No ifs, ands or butts about it — there are three things oncology dietitian Nichole Andrews avoids because she’s worried they will raise her risk for colon and other cancers.
“Knowledge is power, and I’m here to drop some truth bombs about how to reduce cancer risk,” Andrews, who wrote “The F*ck Cancer Cookbook,” posted recently on Instagram.
Her advice comes as the US experiences a worrying rise in diagnoses of various cancers, including breast, prostate and pancreatic cancers.
Colorectal cancer rates, in particular, have been rapidly increasing among younger adults.
“Learning simple ways to reduce cancer risk or reduce risk of recurrence can make all the difference for your mental and physical health on a day-to-day basis,” Andrews said as she shared three activities you won’t find on her to-do list.
Eat processed meats
Processed meats have been salted, cured, smoked or chemically preserved for a long shelf life. Examples include deli meats, sausages, hot dogs, bacon, corned beef, ham, pepperoni and beef jerky.
The World Health Organization’s International Agency for Research on Cancer classified processed meat as “carcinogenic to humans” in 2015 because of “sufficient evidence from epidemiological studies that eating processed meat causes colorectal cancer.”
MD Anderson Cancer Center in Texas reports that heme, nitrates and nitrites in processed meats can damage cells lining the bowel, increasing cancer risk.
Plus, cooking processed meats at high temperatures can produce heterocyclic amines and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, chemicals that have been shown to cause cancer in animals.
Drink alcohol
“I omit all alcohol from my life,” Andrews shared. “I’m sure you’ve … seen it, probably even in passing today, that alcohol is fun, it gets you through the day — mommy wine culture, de-stress, all those things. Nope.”
Alcohol consumption raises the risk of at least seven types of cancer, including breast, bowel, liver and throat cancer, US Surgeon General Vivek Murthy said Friday as he called on Congress to require warning labels about the link.
Murthy said 16.4% of breast cancer cases can be attributed to drinking.
Alcohol can increase levels of estrogen and other hormones tied to breast cancer. And when booze is metabolized in the body, it produces a chemical that can damage DNA and potentially lead to tumors.
Load up on supplements
“Do not seek out supplements to reduce cancer risk, because, in fact, high doses of supplements can increase cancer risk,” Andrews said.
For example, very large doses of beta-carotene supplements have been linked to a higher risk of lung cancer in smokers.
“I do not take any supplements unless my doctor recommends it,” Andrews declared. “I get all my nutrients from food.”
