16 Cancer Causing Foods You Should Never Eat continued:
9. Farmed Salmon
If you enjoy eating salmon for the taste, or you eat it for the omega 3s, choose the canned kind. Farm-raised salmon are overcrowded in order to raise enormous numbers of fish, and that leads to health issues. For one, their color is not what it should be, so they’re fed chemicals to ensure their meat is the reddish-pink hue you’re used to seeing. They’re also treated with antibiotics and pesticides that are well-known carcinogens. Check the label when you’re fishing for salmon in your supermarket. Over 60% of the salmon consumed in the U.S. is from a fish farm.
10. Canned Tomatoes
In some countries, the lining in the cans of tomatoes contains a chemical known as bisphenol-A, or BPA. It is toxic, and it lines other canned foods as well. Tomatoes, however, due to their acidity, cause the BPA to leech from the lining of the can and enter the actual tomatoes. Not good. BPA in cans has been linked to several health issues including heart disease, diabetes and cancer. The danger is multiplied when tomatoes are in the can. Glass jars may not solve the problem because the metal lid often has BPA. The safest choice might be to buy fresh, organic tomatoes. Or ask the manager in your market if your canned and jarred tomatoes have BPA.
11. Hydrogenated Oil
Hydrogenated oil is liquid oil that was chemically processed to turn solid. Partially hydrogenated oil, also called trans fat, has become known as the worst fat you can put into your body. Typically, hydrogenated oils are used to preserve processed foods to increase their shelf life. . .by a lot. These oils, when ingested, can alter the structure and integrity of human cell membranes. This can lead to several health issues, one of which is cancer. A study showed that the risk of breast cancer almost doubled among women carrying around high levels of trans fats. Foods to be wary of include baked goods, snack foods, deep-fried foods and some margarines.
12. White Flour
For flour to become white, it has to be refined (which strips it of all nutritional benefits) and then bleached, typically using chlorine gas. If you eat white bread, for example, you are eating bread that is devoid of nutritional benefit, even if nutrients were put back in, called “enriching.” Thus, you’re not getting any disease-protective properties you would get from other foods. Also, white flour is high on the glycemic index which means your blood sugar and insulin levels spike after eating it. There is evidence that the process that ensues may have cancer-promoting effects. There was a study stating that refined carbohydrates were linked to a 220% increase in breast cancer among women. Whole wheat bread might be the better choice for women. . . and for men.
13. Alcohol
It should not be a surprise that drinking too much alcohol can lead to liver poisoning or liver cancer. The International Agency for Research into Cancer (IARC; part of the World Health Organization) has listed alcohol as carcinogen since 1988. And scientists have found that some cancers are more common in heavier drinkers. Mouth, throat, breast and bowels are susceptible to developing cancer as a result of drinking too much alcohol. The type didn’t matter. The quantity consumed over time did matter.
14. Pickles
There’s good news, and there’s not-so good news. Pickles, which are cucumbers that underwent the pickling process of fermenting in salt, vinegar and seasoning, contain probiotics. That’s good news. However, they also contain a high amount of sodium, and pickles that are highly salty have been linked to stomach cancer. A team of doctors in Turkey discovered that gastric cancer patients ate a lot more pickles than cancer-free patients. In general, one large standard pickle is more than enough each day.
15. Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs)
One study (that was later retracted for unknown reasons by the journal that published it) showed a link between genetically modified corn and cancer. Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) are living organisms that have had their genetic material artificially manipulated to deliver a benefit. They are becoming more prevalent in markets around the country, and although the health effects of these modified foods on humans have not been conclusively determined, strong sentiment is that they are very harmful over time.
16. Artificial Sweeteners
In the 70s, saccharin studies on rats showed that high doses of the sweetener caused cancer—in rats. It was later proven that the cancer was specific to rats because of their biological make-up, and high doses of saccharin led to bladder stones and bladder cancer. Aspartame is another popular artificial sweetener. In the 90s, a report linked an increase in brain tumors to the powder. However, according the the Cancer Council NSW’s website, upon further investigation, this link was found to be no link at all, just coincidental. Then, in 2005, a study showed that rats that ingested aspartame developed lymphoma and leukemia. However, the rats ingested the equivalent of between eight and 2, 083 cans of diet soda a day! But the damage was done and the public accepted the notion that artificial sweeteners lead to cancer, even though expert agencies in the U.S. (like the National Cancer Institute and the Mayo Clinic) and elsewhere say it’s safe for use.












