- Cancer dietitian says alcohol and processed meats increase risk of disease
- READ MORE: Cancer doctor's two things she does to lower the risk of disease
An oncology dietitian has revealed the two supermarket buys that are more likely to increase your risk of cancer than any others.
Nichole Andrews, from the US, said people should avoid consuming alcohol and processed meats where possible as they have been proven time and time again to contribute to the development of cancer cells.
'I know everyone's telling you that everything increases cancer risk when it comes to food and it doesn't,' Nichole said.
Instead, she claimed avoiding alcohol and processed or pre-cooked meats are your best shot at lowering your risk of the disease.
Nichole is a registered dietitian nutritionist specialising in oncology nutrition and works with cancer survivors to support their recovery and health through diet, exercise and lifestyle changes.
An oncology dietitian (pictured) has revealed the two supermarket buys that are more likely to increase your risk of cancer than any others
Nichole said all alcohol, even red wine, should be avoided as it has been linked to six different types of cancers.
'Alcohol consumption isn't just a buzz-kill for your liver health; it also heightens the risk of breast, mouth, throat, oesophageal, and colon cancers,' she explained.
According to the Australian Cancer Council, there is 'convincing evidence' drinking alcohol, even in small amounts, increases the risk of cancer.
Cancer isn't the only health risk alcohol poses as it contributes to weight gain and obesity and is linked to cirrhosis (scarring) of the liver, alcohol dependence, stroke, suicide, injury and car accidents.
Aussies who do consume alcohol should have no more than 10 standard drinks a week and no more than four standard drinks on any one day.
It's also recommended to have at least two alcohol free days a week and not save up the 10 weekly drinks for one session.
Drinkers should also pace their booze with water or fruit-based drinks and make sure to completely finish their glass before topping it up to keep a reliable count of how much they are consuming.
Nichole also said to steer clear of processed meats including bacon, ham and precooked sausages like chorizo and frankfurters.
Nichole said all alcohol has been linked to six different types of cancers while eating processed meats increases the risk of colorectal cancer
She said these meats have been linked to an increased risk of colorectal cancer.
'The high heat involved in processing meats can produce carcinogenic compounds like polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and heterocyclic amines, further upping the cancer risk,' she said.
'Red meats contain heme iron, which, when metabolised, may generate harmful compounds that could damage the colon.'
There is strong evidence processed meats increases the risk of bowel cancer according to the Cancer Council.
Processed meats can be high in fat and salt and should be limited or avoided altogether.
This includes things like frankfurts (hot dogs), salami, chorizo, cabanossi, kransky, corned beef, pepperoni, pastrami, bacon and ham.
Sausages like those many cook on the barbecue are safe as they are not permitted to contained the preservative nitrate or nitrite which has been linked to stomach cancer.
Dr Kimmie Ng, an oncologist at the premier Dana-Farber Cancer Center has dedicated her life to the study of GI cancers and is particularly concerned about the rise in such cancers in people under 50
Nichole said the science behind why the foods raise the risk of cancer is 'eye-opening'.
'Alcohol metabolises into acetaldehyde, a known carcinogen, while processed meats contain compounds like nitrites and N-nitroso compounds, which can wreak havoc on our DNA, raising cancer risk,' she said.
Nichole's advice comes as a leading doctor launched one of the the world's first centre dedicated to studying an explosion of cancers in young people.
Dr Kimmie Ng has become a frontline witness to one of the greatest medical mysteries of her generation.
In the 1990s, doctors began seeing a rise in the number of otherwise healthy people under 50 being stricken with cancer, especially colorectal cancer.
Three decades later, scientists expect the number of early-onset colon cancer sufferers will double by 2030 in what some have labelled an 'epidemic'.
Dr Ng, who specialises in gastrointestinal cancers, which also include cancers of the stomach and pancreas, said the days of cancer being a disease of the elderly was over.
'That is not what we're seeing in our clinics. Actually, these very, very young people are often very healthy,' she said.
Rates of GI cancers rose most sharply in the youngest age group, followed by the 20-29 year old cohort. There were also more cases of GI cancers among older people, though in that case it is still considered early-onset cancer
'They're very active, exercise a lot, follow healthy diets, and they don't have a history of cancer in their family and they don't have a background of a genetic syndrome.'
This new alarming cohort don't have cancer in the family, don't smoke and drink less than previous generations.
Dr Ng said: 'Why are these otherwise healthy young people in the prime of their lives developing cancer and often very advanced stages of cancer?'
She said that until doctors know more, patients under 50 must be vigilant for alarming symptoms of the cancer.
The main three signs that appear years before a diagnosis are: blood in stool, changes in bowel movements, and stomach pains.
She added that fatigue and unexplained weight loss are also highly suggestive.
Junk food, plastic pollution and the over-use of antibiotics are some of the factors theorised to be behind the rise in early onset cancers, but the evidence is inconclusive.
