A cancer dietitian has urged everyone to cut two things from their diet in order to reduce their risk of the disease – as she said all other food and drink is perfectly fine to eat
Navigating healthy eating advice can be a minefield. Depending on what your goals are with following a diet, you can receive conflicting information over what is right for your body, but the most important thing to remember is that a balanced diet is the key.
If your goal when cutting out junk food is to ditch things that might increase your risk of cancer, however, then there are only two items you need to stop consuming. According to a cancer dietitian on social media, there is one type of food and one type of drink that have been proven to increase your risk of cancer, so if you cut those out, you can continue to enjoy the rest of your favourite food without worry.
Nichole Andrews, a registered oncology dietitian, claimed in a TikTok video that in order to slash your risk of cancer by as much as 38%, you need to stop consuming two things: alcohol and processed meat.
She said: “There are only two foods that increase cancer risk. Only two. Which is actually good news [because it means] you can literally have all other foods and beverages. Those two are alcohol and processed meats.”
The dietitian added that it angers her when people in the comments of her videos say they will continue to enjoy foods like pepperoni pizza, wine, and beer because “you only live once” and don’t want to limit their intake of food and drink they enjoy, just because it can increase their cancer risk.
She said those who have had cancer know how important it is to take care of their bodies and make sure they minimise any risk of the disease coming back again.
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She continued: “You have never had cancer, because when you truly do consume processed meats or alcohol, you are increasing your risk. Someone who has had cancer or has said the words ‘gone through treatment’ is absolutely ready to do whatever they can to reduce their risk of recurrence.
“If you really want to keep drinking alcohol and have processed meats that increase your risk, that’s for you. But this [attitude of] ‘YOLO, I’m eating pizza and wine’? Get out of here.”
Nichole claimed that alcohol can increase your risk of cancer by up to 20%, while processed meats, which include deli meats like salami, pepperoni, and even sliced ham, can increase your risk by up to 18%.
Does processed meat cause cancer?
According to Cancer Research UK, processed meat increases the risk of bowel cancer. They claim that research shows that even eating a small amount of processed meat can increase your risk, and while you’re not guaranteed to get cancer if you eat this type of food, the less you eat of it, the lower your risk.
Processed meats that carry a cancer risk include:
- Ham
- Bacon
- Corned beef
- Some sausages, like chorizo and hot dogs
- Deli meats, like salami and pepperoni
There is also a link between red meat, which includes beef, pork, lamb, and goat, and bowel cancer. However, this type of meat is classed as a probable cause of cancer, as there is less evidence than there is for processed meat.
Does alcohol cause cancer?
Alcohol can cause seven different types of cancer, according to Cancer Research UK. The charity states that while some alcoholic drinks are often thought to be “better” for you than others, all types of alcohol increase the risk of cancer as it’s the alcohol itself that causes the damage, even in small amounts.
Alcohol can damage our cells and stop cells from repairing the damage, as well as affect chemical signals which can make cells divide more often. It also makes it easier for cells in our mouth and throat to absorb harmful chemicals, all of which can increase our risk of cancer.
Types of cancer that can be caused by drinking alcohol include: breast cancer, bowel cancer, mouth cancer, liver cancer, and some types of throat cancer that affect your oesophagus, larynx, and pharynx.
For more advice and support for all types of cancer, visit the Cancer Research UK website.