Diet is among the factors closely affiliatedwith the disease. The number of patients diagnosed with colon cancer is on the rise. Studies on colon cancer suggest that some of its carcinogenic chemicals are as a result of certain foods that we consume.
How to Eat Certain Foods
When cooking meat and fish, high-temperature cooking methods such as grilling and charring introduce heterocyclic amines and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. Burning, charring, deep-frying, and high heat frying is a sure way to produce these substances. Because such foods are a health risk, fish and meat should be served in stew or curry and not in a charred or deep-fried form.
Deep-fried and high temperature baked foods, especially French fries, crackers, chips, and deep-fried biscuits, also result in the formation of acrylamide. With the second round of frying, the acrylamide contained in the food increases significantly. Digestive system cancer is one of the consequences of ingesting such food consistently.
Avoid Processed Foods
Starches should not be fried at high temperatures or reheated since frying creates acrylamide, which is the result of a reaction between sugar and asparagine. Foods that have a high starch content should not be consumed if they have been fried once or if they are going to be reheated.
Sausages, ham, bacon, hot dogs and other processed meats are known to contain chemical preservatives such as nitrates and nitrites. Processed foods aid in the creation of nitrosamines, which have been proven to cause cancer. Along with nitrosamines, processed foods contain a bunch of other toxins as well which are harmful to your health.
A common mistake people make these days is not washing their food thoroughly. Washing untreated fruits and vegetables is essential. However, there is a high chance these foods are heavily treated with pesticides. Organophosphates are a common pesticide and residues can be harmful if consumed.
Excessive alcohol consumption is another risk factor. While alcohol can damage the body, a compound known as acetaldehyde is a byproduct of alcohol which aids in damaging the body even more and gives the user the chance of getting cancer. Without alcohol, acetaldehyde is safe to the body. However, when taken in excess, it is like a furnace that can set things ablaze. That is why alcohol and alcohol-based beverages should be avoided.