A cancer dietitian has revealed the two foods which should be “completely omitted” from our diets to help reduce the risk of certain cancers and diseases.

A cancer dietitian has identified two foods that should be “completely omitted” from our diets to help mitigate the risk of certain cancers and diseases. Her advice aligns with Cancer Research UK’s emphasis on the importance of maintaining a healthy, balanced diet.

While there are very few foods definitively proven to cause cancer, some are known to be carcinogenic. Cancer Research UK acknowledges this and highlights the need for awareness around dietary choices. Nichole, a cancer dietitian, has pointed out two specific food types scientifically linked to an increased risk of cancer: processed meats and red meat.

According to Cancer Research UK, there is a significant association between these foods and bowel cancer. The independent charity states, “Eating processed meat increases bowel cancer risk. Red meat is also linked to bowel cancer. The less you eat, the lower your risk.”

In a video shared on TikTok, Nichole elaborates, saying, “Now that we know processed meats should be completely omitted to reduce risk for colon cancer, the question is, what are processed meats?”

Both Nichole and Cancer Research UK describe processed meats as any kind of meats that have been “preserved” or handled in a way to boost their taste and flavour while extending their shelf life.

This can involve “smoking, curing, or salting the meat”, or incorporating chemical preservatives such as nitrates and nitrites.

Several examples of processed meats include ham, hotdogs, bacon, chorizo, corned beef and even deli meats like pepperoni and salami. Nichole explained some people mistakenly believe deli meats are a healthier, safer alternative that hasn’t undergone processing, but this assumption is wrong.

She went on: “Sometimes people will think, ‘well I’m going behind the counter and they’re slicing it back there’. Well, that’s also going to be processed meat.

“Something that’s not processed meat is something that’s cooked right away – so the meats that you get in the store that you need to go home and cook right away, or in a couple of days, or they’ll spoil in your refrigerator.”

She added: “Those are fresh meats, those are fine – but the deli meats that can stay in your refrigerator for, like a couple weeks, and that have been preserved with so much sodium like bacon, sausages, things like that; those are processed meats.

“You really want to work to completely omit them out of your diet to reduce your risk for colon cancer.”

Red meat is any variety of beef, pork, lamb or goat. Cancer Research confirms white meat, such as chicken and turkey, isn’t associated with heightened cancer risk, nor is fresh, tinned or frozen fish.

The organisation states: “Research shows that eating even small amounts of processed meat increases bowel cancer risk. We know for definite that processed meat is a cause of cancer. We are sure about this link like we are for other proven causes of cancer, like tobacco and alcohol.

“This doesn’t mean that you will definitely develop bowel cancer if you eat processed meat, but the less you eat of it the lower your risk.”

The charity identifies red meat as a “probable cause of cancer”.