7 dangerous foods that could raise your risk of developing cancer

Red meat isn't officially listed as a cancer-causer, but it's got a compound called "haem" or heme protein, which is what makes it red. Unfortunately, haem can also damage our intestinal lining.

Eating large quantities of meat that has been salted, cured, or smoked, — like ham, sausage, bacon, and hot dogs — can cause stomach and bowel cancers. That is largely because processed meats are treated with nitrates: chemical additions that help keep the color of the meat pink and the flavor tasty and salty. The same can even be true of so-called "nitrate free" varieties of processed meat.

Phthalates are chemicals that make plastics more flexible and durable, but some are endocrine disruptors that mess with the way our hormones work and can cause cancer.

Pediatrician and public-health researcher Leo Trasande suggests using glass and stainless steel as much as possible in the kitchen instead of plastic, which can degrade over time and leach chemicals into our food.

Consuming too many sweet drinks and sugary snacks doesn't just up your odds of developing diabetes, it can also mess with the way our intestinal cells work, making cancer more likely.

The risks of eating too much sugar don't end when cancer begins — recent research has suggested that sugar can fuel tumor growth in people who already have cancer.

When meats like chicken, pork, beef, or fish are cooked or fried at high temperatures, they form compounds called heterocyclic amines, (HCAs), as well as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). These compounds can prompt DNA changes that may increase our cancer risk.

One study suggests that marinating meats first may help: Research from Kansas State University found that marinating meats in spices like rosemary, thyme, oregano, and sage can cut down HCAs in a piece of meat by 87%.

Moderation is key: "The more you drink, the higher your risk," as the National Institutes of Health explains it.

A recent study of alcohol consumers in 195 countries and territories around the world found that more than one in four alcohol-related deaths in people over age 50 are due to cancer.

In addition to helping you stay full and well nourished, fibrous foods — including whole grains, beans, peas, and seeds — can reduce your risk of developing colon cancer and keep things running smoothly in your digestive system.

Colorful vegetables and fruits like celery, kale, carrots and tomatoes contain beneficial phytochemicals; that's what gives them bright colors, odors, and flavors. These phytochemicals reduce inflammation and act like ingestible body guards, keeping the things we eat, drink, and breathe from becoming carcinogens. Phytochemicals can also help prevent DNA damage and repair it.

Scientists have found that drinking coffee may lower your risk of developing certain kinds of cancer, including endometrial (uterus), prostate, liver, mouth, throat, and breast.

If you're more of a tea person, some compelling evidence suggests the green kind, which is rich in plant chemical compounds (polyphenols), might interfere with the way cancer cells like to ruthlessly divide and multiply, thereby slowing down blood-vessel formation around tumors.

Cheers to that.