CARCINOGENS AND HOW THEY CAUSE CANCER - A carcinogen is any substance or agent that causes cancer. It does so by altering the cellular metabolism or by damaging DNA in our cells, interfering with normal cellular processes. The identification of substances in the environment that cause people to become ill with cancer helps in prevention efforts. Carcinogens can be chemical substances, viruses, or even medications and radiation therapies used to treat cancer. While a carcinogen or a combination of carcinogens can cause cancer, it may not always be the only reason since the tendency to develop cancer can be inherited. Carcinogenic substances cause cancer in the following different ways: By directly damaging the DNA in cells leading to mutations (disrupting the normal process of cells). By not affecting the DNA directly, but instead causing cells to divide at a faster rate than normal, which can increase the chances that DNA changes and mutations will occur. The cell’s DNA can be damaged by a wide range of substances and exposures, including: Lifestyle: what you eat, if you smoke, lack of physical activity Natural exposure: to ultraviolet light, radon gas, infectious agents Medical treatment: radiation and chemotherapy, hormones, immunosuppressants. Researchers have only been able to classify a little over 100 substances as “carcinogenic to humans.”

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Carcinogens and How They Cause Cancer

By Lisa Fayed 

Medically reviewed by 

Douglas A. Nelson, MD 

A carcinogen is any substance or agent that causes cancer.

It does so by altering the cellular metabolism or by damaging DNA in our cells, interfering with normal cellular processes. 

The identification of substances in the environment that cause people to become ill with cancer helps in prevention efforts.

Carcinogens can be chemical substances, viruses, or even medications and radiation therapies used to treat cancer.

While a carcinogen or a combination of carcinogens can cause cancer, it may not always be the only reason since the tendency to develop cancer can be inherited.

How Carcinogens Cause Cancer

Carcinogenic substances can cause cancer in the following different ways:

·         By directly damaging the DNA in cells leading to mutations (disrupting the normal process of cells)

·         By not affecting the DNA directly, but instead causing cells to divide at a faster rate than normal, which can increase the chances that DNA changes and mutations will occur.

The cell’s DNA can be damaged by a wide range of substances and exposures, including:

·         Lifestyle: what you eat, if you smoke, lack of physical activity

·         Natural exposure: to ultraviolet light, radon gas, infectious agents

·         Medical treatment: radiation and chemotherapy, hormones, immunosuppressants

·         Workplace exposure: some jobs have increased exposure to industrial chemicals or products

·         Household exposure: cleaning products, paints, herbicides, and pesticides, etc.

·         Pollution: outdoor air pollution or even secondhand tobacco smoke

Some carcinogens do not directly cause cancer but can lead to cancer.

Some carcinogens cause cancer if you have long-term, high levels of exposure.

How your body reacts to this level of exposure, the length, the time, and the intensity of the exposure, combined with your genetic makeup, will determine the risk of developing cancer.

Classification of Carcinogens

Carcinogens are classified by The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC).

The IARC is part of the World Health Organization (WHO) and its main goal is to determine the cancer-causing potential of different substances and classify carcinogens accordingly.

Carcinogens are classified into one of the following groups:

·         Group 1: Carcinogenic to humans

·         Group 2A: Probably carcinogenic to humans.

·         Group 2B: Possibly carcinogenic to humans.

·         Group 3: Unclassifiable as to carcinogenicity in humans

·         Group 4: Probably not carcinogenic to humans

Known Substances That Are Carcinogenic to Humans

It can be difficult to test and classify substances as carcinogenic to humans as it is not ethical to test to see if something can cause cancer by exposing people to it.

Therefore, researchers have only been able to classify a little over 100 substances as “carcinogenic to humans.”

Some of the most common substances and exposures known as being carcinogenic to humans include (there are many more):

·         Alcoholic beverages

·         Arsenic and inorganic arsenic compounds

·         Asbestos (all forms) and mineral substances (such as talc or vermiculite) that contain asbestos

·         Benzene

·         Cadmium and cadmium compounds

·         Coal, indoor emissions from household combustion

·         Engine exhaust, diesel

·         Epstein-Barr virus (infection with)

·         Estrogen postmenopausal therapy

·         Formaldehyde

·         Helicobacter pylori (infection with)

·         Hepatitis B virus (chronic infection with)

·         Hepatitis C virus (chronic infection with)

·         Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) (infection with)

·         Human papillomavirus (HPV) (infection with certain types) 

·         Ionizing radiation (all types)

·         Iron and steel founding (workplace exposure)

·         Leather dust

·         Mineral oils, untreated or mildly treated

·         MOPP and other combined chemotherapy including alkylating agents

·         Nickel compounds

·         Outdoor air pollution

·         Paint (workplace exposure as a painter)

·         Processed meat (consumption of)

·         Radon

·         Rubber manufacturing industry

·         Shale oils

·         Silica dust, crystalline, in the form of quartz or cristobalite

·         Solar radiation

·         Tobacco, smokeless

·         Tobacco smoke, secondhand

·         Tobacco smoking

·         Ultraviolet (UV) radiation and ultraviolet-emitting tanning devices

·         Vinyl chloride

·         Wood dust

·         X- and Gamma-radiation

Lisa Fayed

Medical Writer, Cancer Educator

Expertise

Cervical Cancer

Education

University of Florida

Highlights

Lisa Fayed is a freelance medical writer, cancer educator and patient advocate.

Experience

Lisa Fayed is a former writer for Verywell Health covering cervical cancer. Before she was a patient advocate and cancer educator, she was a cervical cancer patient herself. Lisa is currently working to improve cervical cancer screening programs in underdeveloped countries." 

Education

Lisa holds a Bachelor of Science degree in biology from the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida.

https://www.verywellhealth.com/carcinogens-in-cigarettes-how-they-cause-cancer-514412

DAILY INTAKE OF SUGAR - Eating too much sugar is linked to weight gain and various diseases like obesity, type 2 diabetes and heart disease. It is very important to make the distinction between added sugars and sugars that occur naturally in foods like fruits and vegetables. These are healthy foods that contain water, fiber and various micronutrients. Naturally occurring sugars are absolutely fine, but the same does not apply to added sugar. Added sugar is the main ingredient in candy and is abundant in many processed foods, such as soft drinks and baked products. The most common added sugars are regular table sugar (sucrose) and high-fructose corn syrup. Sugar that’s added to processed foods is much worse than natural sugar in whole foods like fruits and vegetables. The American Heart Association advises men to get no more than 150 calories from added sugar per day and women no more than 100 calories. If you are overweight, obese or diabetic, you should probably avoid sugar as much as possible. In that case, you should not be consuming sugar every day, more like once per week or once every two weeks (at most). But if you want to be as healthy as possible, you really shouldn't be consuming foods that have sugar added to them. Soft drinks, baked goods and processed foods have no place in the diet of someone who is overweight.

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Daily Intake of Sugar

How Much Sugar Should You Eat Per Day?

Written by Kris Gunnars, BSc

Added sugar is the single worst ingredient in the modern diet.

It provides calories with no added nutrients and can damage your metabolism in the long run.

Eating too much sugar is linked to weight gain and various diseases like obesity, type 2 diabetes and heart disease.

But how much is too much? Can you eat a little bit of sugar each day without harm, or should you avoid it as much as possible?

Added Sugars vs Natural Sugars — Big Difference

It is very important to make the distinction between added sugars and sugars that occur naturally in foods like fruits and vegetables.

These are healthy foods that contain water, fiber and various micronutrients. Naturally occurring sugars are absolutely fine, but the same does not apply to added sugar.

Added sugar is the main ingredient in candy and is abundant in many processed foods, such as soft drinks and baked products.

The most common added sugars are regular table sugar (sucrose) and high-fructose corn syrup.

If you want to lose weight and optimize your health, you should do your best to avoid foods that contain added sugars.

SUMMARY

Sugar that’s added to processed foods is much worse than natural sugar in whole foods like fruits and vegetables.

Sugar Consumption Is Extremely High

In 2008, people in the US were consuming over 60 pounds (28 kg) of added sugar per year — and this does not include fruit juices.

The average intake was 76.7 grams per day, which equals 19 teaspoons or 306 calories.

According to this study, sugar consumption went down by 23% between the years 2000 and 2008, mainly because people drank fewer sugar-sweetened beverages.

However, current intake levels are still way too high and probably haven’t changed since then. In 2012, the average adult intake was 77 grams per day.

Excess sugar consumption has been associated with obesity, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, certain cancers, tooth decay, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and a lot more .

SUMMARY

Excessive sugar intake is common. It’s been linked with various lifestyle diseases, including obesity, type 2 diabetes and heart disease.

What Is a Safe Amount of Sugar to Eat Per Day?

Unfortunately, there is no simple answer to this question. Some people can eat a lot of sugar without harm, while others should avoid it as much as possible.

According to the American Heart Association (AHA), the maximum amount of added sugars you should eat in a day are:

·      Men: 150 calories per day (37.5 grams or 9 teaspoons)

·      Women: 100 calories per day (25 grams or 6 teaspoons)

To put that into perspective, one 12-oz can of Coke contains 140 calories from sugar, while a regular-sized Snickers bar contains 120 calories from sugar.

In contrast, the US dietary guidelines advise people to limit their intake to less than 10% of their daily calorie intake.

For a person eating 2,000 calories per day, this would equal 50 grams of sugar, or about 12.5 teaspoons.

If you are healthy, lean and active, these seem like reasonable amounts. You’ll probably burn off these small amounts of sugar without them causing you any harm.

But it’s important to note that there is no need for added sugars in the diet. The less you eat, the healthier you will be.

SUMMARY

The American Heart Association advises men to get no more than 150 calories from added sugar per day and women no more than 100 calories.

What If You're Overweight or Obese?

If you are overweight, obese or diabetic, you should probably avoid sugar as much as possible.

In that case, you should not be consuming sugar every day, more like once per week or once every two weeks (at most).

But if you want to be as healthy as possible, you really shouldn't be consuming foods that have sugar added to them.

Soft drinks, baked goods and processed foods have no place in the diet of someone who is overweight.

Stick to real, single-ingredient foods and avoid processed foods high in sugar and refined carbohydrates.

SUMMARY

Overweight or obese people should avoid eating added sugar every day. If possible, it would be best to avoid all added sugar.

If You're Addicted to Sugar, Perhaps You Should Avoid It Completely

Sugary junk foods stimulate the same areas in the brain as drugs of abuse.

For this reason, sugar can cause people to lose control over their consumption.

That said, sugar is not nearly as addictive as drugs of abuse, and “sugar addiction” should be comparatively easy to overcome.

If you have a history of binge eating, failure at setting rules about your eating (like cheat meals or days) and repeated failures with the "everything in moderation" approach, then perhaps you are addicted.

In the same way that a smoker needs to avoid cigarettes completely, a sugar addict needs to avoid sugar completely.

Complete abstinence is the only reliable way for true addicts to overcome their addiction.

SUMMARY

If you feel like you are addicted to added sugar, you should consider avoiding it completely.

How to Minimize Sugars in Your Diet

Avoid these foods, in order of importance:

1.    Soft drinks: Sugar-sweetened beverages are unhealthy. You should avoid these like the plague.

2.    Fruit juices: Fruit juices actually contain the same amount of sugar as soft drinks! Choose whole fruit instead of fruit juice.

3.    Candies and sweets: You should drastically limit your consumption of sweets.

4.    Baked goods: Cookies, cakes, etc. These tend to be very high in sugar and refined carbohydrates.

5.    Fruits canned in syrup: Choose fresh fruits instead.

6.    Low-fat or diet foods: Foods that have had the fat removed from them are often very high in sugar.

Drink water instead of soda or juices and don't add sugar to your coffee or tea.

Instead of sugar in recipes, you can try things like cinnamon, nutmeg, almond extract, vanilla, ginger or lemon.

Just be creative and find recipes online. You can eat an endless variety of amazing foods even if you eliminate all sugar from your diet.

A natural, zero-calorie alternative to sugar is stevia.

SUMMARY

Reduce your sugar intake by limiting soft drinks, fruit juice, candy, and baked goods.

What About Sugar in Processed Foods?

The best way to cut back on sugar is to simply avoid processed foods and satisfy your sweet tooth with fruit instead.

This approach doesn't require math, calorie counting or obsessively reading food labels all the time.

However, if you're simply unable to stick to unprocessed foods for financial reasons, then here are some tips on how to make the right choices:

·       Know that sugar has many names. These include sugar, sucrose, high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS), dehydrated cane juice, fructose, glucose, dextrose, syrup, cane sugar, raw sugar, corn syrup and more.

·      If a packaged food contains sugar in the first 3 ingredients, avoid it.

·      If a packaged food contains more than one type of sugar, avoid it.

·      Be aware that other high-sugar foods often labeled healthy fall into the same category. These include agave, honey, organic cane sugar and coconut sugar.

Warning: You MUST read nutrition labels! Even foods disguised as "health foods" can be loaded with added sugars.

SUMMARY

If you eat processed, packaged foods, avoiding all added sugar can be difficult. Make sure to read labels and be aware that food producers often disguise added sugar using alternative names.

The Bottom Line

At the end of the day, it's important to figure out the sugar intake that’s right for you.

Some people can handle a little bit of sugar in their diet, while for others it causes cravings, binge eating, rapid weight gain and disease.

Every individual is unique and you need to figure out what works for you.

Kris Gunnars is a nutrition researcher with a bachelor's degree in medicine. He founded the website Authority Nutrition, which he sold to Healthline in 2017. Evidence-based nutrition is his passion.

https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/how-much-sugar-per-day#section6