Our bodies are designed to thrive on a variety of whole foods, so the more processed our meals, the less healthy they become. Additives, preservatives, and more salt and sugar than is ever found in nature all work together to put an incredible strain on the body. And the harder our bodies have to work to digest meals, the more stressed and fatigued they become, upping the chance for cancer to gain a foothold.
Even worse, products that are specifically marketed as healthy can be anything but, and certain preparation practices done in our own kitchen may also be increasing cancer risk. Following are 16 foods that may be causing cancer for any of these reasons.
#1: Soda
The main danger in soda is the sugar, usually in form of high fructose corn syrup. Fructose is the most challenging form of sugar for your body to handle. With more than a full day’s worth of sugar in one can, it sends your blood sugar through the roof and yet doesn’t make you feel full, potentially leading to overeating later.
Colas also contain caramel color, which sounds innocent but is actually an artificial coloring that has the carcinogenic chemical 4-MEI as a byproduct.
Instead – Sparkling water with a splash of fruit juice is a good alternative.
#2: Grilled red meat
Experts recommend limiting your intake of fatty red meat to just a couple of servings per week to reduce your cancer risk. When you do indulge, you may want to avoid those char marks, as tasty as they are.
Food cooked to a high temperature produces acrylamide, a known carcinogen. And meat cooked on the grill, unless it’s electric, also takes on unhealthy stuff from the charcoal or wood.
Instead – Reduce your overall intake of red meat, choose organic, grass fed beef, and be careful not to overcook it.
#3: Microwave popcorn
Popcorn is a healthy snack in general, but prepared in a microwave bag, it becomes a cancer-causing nightmare. First, the “butter” flavoring often contains diacetyl (or a close cousin) that is known to be toxic. The bags themselves are lined with a chemical called PFOA, which studies show is carcinogenic.
And lastly, popcorn growers are not required to report whether or not their kernels are GMO, but they most likely are – more than 93% of corn planted in the US alone is genetically modified.
Instead – Buy organic kernels and pop them in an air popper or on your stove. Olive oil and a combination of your favorite dried herbs is a great healthy topping.
#4: Canned food, especially tomatoes
Canned vegetables tend to be jam packed with added salt as part of the preservative process, and fruits are often canned in straight sugar syrup. That is problematic in itself, but even worse is the fact that the cans are lined with a chemical called BPA. A known hormone disrupter that has been linked to cancer, BPA leaches into the food that comes in contact with it.
The effect is amplified with foods that are naturally acidic, so tomatoes are especially risky to eat from a can.
Instead – Eat fresh or frozen produce, or at least look for cans that are low-sodium and labeled BPA-free.
#5: Hydrogenated oils
Oils that cannot be extracted from their source naturally become hydrogenated by the chemical processing required. Vegetable oils, for example, are not just chemically extracted, they are also colored and then have their natural scent removed.
The end product looks nice, but is full of unhealthy omega-6 fats. Unfortunately most commercial baked goods use hydrogenated oils, not to mention fried snack foods.
Instead – Choose naturally extracted olive, soy, or canola oil for home cooking, and avoid store bought cakes and cookies.
#6: Artificial sweeteners
There is much debate over the safety of artificial sweeteners, but given that they do not actually help to control blood sugar, there is little reason to choose them over real sugar. Sweeteners prevent the body from being able to accurately recognize your daily calorie consumption and actually cause you to crave more sweets.
Aspartame is at the top of the suspect list when it comes to cancer-causing chemicals, but all are thought to break down into a toxin called DKP during digestion, which then releases further carcinogenic chemicals. In this way, artificial sweeteners have been linked to brain tumors.
Alternatives – If really prefer a sweetener, use plant-based Stevia. However, it may be best to just have the real sugar but limit how much you consume. Find ways to substitute applesauce or other healthier ingredients in your home cooking.
#7: Non-organic fruits & vegetables
Commercial growers are in a bind when it comes to using pesticides. On the one hand, pests can absolutely destroy a crop. On the other, produce coated in poison presents a health risk to consumers. But while safe organic methods of farming do exist, they cost a bit more, so it’s consumers who end up having their wellbeing put at risk. Non-organic produce is contaminated with dangerous pesticides including atrazine, thiodicarb, and organophosphates.
Atrazine alone has been found to cause severe health and reproductive issues in humans. Always behind the curve in terms of consumer safety, the US continues to use atrazine regularly, even though it has been banned in European countries.
Instead – Buy organic produce as much as you can afford, especially those items on the Dirty Dozen list, which have the highest levels of pesticide residue. And of course, carefully wash all produce before eating.
#8: Processed meat
Almost any processing of meat before or during cooking can make it more dangerous. Products like bacon, hot dogs, deli meats, and sausage are loaded with huge amounts of salt plus cancer-causing chemicals like nitrate and nitrite. All that junk makes the product look better and last longer, but does no favors for your body.
Unfortunately, even meats that are naturally smoked still take on tar during processing, which is just as bad for you in food as it is in cigarettes. Incidentally, studies have shown that eating red meat every day increases the lifetime risk of cancer by 22%.
Instead – Buy from your local butcher; they tend to offer fresher, less processed meats and are happy to answer questions about their products. From the grocery store, choose organic meats and other products labeled as free of nitrate and nitrite.
#9: Alcohol
Before you panic, the studies that link alcohol to cancer all refer to excess alcohol. You can still consume up to one drink per day for women and two for men and be in the safe zone, but know that there is really no redeeming health reason to drink alcohol at all.
The National Cancer Institute reports that exceeding the safe zone ups your risk of mouth, esophagus, liver, colon, and rectal cancers. In fact, drinking to excess is thought to be the number two preventable cause of cancer worldwide, after smoking cigarettes.
Instead – Most of us would hate to give up the occasional social drink, and you don’t have to. But try to avoid drinking when you’re just bored and definitely don’t rely on it for stress relief. Red wine is a relatively healthy choice, as it contains a cancer-fighting compound called resveratrol.
Choosing the best foods for you and your family can be quite overwhelming, especially in the face of lazy agricultural practices that care only about saving money, topped with deceitful marketing that misleads consumers about what they’re getting. However, choosing food that lowers your risk of cancer can be boiled down to a couple basic principles. First, buy local and organic as much as you possibly can. And second, skip the packaged stuff (including soda) in favor of creative home cooked meals. It may take more time in the moment, but it has the potential to extend your overall lifetime by many years.