Certain food additives are being scrutinized by consumers, media and the general scientific community because many processed foods are composed of ingredients that can lead to cancer and can worsen existing cancer you may have. The FDA approves food additives that may have safe short-term effects, but additives which may cause long-term effects -- such as cancer -- are not always subjected to third-party, long-term research.
Artificial Sweeteners
Several organizations are still scrutinizing artificial sweeteners about their cancer-causing effects. One is led by Dr. Joseph Mercola, who is an author and speaker on the cancer risks of artificial sweeteners such as aspartame and saccharin. They are found in Splenda, Equal, Sweet N'Low and similar products.
Growth Hormone and Animal Antibiotics
Most nutritionists advise that if you want a nutritious diet, stick with foods that you can pronounce. Complex chemical ingredients are usually synthetic, which may not be healthy to feed a natural organism. If you eat dairy, eat organic dairy, because hormones and antibiotics that most conventional dairy contains cause cancer of the breast, colon and prostate or other illnesses, according to Cancer Prevention Coalition.
Free Radicals
Free radicals are found in fried foods that reuse oil and in microwave cooked foods. Frying oils repeatedly can break down its molecules forming free-radicals, which in turn, starts damaging cells and leads to cancer. If you have a microwave and want to reduce your risk of cancer, do not eat microwaved foods. Microwaves speed up the molecule in your food to heat them, which causes the molecules to break and form incomplete molecules or "free-radicals." When free-radicals enter your body it creates a volatile scenario in your body, because free-radicals are incomplete molecules, your body's reaction is to complete the molecule using other molecules making certain cells incomplete. This process continues within cells in your body, mutating them, which can cause the beginnings of cancer if your body fails to eliminate the mutated cells.
High-Fructose Corn Syrup
High-fructose corn syrup is also known as corn sugar, which is a concentrated sweetener. It is made with genetically modified corn, which may reduce your ability to respond to antibiotics. "The Dr. Oz Show" and "The New York Times" state that corn sugar is linked to causing obesity, kidney disease, liver damage, heart disease and diabetes, all of which reduce the strength of your immune system and increase your risk of cancer.
References
- The Huffington Post: America's Deadliest Sweetener Betrays Millions, Then Hoodwinks You With Name Change
- Cancer Prevention Coalition: Monsanto's Hormonal Milk Poses Serious Risks of Breast Cancer, Besides Other Cancers, Warns Professor of Environmental Medicine at the University of Illinois School of Public Health
- The Dr. Oz Show: How Does High-Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS) Contribute to Obesity?
- The New York Times: Still Spooked by High-Fructose Corn Syrup
- Rice University: Antioxidants and Free Radicals
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