Reduce your intake of these 7 things to avoid cancer

Your health is your best asset, and your diet can have a huge impact on it. Cancer is a complex disease, and for a food to be carcinogenic, there must be strong evidence linking consumption of the product to an increased incidence of specific cancers, as well as evidence about how that food can cause cancer to develop.

In this article, we’ll take a closer look at some specific foods you should consume less, to lower your risk of cancer.

1. Processed foods

One of the things you can do to avoid cancer is to limit processed foods. Many of these food items contain hydrogenated oils, modified starches, colourants, emulsifiers, texturizers, sweeteners and other additives, that encourage weight gain, and increased weight is a known risk factor for several types of cancer.

2. Deep fried foods

Eating deep fried foods is not a healthy choice. They usually add a lot of calories to food and don’t offer healthy nutrients. Additionally, deep frying food can produce acrylamide, a carcinogen that may be associated with a higher risk of cancer.

3. Red and processed meat

There’s convincing evidence that the consumption of too much red meat (beef, pork, lamb and goat) and processed meat (hot dogs, ham, corned beef, sausages and beef jerky) can increase one’s risk of colorectal cancer. Research shows that there are certain chemicals in processed meats, both added and naturally occurring, that cause them to be carcinogenic.

4. Alcohol

Regular, heavy alcohol use increases the risk of cancer of the mouth, pharynx, larynx, oesophagus and breast, as well as colorectal cancer in men, with the possibility of increasing the risk of colorectal cancer and liver cancer in women as well.

5. Salted foods

Salting is a traditional method of preserving food, especially fish. This method of preserving unfortunately results in the production of carcinogenic by-products, meaning it can cause cancer in humans.

6. Refined sugar and Sugary drinks

Too much sugar can lead to obesity, which is a risk factor for cancer. If consumed regularly, refined sugar and sugary drinks, can lead to weight gain, and in excessive amounts, obesity.

7. Hot food packaged in nylon

Eating hot foods like Pap and Moi-moi, packaged in nylon can increase your risk of cancer, heart diseases and reproductive problems. Nylon is not good for packaging hot food because the heat will make the nylon to leach chemicals and toxins like styrene and bisphenol, into the food they hold.