6 Foods and Drinks That Increase the Likelihood of Cancer

Cancer is a deadly disease that can make life absolutely miserable for anybody.

Although it can be treated, the best way to handle cancer is by prevention. Even if the exact cause of cancer is not known, you can reduce your likelihood of getting the disease by watching your lifestyle and what you consume. While I’d talk about the changes you can make to your lifestyle later, let us focus on what we eat and drink.

There are some things that we consume that can increase the risk of us getting this deadly disease called cancer. Let’s take a look at 6 foods and drinks that can increase the likelihood of cancer:

1. Charred Meat

You should avoid eating red or processed meat cooked at a very high temperature often. Cooking at very high temperature leads to charring of the meat which produces polycylic hydrocarbons that can cause potential DNA damaging changes. Rather, cook your meat in medium temperature and avoid charring.

2. Microwaved Popcorn

The bags used for microwavable popcorns are lined with perfluoro-octanoic acid (PFOA) which is most likely carcinogenic (carcinogens are substances that induce free radical damage and promote cancerous cells).

3. Soda

Sodas are mostly liquids with a ridiculously high amount of colors, preservatives and sugars. That is not a very good combination for someone who is trying to reduce the risk of cancer occurrence.

4. Alcohol

Believe it or not, a large number of studies have shown that there is an actual link between cancer and alcohol intake. Although the exact mechanism is not yet established, it is advised that alcohol intake should be moderate if taken at all.

5. Packed Foods with High Sugar

Foods containing high level of sugar, especially hidden sugars or artificial sweeteners can increase the risk of getting cancer. This is due to the fact that this high level of simple sugar can increase the amount of serum insulin greatly and also feed cancer cells. Although, there is no scientific proof that consuming artificial sweeteners can lead to cancer directly, nevertheless, it can lead to excessive weight gain and obesity which in turn increases the risk of cancer.

6. Canned foods and processed meats

Most cans are lined with substances that contain bisphenol A (BPA) which is reportedly carcinogenic. It is even worse with foods like canned tomatoes as the acidic nature of the food causes more BPA to be deposited in the product. You should also reduce your intake of processed foods as many of their preservative nitrates can turn to harmful nitrites when exposed to the high temperature of cooking.

As an alternative, eat more fresh foods and consume ample amount of water. This would help you live healthy and greatly reduce the likelihood of cancer.