Cancer Dietitian Reveals 3 Things You Won’t Do Because of the Risks

There’s no ifs, ands or backs about it—there are three things that oncology dietitian Nichole Andrews avoids because she’s worried they’ll increase her risk of colon and other cancers.

“Knowledge is power, and I’m here to drop some truth bombs on how to lower your cancer risk,” Andrews, who wrote The F*ck Cancer Cookbook, recently posted on Instagram.

Her advice comes as the US experiences an alarming increase in diagnoses of various cancers, including breast, prostate and pancreatic cancer.

Colorectal cancer rates, in particular, have risen rapidly among younger adults.

“Learning simple ways to reduce your risk of cancer or reduce your risk of recurrence can make a difference to your mental and physical health on a daily basis,” Andrews said as she shared three activities you won’t find on her. make a list

Eat processed meat

Processed meat is salted, cured, smoked or chemically preserved for a long shelf life. Examples include deli meats, sausages, hot dogs, bacon, corned beef, bacon, peppers, and beef.

The World Health Organization’s International Agency for Research on Cancer classified processed meat as “carcinogenic to humans” in 2015 due to “sufficient evidence from epidemiological studies that eating processed meat causes colorectal cancer”.

The MD Anderson Cancer Center in Texas reports that the heme, nitrates and nitrites in processed meats can damage the cells that line the intestine, increasing the risk of cancer.

Plus, cooking processed meats at high temperatures can produce heterocyclic amines and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, chemicals that have been shown to cause cancer in animals.

Drink alcohol

“I cut all alcohol out of my life,” Andrews said. “I’m sure … you’ve seen, maybe even in passing today, that alcohol is fun, it gets you through the day — the mother wine culture, the stress relief, all that stuff. No.”

Alcohol consumption increases the risk of at least seven types of cancer, including breast, colon, liver and throat cancer, US Surgeon General Vivek Murthy said Friday as he called on Congress to require warning labels about the link.

Murthy said 16.4% of breast cancer cases can be attributed to drinking.

Alcohol can increase levels of estrogen and other hormones linked to breast cancer. And when alcohol is metabolized in the body, it produces a chemical that can damage DNA and potentially lead to tumors.

Load up on supplements

“Don’t look to supplements to reduce your risk of cancer, because, in fact, high doses of supplements can increase your risk of cancer,” Andrews said.

For example, very large doses of beta-carotene supplements have been linked to a higher risk of lung cancer in smokers.

“I don’t take any supplements unless my doctor recommends it,” Andrews said. “I get all my nutrients from food.”