The Truth Behind Cancer Myths

Mobile phones

For decades, rumors have spread that electromagnetic radiation or waves from mobile phones can cause cancer. But researchers say there is no good evidence that this is the case, despite many fearing that keeping their phone close to their body will put them at risk.

Mobiles work by sending and receiving electromagnetic waves to and from phone masts. While high-energy radiation can cause cancer by damaging DNA, the version emitted by phones is so weak that it does not have this effect, says Cancer Research UK.

The charity adds that although 4G and 5G networks rely on higher-frequency radio waves compared to phones made a decade ago, it’s still not enough energy to damage DNA. However, because the technology is still relatively new, scientists continue to monitor research in this field to track any potential long-term effects.

Burnt toast

Scraping off the burnt bits from your toast won’t save you from cancer, experts say. Burnt toast, charred root vegetables, and roast potatoes all contain a chemical called acrylamide, which occurs naturally in foods that have been cooked at high temperatures for a long time.

Some studies have linked the substance to cancer. However, Cancer Research UK says the evidence isn’t strong enough to show that food that’s been baked, barbecued, fried, grilled, toasted or roasted raises the risk of cancer.

Some studies were unable to accurately measure the amount of acrylamide in people’s diets, according to Cancer Research UK. Moreover, it’s only been proven to be carcinogenic in animals at a much higher dose than in human food, revealed US health chiefs. For example, one renowned statistician from Cambridge University suggested that someone would only be at risk if they consumed 320 slices of burnt toast each day. Therefore, experts emphasize that it’s not how you cook your food, but what food you are eating that could potentially raise the risk of cancer.

Stress

It’s been noted in some studies that some women wonder whether stress caused their breast cancer. But the evidence for this is poor. A large UK study of more than 100,000 women in 2016 did not show any consistent evidence that linked stress to breast cancer. Another 2013 analysis, which looked at 12 studies involving more than 100,000 people who were followed up for several years, did not find a link between stress at work and colorectal, lung, breast, or prostate cancers.

However, a separate 2022 paper suggested there could be a connection between the body’s exposure to cortisol, the stress hormone, and cancer. Another study this week even suggested that being stressed out causes cancers to grow and spread. Although stress hasn’t been directly linked to cancer, long periods of stress have been associated with high blood pressure and depression, according to the NHS. Additionally, high-stress situations may make it harder for individuals to maintain a healthy lifestyle, increasing the risk of cancer due to unhealthy habits like smoking and heavy drinking.

Artificial sweeteners

Diet fizzy drinks, chewing gum, toothpaste, and various 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. In fact, the World Health Organization (WHO) classified the sweetener as ‘possibly carcinogenic to humans’ in June 2023.

However, experts argue that one would have to consume aspartame in extremely large quantities, more than a dozen cans a day, to have a significant effect. It’s also worth noting that it is tightly regulated in the UK and the EU, and the acceptable daily intake set by the European Food Safety Authority is unlikely to be exceeded by most people’s consumption. Therefore, Cancer Research UK affirms that there is ‘no convincing evidence that artificial sweeteners, like aspartame, cause cancer’.

Drinking from a plastic bottle

Plastic water bottles, lunch boxes, and food packaging have long been feared to contain cancer-causing chemicals. One such chemical is bisphenol A, also known as BPA, which is found in plastic bottles and containers and is thought to leach into food and drink, disrupting hormones.

Although studies have shown that the chemical has carcinogenic effects, these experiments were conducted on human cells in a lab or animals, which is very different from real-life exposure. In a 2018 study by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) that exposed laboratory animals to BPA, little evidence was found to suggest that the chemical causes cancer.

The levels of BPA found in food in the UK are considered to be harmless, according to the Food Standards Agency. Moreover, in the EU, plastics used for baby bottles and toys must be BPA-free, and many reusable plastic water bottles and containers are also BPA-free.