Steering clear of certain foods and beverages may help to lessen your cancer risk, according to a growing body of evidence.

Eat this, don’t eat that, don’t eat this, eat that … the advice from scientific studies and the media (raises hand) on healthy eating can be confusing at best. But even so, there are certain foods that researchers routinely find appear to be linked to cancer. For starters, here are a handful of them. You may notice that many of them come with an environmental cost as well.

1. Processed meat

A report from the World Health Organization (WHO) doesn’t really mince words when it comes to cancer and processed meats, “According to the most recent estimates by the Global Burden of Disease Project, an independent academic research organization, about 34,000 cancer deaths per year worldwide are attributable to diets high in processed meat,” notes the organization. Defining processed meats as “meat that has been transformed through salting, curing, fermentation, smoking, or other processes to enhance flavour or improve preservation,” they put processed meats in the same category (IARC Group 1, carcinogenic to humans) as smoking and asbestos for cancer risk. The designation means there is sufficient evidence of carcinogenicity in humans. Examples include hot dogs, ham, sausages, corned beef, beef jerky, and canned meat.

2. Red meat

The same WHO report classified red meat as Group 2A, meaning that red meat is “probably carcinogenic to humans.” The organization writes, “In the case of red meat, the classification is based on limited evidence from epidemiological studies showing positive associations between eating red meat and developing colorectal cancer as well as strong mechanistic evidence.” They also note evidence of links with pancreatic cancer and prostate cancer. Red meat includes all “mammalian muscle meat,” including, beef, veal, pork, lamb, mutton, horse, and goat.
Aside from reducing one’s risk for cancer, giving up or cutting down on red meat consumption also provides relief to a planet over-burdened by an industry trying to grow enough animals to meet our appetites.

3 Soda and juice

There has been some flipping and flopping about the link between sugar and cancer, but a large new study out of France just concluded that drinking a small glass of a sugary drink per day (100 milliliter, or about 3.3 ounces) is linked to an 18 percent increase in overall cancer risk and a 22 percent increase in risk for breast cancer. And it wasn’t just sugary sodas to blame; 100 percent fruit juice was implicated as well. (Most experts recommend eating the whole fruit, which comes with all that good fiber, rather than just the juice, which is primarily sugar; natural sugar, but sugar nonetheless.)
From the study: “We found that an increase in sugary drink consumption was positively associated with the risk of overall cancer and breast cancer. When the group of sugary drinks was split into 100% fruit juices and other sugary drinks, the consumption of both beverage types was associated with a higher risk of overall cancer.”

The cohort study involved more than 100,000 participants, and the findings suggest that sugary drinks could be a modifiable risk factor for cancer prevention.

4. Alcohol

For those of us who love wine with dinner, the Mediterranean diet and its red wine gave us the green light for some moderate tippling. Alas, the National Cancer Institute may put the kibosh on that, noting: “There is a strong scientific consensus that alcohol drinking can cause several types of cancer. In its Report on Carcinogens, the National Toxicology Program of the US Department of Health and Human Services lists consumption of alcoholic beverages as a known human carcinogen.”
The Institute cites evidence that the more one drinks, especially regularly and over time, the higher their risk of developing an alcohol-related cancer. “Even light drinkers (those who have no more than one drink per day) and binge drinkers have a modestly increased risk of some cancers.” Sigh.

5. Ultra-processed foods

Research from the NutriNet-Santé cohort study – the group for which the data on sugary drinks was compiled – also found a connection between cancer and ultra-processed food. Ultra-processed food, according to the study, includes:
“…Mass produced packaged breads and buns; sweet or savoury packaged snacks; industrialised confectionery and desserts; sodas and sweetened drinks; meat balls, poultry and fish nuggets, and other reconstituted meat products transformed with addition of preservatives other than salt (for example, nitrites); instant noodles and soups; frozen or shelf stable ready meals; and other food products made mostly or entirely from sugar, oils and fats, and other substances not commonly used in culinary preparations such as hydrogenated oils, modified starches, and protein isolates. Industrial processes notably include hydrogenation, hydrolysis, extruding, moulding, reshaping, and pre-processing by frying.”

The researchers found that a 10 percent increase in the amount of ultra-processed foods consumed was linked to a 12 percent increase in cancer. They were unable to isolate the specific components of these foods responsible for the results, so until further notice it may be best to avoid them altogether.

Study have found that babies who were born pre-term are less likely to form romantic relationships, have sexual relations or experience parenthood than those who were born full term, a new study shoes.

According to a recent report by the World Health Organisation (WHO), India is the leading country of preterm births where babies are born before completed 37 weeks of gestation and this number is rising.

Published in the journal JAMA Network Open, the study shows in the analysis of 4.4 million participants those born pre-term were 28 per cent less likely to form romantic relationships and 22 per cent less likely to become parents, when compared to those born full term.

“It is partly due to pre-term birth being associated with being more often withdrawn and shy, socially excluded and less likely to take risks in adolescence,” said researchers from the University of Warwick.

“The finding that adults who were born pre-term are less likely to have a partner, to have sex and become parents does not appear to be explained by a higher rate of disability. Rather preterm-born children have been previously found to have poorer social interactions in childhood that make it harder for them to master social transitions such as finding a partner, which in turn is proven to boost your wellbeing,” said the study lead author Marina Goulart de Mendonca from the University of Warwick.

More needs to be done in schools and by parents to encourage social interactions at younger ages, so when they transition to adulthood they are more likely to meet someone and increase their wellbeing, said the experts.

According to Amit Garg, Consultant Psychiatrist, Sri Balaji Action Medical Institute in Delhi, the hardships followed by premature babies while growing up are indescribable.

“Getting birth before due time not only affects their physical growth but mental growth also and that is for lifetime in some cases. A study says preterm babies are tending to be unromantic during young age, One should be very careful about nutrition and other related illness also so that good health can be maintained,” Garg told IANS.

“Young adults born preterm might experience social challenges in their life, which might affect their romantic relationships and family plannings” he added.

On overactive bladder can have significant implications on your social life, while also hampering your ability to sleep. Whether you’re finding yourself rushing to the bathroom frequently, experiencing unbearable urges to urinate, or are unable to get a good night’s sleep, there’s no question that an overactive bladder can take its toll in multiple ways.

There is no “one size fits all” approach to treatment. The best thing to do is talk to your doctor to figure out what method may work best for you, whether through medications, surgery, or physical therapy. But there are also a few preliminary steps you can take on your own to try and limit the impact of an overactive bladder.

The first is tinkering with your diet and beverage intake. Caffeine and alcohol are both diuretics that can increase the frequency and urge to urinate, creating problems for people with an overactive bladder. But they aren’t the only culprits. Other foods and beverages can stimulate the bladder. These include:

Carbonated drinks

Cranberry juice

Aspartame in artificial sweeteners

Spicy foods

Acidic foods like tomato sauce and oranges

Night-time symptoms may be lowered by less fluid intake before bed

It should be noted that some people like to approach an overactive bladder by drastically reducing their overall fluid intake. This can be risky: too little fluid can increase the likelihood of dehydration, while highly concentrated urine may irritate and worsen overactive bladder symptoms. Instead, monitor what and when you drink.

Another step you can take is weight loss. Obesity has emerged as a direct risk factor for overactive bladder, and losing or controlling weight may help reduce symptoms. It’s possible that added belly fat increases pressure on the bladder or pelvic floor, and losing some of it relieves the pressure. Aiming for weight loss of about one or two pounds per week is a reasonable and sustainable goal.

These two steps may help reduce the impact of your overactive bladder and can be done without the care of a physician. If you’re trying them and they don’t work—give yourself a week or a few weeks to see if they take effect—talk to your doctor about other treatment options.