6 Common Ingredients in Food that Can Cause Breast Cancer

Are the foods we eat causing more breast cancer development in women? Why do some women get breast cancer and some don’t? There are some truths to it if you have a family history that you’re more susceptible, but we know that is not always the case.

Back in the 1960s, 1 in 20 women was diagnosed with breast cancer. Fast forward to today and 1 in 8 will develop breast cancer and that’s alarming statistic.

A lot has to do with how foods are grown and processed today. Foods are injected with growth hormones so they’ll produce quicker to feed the rise of a fast growing population.

What are these foods we should be avoiding? They are not necessarily foods, but ingredients found in many foods we eat daily. To know what you’re eating, you have to get in the habit of reading labels and educating yourself through various health news outlets.

You can’t rely on mainstream media or the FDA to provide you with information you should be seeking for yourself. Think about why 1 in 8 women are diagnosed with breast cancer… Part of the reason could be that people aren’t educating themselves about the dangers of chemical laden foods.

6 Ingredients in Food that May Increase the Chance of Developing Breast Cancer:

Sodium Nitrate
Sodium nitrate is a chemical compound used in preserving meats like hot dogs, packaged lunch meats, bacon, sausages, jerky, and so forth. It’s used to maintain a longer shelf life. Sodium nitrite is used for coloring (visual appeal) and some flavoring in meats. The pinky red color you see in corned beef is the additive sodium nitrite.

When you eat a lot of these foods that contain sodium nitrate or sodium nitrite, these chemicals react with your stomach acids to produce nitrosamines which studies have shown to cause cancer in animals.

High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS)
High fructose corn syrup is found in a variety of food items like candy, cereal, granola bars, bread, ketchup, BBQ sauces, beverages, and the list goes on. HFCS causes obesity and is a factor in developing breast cancer.

Monosodium Glutamate (MSG)
This is found in many foods and in condiments. It’s used by numerous restaurants. The side effects may cause heart palpitations, dizziness, numbness, tingling, nausea, headache, and chest pains.

Artificial Sweeteners
Artificial sweeteners include these brand names with their common names:

Sweet ‘N Low – saccharin
NutraSweet – aspartame
Splenda – sucralose
Equal – aspartame
Neotame – aspartame

Artificial sweeteners are much sweeter than table sugar and because there’s no calories, people crave for more sugar. This will lead to eating foods that are more sugary and eventually you’ll gain more weight.

These sweeteners are found in foods like gum, carbonated and non-carbonated drinks, juices, yogurt, ice-cream, baked goods, snack pudding and jell-o, candy, powdered drink mixes, energy drinks like Gatorade, granola bars, vitamins, and cough medicines. Food companies will also use these terms — reduced calorie, sugar-free, diet, and zero calories.

Your best bet is no sugar or good old fashioned raw sugar. Better yet, go for fresh fruit and berries!

Hydrogenated Oils
Hydrogenation is a process when liquid vegetable oils are converted into solid fat. This solid fat is known as trans fat. Trans fat are found in many processed foods, bakery items, potato chips, fried foods, crackers, margarine, shortening, packaged popcorn, cookies and more. Avoid foods that list hydrogenated oil or partially hydrogenated oil.

Soy
Women who are at risk of developing breast cancer or have breast cancer should avoid processed soy products. Soy products are listed as soy isolate, isolated soy protein, and soy protein concentrate which are found in some weight loss health products. Studies have shown soy isolate compounds when eaten may stimulate breast tumors.

Soy is also linked with inflammatory properties that can contribute to headaches, arthritis pain and other illnesses that are caused by and/ or triggered by inflammation.

Bottom line: do not assume something is safe. Get educated, research, ask God to give you wisdom in all you do and get your girls checked yearly!

My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. – Hosea 4:6

Copyright © Lara Velez, Moms of Faith, All Rights Reserved