Everyday we think about which foods will cause us to gain weight rather than thinking about which foods to avoid to decrease our chances of getting cancer. Sadly a variety of cancer-causing foods, including processed meats, microwave popcorn, soda, refined sugar, and farmed salmon, have been linked to cancer-causing chemicals. Frequent consumption of these foods have been linked to certain cancers, such as pancreatic, colon, lung, and liver. Many of these foods can slowly damage our organs and we might not be aware it’s happening.

Below is a list of the top 5 cancer-causing foods:

1. Processed meat
We love to add cured meat to our diets, but with it comes an increased likelihood of getting cancer from the cured meat with the chemicals they contain. Most all cured meats, including hot dogs, sausage, and lunch meats, contain sodium nitrite and sodium nitrate which have both been linked to cancer.

2. Microwave popcorn
One of the most surprising foods that are known to cause cancer is America’s favorite movie snack, microwave popcorn. The bags that microwavable popcorn come in are lined with chemicals that have been linked to infertility and cancers such as liver, testicular, and pancreatic. Alongside the chemicals on the bags, the linings are also carcinogenic, which have been linked to cancerous tumors.

3. Soda vs. diet soda
Our beloved soda pop is known to be highly cancerous to our bodies with its high sugar content, food chemicals, and food colorings. Soda is acidic to the body and has been known to feed cancer cells putting you at a higher risk of cancer compared to those who do not drink these drinks. What makes matters worse is when you go to grab a diet soda not knowing those diet beverages have a higher risk for causing cancer than regular soda as they contain methylimidazole, which has placed diet beverages on the top of the list for cancer-causing drinks.

4. Farmed salmon
Farmed salmon is a very high-risk food, according to the Director of the Institute for Health and Environment at the infamous University of Albany. Not only do these farmed salmon greatly lack vitamin D, but they are also often contaminated with flame retardants, pesticides and PCBs. As much as we all love salmon for dinner, sometimes avoiding it can greatly benefit us in the long run.

5. Refined sugar
Refined sugars tend to rapidly spike your insulin levels, which can lead to the growth of cancer cells in our bodies. Sugar-rich foods to avoid include cookies, cakes, pies, sodas, juices, cereal, and a variety of sauces, like ketchup. These foods have all become increasingly popular over the years and, in return, cancer rates have been going up as many people choose these particular foods over a healthy diet plan.