A doctor has revealed the everyday things he would never buy due to cancer risk.
Dr. Will Kang, a Baltimore orthopedic surgeon, said there are five things his wife, an oncologist, never allows him to buy at the store because of their association with various forms of cancer.
In a recent Instagram Reel, Dr. Kang revealed that there are certain utensils the couple avoids: nonstick griddles and plastic utensils, especially black ones.
These products are made with PFAS, also called “permanent chemicals,” microscopic compounds that are believed to disrupt hormones like estrogen and cause breast cancer.
Black plastic often contains even higher levels of toxic chemicals, including flame retardants, which can leach into food during cooking.
Dr Kang told his 60,000 followers: ‘I am sharing how we live our humble lives as parents, humans and doctors. “We try to make the healthiest decisions possible.”
The doctor also revealed that he no longer buys processed meats such as sausages and deli meats, which a mountain of emerging research has linked to an increased risk of colon cancer in young people.
It also passes by the Skittles in the candy section. The candies have been criticized in recent years for being riddled with dyes such as Red 40, which have been banned in some states for fear of hormonal imbalances and some cancers in animals.
ELIMINATE CANCER: Dr. Will Kang Revealed the Things He and His Oncologist Wife Never Allow in Their Home
The skittles contain red 40, yellow 5, and blue 1, among other dyes, which give the candy its bright colors.
Red 40, Yellow 5 and Yellow 6 also contain benzene, a permitted human and animal carcinogen at low levels.
Processed meats like sausages and deli meats contain nitrates, chemicals meant to keep them fresh.
When heated, nitrates can undergo a reaction that converts them to the chemicals N-nitroso (NOC).
These chemicals damage the cells that line the colon, making them more prone to cancer-causing mutations and making them more likely to become cancer cells.
The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) classifies processed meat as a group 1 carcinogen, meaning there is clear evidence that it can cause cancer in humans.
Dr Kang said: “As someone who grew up on Spam, cold cuts and sausages, eliminating this was difficult, but I’m glad I did.”
Processed meat has been linked to an increase in colon cancer diagnoses in young people.
The United States has the world’s sixth-highest rate of all early-onset cancers, with 87 cases per 100,000 people under age 50, and colon cancer is among the fastest growing.
CANCER-CAUSING COOKWARE: Sausages and other highly processed meats are banned, as are nonstick pans and black plastic utensils.
Diagnoses among people under age 50, who are classified as early-onset, are expected to increase by 90 percent in people ages 20 to 34 between 2010 and 2030.
Nonstick pans and plastic utensils were also on Dr. Kang’s no-no list.
These contain PFAS to form a soft coating.
PFAS, perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, are a group of thousands of substances known as permanent chemicals.
They are microscopic compounds that take thousands of years to decompose in the environment or in the human body, hence their nickname.
As they build up in the body, they can disrupt hormone production and lead to problems such as fertility and early menopause.
The United States has the world’s sixth-highest rate of all early-onset cancers, with 87 cases per 100,000 people under age 50, and colon cancer is among the fastest growing.
This hormonal imbalance could increase the risk of cancers such as breast and prostate, which can form due to an influx of estrogen and testosterone.
Dr Kang said: ‘We use only stainless steel and cast iron pots and pans.
‘Wooden spatulas and spoons. Otherwise, metal utensils.