Despite other causes of cancer, diet is also a crucial cause of this issue to many. Therefore nutrition determines a person's health. The food one eats can act as a preventive measure, or causative agent to diseases, affecting health. Carcinogenic foods are those foods that tend to cause cancer. Why? since these foods contain unstable free radicals they react with other molecules in the body cells, causing oxidation reaction.The free radicals damage cells component including DNA and cell membrane.
When cells are destroyed (it causes cell mutation and thus uneven growth of cells). Cell mutation due to free radicals interfering with the genetic code. The damaged cell grows uncontrollable to all body parts. Because of this then it is said that cancer spreads to other body parts leading to cell and tissues destruction.
These foods are mainly; refined foods, smoked foods, fried foods including; deep-fried foods.
These cooking methods promote free radicals in food.
Most of the methods are dry heat methods which make food look appealing, enticing consumers. The food catches the individual's eyes. The consumer values food appearance influenced by cooking methods forgetting the available health responses.
Some of these foods are prepared using these cooking methods. Which promote free radicals causing cancer;
Broiling- Simply exposing food such as meat to direct heat that is food source is kept below heat source.
Smoking- Food such as fish, meat, is prepared over heat sources example over the fire with the presence of smoke, giving food a smoky taste. Smoking can be done also in aid of preserving mainly meat.
Deep frying - This is when food is deluged in very hot oil to cook it. Potatoes chips, deep-fried chicken is prepared using this method to make food appearance and colour good.
Grilling - simply cooking method of food that involves preparing food, keeping it above the heat source.
Studies have shown that preparing meat in high eat content leading to high temperatures and exposing it to smoke leads to heterocyclic aromatic amines, advanced glycation end products, and Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). These formed chemicals can destroy the genetic code bases of the DNA causing cell mutation and cancer.