These Popular Foods Significantly Increase Cancer Risk, New Study Suggests

Sometimes it can be hard to keep track of what’s in convenience and packaged foods. For example, many types of processed meat contain preservatives called nitrates and nitrites.

While that might mean you’re consuming your fair share of both Blair Persyn, MS, RDN, LDN, CNSC and owner of Bite with Blair, LLCHe says Eat this, not that!“Nitrites create N-nitroso compounds (NOCs) in the body, which are potential carcinogens. Also, nitrates can be converted to nitrites in the intestine, making both compounds a concern.”

Persyn adds that “N-nitroso compounds (NOCs) in the gut cause DNA damage, which can eventually lead to cancer.”

In fact, a recent study which was published by Oxford University Press looked at 101,056 adults and compared the risks of developing cancer between those who consumed nitrates and nitrites and those who did not.

The results suggested that regularly consuming products containing nitrates increases the risk of breast cancer by around 25%. Beyond that, eating a lot of foods that contain nitrites increases the risk of prostate cancer by almost 60%.

“While this study is observational, it still has a large sample size and looks at a population of women who are somewhat health conscious,” Persyn says. “This means that the effect of these compounds is potentially more detrimental in the general population, which generally consumes fewer antioxidant-rich foods in their diet. The correlation does not mean causality for observational studies, but nitrates and Nitrites are carcinogenic in animal studies and the correlation in humans definitely warrants further investigation.”

Breaking Up With Peloton

If you want to avoid nitrates and nitrites in your diet, Persyn says that people can do so by “omitting, or at least reducing, your intake of processed meats like deli meats, hot dogs, bacon, salami, sausage, and bologna.”

Persyn adds, “Instead of ultra-processed meats, people can opt for fresh cuts of meat and poultry from the deli counter at grocery stores. We can also lower our risk by including more antioxidant-rich foods in our diet, from a wide variety of plant-based foods, as they may help inhibit NOC formation.

For more information on what you may not have noticed you’ve been eating, be sure to read 30 Shocking Secret Ingredients Hidden In Your Favorite Foods.