Your cravings are fueling your cancer risk — 5 ways to reduce them
Cravings for sweet or savory treats can be a challenge to manage. While occasional indulgence is fine, frequently caving to food cravings can lead to weight gain, cavities, digestive problems and even chronic diseases like cancer.
In his new book, 'Crave: The Hidden Biology of Addiction and Cancer,' biomedical scientist Raphael E. Cuomo reveals the everyday desires fueling our risk of cancer.
4 Biomedical scientist Raphael E. Cuomo wrote the new book 'Crave: The Hidden Biology of Addiction and Cancer.'
'The No.1 habit to lower cancer risk is certainly tobacco, and this is already quite well-established,' Cuomo, a professor at the UC San Diego School of Medicine, told The Post.
'Other than that, I would say added sugar is a huge contributor to cancer risk, especially given that it is everywhere, and this doesn't get nearly as much appreciation as it deserves.'
Excessive sugar consumption is linked to obesity, a known risk factor for breast, colorectal and pancreatic cancers. Smoking causes nearly 90% of lung cancer cases and increases the risk of a dozen more cancers.
Beyond sugar and tobacco, people also crave drugs, alcohol, digital stimulation and, shockingly, a bigger workload. We know these vices are bad for our health — Cuomo reports that they can discreetly rewire our biology in ways that promote cancer.
So what should you do when the brain says no, but the mouth says go? Cuomo has five tips for curbing cravings.
Spend 20 minutes a day without input
Perhaps you've heard of the 'raw dogging' flight trend, where passengers do absolutely nothing to pass the time. That means no food, water, sleep or in-flight entertainment.
4 Try to 'raw dog' it for 20 minutes a day to alleviate cravings.
WESTOCK – stock.adobe.com
Likewise, Cuomo recommends putting down the phone, turning off the music and sitting by yourself with your thoughts for 20 minutes to ease temptations.
'This helps reset your brain's reward system and lowers the need to chase stimulation all day,' he explained.
Use light like a tool
Natural light is crucial for health because it synchronizes the body's 24-hour biological clock, increases vitamin D production, eases stress and boosts mood.
Cuomo recommends bright natural light in the morning to help regulate the pleasure hormone dopamine and reduce afternoon cravings.
4 Get bright natural light in the morning to regulate dopamine and reduce afternoon cravings.
Pixel-Shot – stock.adobe.com
Artificial light, on the other hand, disrupts the 24-hour clock, potentially leading to sleep issues and increasing the risk of chronic diseases.
'In the evening, lower the lights and stay off screens to support melatonin and impulse control,' Cuomo advised.
Melatonin is the body's natural sleep hormone — its production is sensitive to light.
Give your brain a break from novelty
'Too much variety keeps the brain craving. Spend time doing something familiar and repetitive,' Cuomo said. 'It lowers stimulation and gives your nervous system time to recover.'
Stop eating when the craving disappears
If you have food cravings, you're not alone. More than 90% of people admit to having them.
4 When indulging a food craving, be sure to stop when you feel emotional relief, not when you feel full.
SASITHORN – stock.adobe.com
Cuomo suggests putting the fork down when you no longer feel the craving — not when you feel full.
'Most people eat to shift their mood, not just to nourish their body,' he noted. 'Pay attention to the moment you feel emotional relief. That is often when you have had enough.'
Reach for textured food instead of sugar
If cravings persist, Cuomo encourages grabbing foods that are crunchy, chewy or spicy.
'Texture satisfies sensory urges without triggering the blood sugar spike that leads to rebound cravings,' he said.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New York Post
7 hours ago
- New York Post
Our sons died on kratom — people don't realize it's so dangerous
Months before Jordan McKibban collapsed in his bathroom and never woke up, the 37-year-old prepared smoked salmon and home-grown canned peppers to entertain his big, blended family in their quiet Washington state community. Weeks before, he told his mom, Pam Mauldin, things were getting serious with the woman he was dating — his 'one big desire' to have kids was finally in reach, Mauldin recalled. Days before, he helped a friend plant a flower garden for a baby shower. 'He loved life. He loved doing things outdoors,' Mauldin told The Post. Advertisement Then, on the day of his death, McKibban went to his longtime job at an organic food distributor. When he got home, he mixed a tablespoon of a powdered kratom supplement into his lemonade. 11 Jordan McKibban died at age 37 while taking kratom, an 'all-natural' supplement available online and in stores. Courtesy Pam Mauldin 11 Jordan's mom, Pam Mauldin (second from right), spoke to The Post to warn other parents — and thinks kratom should be pulled from shelves. Courtesy Pam Mauldin Marketed as an 'all-natural' way to ease pain, anxiety, depression and more, kratom can appeal to health-conscious people like McKibban, who Mauldin says wouldn't even take ibuprofen for the arthritis in his hands. Advertisement But on that Tuesday in April 2022, a compound in the substance called mitragynine took McKibban's life, an autopsy report later showed. When Mauldin broke into his bathroom after a call from her grandson that day, she found McKibban lifeless. She performed CPR on her own son and shielded her eyes when medics carried his gray body away. 'I've lost my son. I've lost my grandchildren that I could have had, I've lost watching him walk down that aisle, watching him have a life that I get to watch with my other kids. I've lost enjoying these years with him,' Mauldin said. Advertisement 'I have to go to the cemetery, and I hate going to the cemetery. He shouldn't be there,' she added. From dizziness to nonresponsiveness Kratom products — sold in powders, gummies and energy-looking drinks — come from a plant native to Southeast Asia and can act like a stimulant at lower doses and a sedative at higher ones. 'Kratom does act like an opioid, and people can become addicted to it and have withdrawal from it and overdose on it.' Dr. Robert Levy, addiction and family medicine doctor While they're readily found online, in brick-and-mortar stores and even gas stations as catch-all solutions to everything from fatigue to opioid withdrawal, the Food and Drug Administration says kratom and its key components are 'not lawfully marketed' in the US as a drug product, dietary supplement or food additive. Advertisement 11 Kratom, which comes in powders, gummies and drinks, can have serious side effects. AP The products, though, are gaining attention on social media, as TikTokers reveal disturbing interactions with teens going great lengths to get their hands on drinks like Feel Free. The shot-like capsules of kratom and other 'botanic' ingredients look innocent enough and line some gas station checkouts. National poison control centers documented 1,807 calls about kratom exposures between 2011 and 2017, and 'it's only been increasing since then,' Dr. Michael Greco, an emergency medicine physician in Florida, said. Patients on kratom 'can have a lot of agitation, sometimes even psychosis,' he added. 'You get sweating, you get dizziness, you get very high blood pressure or elevated heart rate.' On the other end of the spectrum, he noted, 'people might be totally unresponsive or just extremely drowsy and out of it.' 11 Feel Free, shot-like capsules of kratom and other 'botanic' ingredients, have recently earned attention on TikTok. Feel Free Tonics While documented deaths from kratom are rare and typically involve other substances like fentanyl, critics say consumers are unaware of kratom's potential dangers. Manufacturers aren't required to verify if what is listed on the label accurately reflects what's inside the product. McKibban, for one, was told it was impossible to overdose on kratom; that he'd just throw up if he took too much, Mauldin said. The green cellophane bags he left behind had no instructions or warnings. Advertisement 'I find it so frustrating when I get a recall from Costco over lettuce or they have a recall over some potato chip … and they pull it all off the market,' Mauldin, whose lawsuit alleges kratom is 63 times more deadly than other 'natural' products sold to consumers, noted. 'There have been hundreds of people killed from this, and they don't pull it. The government doesn't step in,' she added. 11 'I've lost my son. I've lost my grandchildren that I could have had, I've lost watching him walk down that aisle, watching him have a life,' Mauldin said. Courtesy Pam Mauldin 11 'I have to go to the cemetery, and I hate going to the cemetery. He shouldn't be there,' Mauldin said. Courtesy Pam Mauldin An even more potent danger Experts are especially concerned with a highly potent, highly addictive kratom offshoot called 7-hydroxymitragynine, or 7-OH, which seems to have infiltrated the market in the past few years, said Dr. Robert Levy, an associate professor at the University of Minnesota who's board-certified in both addiction and family medicine. Advertisement Many people don't know the difference. 'There's always been concern around kratom because if you take enough of it, kratom does act like an opioid, and people can become addicted to it and have withdrawal from it and overdose on it and ruin their lives on it, like anybody else that has a substance use disorder,' Levy said. 7-hydroxymitragynine, though, 'is much more addicting and much more problematic.' Advertisement In fact, just last week, the FDA recommended classifying 7-OH as an illicit substance. '7-OH is an opioid that can be more potent than morphine,' FDA Commissioner Marty Makary, said in a press release. 'We need regulation and public education to prevent another wave of the opioid epidemic.' 11 People on kratom can experience agitation, psychosis, sweating, dizziness, hypertension and elevated heart rate. Courtesy Pam Mauldin In the meantime, according to Levy, parents should be having open conversations with their kids about the appeals, dangers and addictive potential of kratom — and the fact that 'all-natural' or 'plant-based' doesn't necessarily mean safe. 'Arsenic is also from a plant,' he says. Advertisement As for people who say kratom helps them wean off other substances 'and they can control their use and they're getting their life back together, then who am I to judge?' Levy said. 'I just worry that because they can't control the use of something, the part of their brain that controls the use of psychoactive drugs is fundamentally broken, and I worry they'll continue to take more and more of it until they develop a kratom use disorder.' 'The level of kratom shocked me. It overwhelmed me. It made my gut sick. I didn't realize it was so addicting.' Jennifer Young '[If] the part of their brain that controls the use of psychoactive drugs is fundamentally broken, I worry they'll continue to take more and more of it until they develop a kratom use disorder,' he said. 'If your child or you or whoever is suffering from a substance disorder, you're not alone,' Levy added. 'Lots of people suffer from substance disorder. There is help, treatment works.' 11 Jennifer Young's son, Johnny Loring, was taking kratom — and she didn't worry because it's marketed as an 'all-natural, safe alternative.' Courtesy Jennifer Young 'No money on my child's life' For Jennifer Young, that message came too late. The mom in Columbus, Ohio, first googled kratom a few years ago after her son, Johnny Loring, mentioned he was using it for anxiety. What she found didn't alarm her. 'I saw it's this 'all-natural, safe alternative,' and then people are like, 'It's wonderful, it saved my life, helps with my anxiety, helps with my pain, it's a cure-all,'' Young remembered. 'So I didn't really think it was that bad.' 11 'Everybody loved Johnny,' Young says. 'He was the kind of guy that would give you the shirt off his back, the last dollar in his pocket.' Courtesy Jennifer Young Plus, Loring, a delivery driver for a flooring company who loved fishing and playing guitar, found kratom helped him stay alert and communicate with his customers. He valued those relationships. 'Everybody loved Johnny,' Young said. 'He was the kind of guy that would give you the shirt off his back, the last dollar in his pocket. He didn't care if you needed a ride, he'd give it to you. Anything you needed, he would be there for you in a heartbeat.' Even when Loring started having seizures, neither Young nor clinicians traced them back to kratom. At the hospital, 'they told me that everything was fine and they referred me to a seizure clinic,' Young added. Loring never got the chance to go. Weeks later, at age 27, he collapsed during an annual mushroom hunting trip with the men in his family and his new girlfriend. By the time the ambulance got to him, he was dead. A toxicology report revealed deadly levels of mitragynine and gabapentin, a prescription painkiller, in his system. 11 At age 27, Loring collapsed during an annual mushroom hunting trip with the men in his family and his new girlfriend. By the time the ambulance got to him, he was dead. Courtesy Jennifer Young 11 'Our house is silent now. The void of Johnny is just loud,' Young says. 'I just hope that someday I can get back to enjoying things, because I know he would want me to. But right now, I don't enjoy anything.' Courtesy Jennifer Young 'The level of kratom shocked me. It overwhelmed me. It made my gut sick,' said Young, who later found about 20 packs of kratom, which he drank with orange juice, around Loring's room. 'I didn't realize it was so addicting.' Like Mauldin, Young is pursuing a wrongful death lawsuit. But, she added, 'there's no amount of money I could put on my child's life.' After Loring's death last spring, she spent a year in bed and got on antidepressants for the first time. One of her other children has been hospitalized for panic attacks. Christmas was 'miserable,' she said. 'Our house is silent now. The void of Johnny is just loud,' Young added. 'I just hope that someday I can get back to enjoying things, because I know he would want me to. But right now, I don't enjoy anything.'
New York Post
a day ago
- New York Post
Addictive natural drink Feel Free is hooking young people with horrible consequences: ‘literal flakes of skin flying off'
Feel Free appears as innocuous as a trendy new Kombucha, and it's billed as a natural way to get a little boost. Manufacturer Botanic Tonics advertises the drink as filled with 'plant ingredients' and perfect for 'whenever you want a mood lift, a caffeine-free energy boost, or a little extra focus.' But some hapless customers who picked up a little blue bottle at a convenience store or gas station learned the hard way the drinks — which contain kava and kratom extracts — can be severely addictive. Advertisement Jasmine Adeoye cut out alcohol in 2022 for a 'lifestyle change,' and heard about Feel Free on the Skinny Confidential podcast, where it was billed as a good alternative to social drinking. 9 Jasmine Adeoye started using Feel Free as an alternative to alcohol. Courtesy of Jasmine Adeoye 'The two hosts were actually taking a hiatus from alcohol and they were talking about Feel Free and how it was a really great alcohol alternative for sober people, and I was looking for something like that,' Adeoye, 30, of Austin, Texas, said. Advertisement When she heard about it yet again on Joe Rogan's show, she decided to try it. 'I wanted to overcome the social anxiety of not having alcohol anymore, and it made me feel really good, but from then on, it was just a slow progression,' she recalled. 'I had no idea, going into it, that it was addictive.' She was able to use it moderately for a year when in social drinking situations, but then a stressful job as an account manager pushed her into addiction in 2023. 9 Adeoye was using as much as twelve bottles of Feel Free a day at the peak of her addiction. Courtesy of Jasmine Adeoye Advertisement 'It started to progress to, one a day slowly, and then two to three a day, and then upwards of five or six, and at the absolute worst, like twelve bottles a day,' she admitted. 'I was spending easily $3,000 a month.' Pharmacist Ethan Melillo warns the combination of kava and kratom, both of which are legal ingredients in the US, is highly addictive. 'This combination is something you don't want to be mixing together,' he told The Post. 'I definitely think it should be banned. They're both regularly available supplements, but what concerns me is the combination of the two of them.' Kava is a depressant, while Kratom is a stimulant — which means they have opposite effects on the body. Advertisement Melillo, who is based in East Greenwich, Rhode Island, explained that kratom and kava each bind to different receptors in the brain, and can be extremely overstimulating in combination. 9 Pharmacist Ethan Melillo warns that the combination of kava and kratom makes Feel Free especially addictive. Courtesy of Ethan Melillo Kava, which is used to reduce stress and anxiety, binds to the same receptors as benzodiazepine drugs, like Xanax and Valium. Kratom interacts with the same receptors as opioids, which poses a risk of addiction and withdrawal. 'What I'm seeing is people [consuming] like two, three, four [drinks] a day, because once you build that tolerance, your body will want more of it,' he explained. 'I'm not surprised that people are getting addicted to this, and that's what's so concerning about supplements. Usually they will only get pulled after people are having side effects.' Adeoye went to great lengths to hide her dependence: 'I would hop around from gas station to gas station because I was so embarrassed about the amount that I was buying. I would even get them on UberEats sometimes so I didn't have to face anyone.' She says her addiction took a toll physically and emotionally. 9 Jasmine Adeoye was able to quit Feel Free cold turkey but went through withdrawal. Courtesy of Jasmine Adeoye Advertisement 'I was lethargic, depressed, anxious, barely able to get out of bed,' she said. 'I was throwing up from the kratom, and the kava can make your skin dry, like alligator skin, literal flakes of skin just like flying off.' But she finally fessed up to her fiancé and her mom in March of 2024 and cut herself off cold turkey. She went through four days of miserable withdrawal, followed by two weeks of strong cravings, and finally felt fully back to herself after six months. Although FeelFree is a 21+ age restricted item, kids have been figuring out how to get their hands on them. Instagram creator Michael Brown posted a video to his followers warning about the drink after he says he was approached by 'a child' who was 'maybe fourteen years old' at a gas station begging him to purchase a Feel Free for him. Advertisement 9 Feel Free is marketed as a natural, plant-based way to get a quick boost. Feel Free Tonics 9 Feel Free is available for purchase at gas stations, convenience stores, and CBD shops. Feel Free Tonics 'He comes up to me and he says, 'Hey can you buy me some Feel Free,'' Brown alleged. When he informed the attendant, he was told she has some customers coming in five to six times a day to purchase it and that 'people act like… they have heroin addictions over this little drink.' Some users of Feel Free start using the product because they think it's a healthy alternative to other drugs. Advertisement Chris Oflyng first started using kratom powder at age 19, as a natural way to ween off of prescribed Adderall. 'I was like, 'Oh, [the Adderall] is not a positive thing in my life, it's something I should stay away from,' he told The Post. Five years later, in 2021, Feel Free hit the market — and Oflyng found himself hooked on its combination of kava and kratom. 9 Chris Oflyng has struggled with an on and off addiction to Feel Free for years. Courtesy of Chris Oflyng 'Products like Feel Free are really, really awful,' the 28-year-old from Madison, Wisconsin, said. 'I developed a codependency of using kava and kratom, due to the introduction of that product, and I don't think I knew it was as addictive as it could be in that combination.' Advertisement He describes the sensation as 'something like relaxation, but also stimulation.' 'At first it worked really, really well and gave me what I perceived to be an enhanced focus,' Oflyng, who works in donor development, said. 'I was able to accomplish more. But then the effect started to fade, and once you're addicted to it, it's just chasing the relief after cravings.' Oflyng has struggled with addictions to Feel Free 'on and off for the past couple years' and has been in and out of treatment for his addiction. 9 Oflyng says Feel Free products made him feel depressed. Courtesy of Chris Oflyng 9 Oflyng claims he has spent at least $40,000 on Feel Free and kratom products throughout the years. Courtesy of Chris Oflyng 'I would buy Feel Frees every time I would relapse,' he explained. 'You could just get them from a smoke shop or a gas station. It's just so readily accessible.' Oflyng says Feel Free derailed his life. 'The biggest downside was the depression that came with it for me,' he recalled. 'I've made a lot of progress, but, looking back and talking about it now, it's just like, why haven't I seized a lot of opportunities in my life? And I can point it all back to kratom and kava.' Oflyng estimates he's spent 'at least $40,000 over the years' between kratom powder and Feel Free drinks. 'A lot of people might be like, 'Oh, it's a plant, it's natural,' but it will catch up with you,' he warned.
New York Post
a day ago
- New York Post
How to protect yourself against flesh-eating bacteria — as deadly infection sweeps 5 states
Let this sink in — a dangerous, salt-obsessed bacterium is wreaking havoc along the Gulf Coast. Several dozen cases of Vibrio vulnificus and nine deaths have been reported so far this year across Florida, Louisiana, North Carolina, Alabama and Mississippi. The rod-shaped bacterium lurks in warm, brackish waters — it can enter your body when you consume raw or undercooked shellfish, particularly oysters, or expose an open wound to seawater. Advertisement 5 Beware swimming in open water if you have an open wound. Vibrio vulnificus could infect you. astrosystem – 'Vibrio has the potential to cause severe infections, including invasive soft tissue infections (sometimes called 'necrotizing fasciitis' or 'flesh-eating bacteria') and bloodstream infections,' Dr. Andrew Handel, a pediatric infectious diseases specialist at Stony Brook Children's Hospital, told The Post. Here's what you need to know about this rare but potentially deadly infection. What is Vibrio vulnificus? Advertisement Vibrio vulnificus was initially reported in medical literature in 1976, though it's believed to date back to ancient times. It's part of the broader Vibrio genus of bacteria that live in coastal waters. 5 Vibrio vulnificus is a rod-shaped bacterium that lurks in warm, brackish waters. Giovanni Cancemi – This group includes Vibrio cholerae, the pathogen that causes the diarrheal disease cholera, which is typically transmitted through contaminated food or water. Advertisement 'There are more than 200 recognized species of marine (saltwater) Vibrios, but only a few species cause significant public health problems, particularly foodborne illness, skin infections and wound infections,' a spokesman for the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services told The Post. For its part, Vibrio vulnificus needs salt to survive, which is why it occupies warm seawater, especially brackish environments, where freshwater and saltwater mix. 'It thrives in warm water, so cases tend to peak during the summer and are more common in the southern US around the Gulf Coast,' Handel said. Where have cases been reported? Advertisement The Florida Department of Health has logged 13 cases with four deaths as of July 24. There were 82 cases and 19 deaths last year, up from 46 cases and 11 deaths in 2023. 5 Cases, which tend to peak in the summer, are more common along the Gulf Coast. kittyfly – The agency noted an 'unusual increase' in infections in some parts of Florida last year because of Hurricane Helene, which struck the state in September 2024. Louisiana authorities have confirmed 17 cases, including four deaths, as of July 30. They noted that the state typically records seven cases and a death each year and blamed the uptick on 'increasing water temperatures and extreme weather events.' About 75% of the cases are from wound exposure to seawater. Advertisement North Carolina has recorded 59 Vibrio cases and one death this year as of July 31. The data includes illnesses from the vulnificus and cholera strains, as well as other Vibrio infections. The Mississippi State Department of Health told The Post it has confirmed 13 Vibrio reports so far this year, down from 50 last year. No one died from Vibrio in 2024 or 2025. Seafood consumption seems to be a common culprit. The state's data includes cases from Vibrio parahaemolyticus, which tends to cause watery diarrhea. Alabama reported 18 cases of vibriosis this year through late last month, according to local media, which said there were 54 cases in 2024. What are the symptoms? Advertisement Vibrio vulnificus symptoms depend on the type of infection. Exposing an open cut to contaminated water can cause a high fever, intense pain, swelling and redness at the wound site. 'The symptoms from skin infections can progress very quickly,' Handel said. 5 Vibrio vulnificus can also enter your body when you consume raw or undercooked shellfish, particularly oysters. Ilja – A soft tissue infection can lead to skin breakdown, ulcers and fluid-filled blisters. Significant tissue damage can occur in severe cases. Advertisement People who have eaten contaminated shellfish could experience severe vomiting and diarrhea, which may lead to dehydration. Stomach pain, fever and chills might follow. Once in the bloodstream, Vibrio vulnificus can cause rapid and serious illness. A bloodstream infection can spur a fever, chills, dizziness, confusion, dangerously low blood pressure, a fast heart rate and blistering skin lesions. Advertisement The Florida Department of Health reports that infections that hit the bloodstream are fatal about half the time. The risk of life-threatening complications is higher for people who are older or immunocompromised, particularly if they have chronic liver disease. There is no evidence of person-to-person transmission. 5 About 75% of the Louisiana cases are from wound exposure to seawater. LoloStock – How is Vibrio vulnificus treated? Vibrio vulnificus is diagnosed by testing blood, wound fluid or stool samples. Antibiotics are administered immediately. In aggressive cases, amputation of affected limbs may be needed to remove infected or dead tissue. What can you do to protect yourself from infection? Handel recommends steering clear of open bodies of water, like the ocean, rivers and estuaries, if you have cuts or scrapes. 'To prevent Vibrio food poisoning, avoid eating raw shellfish, especially if you are immunocompromised or have chronic liver disease,' he added. 'If you do eat shellfish, make sure it has not been sitting out for a long time and comes from a hygienic source.'
