In our previous article, we saw how good nutrition can ward off cancer, help one manage the symptoms of cancer, and hasten healing. In this article, we will be looking at foods that cause cancer, feeds cancer cells, and make them multiply faster than normal cells.
Plant based foods have been proven by research to heal, prevent and treat cancer while man made, over processed and chemical laden foods are the leading causes of cancer worldwide.
When we don’t give our body the right nutrients it needs, things go out of control and chronic diseases like cancer can set in.
In this article, we will be looking at some of those foods that cause problems like cancer in the body. The food listed below should not be your main meal, replace them with healthy, organic, and unprocessed whole foods.
You can take them occasionally and in little quantity if you choose but it will be best if you avoid them totally.
Canned foods
The lining of all canned foods are made with a chemical called Bisphenol-A, (BPA); little amount of this harmful chemical in the body increases the risk of breast, prostate and other types of cancer, it also cause early puberty in girls and other types of health problems like infertility, type II diabetes and metabolic disorders.
So any food stored in cans should be avoided. The worst and most dangerous is canned tomatoes, because tomatoes are acidic in nature, this will make the BPA in the can lining to leach and mix with the tomato paste.
Use fresh tomatoes to cook if you want to avoid this deadly disease or you can make your own tomato paste and store them in glass jars.
Saturated fats
A 2015 study proved that saturated fats increased the risk of breast cancer in post-menopausal women by 30% compared to those who were not given saturated fats. Older people should try and reduce or totally stop their intake of saturated fats.
Also highly processed snacks made with vegetable oils, processed cheese, fatty meals and butter based diets should also be avoided. Vegetable oils cause skin cancer and heart diseases.
Hydrogenated oils
These are oils used to preserve processed foods; it gives processed foods an appealing look for as long as it stays on the shelf.
These oils can cause lot of harm in the body; they influence and affect the structure of the cell membrane and flexibility of the cell and this can lead to cancer. Use virgin unrefined olive oil in place of hydrogenated oil and Trans-fats.
The reason why vegetable oils are not healthy is because they are chemically extracted from their source, chemically treated and more chemicals are added to change the taste and smell.
They are also packed with unhealthy omega-6 fats which alter the structure of the cell membrane and this can lead to cancer.
Alcohol
Next to tobacco, alcohol is the leading cause of cancer. Over consumption of alcohol can also lead to other diseases like heart failure and stroke.
Excessive intake of alcohol leads to cancer of the mouth, esophagus, liver, colon, breast and rectum. Try and reduce or totally avoid Alcohol for the sake of your health. Moderate consumption of Alcohol is OK if you can’t stop it but do not over take it.
Dairy and dairy products
Diary contains good amount of calcium which increases bone strength but now health experts are discovering links between high intake of calcium and the development of prostate cancer in men.
Calcium gotten from dairy products reduces the level of vitamin D3, a hormone that actively protects men against cancer of the prostate.
So men who take lots of dairy products have greater risk of prostate cancer than men who don’t. Besides the high calcium content, dairy animals are raised in unnatural ways; they are given drugs and growth hormones.
These drugs and growth hormones can also affect humans who consume them and cause health problems for them like cancer. The process diary and dairy products go through when they are being made can also lead to health problems.
Refined sugars
White refined sugars feed cancer cells and make tumors to increase in size; it also weakens the immune system and makes it unable to fight bacteria, foreign bodies and diseases.
There are many names for sugar on the label of processed foods, avoid them at all cost. Names like glucose, sweeteners, high fructose corn syrup, mono-sodium glutamate, etc.
In 1931, Otto Warburg, a Nobel Prize winner in medicine found out that to multiply cancer cells, you feed them fructose rich sweeteners like high fructose corn syrup (HFCS).
Cancer cells can absorb easily absorb and metabolize high fructose corn syrup than other sweeteners. When you want to buy processed foods due to unforeseen or unavoidable circumstances, check the label and avoid foods prepared with HFCS which is the biggest cancer causing food.
Excess red meat and processed meat
Processed meats found in foods like sausages, hot dogs, bacon, bologna and others contains various chemicals and preservatives which makes them look attractive and fresh but they are carcinogenic when exposed to high heat.
Smoke meats are even dangerous because the meat picks up tar during the smoking process (tar is a deadly ingredient found in cigarettes) and numerous studies have proven that excessive salt and chemicals used to process meats are unhealthy.
Grilled red meat releases heterocyclic aromatic amines, a carcinogen that changes the chemical and molecular structure of the meat.
Conventionally raised farm animals that are given anti-biotics, drugs and growth hormones are also not healthy for consumption and over eating their meat can lead to colorectal cancer. Rather eat organic, grass fed, drug free and hormone free animals.
Soft drinks and carbonated beverages
Soda, diet soda and carbonated drinks are cancer causing foods due to their high sugar content and additives. They are filled with high fructose corn syrup, dyes and other harmful chemicals that destroy the body.
They don’t even have nutrients; rather your body uses the nutrients you get from other foods to break them down, this can cause malnutrition. They also contain Aspartame which has the same work as rat poison to the human body.
Any food label that you see the word “diet”, avoid that food completely for the rest of your life. They also lead to excessive weight gain which is also a risk factor for cancer.
White bread
The process of making white flour strips it of all its nutrients and fibers; then when this empty calorie flour is used is baking bread, an additive potassium bromate is added to it to whiten the bread, add bulk to it and speeds up the manufacturing process. Potassium bromate is a carcinogen and it also causes disorder of the nervous system.
Check bread label to make sure it does not have this additive before buying. White flour has also been stripped of its fiber and fiber is very good at preventing colon cancer; it aids easy and regular bowel movement thereby preventing toxic excreta from stating long in the body.
So those who make their main meals with white processed flour are at risk of getting colon cancer and other health problems caused by food additives and the process of manufacturing.
Genetically modified foods
Many health experts warned and are still warning about the dangers of genetically modified foods; they cause health problems like cancer, anti-biotic resistance, premature aging, fertility and reproductive problems, food allergies and poisoning. It is advisable to go for non-GMO foods and animals.
Farmed fishes are also to be avoided, they are feed with anti-biotics, pesticides and other carcinogenic chemicals, and they don’t even have omega-3 fatty acids as fishes in the wild.
Microwaved foods and microwaved popcorn
Micro waved popcorn is the leading cause of lung cancer around the world; the GMO corn used, the additives added for taste, flavour and colour contains Diacetyl which is very toxic to humans. You can make your own popcorn in the old fashion organic ways to save you lot of health problem.
Microwave is unhealthy and changes the chemical composition of foods which when ingested causes a lot of problems, avoid microwaved foods at all cost.
Salted, smoked and pickled foods
These products contain preservatives to prolong the shelf life; these additives will accumulate in your body over a long time and lead to cancer because they will cause damage at the cellular level.
When these processed foods are cooked at high temperature, their preservatives, especially nitrates are converted to nitrite, a more dangerous form and this cause harm in the body.
The ones you do at home without preservatives are better than store bought ones laden with preservatives.
Processed foods also contain salts that damage the lining of the stomach which can lead to stomach cancer. Taste enhancers and colours added to processed foods also cause lots of health problems.
White flour
Refined white flour has all its nutrients and fibers removed, it is bleached with chlorine gas to make it look appealing, its glycemic index is high and it spikes your insulin levels, it can lead to insulin resistance and they are also a source of fuel for cancer cells since refined carbohydrates are easily converted to simple sugars by the body. It has no fiber and cannot prevent colon cancer.
The above mentioned are common foods that cause cancer; and from what you have seen, cancer can be prevented by choosing what you eat wisely.
There are also unhealthy lifestyles that can trigger cancer in humans and they are responsible for half of cancer cases worldwide; such unhealthy lifestyles are:
Obesity
Excessive weight gain is a risk factor for cancer, a new study in UK revealed that this was the second biggest cause of cancer; control the rate at which you eat, avoid processed, junk and empty calorie foods which makes one fat.
An overweight body produces and stores more estrogen and insulin; these hormones can stimulate cancer growth.
Sedentary lifestyle
Physical inactivity is a risk factor for cancer as it leads to weight gain and obesity and decreased immune functions.
Engage in exercises, walk for at least one hour every day and avoid long hours of sitting, lying down, watching TV and playing video games.
Eating unhealthy foods
We can either get sick or get healthier by the foods we eat, this article says it all. Avoid these foods listed above and make organic, non-GMO, unprocessed and whole foods your main meals.
Increase your daily intake of fruits and vegetables. Include herbs, herbal teas, homemade fruit juices and smoothies in your meal plan and also take pure clean water, free from germs and chemicals. High intake of salt and salty foods leads to stomach cancer.
Excessive intake of alcohol
Excessive drinking of alcohol leads to cancer and other health problems.
Stress
This silent killer is behind the scene of many chronic diseases including cancer. Avoid or reduce stress and it will impact your health positively by cutting down the risk of cancer and other chronic diseases.
Smoking
Tobacco and tobacco smoke are the leading cause of cancer caused by genetic mutation; try and quit smoking if you do, and if you don’t smoke, try and avoid tobacco smoke; try not to be around where people or someone is smoking.
Bad hygiene
Parasites like bacteria, virus and some scientists believe fungi can cause cancer; these can enter the body through dirty water and contaminated foods.
Mind what you eat and drink, do not eat and drink in a dirty environment or eat foods that are not hygienically prepared. This can increase the risk of one having cancer by infection with parasites.
Exposure to pollutions
Pollutions by harmful chemicals, harmful rays can put one at risk of cancer. Those who work in chemical laboratories should employ safety measures to prevent coming in contact with those chemicals, also try and reduce the way you expose yourself to radiations.
When these lifestyles are avoided, 30 to 40% of cancer cases can be avoided. Take your health personal, make healthy choices and enjoy a healthy life.
