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Recently, scientists have conducted studies to identify the relationship between diet and the occurrence of cancer. Their results confirmed an association between eating industrially processed foods and the risk of developing cancerous tumors.
According to scientists, those people who eat foods that have been highly processed are most at risk. The shelves of most supermarkets are literally packed with this food, because it seems very convenient for the buyer to eat the product immediately or spend a couple of minutes on its minimal heat treatment and have the food ready.
The negative impact of “fast food”
To make it clearer, we will give the most common examples of such products, which are included in the list of everyday purchases of almost every one of us. These include: all kinds of baked goods, cereals, chips and similar convenient snacks, all kinds of convenience foods that can be prepared in 5-10 minutes, bagged soups and sodas. Such food is now very popular and convenient for most people who value their time or cannot afford to spend it on cooking at all.
At the same time, few people think about the fact that it contains an increased amount of sugar, salt and fat, having a critically small percentage of vitamins, trace elements and fiber. Even before that, several years ago it was already proven that the frequent use of such products increases the risk of obesity, hypertension and high blood cholesterol levels. But this is of little concern to most consumers, and the latest statistics tell us that in developed countries, where people can afford to eat 100% purchased products, the share of unhealthy foods in the human diet reaches 50%.
Details of a new study on the relationship between diet and cancer
The large-scale study was initiated and carried out by a joint team of scientists from Brazil and France. More than 100 men and women with an average age of 43 years at the beginning of the experiment were involved in the analysis to identify the relationship between food preferences and human health. For the purity of testing, all of its participants were selected in such a way that at the beginning they were considered absolutely healthy. By the end of the five-year period, more than 2000 people had developed various forms of cancer. In subsequent statistical findings, scientists took into account not only nutrition, but also some other factors, including age, heredity, bad habits and physical activity.
In summary, the main facts of the study tell us that an increased frequency of eating ultra-processed foods can cause the formation and development of most cancers. Especially scientists distinguish breast cancer. According to their calculations, if the share of prepared food in the daily diet reaches at least 10%, then the risk of developing oncology increases by 12%.
The impact of specific products on the development of cancer
The good news is that the results of the experiment show that moderately processed foods, such as canned vegetables, cheeses and freshly baked bread, do not affect the likelihood of cancer. In turn, fresh or minimally processed food (fruits, vegetables, legumes, rice, eggs, meat, fish, milk) completely reduces these indicators.
Along with the need for further in-depth study of the problem, scientists recall that this work is the first of its kind. This is the first time that such a large-scale activity in terms of the number of participants and the time interval has been carried out, aimed at studying the relationship between increased consumption of ultra-processed foods and the risk of developing cancer.
In the future work of scientists, which needs to be continued with an increase in the intensity and size of funding, it remains to be seen which of the substances in industrially processed food have the most detrimental effect on the consumer’s body.
However, experts are already asking to listen and not ignore the results of their research. Therefore, anyone who cares about their long-term health should adjust the percentage of harmful foods in the diet, or rather, completely abandon them. In addition, the specialists intend to initiate changes at the legislative level, which in the future will be required to introduce marketing restrictions regarding highly processed products.
Modern necessity or unconscious harm
Products of a high degree of pre-processing are called by many a tribute to the modern lifestyle. Most busy people these days just don’t have the time to cook a full meal at home. The main characteristics that a 21st century person needs is to create a fast, already cooked, convenient and tasty meal that can be consumed within minutes of purchase.
In order for such food to be tasty, a lot of salt, sugar and other spices are added to it. This allows you to develop a habituation of a person and initiate a repeat purchase. In addition, the supermarket simply will not accept such a product if it cannot be stored long enough to be able to sell it even after a long period of time, and not throw it away. Therefore, such purchased food is rich in stabilizers and other additives necessary to increase the shelf life, but harmful and harmful to the body.
The most dangerous component of processed foods are trans fats. They are the main health hazard. Of course, more knowledgeable people can say that they are also present in meat and milk. But, the important point is that the harm of trans fats in “fast” foods is no longer discussed, unlike meat and dairy products.
The second most harmful is sugar, which is very abundant in thermally processed foods. Especially if identical substitutes were used instead, a pinch of which replaces large volumes of natural sugar. The highest rates of such substitutes are found in various carbonated drinks.
Unfortunately, it is worth noting that one of the most active consumers of pre-treated products are children. Chips, snacks, frozen cutlets and pancakes – they love all this and many parents do not refuse them a dangerous treat. Such inattentive attitude to the diet of young Russians affects the growing numbers of childhood obesity in the Russian Federation.
What Oncologists Don’t Eat
Probably the best way to get a person to do something useful or stop doing something harmful is to show by example. Therefore, we would like to announce to you a list of products that are not only harmful, but will not be eaten by any highly qualified oncologist. After all, knowing what this can lead to, a person will even unconsciously refuse to buy them in supermarkets and other places where they are distributed.
Hydrogenated oils
It is a food ingredient that has been pre-processed. They are vegetable oils processed into trans fats. It is already well known that oils cause various types of cancer. Therefore, no adequate oncologist would eat food that potentially contains a component with a “slow poison” function.
Popcorn
In its composition, it has all the same trans fats that will increase your chances of getting cancer. In addition, many believe that during microwave cooking, a non-stick bag releases harmful substances, which are also dangerous from an oncological point of view.
Processed and smoked meats and hot dogs
This product contains harmful nitrates which are added to inhibit bacterial growth and enhance color. And in general, when processing meat, to enhance its various qualities, a lot of harmful substances are added that increase the risk of oncology. Too much salt and preservatives to keep it fresh makes this product very unhealthy. Like processed meats, they contain dangerous sodium phosphate. More than 34 people a year die from processed meat, which includes sausages.
white flour
Another harmful product that is produced during the processing of healthy wheat groats with a gradual loss of all the properties necessary for the body and the acquisition of harmful ones.
Sweet Soda
The main harm of this product is associated with the use in its preparation of a sugar substitute called aspartame, which, with prolonged exposure to the human body, can cause brain cancer, leukemia and other types of cancer. In addition, even drinking soda without a sweetener is dangerous, because cancerous tumors feed on sugar, which is abundant in flavored drinks.
Canned and pickled foods
The canning process uses substances that also increase the risk of cancer. A growing body of new research suggests that these foods may cause stomach cancer.
Potato chips and french fries
The strong carcinogen acrylamide can enter your body while eating chips. Surprisingly, in addition to them, it is found in tar, cigarette smoke and adhesives.
As a result, we can come to the conclusion that there are a lot of products that increase the chance of developing oncological complications, and it will be difficult for a modern person to refuse them. Therefore, the main fact should be the understanding that many of the easy-to-prepare and use foods that we are so used to can provide momentary satiety, but in the long run will only bring harm to health.
Our main recommendation will be independent control over what you eat and in what quantities. Even if you use the above harmful pre-processed products, then you should do it many times less often and try to keep their share in your daily diet does not exceed 5-10%, which will allow you to protect yourself from health problems due to food.