Doctors refute the five most common myths about cancer

The claim that keeping your phone in your pocket leads to cancer has been around for years. But is it true? To help separate fact from fiction, Daily Mail experts have debunked five of the biggest myths about the causes of cancer.

Cell phone in your pocket

For decades, rumors have been circulating that electromagnetic radiation or cell phone waves can cause cancer. But the researchers say there is no conclusive evidence that this is the case, despite the fact that many people fear that carrying a phone close to their body will put them at risk.

Cell phones work by sending and receiving electromagnetic waves to and from telephone towers. Although high-energy radiation can cause cancer by damaging DNA, the version emitted by phones is so weak that it does not have this effect.

The charity adds that although 4G and 5G networks operate on higher-frequency radio waves than phones made a decade ago, their energy is still not enough to damage DNA.

But because the technology is still relatively new, scientists continue to monitor research in this area to track any potential long-term effects.

Burnt toast

Experts say that removing burnt pieces from toast will not save you from cancer.

Burnt toast, charred root vegetables, and fried potatoes contain the chemical acrylamide, which naturally occurs in foods cooked at high temperatures for a long time.

Some studies have linked this substance to cancer.

However, Cancer Research UK says the evidence is not conclusive enough that foods baked, grilled, fried, broiled, toasted or baked increase the risk of cancer.

According to Cancer Research UK, some studies have failed to accurately measure the amount of acrylamide in people’s diets.

According to U.S. health officials, it has been proven to be carcinogenic only to animals, at a much higher dose than in human food.

For example, a well-known statistician from Cambridge University suggested that a person would only be at risk if they consumed 320 slices of burnt toast every day.

Instead, experts say that the risk of developing cancer may be increased not by how you prepare food, but by what kind of food you eat.

For example, bacon is a processed meat, and regardless of how it is cooked, it is associated with an increased likelihood of developing bowel cancer.

According to Cancer Research UK, it contains nitrates and nitrites, chemicals that keep meat fresh longer but are associated with damage to the cells lining the intestines and an increased risk of developing bowel cancer.

However, a balanced diet rich in vegetables, fruits, and high-fiber foods, including black bread, rice, and pasta, can help you reduce your risk of developing cancer.

Stress.

Studies have noted that some women wonder if stress caused their breast cancer. But the evidence is scant.

A large study involving more than 100,000 women in the UK in 2016 found no conclusive evidence of a link between stress and breast cancer.

Another 2013 analysis, which looked at 12 studies involving more than 100,000 people who were followed for several years, found no link between workplace stress and colorectal, lung, breast, or prostate cancer.

However, a separate article in 2022 suggested that there may be a link between exposure to cortisol, a stress hormone, and cancer.

Another study this week found that stress causes cancer to grow and spread.

Although stress is not directly linked to illness, according to the National Health Service (NHS), prolonged periods of stress are associated with high blood pressure and depression.

During stressful situations, it can also be harder to maintain a healthy lifestyle, such as quitting smoking and drinking alcohol. These skills can lead to an increased risk of cancer.

But the agency insists that there is “no evidence” that “those who experience more stress are more likely to get cancer.”

Artificial sweeteners

Diet sodas, chewing gum, and toothpaste, as well as hundreds of other products, contain artificial sweeteners such as aspartame.

There is some evidence that aspartame, which has been used in products since the 80s, can cause cancer.

This led the World Health Organization to classify the sweetener as “possibly carcinogenic to humans” in June 2023.

However, experts say that people would have to consume it in extremely large quantities – more than a dozen cans a day – for it to have that effect, and criticized the UN health agency for causing unnecessary mass panic.

This ingredient is highly regulated in the UK. The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has set the permissible daily dose of aspartame at about 14 cans of diet soda for a person weighing about 11 stones (70 kg).

This means that most people are unlikely to consume dangerous amounts.

Cancer research in the UK agrees that “there is no convincing evidence that artificial sweeteners such as aspartame cause cancer.”

Drinks from a plastic bottle

There have long been concerns that plastic water bottles, lunch boxes and food packaging contain cancer-causing chemicals.

Bisphenol A, also known as BPA, is a chemical found in plastic bottles and containers that is believed to leach into food and drink and disrupt hormones.

As a result, it has been strongly linked to a range of health problems, including reproductive health issues, diabetes, and obesity, but has not been proven to be the cause.

One review of the carcinogenic properties of BPA conducted by US researchers in 2015 recommended that it be classified as a cancer risk for humans.

Although studies have shown that this chemical causes cancer, these experiments involved human cells in the laboratory or animals.

This is very different from how people come into contact with these chemicals in real life, Cancer Research UK warns.

The charitable organization explains that in some studies, large amounts of the chemical were placed directly into cells of the same type, which does not happen in the body.

Another 2018 study conducted by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), in which laboratory animals were exposed to BPA, found little evidence that the chemical causes cancer.

The Food Standards Agency has also ruled that the levels of BPA that have so far been found in food in the UK are not considered harmful.

In the EU, plastic used for baby bottles and toys must be BPA-free, and reusable plastic bottles and water containers are BPA-free.

Important! The material was prepared on the basis of the latest, scientifically verified and relevant research in the field of medicine. The material prepared by the journalist of Lenta.UA is for informational purposes only and is not a call to action or a basis for a medical diagnosis. All health decisions must be coordinated with your doctor, and we urge you to consult a specialist.