Carcinogens

A carcinogen is defined as any substance that can cause or aggravate cancer. Approximately 60 of the chemicals in cigarettes are known to cause cancer.A carcinogen is any substance, radionuclide, or radiation that is an agent directly involved in causing cancer. This may be due to the ability to damage the genome or to the disruption of cellular metabolic processes. Several radioactive substances are considered carcinogens, but their carcinogenic activity is attributed to the radiation, for example gamma rays and alpha particles, which they emit. Common examples of carcinogens are inhaled asbestos, certain dioxins, and tobacco smoke. Although the public generally associates carcinogenicity with synthetic chemicals, it is equally likely to arise in both natural and synthetic substances.

=CARCINOGEN IN PREPARED FOOD= Cooking food at high temperatures, grilling or barbecuing meats, can lead to the formation of minute quandaries of many potent carcinogens that are comparable to those found in cigarette smoke. Microwaving meats for 2-3 minutes can help minimize the formation of certain carcinogens.