Cancer is a scary reality. The abnormal growth and increase of cells in the body can lead to the development of tumors eventually leading to the development of certain cancers. Carcinogens are substances with the potential to cause cancer, and they are all around us.
While there is no concrete cause of cancer there are some steps you can take to limit the chance of developing the disease including living an active and healthy lifestyle.
More importantly, people can avoid carcinogens to substantially decrease the chances of having cancer. Carcinogens are certain chemical or biological compounds that are capable of causing cancer. These compounds appear in our daily lives so it’s important to know how to avoid them.
1. Diet
Certain foods you may be consuming on a daily basis are packed full of harmful carcinogens slowly diminishing your health. By avoiding a few simple foods, you can significantly lower the amount of cancer causing chemicals that enter your body. Of course, it’s not only about what you eat or don’t eat but also how you prepare your food.
For example, fresh seasonal vegetables are full of healthy micronutrients and are a perfect snack alternative to chips during cookout. But grilling vegetables on a fire could lead to the vegetable taking on carcinogenic properties if charred. As a rule of thumb, try avoiding burning foods on a grill or heavily barbecuing them. The black marks left on the food are extremely dangerous and promote the irregular growth of cells in the body.
Red and processed meats are two foods you should also avoid. Large quantities of red meats including beef, pork, veal, and lamb have been classified as carcinogenic. And those can be significantly harmful towards a cell’s life.
The same goes for processed meats. Consuming large amounts of hot dogs, sausages, jerky, and deli meats like salami, pepperoni, or ham can all cause cancer because of their carcinogens. In fact, these meats have been classified as Group 1 Carcinogens, which according to the Cancer Council NSW spokesperson Clare Hughes, is an indicator that processed meats should be avoided at all costs otherwise there is a large prevalence for the development of cancer.
2. Cigarettes and Alcohol
We all know smoking cigarettes causes cancer, big surprise! Of course, what many don’t know is that tobacco itself is not carcinogenic, rather the way the tobacco leaves are treated then dried and used in cigarettes is what causes cancer. The chemical treatments that tobacco leaves go through significantly deter its natural form and create a carcinogenic poison which if smoked can cause lung, throat, and other cancers. A recent report showed that 90% of all reported lung cancer cases are in heavy smokers. It’s safe to say you should avoid smoking, even if you didn’t know what carcinogens were.
Like processed meats, alcohol is also classified as a Group 1 Carcinogen. In fact, a study showed that in Australia 3,200 cases of cancer are directly connected with the consumption of alcohol. As alcohol damages the lining of organs like the liver, kidney, and bowel, the irregular growth of cells encourage the development of particular cancers.
3. Radiation
The role of radiation in the formation of cancer cells is a well-known fact, radiation itself is considered a carcinogen. And it doesn’t only affect people who work with x-ray machines. Ultra violet light or UV rays are considered carcinogenic as they have the potential to become cancerous. In fact, skin cancer is the most diagnosed of all the cancers. Of course, we need the essential Vitamin D from the sun. But prolonged exposure with no protection like sunblock or sunglasses can be dangerous and harmful towards your health.
So there you go, just a few of the many things that may be impacting your health without you even knowing. I hope this information was informative. Doing some of your own research could probe valuable to your understanding and health. And if you found this information valuable, please don’t hesitate to share.
Deika King, TND, MH, CCT, PSc.D
Traditional Doctor of Naturopathy
832-422-7271
