Shopper Beware: Cancer Risks from Consumer Products - Part One

In the past month, three friends  have been diagnosed with cancer. One thing they spoke about was their diet and how they 'watched' what they ate... meaning they ate an average diet with a couple of pieces of fruit a day, some meat, fish, pulses, salads.  Is it enough to watch what you eat or must one walk the extra mile and be more cautious about what we put on our dinner table ? Where does our food come from ? Is it a toxic stew of ingredients ?

I personally believe that it is not enough being careful with what we eat. It is a number of factors which we must be aware of and apply to our lives. It is the air that we breathe, water which we drink, our exposure to toxins, proper nutrition, the addition of  herbs, whole food supplements such as spirulina or chlorella which aid detoxification,  our frame of mind and our ability to cope with stress.

Consumers' Right To Know.

We all want to make intelligent informed shopping decisions. The guidance we receive from food and product manufacturers are often misleading and are not objective sources of information.

It is the consumers' right to know what ingredients are in the products they use daily, and what alternatives may be available.

Carcinogens in Fruit.

Artificial colours: avoid eating Florida oranges which are dyed with Citrus Red No. 2 which is carcinogenic.

Pesticides: Most fruits are sprayed by a host of carcinogenic pesticides. Your best bet is to buy organically grown or  whenever possible  grow your own. To be realistic  organic produce can be quite pricey ... when buying commercially grown  fruit make sure to wash it in white wine vinegar or a very mild soapy liquid to wash off the pesticide before consumption.

Radiation: Apple juice concentrate sometimes contain radioactive contaminants (cesium-137 isotopes) becuase of Chernobyl nuclear explosion in 1986.

Waxes: contain fungicides such as benomyl and sodium orthophenyl phenate, both are carcinogenic. Fruits most likely to be waxed include apples, avocados, cantaloupes, grapefruits, lemons, limes, melons, oranges, passion fruit, peaches and pineapples. Peel the skin before you eat the fruit.

Carcinogens in Vegetables

Pickling Vegetables: Consuming  pickled vegetables has  shown evidence of posing  a high rate of  stomach and nasopharyngeal cancer.

Pesticides: Vegetables are also contaminated with a wide range of carcinogenic pesticides. It is best to buy organically grown vegetables when possible.As above, was in white vinegar or very mild soapy solution to remove pesticides.

Radiation: Avoid wild European mushrooms such as boletos and chanterelles. They still have excess radiation from the Chernobyl nuclear disaster.

Waxing: contain carcinogenic fungicides. Vegetables to avoid which are most likely waxed are: cucumbers, eggplants, parsnips, peppers, pumpkins, rutabagas, squashes, and sweet potatoes. Peel skin before consumption, buy organic or grow your own.

Carcinogens in Grains

Generally free from carcinogenic residues (except products from India).  Farmers who use herbicides are at risk of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, brain cancer, multiple myeloma and leukemia.

Colours in Cereals. Avoid the following colours as they have been shown to be carcinogenic.

FD & C Blue 1

FD & C Green 3

FD & C Red 4

FD & C Red 40

FD & C Yellow 5

FD & C Yellow 6

Barbara is a qualified nutritionist and health and wellness expert offering one to one nutritional counseling in person or online. See Barbara's healthy lifestyle course with tips and support for a healthier lifestyle.

'The Mediterranean Lifestyle Program' is a 12 week course developed to create healthy lifestyle habits and attitudes.