Life
5 Foods With Carcinogens To Avoid Right Now Because Who Needs 'Em
When considering the nutritional value of our meals, we have been trained to pay close attention to numbers such as fat content and calories. What we don’t often think about is if there is something in our food that could be causing us cancer. Substances that can lead to cancer are called carcinogens, and you may be surprised to find out that these harmful chemicals can be found in your everyday foods.
Carcinogens enter your diet through the way your food is processed, environmental exposures, and even certain types of packaging. “The safest way to [avoid carcinogens] is to buy organic whole foods and cook them yourself,” says Susan Machtinger, RD.
Because no one wants to consume cancer-causing chemicals, we’ve come up with a list of five ways that carcinogens could be making their way into your food.
Canned Foods & Plastic Packaging
“Numerous chemicals are used to keep foods from adhering to their packaging or to help extend shelf life,” says Machtinger. “Some of these include BPA, which is added to the insides of cans as well as used to keep plastic packaging soft so that it will not crack.” BPA has been linked to increased risk of breast cancer and prostate cancer, so look for BPA-free cans and avoid foods that are packaged in plastic.
Produce with Pesticides
“Carcinogens may also be deliberately exposed through the use of pesticides such as organophosphates (Round-Up) or atrazine, both of which are banned in the EU and Japan,” says Machtinger. Fruits and vegetables that are not organic often contain these pesticides, especially when it comes to the “Dirty Dozen,” produce that has been exposed to the most pesticides. Studies have found that pesticide exposure is linked to cancer, so while organic foods may not contain more nutrients, they will definitely help lower your risk of cancer.
Sugar-Free Foods
You may think you are making the healthy choice when switching to sugar-free products, but oftentimes these foods can actually contain chemicals that are worse for you than sugar. Certain sweeteners such as saccharin and aspartame have been found to be carcinogenic in animals and have the potential to be human carcinogens as well.
Processed Foods
“A plethora of chemicals are added to our food supply during processing,” says Machtinger. “Some of these are sodium nitrate added to lunch meats, food colorings, artificial flavorings, and chemical preservatives added to keep them from spoiling during shipment and to extend shelf life.” Foods that commonly include these ingredients are lunch meats, packaged baked goods, and snack foods.
Grilled Meat
Heterocyclic amines are carcinogenic substances that occur in cooked red meats, and they are more pronounced in meats cooked in hot, dry conditions such as grilling. “There are studies that show a correlation between high levels of consumption of grilled red meats and a statistically greater chance of developing cancer,” says Machtinger. “It is believed that the digestive chemicals produced in our stomachs interact with these chemicals and produce a carcinogen.”
