Cancer is a pervasive disease that starts virtually anywhere in the human body and is composed of diseased cells. Since the human body is made up of trillions of cells, these diseased cancer cells can spread rapidly, invading healthy cells and tissues, causing tumors to form. If left untreated, cancer is a fatal disease, and it is the leading cause of death worldwide.

To keep your body healthy and reduce your risk of developing the most common types of cancer (prostate, breast, lymphoma, myeloma, lung, pancreatic and leukemia), it is essential to seek medical treatment advice from your doctor about what’s available—chemotherapy, biologic therapies, radiation and common medications such as Xtandi, Methotrexate, Taxol, Tecentriq and Alecensa, and adopt healthy lifestyle and consume a healthy diet. There are often also health care clinics performing clinical research that you may be interested in participating in. Listed below are some foods to avoid to help reduce your risk of developing cancer:

1. Red meat

Consuming red meat, including beef, pork, lamb, veal, mutton, goat, and horse, can increase cancer risk. Not only does consuming this type of meat increase your risk, but how the meat is prepared is also a contributing factor. When this type of meat is grilled, smoked, or burned it creates carcinogens that are harmful to the human body. A carcinogen is an agent that causes cancer. While eating this type of meat in moderation will generally not present a problem, it is vital to monitor how much meat you consume and the method in which you cook the meat.

2. Sugary drinks and soda

Consuming sugary drinks and soda, including fruit juice and sports drinks, can increase your overall risk of developing cancer. These drinks are high in calories, which increase body fat, increasing your cancer risk. Still, they also raise blood sugar levels and contribute to inflammation, increasing the risk of developing cancer. While you can consume sugary drinks or soda occasionally, it is essential not to consume too much.

3. Fast food or processed foods

One of the main factors is that consuming fast food or processed food can lead to weight gain and obesity, and the more body fat you carry, the greater you are at risk for developing cancer. Fast food and processed foods are high in starch, fat, and sugars, increasing all of which consuming large doses of these foods can lead to cancer. Fast food items are often fried, and one of the most popular items is french fries. French fries are high in starch and contain carcinogenic acrylamide, and it can damage DNA and cause cell death which increases the chance of getting cancer.

4. Processed or cured meats

Processed or cured meats are preserved through the process of salting, smoking, curing, or by the addition of chemical preserves. Examples of these meats include bacon, hot dogs, sausage, deli meats, and beef jerky. What makes these meats unhealthy is the chemicals added to keep the meat edible longer and the substances that are released during the meat processing. These chemicals can damage cells increasing the risk of cancer developing.

5. Alcohol

Alcohol is a drug that is found in certain hard beverages, including wine and beer. Also known as liquor, yeast breaks down sugars in foods; for example, wine is produced from the sugars in grapes, and beer is made from the sugar in the malted barley grain. Consuming liquor increases cancer risk because increasing the human body breaks down liquor into the chemical acetaldehyde, damaging DNA. When DNA is damaged, cells will grow uncontrollably and can form tumors. Thus, consuming liquor increases the risk of developing mouth, throat, colon, rectal, liver, and breast cancer.