Jonathan Benson, a staff writer of NaturalNews, wrote a piece about the top 10 cancer-causing foods on April 18th, 2013. Here is what he wrote : Now, let me debunk this stupid article, and demonstrate why Jonathan Benson should stop writing about health matters, and why NO ONE should ever read the ridiculous tripe they serve in NaturalNews. Genetically-Modified Organisms (GMOs) GMOs have NEVER been found to cause rapid tumour growth. In fact, they have never been found to cause cancer either. The chemicals used to grow GMOs are the same chemicals used to grow conventional crops. The usual bogeyman chemical is the herbicide glyphosate, which is actually much safer than herbicides used in the past. Glyphosate has never been found to cause or promote the growth of tumours or cancer. Processed Meats I agree with him that processed meats can cause cancer but sodium nitrate and sodium nitrite do not cause cancer themselves. They lead to the formation of nitrosamines that are carcinogenic, especially when these meats are cooked at high temperatures. So he gets a pass for this. Microwave Popcorn He is similarly correct in this but why he focuses on microwave popcorn is unknown since the same fluorotelomer coating that produces PFOA is used in many other food products - sweet wrappings, fast food wrappers, pizza box liners, most grease-resistant food packaging. Soda Pop Soda pop (aerated drink) has NOT been shown to cause cancer! Soda pop does not acidify the body. It is acidic but the effects are local and minimal - it may erode your enamels but that's about it. Its acidity is nothing compared to our stomach's acid. Soda pop does NOT feed cancer cells. Jonathan is most likely alluding to the hoax that cancer cells feed on sugar. That is not true. Cancer cells do not have a predilection for sugar. 4-Methylimidazole has actually been found to have ANTI-carcinogenic effect in rats - "Dose-related, statistically significant decreases in multiple tumors were observed in both male and female rats exposed to 4-MEI in the NTP bioassay. 4-MEI was associated with a 25-fold decrease in the incidence of mammary tumors among high-dose females." Diet Foods / Beverages The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) did NOT find that aspartame causes a range of illnesses including birth defects and cancer. In fact, this is their conclusion in the draft opinion - "Following a detailed and methodical analysis, EFSA’s scientific experts have initially concluded in this draft opinion that aspartame and its breakdown products pose no toxicity concern for consumers at current levels of exposure. The current ADI is considered to be safe for the general population and consumer exposure to aspartame is below this ADI." - EFSA: FAQ on aspartame Saccharin was found to cause bladder cancer in rats when consumed in high doses. However, that was not seen in humans - "However, mechanistic studies (studies that examine how a substance works in the body) have shown that these results apply only to rats. Human epidemiology studies (studies of patterns, causes, and control of diseases in groups of people) have shown no consistent evidence that saccharin is associated with bladder cancer incidence." - Artificial Sweeteners and Cancer - National Cancer Institute Sucralose and other artificial sweeteners have NOT been found to cause cancer - "Before approving these sweeteners, the FDA reviewed more than 100 safety studies that were conducted on each sweetener, including studies to assess cancer risk. The results of these studies showed no evidence that these sweeteners cause cancer or pose any other threat to human health." - Artificial Sweeteners and Cancer - National Cancer Institute Refined White Flours Cancer cells do NOT feed on sugar! Neither do they grow and spread because of how much sugar you consume! High-glycemic index foods cause a spike in blood sugar levels, which results in a spike in insulin production that brings down the blood sugar level. That's why it causes a SPIKE, not a sustained high, in the blood sugar level. Refined Sugars Yet again, he makes the ridiculous claim that sugar feeds "the growth of cancer cells". No, it does NOT. Cancer cells do not directly metabolize HFCS because they don't actually EAT it. It isn't physiologically possible for any cell in the body to consume HFCS anyway, because HFCS is simply a mix of fructose and glucose. Our body absorbs it as fructose and glucose, not HFCS. Sugar also does not cause cancer, so the prevalence of HFCS in our foods has NO bearing on the cancer rates. Conventional apples, grapes, and other 'dirty' fruits If you can afford organic or pesticide-free fruits, that's great, but the risks of getting cancer is much greater if one's consumption of fruits is limited by the inability to afford expensive organic or pesticide-free choices. The most important thing is to consume as much fruits and vegetables as possible. The risk of pesticides can be greatly reduced by the simple method of WASHING or PEELING the skin off the produce before cooking or eating. Farmed salmon Farmed salmon isn't a cancer risk per se. Anything that is farmed is open to abuse or contamination by the producer. Farmed salmon will only pose health risks if their producers feed them contaminated feed or use unapproved disinfectants. For example, the Scottish salmon farming industry was almost banned for using malachite green, a banned disinfectant, as well as using feed that were contaminated with industrial and agricultural pollutants. - New salmon cancer scare | Mail Online If properly regulated, farmed salmon should be as safe to eat as wild salmon. The same goes for anything that is farmed - pigs, cows, sheep, prawns, etc. Hydrogenated oils I agree with Jonathan that hydrogenated oils (trans fatty acids) are bad for health. In fact, the US FDA has just declared that trans fats will not be considered "generally recognized as safe", which means they cannot be used in any food products unless they get permission to do so. That said, trans fats have not been conclusively proven to cause cancer. So, there is no basis for his claim that it causes cancer. Just because it's bad doesn't mean he gets to blame cancer on it as well.
