Processed Foods and Cancer

Processed products are foods that have been altered from their natural state for convenience or safety reasons. Processing is used to increase shelf life, so that foods stay fresh longer.

Methods used to process foods include canning, freezing, refrigeration, dehydration and aseptic processing. In aseptic processing, the food product and the package is sterilized separately. In canning, both the item and package are sealed as one unit and sterilized together.

I know that frozen dinners and packaged high calorie snack foods are a favorite, especially chips and cheese snacks but these foods are highly processed. Other examples of processed foods include canned foods, which usually contain a lot of sodium, white breads and pastas made with refined white flour and boxed meal mixes. What about the cans of ravioli, or packaged cakes/cookie mixes? They may be convenient, but they have few health benefits. Processed lunch meats that are usually given to kids are actually one of the worst culprits.

These types of foods are not as healthy as fresh foods because they often contain bad fats, such as trans and saturated fats. They also contain large amounts of sodium and sugar, or “empty calories”. These foods are filled with artificial colorings, stabilizers (used to give the food an even texture), emulsifiers (to create a pleasing, consistent blend between water soluble and oil soluble components), bleaches (to disinfect), texturizers (to keep things crispy and crunchy), softeners (to keep bread nice and soft), preservatives, sweeteners, flavorings and chemicals to hide odors.

The convenience, taste, smell, appearance and texture of processed foods make them hard to resist but they can be a contributing factor as to why one out of four people get cancer today. It is always good to opt for fresh fruits and veggies as an alternative. These foods contain cancer fighting phyto-chemicals that are lacking in processed foods. These natural phyto-chemicals work synergistically to prevent oxidative damage that can lead to free radical production and cellular death.

Free radicals cause membrane damage. Communication between cells becomes hindered, causing problems. A single cell does not receive the signal to stop proliferating. That is why it begins to divide and spread, which can lead to cancer.

Some vitamins and minerals act as anti-oxidants or are part of anti-oxidants that occur naturally in our body. Processed foods lack these natural vitamins and minerals, which ensure proper growth, vitality, health and prevention or even cure of many chronic diseases, including cancer.

The sugar in processed goods is especially harmful for kids and adults alike. Sugar feeds cancer cells and also reduces immunity. One teaspoon of sugar reduces immunity by three hours. Cancer cells are being formed every day, but are typically removed from our body. If we ingest a lot of sugar, immune cells are not able to remove these cells. They cannot remove cells that are not functioning optimally. This includes cells that have been infected by bacteria and viruses. Some bacteria and viruses are known to have a direct link to cancer.

Everyone loves salt but too much salt, or sodium, has been shown to increase hypertension and cancer. Reducing sodium alone does not work, one also needs to increase potassium intake. Normally we get twice the amount of sodium rather than potassium. A ratio of 5:1 potassium to sodium is recommended. A good potassium supplement would be great to prevent these conditions.

Other additives in processed foods have been directly linked to many different types of cancer. These additives also lead to allergic reactions and toxicity in our bodies. Along with lots of fruits and vegetables a healthy intake of water is essential. We are 75 percent water, and drinking enough water is one way to cleanse these toxins out of our system. 4-6 glasses are a minimum, especially in the summer when dehydration is most common. With dehydration, the blood becomes thick and saturated with toxins. The toxic wastes accumulate and create an acidic medium. Acidic environments don’t allow for the proper oxygenation and nutrition of cells, causing them to change in form and function to survive. They live by fermentation rather than normal oxidative mechanisms and this can lead to cancer.

Two steps to good health include eating healthy and drinking lots of water. Avoiding processed foods as much as possible prevents not only cancer, but a host of other diseases. A DASH diet (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) is recommended. This diet focuses on a whole food diet made up of vegetables, legumes, and whole grains. These foods are an excellent source of complex carbohydrates, and are also high in fiber. This diet prevents not only cancer, but hypertension. It is an excellent alternative to processed foods keeping in mind that fresh fruits and veggies are actually less expensive than processed foods.

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About the Author Sherry Duggal is a graduate of the Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine. After having completed her bachelor of science degree at UBC (major: cell biology and genetics ; minor psychology) she came to Toronto to pursue her passion for alternative ways of thinking/ healing. As a naturopathic doctor Sherry focuses on nutrition. She realizes the importance of diet and works at the level of the individual. By offering alternatives and choices she allows the patient to make healthy lifestyle changes. These changes effect not only the physical level but the level of mind and spirit. Sherry believes that food can heal in many ways.

Comments

Posted by corrineweir | Nov 3-09 6:31 AM