A healthy, balanced diet can help reduce your risk of cancer and this has been proven time and again. But widespread myths and misconceptions have led people to believe certain foods can cause or protect against cancer.
Cancer Research UK has clarified that no single food item can either protect against or cause cancer.
The experts do acknowledge that consistently overeating certain food groups can increase your risk, though it doesn’t guarantee you’ll develop cancer. However, they pointed out that some foods are incorrectly put in this group including eggs, soy and coffee which aren’t carcinogenic despite common myths.
The experts said: “Eating eggs is unlikely to cause cancer. There is not much research looking at whether eggs can cause cancer. But the studies that exist do not provide reliable evidence for a link between eggs and cancer.”
They also add that a daily cup of coffee might actually be helpful in the fight against cancer.
Guidance continues: “There’s no evidence that coffee is carcinogenic. Instead, some recent studies suggest that drinking coffee may lower the risk of liver and womb cancers. But more research is needed to be sure.”
Soy has encountered similar allegations due to its elevated levels of isoflavones, which behave like a mild version of oestrogen. This hormone has been associated with certain cancer types but, no research has provided “strong evidence” that consuming soy raises a person’s cancer risk.
Lastly, BPA has been a significant source of worry for numerous people in recent years.
The chemical is present in the coatings of canned food and plastic food containers and the myth suggests it seeps into the food it holds, rendering it carcinogenic.
The experts dismissed this, explaining: “Some people are worried that BPA could cause cancer, because some cell and animal studies have suggested it has cancer-causing effects. But there’s no reliable evidence that BPA causes cancer in people.”
The specialists confirmed that few foods are carcinogenic, or cancer-inducing but, two particular food categories that demonstrate strong connections with the disease are processed meat and alcohol.
Research has revealed that processed and red meat heightens the risk of bowel cancer, this includes deli products such as ham, salami, pepperoni, hot dogs, chorizo, corned beef and bacon.
Likewise, consuming alcohol has been demonstrated to elevate the risk of seven distinct cancer types, even in modest quantities.
It’s the alcohol component itself, irrespective of the variety, that harms our cells and facilitates the absorption of dangerous chemicals by certain cells. This doesn’t necessarily mean that consuming alcohol or processed meat will definitely lead to cancer, but it does increase your risk.