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Eating too much processed foods could promote cancer
We process food into other form for many reasons to look good, taste better, smell good to consume, but importantly for the product to stay longer without getting rotten (preserve them) so we can make them available to people who either do not have access to that kind of food or have no food at all.
The processing (crushing, milling, drying, addition of preservatives or chemicals for taste and look) usually makes the foods lose some natural nutritional value.
Also, the additives, such as sugars, artificial sugars and amino acids, salts etc. may be detrimental to the human body when eaten often.
Numerous diseases including diabetes, obesity, heart diseases have been linked to some additives.
Dr Peter Lemaire, a Research Doctor, in an interview with The Spectator disclosed that eating too much processed foods could promote cancer.
According to him, cancer process happened in our bodies every minute, but it did not break out for many people because their immune system eliminated them, and added that, there had been a discovery in recent times that cancer could be prevented by a healthy immune system.
He noted that, the best form of treatment for cancer right now “are drugs that boost the immune system to enable them fight cancer, called the immune-oncology drugs including Yervoy, Opdivo and Keytruda”.
The Medical Researcher underscored that, any process that took away the nutrients needed to boost the immune system or weaken the immune system, may promote cancer.
Dr Lemaire indicated that there were three impacts of processing that were linked to cancer and mentioned loss of nutritional value as one of them, adding that fruits and vegetables contained vitamins and antioxidants that were also very unstable when exposed to air.
According to him, vitamins were destroyed over time, and even faster when heat was applied, and said that Vitamin C that was very necessary for building a strong immune system which could be destroyed in minutes when fruits were exposed to air, light, chemicals at high pH and heat.
Another impact he highlighted was harmful additives included sugars, salt and some chemicals which were added to enhance taste.
Sugar (glucose), he said, was a direct fuel to cancers as cancer cells used about 200 times more energy than normal cells, stressing that, too much artificial sweeteners such as saccharin, cyclamate, aspartame, and natural sweetener such as Stevia had been linked to mutagenesis and cancer.
He reiterated that some additives such as monosodium glutamate (MSG), sodium benzoate, sodium nitrites, potassium bromate have been linked to cancer when eaten too much or often.
The research doctor explained that some artificial colours used in fruit juices, salad dressing, ice creams including blue 1&2-E133, green 3, red 3, red 40, yellow 6-E110, yellow tartrazine – E102 among others were also linked to cancer.
The third impact was, packaging, indicating that, heavy metals such as iron, copper, and nickel in trace amounts may trigger free radical reaction on unsaturated fats or cause reactive oxygen species that caused DNA damage and could lead to cancer.
He said that, metals used in packaging such as aluminum was linked to breast cancer.
“Cans are Tin-coated steel (iron + carbon alloy) or aluminum and their impact on free radical formation are minimal, when cutting the cans metals are filed into the food, potentially significant enough to trigger free radical formation”, he stated.
Dr Lemaire said processing made the foods lose their nutritional value and, value of protecting cells against cancer.
According to the Medical Doctor, some Ghanaians had the wrong notion that living rich meant eating processed or polished foods, instead, eating fresh foods like raw ground pepper, tomatoes, onions among others was rather rich and healthier than canned fish and canned vegetables.
By Alfred Nii Arday Ankrah
Dr Palgrave Boakye-Danquah, spokesperson to NPP Ashanti Regional Chairman Bernard Antwi Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi, has called on the government and Parliament to undertake major reforms in Ghana’s prison system, including the construction of a dedicated prison hospital and the introduction of regulated conjugal visits.
In a press statement issued on Tuesday, October 27, 2026, Dr Boakye-Danquah shared Chairman Wontumi’s observations and recommendations following his remand on July 20, 2026.
According to the statement, Chairman Wontumi’s experience in prison has given him the opportunity to interact with prison officers and inmates and observe the challenges facing the Ghana Prisons Service.
The statement noted that the NPP chairman believes the correctional system must move beyond punishment to focus on rehabilitation, welfare and productivity.
One of his major concerns is the lack of dedicated, well-equipped prison hospitals, ambulances and standby generators in several prison facilities.
Dr Boakye-Danquah said Chairman Wontumi had raised concerns about the difficulties in providing medical care to seriously ill inmates, including those suffering from tuberculosis.
He is therefore calling for the construction of a modern prison hospital to serve facilities across the country. In the interim, he has proposed emergency arrangements with the 37 Military Hospital and the Police Hospital.
On the welfare of prison officers, Chairman Wontumi has urged the government to review their salaries, accommodation and conditions of service.
He has also called for proper classification of inmates, arguing that minor offenders should not be housed alongside armed robbery convicts and that persons facing trial for serious offences, including treason and terrorism, should be appropriately separated from other inmates.
The statement further highlighted concerns about the need for counselling and behavioural support for young inmates, particularly those serving sentences for defilement-related offences.
Chairman Wontumi has also called for a clear policy on the classification and management of LGBTQI+ inmates within the prison system.
On family relationships, he has proposed the creation of designated private areas where prisoners can receive visits from their spouses and children.
He believes regulated conjugal visits could help preserve marriages, reduce tension among inmates and support rehabilitation.
“The prisoner is the one in prison, not the children or spouse,” the statement noted, explaining his position on the need to protect family relationships during incarceration.
Chairman Wontumi has appealed to the Ministry of Food and Agriculture to support prison farms with the necessary equipment to improve food production.
According to the statement, the Ghana Prisons Service has access to vast lands and skilled labour but faces a shortage of agricultural equipment, with only one tractor reportedly available for farming and garbage-related activities.
He has further proposed greater collaboration between prison authorities and the justice sector, suggesting that regional prison commanders should be included in relevant discussions because of their knowledge of prison conditions and inmate rehabilitation.
On infrastructure, Chairman Wontumi has called on the government and private sector to invest in modern prison facilities and factories, arguing that the system has seen limited structural improvements over the years.
Appeal to Parliament
Dr Boakye-Danquah said Chairman Wontumi had made a special appeal to Parliament to lead efforts towards comprehensive prison reform.
He is urging the Speaker of Parliament to initiate discussions on prison conditions as a human rights and national development issue.
He has also called on the Majority and Minority caucuses to work together to pass a new Prison Reform Act and approve funding for a dedicated prison hospital, ambulance services, standby generators and agricultural equipment.
Additionally, he wants the Parliamentary Select Committees on Defence and Interior, Health, and Food and Agriculture to undertake working visits to prisons across the country to assess conditions firsthand.
According to the statement, Chairman Wontumi believes bipartisan cooperation between the Majority and Minority caucuses is necessary to secure the legal and financial reforms required to improve the prison system.
He has called for broader prison reforms across Africa, expressing hope that Ghana could lead the continent in improving correctional facilities.
Reflecting on his experience since July 20, Chairman Wontumi stated: “At this experience since July 20th till date, prison doesn’t reform as it should be. I pray that the entire Africa will learn from Ghana.”
The statement added that Chairman Wontumi remained in high spirits.
By: Jacob Aggrey
England captain Harry Kane says it was extra special to be presented with the Ballon d’Or by one of his childhood idols.
Kane made the comment after receiving the prestigious award from former Brazilian striker Ronaldo Nazario.
“Ronaldo was one of my idols growing up,” Kane said.
The Bayern Munich striker described the moment as surreal, being honoured by a player he looked up to as a young footballer.
Kane was announced as the 2026 Ballon d’Or winner on Monday, October 26, at the London Palladium, marking the 70th anniversary of the award and the first time the ceremony was held outside France.
The 33-year-old beat stiff competition from second-placed Kylian Mbappe and Barcelona youngster Lamine Yamal to win his first ever Ballon d’Or.
He becomes the first Englishman to win the coveted individual award in 25 years since Michael Owen in 2001, and only the fifth Englishman ever after Stanley Matthews, Bobby Charlton, Kevin Keegan and Owen.
He is also the first Bayern Munich player to win the award since Karl-Heinz Rummenigge in 1981.
Kane won the award after a remarkable season in which he scored 61 goals in 51 club matches, the most a Bayern player has ever scored in one campaign.
Including England matches, it was 73 goals plus eight assists in 65 matches. His 73 goals is the second-highest single-season total ever behind Lionel Messi’s 82 in 2011-12.
Despite the goal haul, Kane did not win the Champions League or World Cup, with Bayern losing 6-5 on aggregate to Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League semi-finals and England losing 2-1 to Argentina in the World Cup semi-final before finishing third.
The award was presented by Brazilian great Ronaldo Nazario, a two-time Ballon d’Or winner himself, adding what was described as a special dimension to Kane’s historic achievement.
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
