The best way to fight stomach cancer is to prevent it. According to the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI), Gastric cancer accounts for 783,000 deaths each year, and numbers have grown steadily.
It has become clear that what food today is not well received by our bodies, we’re not eating right, but there’s a way to turn things around. By living a healthy, active lifestyle and eating fresh food, we can reduce the number of stomach cancer in the country.
Thankfully, there’s lots of scientific research that now points out the most dangerous foods, so here are the foods to avoid to prevent stomach cancer.
#11 – Smoked foods
You might not know this, but the method in which you cook and store your food can have a more significant impact on your health than the food itself.
Smoked foods have an indirect relation with stomach risk because of chemicals created at high temperatures and the open flame.
Heterocyclic amines and polycyclic hydrocarbons infuse smoked food, and these compounds can change your DNA, causing cancer cells to develop.
#10 – Salted foods
Salted foods like dried meat, salted fish, sausages, nuts, and savory snacks can increase the risk of getting stomach cancer. Salt weakens the stomach lining causing lesions, that can, in time, develop as cancer.
Scientists also link salt in large quantities to increased blood pressure and other adverse health effects, so it’s better to reduce its intake to the minimum.
#9 – Pickled foods
Pickled vegetables and other foods have recently been linked to stomach cancer. Nitrites and nitrates present in preserved foods are the most prominent suspects, but the salt in brine adds up to the health risks.
Besides, behavioral studies suggest that people who regularly eat canned, preserved and pickled food are less likely to add fresh fruits and vegetables to their diets.
#8 – Processed Meat
If salt, nitrates, nitrites, and preservatives increase the risk of developing stomach cancer processed meat is one of the most dangerous foods on our diet.
Hot dogs, ham, bacon, sausages, and salami, they’re all linked to several diseases, including stomach cancer. The massive evidence piling up against processed meat is hard to ignore; governments across the world are revising labeling laws to reduce the consumption of these products.
#7 – Simple Carbs
Simple carbs like those in processed sweets, chocolate bars, corn syrup, and even white bread could increase the risk of cancer. An early cancer study linked the rapid growth of cancer cells to the level of glucose in our bloodstream.
Although other studies are needed to verify the link between simple carbs and stomach cancer, you’re better off without them; they’re linked to many other health risks, including diabetes and obesity.
#6 – Too little fruit
An easy way to prevent stomach cancer is eating fresh fruit. Research shows that foods high in fiber, vitamin A and C, like fresh fruit, can prevent cancer. You should also increase the consumption of vegetables and whole grains for the same reason.
#5 – Too much coffee
The link between coffee consumption and stomach cancer hasn’t been confirmed. There’s enough evidence, though, to prove that too much coffee, over five cups a day, increases the risk of developing cancer cells in your digestive system.
Healthy in its own right, it’s too soon to avoid coffee, but moderation is key.
#4 – Please Stop Smoking
This is no food, but smoking doubles the chance of getting stomach cancer, particularly near the esophagus, making it more dangerous than any food concerning this particular cancer.
You might think smoking is only related to lung cancer. Still, all your body takes a toll, as tobacco causes free radicals in your bloodstream that disrupt your normal bodily function and can alter the DNA in your cells, causing cancer anywhere.
#3 – Alcohol
Drinking often is directly linked to stomach cancer amongst several other cancers and diseases, it’s acetaldehyde, a metabolic byproduct of alcohol, which scientists believe causes the most damage.
Our bodies are equipped to deal and break down alcohol, but large quantities and frequent consumption are too much to handle, and acetaldehydes build up in your bloodstream.
#2 – Soft Drinks
Soft drinks are not only loaded with simple sugars, but they also have many other chemical compounds that might increase the risk of cancer.
A recent UK study showed that just one drink a day increased the risk of developing 13 types of cancer, including stomach cancer. Diabetes and obesity are also to be considered.
#1 – Red Meat
Overeating red meat is related to rectal, pancreatic, and prostate cancer, mainly because red meat is cooked at high temperatures: grilled, barbecued or smoked, developing harmful carcinogenic chemicals such as polycyclic hydrocarbons and heterocyclic amines.
Prevention is easier than you think.
Having an active lifestyle, eating fresh fruits and vegetables, limiting the amount of red meats and animal-based fats, and eating in small portions is the best way to prevent not only stomach cancer but many of the maladies that threaten our health.
The real change is not only in your diet, but in your mindset, so live healthier and feel better starting today!
