Carcinogenic foods: often unjustified fears and little money for serious studies

When it comes to carcinogenic food, news stories on the subject come thick and fast, yet studies on the topic remain few and unfortunately incomplete. This is a sign that sensational headlines are welcomed, while an adequate investment to fund the studies needed to guarantee reliable information and consumer safety is not among the priorities of the various players involved.

Just a few days ago a story caught our attention in this regard. The website "pianeta blu news" relaunched fears about the toxicity of several foods, citing a precise list of 5 dishes that brighten our Christmas tables but would supposedly be extremely harmful. We decided to re-read for you and comment on what was published on this site, as on other websites and news outlets that sometimes have far greater scientific pretensions.

The first to be incriminated are the countless (and we would add, colorful) Christmas sweets:

EFSA has issued an opinion on Curcumin (the well-known colorant E100), analyzing all the available studies. It acknowledged the existence of data supporting genotoxicity both in vitro and in animals (what will the anti-vivisection league say about that), but it also found that, comparing the population's dietary exposure to foods (both children and adults) with the maximum permitted use levels, as specified in Directive 94/36/EC on food colorants, with the reported maximum use levels of curcumin, it emerges that the intake levels are safe even when adding to the dietary exposure to curcumin as a colorant the use of turmeric as a spice added to foods.
An unknown variable, but one to be identified, is the level of metals (such as Lead and Aluminum) present in the non-pure portion (about 10%) of the colorant. In light of this, it is entirely unprovable that a moderate consumption (because this is a recommendation that goes beyond the colorant issue, touching rather on the better-demonstrated problem of calories, fats and therefore obesity, diabetes etc.) of “colorful Christmas cookies” is actually harmful to health.

If some colorants may not be so dangerous to health after all, when it comes to vegetable fats we are certainly facing a proven risk:

As far as vegetable fats are concerned, we know that in the field of industrial fat processing the refining process, used to produce oil from seeds with the help of chemical solvents, leads to the formation of about 5% trans-fatty acids, which is nonetheless still considered acceptable under current guidelines.
(it is worth noting that while in the USA it is mandatory to declare the presence of trans-fatty acids on the label, listed under saturated fatty acids, in Italy this obligation does not yet exist).
The biggest problem when it comes to refining is the loss of carotenoids and nutrients, which turns this oil into an odorless, tasteless and colorless liquid that we might say is not even a distant relative of its cold-pressed counterpart.
The hydrogenation of oils to obtain semi-solid or solid fats used in the production of foods such as margarine, dressings and biscuits also leads to the formation of trans fats.
It should be stressed that in the fight against heart attacks, saturated fats of animal origin have always been singled out as enemy number one. On the basis of this dogma, the consumption of butter, meat, eggs and cheese was fought for years. Conversely, the use of margarine and hydrogenated vegetable fats was extolled, relying on an argument that purely evokes wellness: the word "vegetable". So in products whose labels read "hydrogenated vegetable oils", "partially hydrogenated vegetable oils", "hydrogenated vegetable fats", "partially hydrogenated vegetable fats", "margarine", trans-fatty acids will certainly be present.
Unfortunately, current labeling does not help the consumer, but from December 2014, with the definitive entry into force of European Regulation EC 1169/2011 on the provision of food information to consumers, producers will be required to state whether it is palm, soy, coconut or something else. Indeed, under that regulation, it will be mandatory to indicate the specific vegetable origins for all foods containing oils or fats of vegetable origin, whatever the quantity.
Nothing new, then, in the invitation to pay attention to labels and try to avoid or reduce products that bear the wording vegetable fats or similar.
What should we say, though, at this point, about french fries, popcorn or other “delicacies” offered to us without any labeling, which, according to a US analysis, account for at least 13% of all trans fats consumed (including trans fats of animal origin, which are considered at the very least not harmful, if not beneficial, to the body and which account for 21% of the trans-fatty acids consumed).

And then there are the notorious "processed meats", which last so long when bought in supermarkets:

It is true that recent epidemiological studies have shown an association between high consumption of red meat -more precisely, of preserved meats- and mortality risk.
However, these are studies of "association" and not of cause and effect, and therefore carry the limitations of that type of study; studies that use consumption-frequency methods rather than quantity. Studies which, when dealing with daily diet, have very many confounding factors that cannot always be eliminated. It is also true that, according to various studies, those who eat a lot of meat tend to eat few vegetables, but -for example- it is currently believed that a weekly consumption of 500 g of red meat is compatible with healthy eating habits.
As for the presence of nitrites and nitrates in preserved meats, the truth is that the most important source of nitrates in our diet does not come from meats but from vegetables.
In the literature, the diet proposed to treat hypertensive patients is the DASH diet (Dietary Approach to Stop Hypertension). An effective DASH diet has a high nitrate content and exceeds the acceptable daily intake established by the WHO for a 60 kg adult by 550% (Amer.J.Clin.Nutr. 2009).
Given that the contribution of nitrates and nitrites of vegetable origin may contribute to the hypotensive effect associated with the DASH Diet, these data call into question the rationale for limiting the consumption of nitrites and nitrates. It also implies a re-evaluation of the effects of dietary sources of nitrites/nitrates, hypothesizing a beneficial effect on health. Comparing a typical Western diet with a typical Mediterranean diet, the quantity of nitric oxide (derived from nitrites and nitrates) in the latter is considerably higher and could be the marker of the Mediterranean diet's benefit.
As proof of the new and completely different interest that nitrites and nitrates are attracting in the scientific field, the website “ClinicalTrials.Gov”, a service of the US National Institutes of Health, lists 29 ongoing clinical trials proposing the use of Sodium Nitrite as a therapeutic agent.

Moving on down the list we encounter an "old perennial enemy" in the popular lore of diet enthusiasts, refined sugars:

And here we can all agree. But the warning against beverages with a high content of simple sugars for the maintenance of good health is certainly nothing new, as has long been indicated by the INRAN guidelines for healthy eating.
It should rather be stressed that fructose, considered by some to be “healthier” than sucrose because it is of “natural” origin -like honey- and frequently recommended to diabetics because it only mildly stimulates the insulin response, can nevertheless have negative effects on fat metabolism and uric acid.

The list closes by calling into question one of the historic enemies of health, the stock cube and its contents, monosodium glutamate:

Let us proceed in order. Monosodium glutamate (MSG) is a food additive that enjoys a bad, albeit unfounded, reputation. It can be used to intensify the flavor of foods without health risks and can even lower their sodium content. Monosodium glutamate is the sodium salt of glutamic acid . Glutamate is a natural amino acid (non-essential for humans) present in almost all foods, particularly in those with a high protein content such as dairy products, meat, fish and many vegetables.
Foods commonly used for their flavoring properties, such as mushrooms and tomatoes, contain high quantities of natural glutamate. The human body also produces glutamate, which plays a fundamental role in the body's function. Monosodium glutamate is one of the most studied ingredients in the food sector. Hundreds of studies and numerous scientific assessments have come to the conclusion that it is a substance that can be used to enhance the taste of foods without health risks.
Children and adults metabolize glutamate in the same way, and monosodium glutamate poses no risk to children. Suffice it to say that breast milk contains ten times more glutamate than cow's milk.
Monosodium glutamate contains about one third of the sodium contained in table salt and is used in smaller quantities. When combined with a small amount of table salt, this substance can help reduce the sodium content of a dish by 20 to 40%, while keeping its taste unchanged (EUFIC 2002).

Once again, though we are pleased to recall it is fortunately not always the case, catastrophist information, perhaps based on some isolated study, clashes with the mass of data made available by mainstream science that contradicts the message spread online.

The Nutricity Scientific Committee

NB: the English version of the "contested" article, available at this address Natural News, is signed by the well-known activist and "food preacher" Mike Adams, founder of Natural News, who, while we cannot forgive his conspiracy theories on international food policies, must be credited with greater accuracy than the Italian translation relaunched by the website pianetablunews