Cancer dietician shares the two common items she tells people to avoid consuming that increase cancer risk

A cancer dietician has shared two common items that she has recommended you avoid to reduce the risk of getting the deadly disease.

The two items are both some of the first on the shopping list, and she believes that cutting them out your diet will massively reduce your cancer risk.

Nichole Andrews is a registered dietitian nutritionist who specialises in oncology nutrition and working with cancer survivors to build their health back up.

Taking to Instagram, she shared the video titled ‘Cancer dietician shares the only two foods that increase cancer risk’.

In the video she said: “Alcohol consumption isn’t just a buzz-kill for your liver health; it also heightens the risk of breast, mouth, throat, oesophageal, and colon cancers.

"The science behind it is eye-opening. Alcohol metabolises into acetaldehyde, a known carcinogen, which can wreak havoc on our DNA, raising cancer risk."

Not only did she rule out alcohol, the second one she listed is perhaps an even more common choice.

She went on to say: “Processed meats, including ham, salami, bacon and sausages such as frankfurters and chorizo - they’re linked to an increased risk of colorectal cancer.

"Processed meats contain compounds like nitrites and N-nitroso compounds, which raise the cancer risk.

“The high heat involved in processing meats can produce carcinogenic compounds like polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and heterocyclic amines, further upping the cancer risk.

"Red meats contain heme iron, which, when metabolised, may generate harmful compounds that could damage the colon.”

She went on to expand on this in an interview with Newsweek, in which she said a lot of her patients think sugar will increase their cancer risk, but clarified that overconsumption is only dangerous in terms of obesity.

She said: “Obesity is a proven risk factor for at least 13 types of cancer because it promotes chronic inflammation, hormonal imbalances (like higher levels of insulin and estrogen), and metabolic changes that create a favorable environment for cancer development.

“The key takeaway: It's not sugar itself—it's the overall calorie balance and body fat that matter most."

The cancer-focused dietician went on to say: “Diet is one of the most impactful lifestyle factors in cancer prevention and survivorship.”

She went on to state what she believes is the diet to focus on isn’t simply to cut out meat or sugar altogether, but to focus on ‘high-quality animal proteins, like fish, eggs, poultry, or lean meats or lean dairy, paired with an abundance of vegetables’.

She said of this diet: “This approach is sustainable, enjoyable, and scientifically supported for cancer risk reduction”.

Andrews also stated in her Instagram video, after clearing up which two things to avoid, that she isn’t saying you can’t have fun in your diet.

She said: “I want to be very clear that there’s no direct link between each sugar and causing cancer.

"It's important to focus your goals more on how you can become more curious and aware of what’s in your foods - what are the nutritional values, how do you feel after eating certain meals, and how to create plates that not only taste good but also support your usual lifestyle and a Cancer Prevention lifestyle that has been supported through human data."