Obesity Living With Print 5 Foods That Can Cause Cancer By Yasmine S. Ali, MD, MSCI facebook twitter linkedin Yasmine S. Ali, MD, MSCI, is a board-certified preventive cardiologist and lipidologist. Dr. Ali is also an award-winning writer. Learn about our editorial process Yasmine S. Ali, MD, MSCI Medically reviewed by a board-certified physician Updated on April 26, 2019 More in Obesity Living With Causes & Risk Factors Prevention Treatment The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), a part of the World Health Organization (WHO), came out definitively with a report on cancer-causing processed meats, stating that such meats definitely can cause colorectal cancer. They have also stated that red meat in general “probably” causes cancers such as colon, pancreatic, and prostate cancer. Given that obesity is a risk factor for a number of different cancers, it is helpful to do all you can to decrease your risk. Below are five foods to avoid, based on the report. 1 Hot Dogs James Ross/Getty Images According to the IARC press release, “Processed meat refers to meat that has been transformed through salting, curing, fermentation, smoking, or other processes to enhance flavor or improve preservation.” Hot dogs are listed as one example of processed meat that can cause cancer. Specifically, the IARC classified processed meat as “carcinogenic [cancer-causing] to humans, based on sufficient evidence in humans that consumption of processed meat causes colorectal cancer.” According to the IARC, a little over the equivalent of one hot dog per day is enough to increase the risk of colorectal cancer by 18%. 2 Beef Jerky Juanmonino/iStock/Getty Images Beef jerky also falls into processed meat group and was listed as a specific example in the IARC press release as a processed meat that can cause cancer. The IARC press release regarding the recent findings stated that IARC experts “considered more than 800 studies that investigated associations of more than a dozen types of cancer with the consumption of red meat or processed meat in many countries and populations with diverse diets.” The IARC Working Group found that “the most influential evidence came from large prospective cohort studies conducted over the past 20 years.” 3 Sausage dm909/Moment/Getty Images Sausage is another kind of processed meat that was given as an example in the IARC press release as being cancer-causing. The IARC has stated that “each 50 gram portion of processed meat eaten daily increases the risk of colorectal cancer by 18%.” The IARC further noted that “the consumption of meat varies greatly between countries, with from a few percent up to 100% of people eating red meat, depending on the country, and somewhat lower proportions eating processed meat.” 4 Ham Cultura RM/Diana Miller/Getty Images Ham is a processed meat that is not only carcinogenic due to its processed nature but has also been linked to high blood pressure and other cardiovascular diseases because of its very high sodium content. Other processed deli meats, such as pastrami, salami, pepperoni, and the like, present the same cancer-causing risk. 5 Corned Beef Tetra Images/Getty Images Corned beef was also one of the examples listed by the IARC as a processed meat linked to colorectal cancer. The IARC further noted that “most processed meats contain pork or beef, but processed meats may also contain other red meats, poultry … or meat byproducts such as blood.” Other examples of processed meat listed in the IARC press release included canned meat and meat-based preparations and sauces. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Get nutrition tips and advice to make healthy eating easier. Sign Up You're in! Thank you, {{form.email}}, for signing up. There was an error. Please try again. What are your concerns? Other Inaccurate Hard to Understand Submit Article Sources Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy. International Agency for Research on Cancer. Q&A on the carcinogenicity of the consumption of red meat and processed meat. Additional Reading Amiano P, Chamosa S, Etxezarreta N, et al. Unprocessed red meat and processed meat consumption and risk of stroke in the Spanish cohort of the European prospective investigation into cancer and nutrition (EPIC). Eur J Clin Nutr. 2015 Sep 30. doi:10.1038/ejcn.2015.150 International Agency for Research on Cancer. Q&A on the carcinogenicity of the consumption of red meat and processed meat. Nagle CM, Wilson LF, Hughes MC, et al. Cancers in Australia in 2010 attributable to the consumption of red and processed meat. Aust N Z J Public Health. 2015;39:429-33. doi:10.1111/1753-6405.12450