Inflammation is your body’s defense against anything that may harm it. If you catch a cold or have an infection, your body sends out an army of white blood cells, nutrients, and protective chemicals to fight it. This promotes healing and restores balance. But take heed, not all inflammation is the same. Long-term disease is entirely different. Acute inflammation, like a cold, fever, or swelling, resolves quickly. Chronic or long-term inflammation is persistent, and you may not know you have it. You may have ongoing infections, autoimmune disease, an unhealthy lifestyle, including what you eat, that causes chronic inflammation. Chronic inflammation can exist for years before damaging tissues and organs.

Cancer is one of those diseases that may exist in your body for a long time before causing damage. One of the biggest culprits in chronic inflammation is the food we eat. Cancer doesn’t happen overnight. It starts with inflammation damaging healthy cells and DNA, which can lead to cell mutations. Cancer is a disease that can develop in the body over an extended period before causing significant damage. One major contributor to chronic inflammation is the food we consume. Cancer doesn’t occur suddenly; it begins with inflammation that harms healthy cells and DNA, increasing the risk of cell mutations. Cancer is a disease that can develop in the body over an extended period before causing significant damage. One major contributor to chronic inflammation is the food we consume. Cancer doesn’t occur suddenly; it begins with inflammation that harms healthy cells and DNA, increasing the risk of cell mutations.

Those uncontrolled mutations kill normal cells and feed on them. Chronic inflammation interrupts the normal cells ability to detect inflammation; they multiply and over a period of time cause disease.

A large cohort study published in Thorax on July 29th, 2025, linked a diet of high processed foods to an increase in lung cancer. This research was conducted by Chinese scientists in the United States, who found that people who ate a large amount of ultra-processed foods had a 41% chance of developing lung cancer compared to those who ate a healthy diet.

I will share with you what foods are likely to cause inflammation and cancer. Processed meats, like bacon, sausage, and hot dogs, were documented as causing cancer. Processed meats are processed with nitrates and nitrites, which can form nitrosamines when heated or eaten. The World Health Organization has classified processed meats as Group 1 carcinogens. That means there is sufficient evidence linking them to cancer, especially colorectal cancer.

Another study published in the National Academy of Sciences in 2014 found that red meat contains a sugar molecule called Neu5GC, which humans can absorb when they eat red meat. Neu5GC triggers an immune response that leads to chronic inflammation, which can lead to cancer development. The highest amount was found in beef, which researchers attributed to an increase in colon and liver cancer.

White bread, pastries, and breakfast cereals are all refined carbohydrates that are stripped of fiber and nutrients during processing. These have been linked to obesity, type 2 diabetes (insulin-dependent), breast cancer, and colon cancer.

Another culprit is soda or pop, depending on where you live. That sweet sugary mix, over time, can lead to inflammation, weight gain, and fatty liver disease. These drinks can also cause liver and pancreatic cancers. Drinking these drinks instead of water and nutrient-rich options makes you feel full and deprives your body of hydration and antioxidants.

Fried foods, who doesn’t love French fries, especially when fried in hydrogenated oils, contain trans fats, which increase inflammation. Hydrogenated oils increase LDL (bad cholesterol) and decrease HDL (good cholesterol), which disrupts cellular balance and immune function.

Ultra-processed foods, like chips, instant noodles, and other packaged products, are convenient. The problem is that they are refined carbs, sodium, unhealthy fats, and artificial additives. These ingredients disrupt gut health, trigger immune reactions, and increase inflammatory markers.

Vegetable oils high in Omega-6 acids cause an imbalance between Omega-6 and Omega-3 acids. Many cooking oils, such as corn, sunflower, and soybean oils, used to cook fast and processed foods, are high in Omega-6 Fatty acids. Small amounts of Omega-6 are necessary, but excessive amounts of Omega-6 promote the production of inflammatory prostaglandins. This can damage cells and increase cancer risk.

Many people believe drinking a moderate amount of alcohol is okay. Truth be told, no amount of alcohol is safe. Alcohol, even in small amounts, promotes inflammation in the liver, pancreas, and gastrointestinal tract. Over time, this may cause cancer development.

Sugar substitutes like aspartame, sucralose, and saccharin all claim they are healthier than sugar. However, growing research suggests they can disrupt macrobiotics, leading to inflammation and metabolic imbalances. Some additives, like dyes and preservatives, can trigger immune reactions in sensitive people.

Salt isn’t bad, but too much of it is. Packaged soups, instant noodles, sauces, and fast food contain more sodium than your body needs. Too much salt causes water retention, oxidative stress, and inflammation in the blood vessels. High sodium diets have been linked to stomach cancer and inflammation in the blood vessels.

We all make decisions about what we eat. Some of us eat healthy most of the time, while others choose fast food way too often. My intention in writing this Blog was to make you aware of the consequences of what you eat. I in no way expect you to change your diet overnight; however, you may try substituting a healthy option two or three times a week to start.

Unti next time,

Peace Love and Blessings❤️