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These days, with so many questionable products on the market, it's more important than ever for people to take care of their health. One way they can do this is by being mindful of the foods that they eat. Foods that contain carcinogens can cause cancer or, at the least, a decrease of overall health. Here are some cancer causing foods to avoid in order to become healthier and live longer.
Strangely apples are one food that makes the list. This may surprise many people; after all, the old phrase is, "an apple a day keeps the doctor away". The fruit itself is very healthy; it contains many of the most important nutrients for your daily diet. However, apples rank as the fruit with the highest concentration of pesticides in North America. Pesticides can contain nasty chemicals that cause a whole host of diseases, including cancer. Armed with this information, one can be more discerning about the type of apples that they eat. Make sure that the apples are washed and come from a good, organic source; this can be a good way to prevent the ill effects caused by eating contaminated apples.
Processed meat is, sadly, also on the list of foods that cause cancer. Foods like bacon, hot dogs, salami, and others are high on the list of North America's favorite foods. However, they contain a harmful and cancer-causing chemical called sodium nitrite. This chemical is used to give the meats their signature red color, to make them look fresher and more appealing. But be warned that this appealing red color means something more sinister for your health.
It may be starting to seem like all of everyone's favorite foods are causes of cancer. Unfortunately, here's one more food to add to the list of things to avoid: potato chips. Again, at their most natural, potato chips could be a perfectly acceptable food. But the way that they are manufactured, with chemicals and extremely hot temperatures, creates some chemical byproducts that can cause cancer. One of these is acrylamide, which is a carcinogen that is also found in cigarettes.
Microwave popcorn is another food that, shockingly, is a cause of cancer. And again, it's in how the popcorn is made. Popping regular corn kernels over the stove is still a good way to enjoy this snack, but the prepackaged, microwave version should be avoided at all costs. The reason lies in the lining of the bags, which contain some cancerous agents that leak into the food. Also, the chemical diacetyl, which is found in the packaged popcorn itself, has been found by the FDA to cause cancer. So it is a good idea to avoid microwave popcorn.
This is only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to foods that can cause cancer. Refined sugars and white flours, soda, hydrogenated oils, and canned tomatoes are some of the other foods that have been found to cause cancer and disease. Avoiding the foods above can do great things for a person's health. Giving up the temptation of a potato chip can help you extend your health and, ultimately, your life. Learning to avoid these cancer causing foods will require a few changes here and there, but in the end it will be worth it.
Foto: © Giovanni Cancemi - Fotolia.com
Editor, 03.04.2014
