ice cream causes cancer



Common additives in ice cream, margarine, packaged bread and many processed foods may promote cancer scientists said on Wednesday. The researchers focused on emulsifiers, chemicals added to many food products to improve texture and extend shelf life. In mouse experiments, they found emulsifiers can change the species composition of gut bacteria and induce intestinal inflammation. Emulsifiers are used in margarine, mayonnaise, creamy sauces, candy, ice cream, packaged processed foods and baked goods. They can make products like mayonnaise smooth and creamy.

According to National Institutes of Health (nih.gov), a U.S. government website, "Overall, they found more and bigger cancerous tumours in mice given the emulsifiers, in addition to some inflammatory changes. It was suggested the reason could be that emulsifiers altered the balance of gut bacteria, creating an environment more favourable to the development of cancer."

The bad news? Practically everything causes cancer, at least in mice. The good news? According to the U.S. government website: "The mice were fed large doses of the substances not comparable to the levels found in food humans would eat. The mice were also given strong drugs both to cause cancer and trigger bowel inflammation. Without these substances, the emulsifiers alone may have had minimal effect."



Aha! Another bogus health scare by scientists, with accompanying scary media headlines. Humans are not mice. That being the case, I am going to continue to eat ice cream. And cake.