Many people believe cancers just happen. Cancers develop if you follow an unhealthy diet full of cancer causing food over a prolonged period of time. Certain food contains a lot of cancer promoting substances called carcinogens. In this article, we will discover the 3 common types of carcinogens most people are exposed to on a daily basis, what types of food we should and should not eat to prevent cancer.

Acrylamide: A Cancer Causing Chemical?

Acrylamide has been used in industries that specialize in the creation of plastic, manufacturing of food packaging and treatment of contaminated water. Unknown to most of us, scientists recently discoverd that acrylamide can be created during high temperature cooking methods like baking, microwaving, roasting and frying. Although acrylamide has been proven to cause cancer in animals, experts have not found absolute evidence that is causes cancer in humans even though it is toxic to our bodies. French fries top the charts of food that contain the highest levels of acrylamide, followed by certain brands of potato chips, breakfast cereals, cookies, brewed coffee and toast bread according to the US FDA/CFSAN 2006 Exposure Assessment for Acrylamide.

Sodium Nitrate: Why You Should Avoid It

Sodium nitrate is a standard food additive of processed meat. When added to meat, it maintains the redness of the meat to make it look more appealing at the neglection of your health. Sodium nitrate on it's own is quite harmless but it changes into a carcinogenic substance called nitrosamine during the digestion process, thus promoting the development of cancer cells. Almost all forms of processed meat like pepperoni, salami, ham, sausages, bacon and bologna contain sodium nitrate.

Trans Fat: The Worst Fat In The World

Trans fat or trans-fatty acids (TFAs) ranks as the most terrible kind of fat. Trans fat is created by a hydrogenation process that transforms unsaturated vegetable oils to a semi-solid state. Vegetable oil companies do this to improve flavor stability, to extend the shelf life of their products and to save money. Our bodies do not readily accept these hydrogenated oils and it takes a lot of extra energy to try to digest it thoroughly, as a result, sections of it clogs our arteries if we do not burn it off through exercise. Furthermore, trans fat tends to increase the levels of bad cholesterol and reduce the good cholesterol in our bodies, creating a greater risk of getting heart disease. Trans fat is commonly found in hydrogenated oils, partially hydrogenated oils, food with vegetable shortening, pastries and commercially deep-fried food.

Foods and Cancer: What To Eat And What To Avoid

If we eliminate or severely restrict our of the 3 carcinogens above and other unnecessary substances like sugar, tobacco, salt and alcohol, we should be able to avoid cancer and a whole lot of other major diseases. However, it is not easy for people to choose to have a healthy body over the enjoyment of good food. The decision is up to you to decide which is more important to you. At the minimum, consume as much organic vegetables, fruit and meat as you can. Try your best to eat raw vegetables and fruit that is high in antioxidants, nutrients and fiber, and you should be way ahead of the general public. As a general rule, eat what mother nature intended us to eat and avoid man-made food.