Common foods that can cause cancer

The quality of food we have been consuming since the last couple of years has undergone massive change, and to accommodate the growing demand and the population, pesticides are being increasingly used to increase production. Not only that, not all food is good for us (or the environment), and there are certain foods that can increase our chances of having cancer at some stage of our lives. Here they are... (Disclaimer: This is a generic list, and is based solely on what information is available to the public. Please correlate with a doctor first, before making any big dietary changes)

It is a well-known fact that any food that goes through a lot of factory processes before coming to you, is not good for your body, but do you also know that it can sometimes cause cancer? Examples of processed meats include bacon, hot dogs, and deli meats. Not only that, The World Health Organization has classified processed meats as a Group 1 carcinogen (known to cause cancer).

While white meats like lean chicken, fish and sea food is excellent for the body, red meats are known to have detrimental effects on us, including increasing your chances of having cancer. Red meat includes the muscle meat of mammals, such as beef, pork, lamb, veal, mutton, and goat, as well as venison and bison. If you consume any of these, avoid cooking them at extremely high temperatures (charred or grilled), if you really need to have it occasionally.

Doctors all over the world, anyway, are of the opinion that when it comes to alcohol, there is no 'safe' amount, and alcohol consumption, no matter how little, is not good for the body. Apart from issues like weight gain, heart disease, and liver problems, increased alcohol consumption is linked to several types of cancer, including breast, colorectal, and esophageal cancer.

There is a reason why it is said that we should stay away from too much refined sugar, or give it up completely. Too much refined sugar or carbohydrates such as sugary drinks, candy, white bread etc, can cause cancer by increasing obesity and inflammation in the body. If you can't do without sugar completely, bring down its consumption to a minimum.

All sorts of fried food is detrimental to your body. In the Indian context, food items like samosa, poori, bhatura, fried snacks etc should be completely avoided, except like an occasional treat once in a while. On the other hand, overcooking food kills most nutrients, which in turn can increase your chances of having cancer. Not only that, cooking food at high temperatures, especially starchy foods, can produce carcinogens like acrylamide.