Diets and Cancer: Millions Never Thought These Seemingly Harmless Food Could Cause Cancer

Cancers don't just happen. It is an undeniable fact that what you consume on a daily basis will immensely contribute to your risk of cancer. Some of the food we eat contains large amounts of cancer promoters (carcinogens) that cause cancers. In this article, we shall explore 3 common types of carcinogens present in a typical person's diet, what food we should eat and shouldn't eat to prevent cancer.

Acrylamide and Food: What It Means For You

Acrylamide has been used in industries that specialize in the manufacturing of food packaging, creation of plastic and treatment of contaminated water. Unknown to most of us, scientists recently discoverd that acrylamide can be created during high temperature cooking methods like baking, frying, roasting and microwaving. Although acrylamide has been attested to cause cancer in animals, doctors have not found absolute evidence that is causes cancer in humans even though it is toxic to our bodies. French fries top the charts of food that contain the greatest levels of acrylamide, followed by certain brands of potato chips, breakfast cereals, cookies, brewed coffee and toast bread according to the US FDA/CFSAN 2006 Exposure Assessment for Acrylamide.

The Harmful Effects Of Sodium Nitrate

Sodium nitrate is a standard preservative of processed meat. It is used to prolong the reddish color of meat to make it look more delicious to eat at the expense of your health. During the digestion process of sodium nitrate, nitrosamine is created and this is what promotes the development of cancer cells. Sodium nitrate can be found in processed meat like bacon, bologna, salami, ham, pepperoni and sausages.

Why Trans Fat Is Worse Than Saturated Fat

Trans fat or trans-fatty acids (TFAs) are the worst kind of fat you can eat. The problem with trans fat is because it was transformed from it's vegetable oil form to a semi-solid state through the use of hydrogen. Vegetable oil companies do this to save money, to extend the shelf life of their products and to improve flavor stability. Due to it's processed nature, it is considered unnatural in our bodies and it is very hard to digest, therefore it easily sticks to our arteries if we don't exercise often. What's worse, trans fat promotes the development of bad cholesterol and reduces the levels of good cholesterol, increasing your risk of heart disease. Trans fat is commonly found in hydrogenated oils, partially hydrogenated oils, pastries, food with vegetable shortening and commercially deep-fried food.

Foods and Cancer: What To Eat And What To Avoid

It is ideal for all of us to restrict or eliminate our consumption of processed food that contain the 3 carcinogens above and other unnecessary substances like salt, alcohol, sugar and tobacco. However, it is very difficult for most people as some of them are amazingly mouthwatering. The decision is up to you to decide which is more important to you. At the very least, choose natural food like organic vegetables, fruit and meat as much as possible. Try your best to eat raw vegetables and fruit that is high in antioxidants, fiber and nutrients, and you should be way ahead of the general public. A simple rule you can follow is to simply eat the things mother nature created for us to eat and avoid anything manufactured by man.