Nichole Andrews, a registered dietitian nutritionist, says two things we consume are a bigger risk than all others
Steffan Rhys Deputy Content Hub Director
14:50, 11 Nov 2025Updated 16:45, 11 Nov 2025
Nichole Andrews, a registered dietitian nutritionist, says only two foods are a major cancer risk and, despite what you may have heard, sugar is not one of them(Image: Nichole Andrews)
A nutritionist has named the two foods we should avoid above all others if we want to reduce our risk of cancer. Nichole Andrews, a registered dietitian nutritionist who describes herself as “the oncology dietician” online, says she wants to reassure people that “even though everyone’s saying everything that you’re eating is increasing cancer risk, it’s not”. She adds: “Only two foods increase your cancer risk.”
Nichole, who specialises in oncology and says she has supported thousands of cancer survivors through diet, says those two foods are alcohol and processed meats. “That is it, that’s the full list,” she says, adding that alcohol includes “all types of alcohol, including red wine”, which is often claimed to have health benefits.
Explaining why alcohol increases the risk of several types of cancer, including breast, liver, colon, mouth, throat and stomach cancer, Nichole says: “It is because the ethanol in the alcohol… is a carcinogen.”
She advises that the best way to reduce this risk is by reducing your alcohol intake: “Zero is best. Any consumption, any type, of alcohol will increase your risk so any amount of reduction you do, you’re reducing cancer risk.”
Nichole says processed meats are “hot dogs, deli meats, sausages, bacon — things that are processed to be preserved in your fridge for a long period of time or they’re already cooked at the store”. To reduce your consumption of processed meat, she advises: “Choose more raw meats to use at home, use those in your sandwiches, get the raw meats to make your sausages and things like that — not the pre-cooked stuff.”
On her Instagram feed, Nichole also deals with claims around other foods that are often said to “cause cancer”, including sugar: “As a cancer dietician, let me clarify: sugar all on its own will not cause cancer [or] have your cancer grow quicker. If you have a diet high in sugar, you’re probably going to have excess calories… and then you’re going to gain weight, gain fat tissue and it’s the fat tissue that increases cancer risk.”
But she writes: “Sugar doesn’t directly cause cancer — all cells (including healthy ones) use glucose for energy. Cutting sugar won’t ‘starve’ cancer cells. What’s actually linked to cancer risk is excess fat tissue, which produces inflammatory hormones that promote tumour growth. You don’t need to cut out sugar completely. Instead, focus on reducing fat tissue by eating balanced meals, exercising regularly, and building muscle. Even without weight loss, improving your body composition lowers your cancer risk.
“Eating sugar in moderation is OK. It’s excess calorie intake (from any food) that leads to weight and fat gain, which increases cancer risk. A cookie or slice of cake won’t hurt your health-balance is key!”
She adds: “Your seed oils, Diet Coke, aspartame, sugar — they don’t [increase your cancer risk].”
Plenty of foods are unhealthy if consumed excessively but only two are a major cancer risk in themselvesThe ‘real risks’
She emphasises that the “real risks” are alcohol and processed meats, saying: “Alcohol is a Group 1 carcinogen (the same category as tobacco) and is strongly linked to cancers like breast and liver. Processed meats (like bacon and sausage) also increase colon cancer risk, even in small amounts.”
Cancer Research UK also gives the same advice, saying: “We know for definite that processed meat is a cause of cancer. We are as sure of this link as we are for other proven causes of cancer, like tobacco and alcohol.”
On sugar, it adds: “There’s no evidence that following a ‘sugar-free’ diet lowers the risk of getting cancer, or that it boosts the chances of surviving if you are diagnosed.”
What does the World Health Organisation say about alcohol and processed meat?
Processed meat and alcohol were classified as Group 1 carcinogens, meaning they are carcinogenic to humans. The WHO says: “There is convincing evidence that the agent causes cancer.” Tobacco smoking and asbestos are also Group 1 carcinogens, though the WHO stresses that this does not mean that alcohol and processed meat are equally as dangerous as smoking and asbestos.
Why does alcohol cause cancer?
Alcohol causes cancer through biological mechanisms as the compound breaks down in the body. This means that any drink containing alcohol, regardless of its price, quality or strength, poses a risk of developing cancer. It adds that there is no safe amount of alcohol to drink, which goes against reports you may have heard saying that a small amount of alcohol can be good for you (this does not mean that certain alcoholic drinks can’t have some health benefits, for example, via the polyphenols in red wine).
The WHO adds that the risk of developing cancer “increases substantially the more alcohol is consumed” but that “latest available data indicate that half of all alcohol-attributable cancers… are caused by ‘light’ and ‘moderate’ alcohol consumption – less than 1.5 litres of wine or less than 3.5 litres of beer or less than 450 millilitres of spirits per week”. Alcohol causes at least seven types of cancer, including the most common cancer types, such as bowel cancer and female breast cancer.
Why does processed meat cause cancer?
There is research which has linked three meat-related chemicals to increased bowel cancer risk. These chemicals are either naturally found in meat, added during processing or produced when cooking:
- Haem, a red pigment found mostly in red meat
- Nitrates and nitrites, which are used to keep processed meat fresher for longer
- Heterocyclic amines (HCAs) and polycyclic amines (PCAs), which are produced when meat is cooked at high temperatures.
Cancer Research UK explains that all three can damage the cells in our bowel, and it’s the accumulation of this damage over time that increases cancer risk.
What is processed meat?
The World Health Organisation says processed meat refers to “meat that has been transformed through salting, curing, fermentation, smoking, or other processes to enhance flavour or improve preservation”. It says most processed meats contain pork or beef, but processed meats may also contain other red meats, poultry, offal, or meat by-products such as blood and gives the following examples of processed meat:
- hot dogs (frankfurters)
- ham
- sausages
- corned beef
- biltong or beef jerky
- canned meat
- meat-based preparations and sauces.
Cancer Research explains that chemicals found in processed meat, added during processing or produced when cooking it, include nitrates and nitrites, which are used to keep processed meat fresher for longer. It adds: “When we eat them, nitrates and nitrites can become N-nitroso chemicals (NOCs) that can damage the cells that line our bowel. This damage can lead to bowel cancer.”