There are 116 substances and activities that the International Agency for Research on Cancer recognizes as potentially causing cancer. That could help to explain why the chance of getting cancer has gotten so high.

In the United States, 442.4 out of every 100,000 people will get cancer in a given year. That means that in cities like Chicago, the number of residents diagnosed per year is exceptionally high due to their large population size. That particular city sees at least 11,000 cases a year.

The most common forms of cancer are breast, lung, colon, and prostate cancer. Those cancers are all known to be caused by multiple substances and activities on the IARC’s list.

Many of the items on the list are everyday items and activities that people may not consider dangerous, which is a big part of the problem. Often, carcinogens hide in plain sight, unnoticed by their victims until it’s too late. The list is too long to go into, but here are three common items that contain dangerous carcinogens you should be aware of.

1. The Drugs In Your Medicine Cabinet

There’s a long history of prescription and over-the-counter medicines being linked to cancer. Often, it’s due to a lack of information. You can’t know the long-term effect a drug will have on humans for certain until it’s tested in humans, and then it’s only discovered when people begin to get sick.

Take the Zantac recall as an example. Zantac was widely used to treat heartburn and other health issues resulting from stomach acid for almost 40 years before it was found to contain NDMA (Nitrosodimethylamine), a highly cancerous chemical. Since then, the use of the medication has been linked to an increased chance of 10 different cancers, including kidney, stomach, and bladder.

If you’ve been diagnosed with one of these cancers and you’ve taken Zantac or its generic form ranitidine in the last 20 years, it could be responsible. Take some time to read more about the ongoing legal case involving the makers of Zantac, and learn more about your options today.

2. The Drinks In Your Fridge

Multiple drinks that you may have in your fridge right now have been linked to causing cancer. Those include soda, sports drinks, energy drinks, and alcohol, just to name a few.

Soda

Sodas like Pepsi have been found to contain the carcinogen 4-Methylimidazole, which is an ingredient found in the caramel coloring that such drinks use to obtain their appearance.

It has been alleged that Pepsi knew about the potential risk for years, and actively attempted to cover it up. This has led them to be in an ongoing battle with the state of California, where companies are required to label products that may cause cancer.

Alcohol

Use of alcohol increases your chance of mouth, throat, esophagus, colon, liver, and breast cancer. This is because alcohol contains ethanol which breaks down into acetaldehyde when it enters your body. Acetaldehyde is a chemical that is known to damage your DNA.

When your DNA is damaged, cells can begin growing out of control and create cancerous tumors. The more you drink, the more likely this is to occur. The CDC recommends no more than one drink a day for women or two drinks a day for men.

Sports Drinks

Sports drinks themselves don’t cause cancer, but they contain a significant amount of carbohydrates and sugar, which can potentially contribute to cancer. It’s recommended to avoid drinking these in excess.

Energy Drinks

Like sports drinks, there’s no solid link between energy drinks and cancer. They do however contain a high amount of sugar and caffeine, which can potentially contribute to cancer.

Despite the links between these drinks and cancer, they are all sold daily in stores across the world and can be found in fridges everywhere.

3. The Meat In Your Freezer

Red meat and processed meat both contain haem iron. That’s what gives the meat a red or pink coloring.

When haem is broken down in the gut, it forms N-nitroso compounds. These can damage the cells lining the bowel, which can lead to cancer.

The CDC recommends limiting the consumption of red and processed meat to lower your risk of cancer and other health conditions.

These everyday items serve as hiding places for chemicals that could potentially cause cancer. The more aware you are of the dangers, the easier it is to avoid them and keep yourself healthy.