You may not think about whether the foods you are eating contain carcinogens or not. However, with the number of people diagnosed with cancer growing every year, it may be a good time to start taking a look at what is in the foods you consume. Below is a list of 10 foods that you may be eating on a daily basis that could lead to cancer.
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10. Non-Organic Fruits
You most likely eat some sort of fruit every day. I mean why not, they’re supposed to be good for you right? Well not when it comes to non-organic fruits. Non-organic fruits are often contaminated by pesticides that include atrazine, organophosphates, thiodicarb and high nitrogen fertilizers.
Atrazine has already been banned in many European countries, but it is still used in the United States. This weed killer can cause some serious problems, including problems with our reproductive capabilities. Studies have found that pregnant women who had water contaminated with atrazine gave birth to babies that were unhealthily underweight.
Did you know that bio solids (sewage from cities) is often used as a fertilizer in the United States? I bet you’ll think twice before taking a bite out of that apple now. Speaking of apples, they are one of the worst fruits when it comes to pesticides, with over 98% of them testing positives for pesticides. Other fruits that tested higher than 90% include oranges, grapes and strawberries.
Washing fruit does help but still does not remove 100% of pesticides. So save yourself from the potential risks and eat organic fruits.
9. Processed Meats
Processed meats include a lot of your favorite foods, including sausages, hot dogs, lunch meats and bacon.
These types of meats contain a ton of preservatives and chemicals, including sodium nitrates. While sodium nitrates may act to keep the processed meats looking fresh and delicious, they are also carcinogens. Meats that are smoked are especially bad as they tend to pick up tar when they are smoked. The same type of tar that is found in cigarette smoke.
The high salt content and chemicals found in processed meats are very bad for your health. Studies have shown that those who eat 160 grams or more of processed meats increased their risk of an early death by as much as 44 percent within 12 years when compared to those who ate 20 grams of less.
8. Farmed Salmon
While fish is generally a very healthy food choice, farmed salmon is not on that list. It’s too bad that over 60% of the salmon eaten in the USA is farmed.
Being fed terrible diets, farmed salmon are usually contaminated by a number of chemicals, pesticides and other carcinogens. They are also much more likely to have sea lice than their wild counterparts. (Try a Google search on “sea lice” and then try eating some salmon.)
Thanks to their diets, farmed salmon also contains lower levels of omega-3s, while having increased levels of mercury, PCB’s and cancer causing dioxins. Try to stay away from farmed salmon and go for wild if you can.
7. Refined White Flour
While many of you may already have heard that white flour is not good for your health, you may not know just how bad it can be. Refined grains are devoid of their natural nutrients, so they provide very little nutritional value to begin with. Mills are also bleaching their flower to speed up the whitening process with chlorine gas.
Chlorine gas is highly dangerous and lethal when consumed in large quantities. White flour also has a very high glycemic rate, which can spike your blood sugar levels through the roof, leading to diabetes. To top it all off, cancer cells feed off sugars found in your bloodstream. So not can white flour cause cancer, it can help it spread and grow faster too.
6. Potato Chips
Potato chips are a staple for most Americans. They taste great and are cheap to buy but the negative effects they can have on your body can be terrible.
Everyone knows potato chips can make you gain weight as they are high in calories and fat. They are also high in trans-fats and sodium which can lead to high cholesterol and high blood pressure.
Potato chips are also high in artificial flavors and preservatives. They also contain acrylamide, which is produced when they are fried at high temperatures for their crispy texture. Acrylamide is a known carcinogen and you can also find it in cigarettes.
It’s hard to stay away from potato chips, but try to go for baked chips instead. They are at the very least lower in calories and fat.
5. Artificial Sweeteners
Many people have substituted sugar with artificial sweeteners in order to lose some weight. The problem with that is studies have shown that those who consume a lot of artificial sweeteners regularly actually tend to gain weight.
Artificial sweeteners even make blood sugar levels more difficult to keep in check, making your body more prone to diabetes.
On top of all that, artificial sweeteners often break down into DKP which is a deadly toxin. Once this chemical is processed by your stomach, it then produces other chemicals that are known to cause cancer.
4. Alcohol
Alcohol is the second highest cause of cancer, only surpassed by tobacco use. While a low consumption of alcohol can actually be beneficial to your health, excessive alcohol use can lead to heart failure and stroke, even death.
The World Health Organization found that alcohol use is the number one cause of female breast, mouth, rectum, colon, esophagus and liver cancers.
A glass of wine with dinner is okay, but don’t go overboard with the drinking.
3. Diet Foods
A lot of “diet” or “low fat” items contain a chemical called aspartame. This artificial sweetener has been linked to causing several different problems including birth defects, heart problems and cancer.
In addition to aspartame, diet foods use made from highly refined ingredients and tons of sodium and artificial colors and flavors in order to make the food look and taste more appealing.
The additives in diet foods may be even be addicting, affecting similar parts of the brain as cocaine.
Avoid these unnatural foods and stick with more organic fruits and veggies if you want to diet.
2. Soda
Sodas are often loaded with sugars and artificial colors and flavors that have been linked to cancer.
According to a recent study, those who consume more than a soda daily have in increased risk of stroke compared to those who do not drink sodas.
Drinking a ton of soda can also lead to insulin resistance thanks to the spike on blood sugar levels that soda creates.
1. Red Meat
Consuming red meat can increase your chances of getting cancer, especially colon, breast and prostate cancer. A 10 year study showed that even having just a quarter pound burger daily can increase a man’s risk of dying from cancer by 22% and women by 20%.
Colon cancer seems to be especially dangerous for red meat eaters, while fish and poultry consumption appears to help prevent against colon cancer.
Small amounts of red meat eaten infrequently may actually be good for you as grass fed beef has been found to contain linoleic acid that helps fights against some cancers.
