Did you know certain foods can increase your risk of cancer? Some foods and ingredients proliferate cancerous cell growth and others cause reactions or inhibit normal functions, which can lead to cancer.

Here are four foods and ingredients that can cause cancer and some healthy alternatives you can eat instead.

1. “Whites,” Sugars and Sodas

What to Avoid

  • Enriched bleached flour
  • White rice, pastas, breads, and other “white” foods
  • High-fructose corn syrup
  • Sugar, Sucrose
  • Soda
  • Microwave popcorn
  • Doughnuts

Simple carbohydrates are broken down and digested very quickly and are lacking in essential vitamins and minerals. Soft drinks are loaded with calories and sugar and don’t have any nutritional benefits. One study from the University of Minnesota found that people who drink just two soft drinks a week are almost twice as likely to suffer from pancreatic cancer.

When you consume large amounts of sugar your body produces more insulin than it needs, which encourages cancer cell growth and tumor cell proliferation. Excessive amounts of insulin can also cause your body to store more fat and lose muscle.

What to Eat Instead

  • Instead of soda: Zevia, Sparkling mineral water, Izze sparkling juice
  • Instead of sugar: Stevia, coconut palm sugar, Honey
  • Instead of white flour: Whole sprouted grains (preferably gluten free), nut flours
  • Instead of microwave popcorn: traditionally popped popcorn
  • Instead of white rice & pastas: quinoa, brown rice pasta, short grain brown rice

Eating protein, fat and fiber alongside healthy sugar choices (like fruit) can help your body slow down sugar absorption and help avoid insulin over-production. Example eat a handful of almonds with your fruit snack.

2. Hydrogenated Oils and Trans Fats

What to Avoid

  • Cookies and crackers
  • Frozen dinners
  • Regular potato chips
  • French fries
  • Margarine
  • Packaged soups

Hydrogenated oils and trans fats are used to enhance flavor, texture and shelf life. Trans fats (hydrogenated oil) cause cellular membranes not to function properly, which can lead to problems with every type of cell in the entire body. They can therefore inhibit normal function of brain cells, hormone cells, and digestive tract cells even blood cells, thereby disrupting your immune system.

What to Eat Instead

Read food labels at the grocery store to avoid processed foods with trans fats (hydrogenated oils). When cooking, use healthier ingredients, like:

  • Olive, or coconut oil
  • Real butter or ghee
  • Earth Balance (Soy Free)

3. BPA and Phthalates

What to Avoid

  • Canned tomatoes, vegetables, ravioli, pasta with meatballs and meats
  • Storing food in polycarbonate plastic containers, especially with recycling codes 3 or 7

BPA is commonly found in the epoxy linings in metal cans and polycarbonate plastic food containers. BPA and phthalates can leach into your food, especially if you heat food in these containers or the food is acidic or fatty. The chemical is a synthetic form of estrogen and disrupts hormonal activity in the body.

Studies have found that exposure to BPA can cause cardiovascular disease, intestinal problems, miscarriages, decreased birth weight at term, breast and prostate cancer, reproductive and sexual dysfunctions, altered immune system activity, metabolic problems and diabetes in adults, cognitive and behavioral development problems in young children and even brain tumors. BPA has also been found to cause breast cancer cells to divide, creating more cancerous cells and also interferes with chemotherapy treatment.

What to Do/Eat Instead

  • Fresh vegetables or frozen, never canned
  • Do not store or heat food in plastic, use glass or ceramic dishes