Cancer-Causing Foods

It’s important for you to know what kinds of foods to avoid since 35 - 60 percent of all cancers are caused by diet - the biggest factor in causing cancer, according to The Cancer Project. And because we usually make our own choices regarding the foods we eat, carefully considering this major factor and making better choices helps make cancer more preventable and avoidable.

So which foods have been identified as playing a part in contributing to the formation of cancer?

Four main food choices stand out:

1. Meat - Many large studies around the world have demonstrated the link between meat consumption and cancer. Why is this so? Researchers believe it is due to several factors: lack of fiber and other protective nutrients, high fat content that tends to affect a person’s hormonal balance, and carcinogenic compounds that are formed during the processing and cooking.

2. Dairy products - The cancer risks associated with dairy are related to meat consumption because of their similar components: high fat and lack of fiber. Dairy has been consistently linked with the formation of prostate cancer. Meat and dairy also tend to have increased levels of dangerous chemicals such as the highly toxic chemical dioxin, and PBDE, a flame retardant.

3. Fried foods - Due to their high fat content, any type of food that is fried - especially meat and dairy - adds to contributing factors for cancer growth. Excessive fat intake has been shown in females to push their estrogen production to unhealthy levels, which encourages cancer cell formation in breasts and other organs sensitive to female hormone levels. Animal fats are deemed a bigger problem than vegetable oils, but even these can produce cancer-causing effects as well, and should be limited.

4. Sugar - While not considered a major contributor compared to meat, fat and dairy, excessive sugar (or even refined carbohydrate) consumption contributes to obesity, which in itself increases the occurrence of cancer. Sugar also increases insulin production, and studies suggest that elevated insulin levels may increase risk because of its ability to promote inflammation and cancer cell division.