Nichole Andrews, a registered dietitian and nutritionist specialising in oncology, recently went viral on TikTok detailing the items on her ‘do not touch’ list in clip that has been viewed nearly 3million times
A cancer dietician has revealed the foods and drinks she avoids at all costs and while some surprising items feature, diet sodas are fine in her book.
Nichole Andrews, a registered dietitian and nutritionist specialising in oncology, recently went viral on TikTok detailing the items on her ‘do not touch’ list in clip that has been viewed nearly 3million times.
Andrews, 38, and based in Washington in the US and who goes by the moniker ‘The Oncology Dietician’ said she made the list to combat disinformation about what we eat and drink and cancer risk.
‘I know how amazing and powerful nutrition can be to help survivors have better treatment outcomes and reduce risk of recurrence,’ she said.
‘Sadly there is so much misinformation out there, that people cannot eat well – so I am so happy to clear up that confusion and help people eat with confidence.’
The first item to feature on her list is perhaps unsurprising, alcohol.
While there is debate about some the health benefits from drinking a glass of red wine Andrews explained that when it came to cancer risk a tipple was a no go.
‘I do not consume any alcohol,’ she said.
‘All types of alcohol – including red wine – is going to increase your risk of six different cancers.
‘It’s the ethanol within the alcohol.
‘Really any consumption of alcohol – any – is just immediately starting to increase your risk of cancer.’
Links between alcohol and numerous cancers, including those of liver, colon and breast, have been well-established by scientists.
As many as one in 25 cancer cases in the UK are thought to be caused by drinking alcohol, about 12,000 each year.
While there is debate about some the health benefits from drinking a glass of red wine Andrews explained that when it came to cancer risk a tipple was a no go
Andrews said: ‘All types of alcohol – including red wine – is going to increase your risk of six different cancers’. But in good news for those who like soda, diet versions are fine
Pepperoni, and other processed meats, were the second item on Andrew’s list.
The second item on the list was pepperoni and processed meats.
‘Processed meats increase colorectal cancer risk at any consumption,’ she said.
‘So whether that’s pepperoni… or pre-cooked meats – any consumption of that is going to be increasing your risk of cancer.’
In a similar vein, Andrews said the third item on her list was deli meats, also known as lunch meats in the UK, such as sliced ham for the same reason.
Eating too much processed meat is known risk factor for bowel cancer and is estimated to trigger almost a sixth of the near 45,000 cases of the disease diagnosed in Britain each year.
Nitrates and nitrites, chemicals used in the process of preserving these meats, can damage cells in the bowel leading to changes that can become cancer.
Number four on Andrew’s list was sugary beverages, not because of any specific ingredient, but because these drinks represent empty calories that can contribute to weight gain and therefore cancer risk.
‘Making sure to keep your body fat tissue down is going to be balancing a healthy level of calories,’ she said.
‘I don’t want my calories to be coming from sodas.
‘You go for a meal out and have a large soda, and it’s going to have a tonne of extra calories.’
But in good news for people who enjoy a diet fizzy drink, Andrews said these, alongside her own personal preference of water or unsweetened iced tea, were fine.
She said excess body fat can increase the risk of 13 different cancers.
In Britain people being obese or overweight is estimated to cause about one in 20 cancers each year, equivalent to about 18,000 cases.
Eating too much processed meat is known risk factor for bowel cancer and is estimated to trigger almost a sixth of the near 45,000 cases of the disease diagnosed in Britain each year
Andrews said: ‘Pepperoni… or pre-cooked meats – any consumption of that is going to be increasing your risk of cancer
Next on her list was hot dogs, for the same reason as processed meat, and urged people to instead use cook raw sausage meat at home and using wholegrain buns to make it healthier.
Number six was sugar, specifically adding the sweet stuff to food and drinks, like cubes in your tea and coffee, for the same reason she urged people to avoid sugary beverages.
Continuing the list, Andrews said red meat made number seven.
She explained: ‘Red meat is not going to increase the risk of cancer at consumption, like alcohol and processed meats do, however, they will increase risks of colorectal cancer after 18 ounces a week.
‘I usually keep to one serving of red meat a week, or I just don’t have any at all.
‘So when I’m going out to eat or cooking at home, I’ll build my meals around chicken, turkey, fish, seafood, or different types of plant proteins like soy.’
Red meat is listed as a probable cause of bowel cancer, meaning while there is evidence that it can cause the disease it isn’t as strong as the data linking processed meat specifically.
Number eight on Andrew’s list was the morning staple coffee.
While a cup of joe won’t increase your cancer risk directly Andrews urged people to consider the impact of any added sugars and aim to cut down.
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Bowel cancer is the fourth most common cancer and kills 16,800 Brits every year
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‘I love coffee, and coffee does not increase your cancer risk, it’s a safe choice.
‘I do like a cold or blended coffee in the summer, but those can get so high in calories so fast.
‘What I do is either get a kid’s size, and I order it half sweet, so half the serving of whatever sugars are added to it.
‘It’s just bringing down the calories because (those drinks) can easily get to 800 calories.’
For the penultimate item on her avoidance list Andrews warned people to beware of non-wholemeal grains like white bread or white rice.
‘Wholegrains are going to help you reduce risks of colon and breast cancer, and they’ll give you more fibre and more nutrients as well because it’s less processed down,’ she said.
‘More fibre will help you reduce cancer risks and have better digestion.
‘I do brown rice, wholegrain pasta, brown bread, wholegrain tortillas – I always choose wholegrain.’
Over one in four bowel cancer cases in the UK are estimated to be caused by a lack of fibre in diets according to data from charity Cancer Research UK.
Lastly, Andrews warned people to beware plant-based milks popular in vegan diets.
‘I always go for cow milk, I always choose dairy – dairy is so nutrient-packed,’ she said.
She added that while these products were great options for people with a dairy allergy, she would avoid them not because they cause cancer directly but due to lacking nutrients that decrease the risk of the disease.
‘All of them are safe choices and if you like them, I want you to continue to enjoy them, but I don’t choose them because of the low protein content.
Andrews also warned people to beware plant-based milks popular in vegan diets as her foods to avoid in terms of cancer risk
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‘Because of the amazing calcium in there, cow milk also reduces the risk of colorectal cancer.
‘Any consumption of dairy that you have – (particularly) lean dairy – will reduce your risk of colon cancer.’
About half of all Brits will get cancer in their lifetime, but about one in three cases are thought to be preventable by changing habits like diets.
Almost 400,000 cases of cancer are diagnosed in Britain each year, equivalent to one person being told they have the disease every two minutes.
Rates of the disease among the population have increased by 3 per cent over the past decade.
But experts have been particularly concerned by a rise in cancers among young adults, with rates have increased by 22 per cent among people aged between 25 and 49 years since the 90s.
Bowel cancer is one of those that has been specifically flagged by experts as being on the rise in young people who are otherwise perfectly fit and healthy for a, as of yet, unexplained reason.
