Many of us eat food without really thinking about what’s going into our bodies. Some people count calories, but few actually consider the food itself and the possible chemicals in it. Last year, approximately 1.5 million people were diagnosed with cancer, so you might want to start thinking about what’s in your food and discover what foods help feed cancer cells. Take a look at our list of some of the common foods that can cause cancer.
1. Canned Tomatoes
Fresh tomatoes are healthy and can help combat cancer, but it’s the canned tomatoes you need to worry about. You’ve probably heard of BPA (biphenol-A), and it’s a chemical that’s used in the canning process. The National Academy of Sciences provided evidence in 2013 that BPA affects our genes and brain. Therefore, the FDA is looking to eliminate this chemical altogether. However, it will continue to be used until they can find a replacement. In addition, canned tomatoes are especially dangerous because they are very acidic, and this acidity helps the BPA adhere to the tomatoes. It’s even been said that canned tomatoes should not be feed to young children, so you should probably stick to fresh, organic tomatoes from now on.
2. Soda Pop
You’re probably already aware of the damaging effects of sugar on the body. In a study, the American Journal of Nutrition discovered that people who drank an excess of soda had a higher risk of developing cancer and type 2 diabetes compared to those that didn’t drink any soda. Soda offers empty calories and no nutritional value, which can cause weight gain if consumed in excess. Consuming a large amount of sugar can cause your blood sugar to spike, leading to inflammation and insulin resistance. In addition, it can also cause gastro-oesophageal reflux disease, which is when stomach acid leaks into the oesophagus. While soda doesn’t necessarily cause ulcers, it can make them worse. Finally, 4-methylimidazole, a cancer-causing chemical, is a common ingredient in soda, so it’s best to steer clear of it altogether.
3. Farmed Salmon
While farmed fish sounds healthier than fish from a heavily polluted sea, the farmed fish are actually fed food that contains chemical and antibiotics. They live in large populations and are prone to developing sea lice, which are eliminated by giving them more chemicals. In addition, their diet includes chicken litter, which prevents the flesh from developing that reddish colour, so they are fed more chemicals to give them that colour.

Farmed salmon don’t even offer all the benefits of wild-caught fish. They have omega-3 fat, which promotes heart and brain health, but not nearly as much as wild-caught fish. And it’s all thanks to their poor diet. In addition, it’s been shown that farmed salmon contains PCBs, mercury, and dioxins, none of which are good for you. In this situation, you’ll want to avoid the farm-to-table way of life.
4. Processed Meats
Processed meat includes foods like hot dogs, most lunch meats, bacon, and sausage. The large amount of salt and chemicals that goes into these foods can cause a lot of harm. Scientists who created the journal of BVM Medicine performed a 13-year-long study that monitored participants from 10 different European countries. It showed that one out of every 17 people who ate at least 160 grams of processed meat were at a 44% higher risk of an early death within 12 years compared to those that ate a maximum of 20 grams. It really isn’t surprising considering that these carcinogen-packed processed meats contain lots of chemicals and preservatives such as sodium nitrates, which makes the food appear fresh.
5. Microwave Popcorn
While convenient, microwave popcorn is packed full of cancer-causing chemicals. The inside of the bags is coated with perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), which is also found in Teflon. PFOA has been shown to cause infertility in women, and many studies show that PFOA can increase your risk of cancer, including cancer of the kidneys, bladder, liver, pancreas, and testicles.

Although no two brands are alike, almost every popcorn manufacturer uses soybean oil and a preservative called propyl gallate, which is linked to skin rashes. Since they aren’t required to disclose that their product contains GMO ingredients, most use GMO corn kernels, but even if they don’t, it probably isn’t organic.
6. Potato Chips
Potato chips are delicious and convenient, but they aren’t worth the negative impact they have on your body. They are high in calories and fat, so if you eat enough, it will likely cause weight gain. A study by the New England Journal of Medicine showed that eating one ounce of potato chips every day could cause a two-pound weight gain in one year. On top of that, potato chips have a lot of trans fats, which can increase bad cholesterol, and sodium, which can raise your blood pressure. Next time you or your family needs a snack, give them tortilla or baked potato chips, both of which contain fewer calories and less fat.
7. Hydrogenated Oils
Vegetable oils are chemically altered to make them more appealing. This results in an oil product that is unhealthy and can even cause cancer. In addition, vegetable oil has a lot of omega 6 fatty acids, which can cause cancer and contribute to heart disease. You should, however, have an even amount of omega 3 and 6, so try eating more fish or grass-fed meats to increase your omega 3 consumption.
8. Foods That Are Highly Salted, Pickled, or Smoked
Nitrates are commonly used to preserve a variety of food and add an appealing colour to the meat. Once consumed, nitrates turn into N-Nitroso composites inside your body, which can increase your risk of cancer. In addition, during the smoking process, meat and fish absorb the tar from the smoke, which is a carcinogen. As previously mentioned, meats like sausage, bacon, and certain lunch meats have a lot of sodium and fat. Eating these foods has been linked to an increased risk of developing colorectal and stomach cancer. Knowing this, it makes sense that countries that eat a lot of salted and smoked meats have increased rates of stomach cancer.