Foods that are bad for your health
There are so many preservatives, chemicals and artificial sweeteners that are floating around in your local grocery store these days. The latest crazes in natural foods and drinks are not for nothing, they are borne out of an era where consumers have more access to information about what it is that they are eating and drinking. This list of 16 cancer-causing foods is specifically to target foods that have been linked to cancer.
Normally, processed foods are safe to consume in moderation but since these foods have been proven to cause cancer, you may want to be extra cautious with them.
16 cancer-causing foods you should try to avoid
- Microwave Popcorn: Yes, that buttery, salty scent and that popping sound in the microwave is so hard to resist but doing so could save your life. The microwave version for popcorn has a lot of carcinogenic chemicals in it including the particular chemical that makes it taste like butter. Try a stovetop batch of popcorn instead and make your own buttery topping!
- Non-organic Produce: Unlike organic produce, this has the possibility of being covered in pesticides that could potentially cause cancer. There are some pesticides that are legal in the US but banned in Europe, so be extra cautious in the United States with non-organic fruits and veggies. Be sure to wash them, but that is still not a guaranteed defense against pesticides.
- Canned Tomatoes: Of course, the tomatoes themselves are super healthy but the lining in the cans is where the trouble starts. The chemicals in these cans can present challenges to the hormonal activity in your body and they can seep into the tomatoes because of their level of acidity. Glass jars are actually much safer, so try going with that next time or just using fresh tomatoes.
- Processed Meats: Deli meats are delicious and versatile and have so many yummy options for your tummy, but be cautious with your quantities! These meats are packed with preservatives that are also known to be dangerous carcinogens. They are also full of salt and chemicals that are each cancer-inducing.
- Farm-raised Seafood: We all know that fish is good for your health, but where it is caught or raised can have an impact on just how healthy that piece of fish is for you. Fish farms tend to feed their creatures unnatural products and use a lot of antibiotics and other chemicals to keep the fish “clean”. That cleanliness is really just on the surface because all of the products that are used can potentially cause harm to the human body when eaten in large quantities. Go with freshly caught seafood when you can!
- Potato Chips: Mmmm the crispy, salty goodness is always a temptation but try to leave them out of your cupboards as much as you can. These foods are seriously packed with preservatives and carcinogens and can cause so many ailments for you. Cancer is the far end of that spectrum, but they can contribute to high blood pressure, diabetes and cholesterol if you’re not careful.
- Hydrogenated Oils: Not all oils are bad for you in moderation, the oils that are natural are what you should be sticking with. Olive oil, almond oil, coconut oil, and others are healthy and the best options for cooking. However, there is another type of oil that has to be cultivated chemically and can’t be produced naturally and those are hydrogenated oils. These are terrible for your health and can cause birth defects and heart disease on top of the potential for cancer. Avoid at all costs!
- Salty, Pickled and Smoked Foods: These foods are generally processed with nitrate, which is a preservative that changes composition inside of our bodies. This preservative has been linked with many different cancers and presents serious risks when not monitored closely.
- Processed White Flour: You’ve been told for years that white flour isn’t that great for you, but you may not be aware of the reason why. The flour is bleached with chlorine gas, which actually kills the healthy nutrients in the flour. If you were to breathe chlorine gas in, you would die so it is not much of a surprise that eating food that has been bleached with it can cause cancer.
- GMO’s: GMO’s are one of the 16 cancer-causing foods of questionable origin. Not sure of what that means either? Genetically Modified Organisms or GMO’s are natural organisms that have been enhanced with chemicals and are therefore no longer considered organic. The modifications that are done and the kinds of hormones that are used can create many different kinds of cancers and are terrible for our health.
- Refined Sugars: You hear a lot about refined sugar causing diabetes, but they can cause certain types of cancers too if they are not eaten in moderation. One of the most common types is high-fructose corn syrup and it has one of the highest rates of cancer on this list!
- Artificial Sweeteners: Things that say they are sugar-free are not necessarily healthier for you. The chemicals that are used in artificial sweeteners can be way more damaging to your health than regular or even refined sugars! Try using natural honey to sweeten the things that you want to eat and drink rather than anything manufactured.
- Diet or Low-Fat Foods: These follow similar rules to the artificial sweeteners in that they use chemicals to make up for the fat and sugar that they are cutting out. The chemicals are almost always worse than the items that you are trying to cut out, so be aware of that and try to go natural! Just be aware of the amount of fat in the natural foods that you’re eating instead.
- Alcohol: The amount of sugar can be unhealthy but generally with alcohol, the big problems come with drinking to excess. Always keep your drinking in check and don’t hesitate to seek help if you feel that you are having trouble stepping away from it. Count your drinks every week and make sure to moderate.
- Red Meat: Natural red meat is good for you in small doses but make sure that it is grass-fed and natural. Beef that is fed with corn can pose problems for your body because that is not what cows are designed to eat. Additionally, they may have antibiotics or other chemicals to stave off things like worms.
- Soft Drinks: These are probably one of the worst foods on this list. These drinks contain high-fructose corn syrup, artificial sweeteners, carcinogens and anything else that you are trying to avoid.
The bottom line
So these are the 16 cancer-causing foods that you should try to avoid and replace with healthier nutrition. Highly processed foods contain a lot of unhealthy fats, salt, sugar and other chemical additives.
In addition, it is a food that contains a combination of ingredients that can eventually affect the onset of the disease. Don’t be swayed by the bright colors or fun commercials! To be safe, it’s wise to stay away.