Be Healthy

Foods and Drinks that May Cause Cancer

Cancer is a leading cause of death worldwide, only second to heart disease. There are a number of different cancers that can affect different parts of the body such as lung cancer, breast cancer, and blood cancers, like leukemia. General symptoms of most cancers include lumps (or tumor formations) as well as rapid changes in body weight and energy levels. Some cancers are a result of heredity, whereas others are caused by environmental factors (i.e., exposure to chemicals). 

While these foods and drinks we consume don’t cause cancer, medical researchers believe that they may contribute to cancer development:

1. Alcohol

When your body takes on the task of metabolizing alcohol, it produces a compound that can damage the DNA in your body’s somatic cells, which are your regular body cells. If the DNA becomes damaged, then that genetic code can tell certain cells to reproduce at a rapid and largely uncontrollable rate. Cancer related to alcohol can be experienced in many places like the liver, which acts as a filter for the blood, head and neck, and esophagus.

2. Meats that are processed

Processed meats have been long believed to play a role in causing cancer in humans. Processed meats like bacon, hot dogs, salami, and more are often smoked and cured, but are also preserved with chemicals. Those chemicals can play a huge role in the formation of cancers if these foods are ingested on a daily basis over a period of time. Nitrates are chemicals found in the processed foods and they are ones that may be involved in colon cancers.

3. Meats that are cooked at very high temperatures:

Meat should never be cooked at very high temperatures. When meats are cooked at very high temperatures, they form chemicals that will stay in the meat until you consume it. The danger is that when you ingest these meats containing these newly formed chemicals, it is possible for the DNA in your regular body cells to mutate, and in doing so they can cause cancer. Colon cancer, pancreatic cancer, and prostate cancers can be results of eating meat for a long period of time that have been cooked this way.

4. Sugar

They say sugar is sweet and you may need a teaspoon of it to make the medicine go down. But, what they didn’t say is that eating sugar for a long period of time may contribute to cancer. Many people consume large amounts of sugar everyday, and it has been a part of their lives for a very long time. It’s best to cut sugar out of your diet entirely.

There are many different kinds of cancer contributing foods and drinks. It’s best to either avoid these foods altogether, or, just eat and drink these in moderation to maintain a healthy and happy lifestyle.