Are you trying to lower the risk of cancer through healthy, proactive way? Here we suggest 5 food items you have to avoid to reduce the risk of cancer. With few dietary changes and healthy habits, you can take control of your health.

Various risk factors of cancer includes the following:

• Cigarette smoking
• Excess Body weight
• Drinking Alcohol
• UV radiation
• Physical inactivity

Maintaining a healthy weight with proper diet and exercise works like magic. You can lower the risk of developing cancer by including nutritious, fiber-rich, low-fat food items that can enhance your metabolism as well as helps maintain healthy weight. Avoid the risk of physical inactivity  and being obese as it take a toll on your health. There are few food items you need to limit or completely avoid including highly processed foods, heavily salted and pickled foods, packaged sugary drinks, alcohol and more.

What food should I avoid to prevent cancer?

In order to stay healthy and proactive, we recommend avoiding these 5 worst foods for cancer.

1. Red Meat and Processed Meat

Red meat and highly processed meat items like Bacon, sausages, hot dogs, ham, pepperoni elevates the risk of cancer if consumed at higher rates. High consumption of processed meat may result in various types of cancer including bowel cancer/colorectal cancer and stomach cancer. They are being preserved by the process of salting, smoking or curing. WHO classifies processed meats as Group 1 carcinogens which indicates that increased consumption of processed meat regularly can result in cancer. WHO Studies suggest that the risk of several cancers may be associated with high consumption of red meat or processed meat.

Alternatives: Choose fresh lean meats or plant-based proteins more in the diet.

2. Alcohol

Consuming Alcohol even in small amount can increase the risk of various cancers including breast cancer, liver cancer, oral cancer, throat cancer, colorectal cancer and Esophageal cancer. To ensure you are avoiding the risk of cancer, it’s better to completely avoid alcohol.

3. Sugary Drinks

Packaged sugary drinks including sugary beverages, sodas, fruit juices contain high amounts of white sugar, preservatives and other harmful ingredients. Consuming these high-calorie food items in excess results in weight gain or obesity, which in turn increases the risk of several cancers including liver cancer, colon cancer, breast cancer and more. Excessive sugar intake affects metabolic health, elevates the insulin levels within the body and gradually creates an inflammatory environment that enhance the growth of cancer cells.

Alternatives: opt for Healthy home-made juices, water, tender-coconut water etc.

4. Packaged and Processed Food items

Foods that seem healthy, but they are not. This includes breakfast cereals, packaged snacks, chips, frozen foods, white bread, French fries, fast food, instant noodles and a lot more. These highly salted foods are huge in calories, low in nutrients and comes with added chemicals which makes you crave more while you eat. The additives make you feel like ‘hungry’ even though you’re full. They’re directly connected with cancer risk, as the consumption of packaged food regularly leads to weight gain, obesity, along with physical inactivity makes things worse.

Alternatives: Choose whole grains such as quinoa, brown rice, wheat, ragi etc…

5. Fried, or Charred Foods

Food items cooked at high temperatures including grilled meats, burnt toast, foods deep-fried in hydrogenated oils carries higher risk of cancer. This food items while cooked at extremely high temperatures including frying, grilling, barbecuing either burnt or charred, creates carcinogenic chemical compounds and trans fats that are harmful for us. These tempting foods have empty nutrition values and added calories introduce harmful carcinogens in our diet.

Alternatives: Substitute steaming/baking instead of grilling or overcooking.

To reduce the possible risks of Cancer you may have to stay away from a bunch of food items including processed meats, sweet beverages, salty and spicy snacks, pickled foods, refined carbs, fried foods and avoid alcohol and smoking. Even though we cannot completely stay free from cancer by avoiding these food items, following a healthy diet and active lifestyle can definitely help you stay healthy. Try to include more fruits and vegetables, protein-rich foods, whole grains, and healthy fats in your diet.

Along with dietary adjustments, you can undergo regular cancer screening at advanced full body health checkup centers like NURA. NURA is a collaboration between Fujifilm Healthcare & Dr Kutty’s Healthcare, bringing you the best of Ai-Enabled Imaging and Expert Healthcare. Our screening tests are based on clear, effective evidence. A routine, preventive health check-up for healthy people, to stay ahead of potential health risks and be aware of one’s own health conditions. NURA’s annual screening program gives you a comprehensive and accurate prediction of your health status.