Foods that Feed Cancer

Yesterday I offered up foods with choice nutrients that can actually thwart cancer cells. Previous to that my post on Monday was in regards to inflammation being a huge contributor to disease, including cancer. Today’s post will discuss foods to avoid – foods that are highly inflammatory and/or contain elements that promote cancer cell growth. Foods that cancer cells LOVE. Foods that give cancer sells fuel and give cancer energy. Obviously, if you have cancer...this is not the food reaction you are seeking in your cells.
TOP TEN FOODS TO AVOID if you wish to maintain a healthful state include:
1. Cow’s milk and cheese
2. Vegetable oils
3. Processed foods
4. Beef or beef products
5. Soy
6. Sugar
7. Artificial Sweeteners & Dyes
8. MSG
9. Fluoridated Water
10. Gelatin
Perhaps a bit of elaboration will help you understand why some of these foods, marketed as healthy choices, are found on this list.
Dairy in highly inflammatory – no other way around it. In regards to a need for calcium, as on researcher put it – elephants and giraffes, and even cows, don’t grow up and continue on a diet of milk once weaned. Pure water…it does a body good. Calcium is derived from many plant sources, including almonds and kale. Almond milk is the drink of choice in our home.
Vegetable oils – and “fat friend or foe” post will be forthcoming, but you can search for that on my blog to learn more right now about Omega 6 vs. Omega 3 fats.
Processed foods – do I need to say more? MSG, nitrates, petro-chemicals… our very existence as American people relying on processed foods contributes to our being the most unhealthy country in the world, with highest cancer rates of all, and epidemics of obesity and type II diabetes.
Iron, essential for cancer cell growth, is one of the main reasons beef is on that list. Most of us have no problems getting enough iron. Iron is essential for cell division and cancer cells divide like wildfire – red meat consumption basically fuels that fire. I bet the Paleo diet followers will have a hard time with this one…but there are other sources of meat besides red meat. Also, processed meats (your sandwich convenience products, spreads, frozen chicken bits, etc.) are high in nitrates, which also contribute to cancer. Avoid supplements with iron – unless you are anemic. You can have the ferritin levels in your blood measured for an iron count. Higher levels indicate cancer is spreading.
Soy – don’t be fooled, but chances are you have been fooled by years through a great marketing program by the agriculture administration. The majority of soybeans harvested for our grocery products in this country are GMO (genetically modified), which is one reason to avoid soy. Soy is high in glutamate – which is a powerful stimulant of cancer growth and invasion. Third, but not last…soy plants absorb more fluoride from the ground than any other plant in the plant kingdom. Fluoride when ingested, is toxic. Another topic worthy of its own daily discussion.
Sugar – high glycemic index foods are fuel for cancer cells. When you have cancer you absolutely want to avoid eating fruits high in sugar, which include bananas, strawberries, grapes, black and raspberries, melons – although these foods contain anti-cancer nutrients, once you have cancer – sugar is the last thing you want to fuel the cells with. Think about what a “sugar high” does to our kids…it makes our cancer cells bounce of the walls just as well. High glycemic carbs such as white bread, muffins, white pasta, white rice, white potatoes, bagels, cakes, and more...are also metabolized as table sugar in our bodies.
Artificial Sweeteners & Dyes…search “aspartame” in my search field – or “diet soda”. Aspartame not only kills brain cells, cancer cells love it! Were you reading my blog back when I said I had a 2 page, 2 column handout in my hand listing all the side effects of aspartame? I provided a link at the time, don't know if you can still access that site however, as it was a part of one of my subscriptions. I don’t know about you, but seeing that particular list pretty much axed any desire I would ever have for a diet soda. Regarding food dyes - both yellow and red dyes are petro-chemical based. I have posted about this previously as well. Petro-chemicals mask themselves as estrogen in our body. It acts like a "fake estrogen" and 80% of all breast cancers, as an example, are from too much estrogen. Many countries in Europe have banned artificial colors from their processed foods, but not here in the U.S. Supply and demand, as long as we keep buying they'll keep making it as it is...essentially poison to our bodies.
MSG – have posted about that previously as well, but as I mentioned above, it is a powerful stimulant to cancer cells.
Fluoridated water – it is time the American Dental Association reads up on some current research vs. the old, flawed studies by which the fluoride push came. I may have quoted these studies yesterday in regards to grapes, but it bears repeating. Fluoride has been shown to increase cancer growth and bone cancer by 600% in young men. Towns with fluoridated water systems have a 10% higher cancer rate than those without. Again, praise God my family lives on the outskirts of town and have well water. (Although I have a concern about nitrates with the hill above our well, being a former pasture for cows.) If you live in a town serving up fluoridated water, it is recommended you buy bottled or utilize a reverse osmossis filtration system. Washing your produce in fluoridated water rather defeats your purpose as well.
Gelatin, almost always made up of neural cow components and high in MSG and fluoride, is predominant as casings for our supplements and vitamins, not to mention it is found in many desserts. Be aware. We utilize a vegan Omega 3 supplement at our home (to encapsulate the oils) with a plant based casing, and I was quick to throw out the gummy bear type vitamins the kids were using after I learned this.
The Top Ten above is listed in any particular order. Chances are you consume some more than others, and perhaps you eat zero of one- which is great. For cancer prevention, make it a goal to eliminate or severely cut back on the amount of foods you eat that contain the “top ten to avoid” list.

To your health,
Rita S.