes, are compounds that are used instead of sucrose (table sugar) to sweeten beverages and foods. Because artificial sweeteners are many times sweeter than table sugar, lesser amounts are needed to create the same level of sweetness.
Today artificial sweeteners and other sugar surrogates are found in a variety of beverages and food; they’re marketed as „diet” or „sugar-free”, including fruit juice, chewing gum, soft drinks, jellies, baked goods, candy, and ice yogurt and cream.
These artificial sweeteners included the „first generation” sweeteners such as cyclamate, saccharin, and aspartame, as well as a „new generation” sweeteners such as sucralose, acesulfame-K, neotame, and alitame.
There have been more reports to the FDA for aspartame side effects than for all other food additives combined. And, there are over 900 published studies on the health hazards of aspartame.
A positive connection between the use of artificial sweeteners, especially saccharin, and risk of bladder cancer in males has been observed in a case-control study of 152 women and 480 men in three provinces in Canada.
2. Genetically modified organisms
What’s the concern? Many people believe that altering the DNA of an animal or plant has a significant effect on a person’s chances of developing cancer.
According to the World Health Organization, genetically modified organisms (GMOs) are „organisms in which the genetic material (DNA) has been modified in such a way that it does not occur naturally.” Scientists insert a gene from one organism into another to „change” or „improve” the organism.
One research carried out by Caen University in France, which has been peer-reviewed by independent scientists to guarantee the studies were properly conducted, showed that up to 70% of females and 50% of males suffered a premature death, rats fed GM corn and traces of Roundup suffered severe organ damage including kidney damage and liver damage and tumors in rats of both sexes fed the GM corn was 2 to 3 times larger than in the control group.
“It shows an extraordinary number of tumors developing earlier and more aggressively – particularly in female animals. I am amazed by the extreme negative health impacts.” – Dr Michael Antoniou’s quote.
3. Alcohol
The last thing anyone wants to hear is that alcohol is a cause of cancer, but alcoholic beverages are classified by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) as a Group 1 carcinogen (carcinogenic to humans).
IARC classifies regular alcoholic beverage consumption as a cause of liver, colorectum, female breast, oral cavity, larynx, pharynx and esophagus cancers. In addition, also a probable cause of pancreatic cancer.
The World Cancer Report released in 2014 highlighted the role of alcohol in cancer, finding that it accounts for 3.5% of cancers (about 1 in 30 cancer deaths) globally.
New studies have shown that even small amounts of alcohol can increase the risk of bowel cancer. An ongoing study of 500,000 people in ten European countries has found that for every 2 units drunk a day, your risk of bowel cancer goes up by 8%.
4. Meat
The IARC looked at more than 800 studies on the connection between processed and red meat and cancer risk and determined that every 50-gram portion of processed meat eaten daily increases the possibility of colorectal cancer by 18%.
The American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR) and the World Cancer Research Fund have also concluded that eating even small amounts of processed meats on a daily basis can increase colorectal cancer risk.
Studies show that compared to eating no processed meat, eating 3.5 ounces daily (just a large hot dog), increases colorectal cancer risk by 36%.
5. Dairy Products
The fact that we require calcium (Ca) is a poor reason to say we must drink milk because heat or pasteurization renders the Ca practically unassimilable and of very little use to the human body.
The average American gets 807 mg of Ca a day from drinking milk. Compare that to daily averages in Brazil (250 mg), Spain (308 mg), Ghana (8 mg), and Taiwan (13 mg). People in these countries get their Ca from other sources like spinach, broccoli, kidney beans, soybeans, almonds, rhubarb, turnips, and collards.
If you still believe you must drink milk to make your bones strong, here’s a compelling fact: the 5 highest dairy-consuming countries (Sweden, Finland, United States, U.K., and Israel) also have the 5 highest rates of hip fracture, a sign of osteoporosis.
A recent study from Clemson University represents the other extreme, controlling for as many aspects as possible by isolating prostate cancer cells from the body in a petri dish and dripping cow milk on them directly.
The scientists chose organic cow’s milk because they wanted to exclude the effect of extra hormones so that they could test the effect of all the growth hormones and sex steroids found naturally in milk.
They discovered that cow’s milk stimulated the growth of human prostate cancer cells in each of fourteen separate experiments, producing an average increase in the cancer growth rate of over 30%. In contrast, almond milk restrained the growth of these cancer cells by over 30%.
„We have all been brought up with the idea that milk is good for you. But there is evidence now that the growth factors and hormones it contains are not just risky for breast cancer, but also other hormone-related cancers, of the prostate, testicles, and ovary.” – Prof Plant’s quote.
6. Eggs
About 2 million men in the United States are living with prostate cancer. Eggs have zero (0) dietary fiber, and about 70% of their calories are from fat, a big portion of which is saturated.
Eggs are the most concentrated source of choline in the American diet, which may increase the risk of cancer emergence, spread, and lethality.
The World Health Organization examined data from 34 countries in 2003 and found that eating eggs is linked with death from rectal and colon cancers.
A Harvard study, entitled Choline Intake and the Risk of Lethal Prostate Cancer, found that those with the highest choline intake had a 70 percent increased risk of fatal prostate cancer. Another recent study found that men who consumed 2 and a half or more eggs/week (that’s just like one egg every 3 days), had an 81% increased risk of lethal prostate cancer.
7. Microwave foods
A microwave is a form of non-ionizing radiation. As a matter of contrast, ionizing radiation changes the electromagnetic nature of atoms or ionizes them. Your food is being zapped by high-frequency waves of heat.
The Russians subsequently conducted extensive research on microwave ovens. Their findings not only demonstrated a hefty reduction in nutritional content but alarmingly revealed that carcinogens (cancer-causing substances) were produced when microwaves were used to heat the meat, frozen or fresh vegetables (particularly root vegetables), dairy products, as well as frozen fruits and cereal grains.
In short, their findings resulted in a complete ban on microwave ovens in the USSR in 1976.
When Dr. Hertel attempted to publish his findings in 1992 to warn the public, there was quick action from the „Swiss Association of Dealers for Electro-apparatuses for Household and Industry” who forced a gagging order, and Dr. Hertel was found guilty of „interfering with commerce” and he was not allowed to publish his findings.
“There are no atoms, cells or molecules of any organic system able to withstand such a violent, destructive power for any extended period of time, not even in the low energy range of milliwatts (mW).” – Dr. Hans Hertel’s quote.
One study found that 60 seconds of microwaving garlic depreciated the food of its alliinase, garlic’s primary cancer-fighting ingredient.
This extensive study established that broccoli, when microwaved with a little bit of water, loses up to 97 percent of its beneficial antioxidants. Steamed broccoli only lost 11 percent or less. Some amounts of phenolic compounds and glucosinolates were also destroyed. The study was published in The Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture, in November 2003.
8. Soda
Soda is the second most-consumed drink in the United States, and it’s because adults and children alike are gulping down abundant amounts of bubbly artificial liquids without a practical sense of health consequences.
A chemical called 4-methylimidazole, found in the composition of some caramel colors and which is used to give colas a brown color, may also increase cancer risk in those who ingest beverages containing it.
In 2015, Public health researchers analyzed soda consumption data in order to identify people’s exposure to a potentially carcinogenic byproduct of some types of caramel color. The results were that between 44% and 58% of people over the age of six could be „unnecessarily” increasing their cancer risk by drinking at least 1 can of soda per day, according to researchers from the Johns Hopkins Center for a Livable Future.
9. Foods that are smoked
Smoked foods are linked with an increased risk for certain cancers due to the presence of cancer-causing compounds – carcinogens. The potential risk linked with grilled foods comes from the development of heterocyclic amines (HCA), chemical substances formed when fat from food (usually animal protein) hits the flames from grilling.
Unlike meat, vegetables, and fruits don’t create carcinogens when they char, as the formation of HCAs depends on the presence of creatine, which is usually found in muscle tissue. The lack of fat also signifies there are no flare-ups that can create smoke.
Epidemiologists first noticed an association between the consumption of smoked foods and stomach cancer in the 1960s. Russia, Japan, and Eastern Europe, where smoking is a common way to preserve fish and meat, became laboratories for gastric cancer research. Source.
“There is some evidence to suggest cooking meat at high temperatures, such as barbecuing, can form chemicals that may increase the risk of cancer.” – Jessica Kirby’s quote, from Cancer Research UK.
10. Canned foods
The world’s largest brands and food companies continue to coat their metal food cans with bisphenol A (BPA), which has been shown to genetically alter the brain cells of rats. Many thermal paper, plastic goods, water lines, and many dental composites also contain BPA.
In 2009 The Endocrine Society issued its first-ever scientific statement on BPA:
“Furthermore, when scientists have exposed human cell cultures to bisphenol A, they have seen increased breast cancer cell proliferation and damage to DNA.
Recent study found that when pregnant mice drank water laced with bisphenol A at environmentally relevant doses, it changed the long-term hormone response of their offspring in ways that could increase the offspring’s risk for developing breast cancer. Even more worrying, recent proofs demonstrate that bisphenol A exposure may reduce the efficacy of hormonal and chemotherapeutic treatments for breast cancer.”
11. Hydrogenated oils
Hydrogenated and partially hydrogenated oils are developed from otherwise nontoxic, natural elements. To make them hydrogenated, oils are heated in the presence of hydrogen and metal catalysts. An example of complete hydrogenation is margarine.
Vegetable oils contain a very high concentration of Omega 6 fatty acids. These Omega 6 acids oxidize easily. Omega-3 fatty acids have been shown to reduce inflammation and protect against cancer. Unbalanced levels of Omega-6 and Omega-3 fats have been associated to many types of cancers and a host of other problems.
Hydrogenated oils are used to preserve processed foods and keep them looking appealing for a long as possible. Hydrogenated oils influence (in a bad way) our cell membranes’ structure and flexibility, which is connected to cancer. Source.
Conclusion
If this list of cancer-causing foods will make you think before you buy, it will definitely help reduce the occurrence of cancer and many other health problems. Do your health and well-being a big favor by eliminating these unhealthy foods and beverages from your diet completely. Focus on eating whole foods with plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables.
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Everything in moderation, use your brain.