Risky drugs or invasive surgeries aren’t your best first line of defense against cancer.
I know it may seem that way sometimes. But the truth is fighting cancer should start LONG before that.
Genetics and environment can play a role. But by far, your biggest defense against this killer starts with what you eat.
And just as important is what you choose NOT to eat. In fact, avoiding certain foods could dramatically slash your risk of cancer.
Slash your risk of cancer… ban THESE foods
Start by dropping the following six foods cancer experts refuse to eat from your own diet…
1. Hot dogs:
Studies have repeatedly linked highly processed meats… such as lunch meats and hot dogs… to cancer.
Typically, the way the meats are prepared is the problem. When they’re cured using nitrates or nitrites, it leads to the formation of cancer-causing compounds such as N-nitroso-compounds (NOC) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH).
A study out of Hawaii found that folks who regularly ate highly processed meats had a 67 percent higher risk of cancer than people who ate them only rarely. Lower your own risk of cancer by removing them from your menu, or saving them just for special occasions.
2. Trans fats:
A large European study found that women who had the highest levels of trans fats in their blood were about twice as likely as women with the lowest levels to develop breast cancer.
A trans-fats ban went into effect in the United States starting in June of 2018. But we’re not entirely out of the woods yet. Long lasting products that were already on the shelves will take some time to clear out of stores.
Plus despite having had THREE years to come up with suitable replacements the food industry petitioned for an extension for certain products. And they were granted one.
Which means some food colorings, flavorings, and non-stick sprays with trans fats now have until July 28, 2019 before they’re banned.
Avoiding these added trans fats is tough. Even if the packaging claims there are zero grams that’s no guarantee. Before the ban trans fats were commonly used in prepackaged pastries, doughnuts, vegetable oils, frozen pizza, and more. And for now, some of these same foods may still contain them.
The easiest way to avoid added trans fats… and reduce your risk for cancer… is to eat more fresh, whole foods. They’re far healthier and taste better anyway.
3. Farmed salmon:
Salmon is terrific for you if you choose the right kind. Just be sure to pick wild caught fish and pass on the farmed varieties.
According to a study out of the University of Albany, farmed salmon is riddled with pesticides, antibiotics, and other chemicals that are known carcinogens.
And although one study found some evidence of parasites in Pacific caught wild Alaskan salmon, you can likely relax. The risk of exposure to parasites is essentially the same as it would be with eating any raw or undercooked foods.
The truth is infections are extremely rare. And as long as you’re not eating your salmon raw, most experts agree there’s little to worry about.
4. Microwave popcorn:
Don’t worry. If you’re a popcorn fan, you don’t need to give up your favorite snack to reduce your risk of cancer. The microwave popcorn bags are what pose a potential danger.
You see, perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) is used to line some microwave popcorn bags. And PFOA is classified as a likely carcinogen. You breathe some of the creepy chemical in with the delicious smelling steam that rises from your popcorn bag.
The fix is easy. Just switch to air-popping your corn. Or go old school and fix it on the stove in a pot instead.
5. Canned tomatoes:
The issue with canned tomatoes isn’t the tasty tomatoes themselves, of course. Once again, the packaging’s the problem.
Typically, the cans are lined with a chemical called bisphenol A or BPA. And as you may recall BPA is associated with an increased risk of several types of cancer.
BPA is an even bigger problem in canned tomatoes than it is in some other foods because the fruit’s higher acid content. It can cause more of the cancer-linked chemical to leach into them.
The fix is easy on this one too. Just use fresh tomatoes instead to reduce your risk of cancer.
6. Charred meats:
For some folks, nothing beats the flavor of a good char on a grilled steak. But it turns out you could be paying a steep price for those grill marks. Experts warn eating charred foods could be raising your cancer risk.
Cooking meat at high temperatures is linked to cancer. To minimize your risk of cancer try cooking your steaks, burgers, and other meats for longer and at lower temperatures instead.
Fighting cancer starts in the kitchen, not at the bottom of a pill bottle. Remove these six foods from your own menu, and it could end there too.
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