Most of the human cancers are
caused by food related factors.
The cancer-causing agents,
known as carcinogens may be
present in the food as such or may
be produced during the process of
cooking and storing of the food. The
bitter tasting cereals, nuts and corn
may contain aflatoxins, which are
broken down into epoxide in the
liver. Epoxide is a highly carcinogenic
agent that remains in the body
for a very short period but this duration
is sufficient for it to damage the
cellular DNA. Aflatoxins are known
to cause cancers of the liver, stomach
and the kidney. Nutritional imbalances
are also known to cause
cancer, for example today�s fast
food, which is rich in sodium and cholesterol
but poor in fibre, vitamins
and calcium, may lead to cancer.
Grilled, tandoori and fried food
contain certain polycyclic aromatic
hydrocarbons that may cause cancer
by damaging the DNA. In China,
incidence of the stomach and the oesophageal
cancer is much higher,
probably due to excessive consumption
of smoked and pickled food that
contain several carcinogenic substances.
Some carcinogens are produced
when meat, poultry and fish
are fried, broiled, grilled or barbecued
at a higher temperature for
longer periods. It has been observed
that the fried and broiled meat contain
a much higher content of mutagens.
A recent study has revealed
that about 20 per cent non-vegetarians
have toxic mutagens in their digestive
tract.
Excessive consumption of the
animal protein produces a large
quantity of nitrogenous wastes in the
intestine that get converted into highly
carcinogenic compounds called
nitrosamines, which are known to
cause many cancers including those
of the breast, colon, pancreas,
kidney, prostate and the uterus.
Studies conducted in the U.S.A.
have revealed that those persons,
who consume red meat, have
twofold higher risk of the breast
cancer and threefold higher risk of
the prostate cancer. Another study
has shown that there is a higher
incidence of the colon cancer in
those persons who consume beef,
pork or lamb meat.
Excessive consumption of fat,
particularly the animal fat may cause
cancers of the breast, colon, rectum,
uterus, prostate and the kidney. On
the other hand, low intake of fat
reduces the risk of cancer. Most of
the consumed animal fat such as
meat & egg and most of the dairy
products belong to omega-6 class
that acts as cancer promoter by
suppressing immune system of the
body and generating free radicals
(highly reactive, unstable molecules
that promote growth of cancer). The
fried, creamy and oily food also
belongs to omega-6 class. On the
other hand, the fat found in fish and
vegetables (such as oils of safflower,
sunflower, flaxseed, sesame, walnut,
corn and pumpkin seed) belongs to
omega-3 class, which is beneficial
to the human health. Omega-3 fatty
acids promote production of the good
eicosanoids (such as PGE-1) and
prevent synthesis of the bad
eicosanoids (such as PGE-2). It is
worth mentioning here that the
omega-3 fatty acids synthesise
PGE-1 in presence of certain cofactors
such as zinc, niacin,
pyridoxine and ascorbic acid. A
study conducted in the USA on 429
non-smoking lung cancer patients for
6 years has revealed that excessive
intake of the saturated fat is one of
the major causes of the lung cancer
in non-smokers.
[Eicosanoids are hormone like
substances produced from
arachidonic acid and some other
fatty acids. The good eicosanoids
improve immunity and overall health,
while the bad eicosanoids promote
genesis as well as growth of cancer
by stimulating inflammatory process,
enhancing proliferation of the
cancerous cells and paralysing the
immune cells of the body]
The consumption of
contaminated fish may cause
cancer in the human beings.
Industrial and agricultural pollutants
such as polychlorinated biphenyls
(PCBs), methyl mercury and
hydrocyanic acid may enter the fish
through food chain and get
accumulated. Methyl mercury is
known to cause cancer by
suppressing activity of the immune
cells. Studies have revealed that
PCBs may cause cancer in the
human beings even in a very small
quantity.
Recombinant Bovine Growth
Hormone (rBGH) injections are
routinely given to the dairy cows to
increase their milk yield.
Consumption of the milk from rBGH
treated cows may cause cancer,
particularly the breast cancer.
Similarly, consumption of the dairy
products and the meat contaminated
with steroids may lead to cancer.
Excessive consumption of sugar
and other refined carbohydrates
create favourable conditions for
tumours to grow by lowering the
oxygen level in the tissues. Sugar
also stimulates production of PGE-
2 in the body that further promotes
the growth of cancer. Consumption
of sugar stimulates production of
insulin that in turn promotes growth
of cancer. Sugar is also known to
suppress activity of the immune cells
in the body. It has been observed that
after consuming 100 grams of sugar,
working capacity of the white blood
cells is reduced by 35 per cent for
at least 2 hours. This
immunosuppressive action starts
within 30 minutes after taking sugar
and lasts up to 5 hours.
Most of the food additives
including preservatives, sweeteners
and colorants are found to have
carcinogenic activity.
Butylated hydroxytoluene, used
as a preservative, is known to cause
the liver cancer. Saccharin and
cyclamates, used as artificial
sweeteners, may cause cancer of
the bladder. Another artificial
sweetener, Aspartame, is known to
cause the brain tumours.
There are many other food
additives including Blue Dye No. 2,
Red Dye No. 3, Gentian violet,
Propyl gallate, Nitrofurans and
Aldicarb, which may lead to genesis
of cancer.
Consumption of irradiated food
may cause cancer. Irradiation of
food is done to extend its shelf life
by killing insects, bacteria, moulds
and fungi.
During the process of irradiation,
the food is exposed to radioactive
substances such as caesium-137 and
cobalt-60. The irradiation of food
may produce certain toxic
substances such as formaldehyde
and benzene. It also increases the
level of aflatoxins in the food. When
the residual contents of herbicides,
insecticides, pesticides, fungicides,
colorants, antibiotics, steroids,
preservatives and stabilisers, present
in the food, are irradiated, these get
transformed into certain toxic
radioactive products known as
unique radioactive products (URPs),
which are highly carcinogenic.
Alcohol stimulates growth of
cancer by suppressing activity of the
natural killer cells (NK cells).
Alcohol may lead to genesis of many
cancers including those of the breast,
mouth, throat, oesophagus, pancreas
and the liver.
Excessive intake of caffeine
(coffee, tea, cola and chocolate) may
cause cancer of the urinary tract.
Caffeine causes cancer by
damaging the DNA as well as by
impairing the natural DNA repair
mechanism of the body.
Iron promotes growth of cancer
by producing free radicals. Studies
have revealed that even a moderate
accumulation of iron in the body
enhances the risk of cancer.
Source - Mystic India
|