According to the American Cancer Society, "Substances and exposures that may lead to cancer are termed as Carcinogens". They range from chemical substances and ultraviolet radiation to infectious agents and tobacco. While carcinogens have the potential to cause cancer, they do not always result in cancer. Development of cancer is an interplay of many factors and contribution of a particular carcinogen depends on its level, as well as the length of exposure.
Contrary to a naive belief that everything edible is 'natural' and 'safe', some of our daily foods may be a potential source of carcinogens, and these often occur naturally in foods, not necessarily after processing or packaging.
We spoke to Ms. Ritika Samaddar, Regional Head - Dietetics, Max Hospitals to know about most common food sources of cancer-causing agents. According to her, "Non-vegetarian foods, especially cooked in a large amount of oil, at high temperature or with such methods as charcoaling, smoking or barbequing may release carcinogenic nitrogen compounds." We bring you some foods and food components that have been labelled as 'known human carcinogens' by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) (part of WHO) and the National Toxicology Programme (a collaboration of the US NIH, CDC, FDA) after evaluation of years of scientific research and studies.
Aflatoxins - Fungi of the Aspergillus genus, especially A. flavus produce these poisonous chemicals. Most commonly, aflaxtoxins may be detected in corn, peanut and cottonseed. They can affect cerebral function, leading to death and may contribute to the development of cancers of the liver. Not only is direct consumption a major risk, animals feeding on aflatoxin contaminated foods can produce animal food products (such as milk) that contain aflatoxins, while the toxins can also be transmitted to breastfeeding infants by mothers consuming contaminated foodstuffs.
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