Avoid These Foods to Lower the Risk of Lung Cancer
Lung cancer is a common form of cancer all over the world. The death rate due to lung cancer is considerably high. Most forms of cancer are caused due to quick and changing lifestyles, bad dietary habits, and heredity. Once a person is affected by cancer, he or she has to undergo painful and uncomfortable treatment. However, you can prevent getting cancer if certain food items are avoided.
The food items to be avoided in order to prevent lung cancer include:
Processed meat
Studies have proven that processed meat is related to poor lung function. This type of meat is processed using various artificial flavors like color fixatives, preservatives, taste improvers, antimicrobial agents, and added nitrates. These added flavors and chemicals increase chances of inflammation in lung tissues and airways, which leads to cell damage in the lungs. Meat is an important source of protein, however, there should be a healthy limitation to the quantity consumed, along with proper intake of fresh fruits and vegetables — this can lower the risk of cancer.
Red meat
High intake of red meat increases the chances of lung cancer. Red meat needs to be cooked well before consuming. It needs to be well-done and reheated until it is steaming hot before being served or consumed.
Fat
Consuming high amounts of fatty foods increases the cholesterol level in our body, which leads to a higher risk of lung cancer. Chain smokers already face cancer risk, which increases when these fats are consumed in larger amounts.
Coffee
Increased intake of caffeine leads to higher chances of getting lung cancer. Consuming more than two cups a day affects the lung airway, which leads to a deficiency in oxygen that damages lung cells.
Unpasteurized food and products
Any food product in its raw form is a habitat to several infectious viruses and bacteria. It is advisable to cook or process raw food materials to kill the germs present in it. Consuming milk or products cooked from unpasteurized milk, like cheese and raw milk yogurt, can cause severe health hazards, and cancer is one among them. Pasteurizing plays an important role in killing these harmful germs. It makes food more edible and healthy.
Unwashed fruits and vegetables
Washing vegetables and fruits before you consume them is a basic and important process. Green leafy vegetables, such as spinach, and herbs like mint, coriander, and thyme need to be washed thoroughly before you consume them. There might be tiny dirt particles hidden within the leaf folds and edges. These specks of dirt can lead to various deadly diseases that might develop into lung cancer.
Alcohol
Excessive intake of alcohol, especially when combined with smoking, damages lung tissues and cells, which leads to lung cancer. Most individuals consuming a high amount of alcohol tend to eat more fatty food products. Doing so displaces your eating habits, leading to an unbalanced diet. Alcohol consumption leads to problems in other organs such as the liver, pancreas, heart, besides lungs.
