Do You Know The Diet To Prevent Cancer?
Diet to prevent cancer | Dr. Geetha Nagasree Explains
Presently, approximately 60–70 percent of malignancies can be prevented by avoiding risk factors and following existing evidence-based preventative initiatives” as per the World Health Organization report. The 2012 American Cancer Society (ACS) Principles for Preventing Cancer that demonstrate a high relationship between increased compliance to diet suggestions and decreased cancer mortality are among these evidence-based measures.
Is there any Diet to Prevent Cancer?
Before getting deep into this question, let us first try to understand the percentage of possibility to prevent cancer. In view of several research-backed studies, there is up to 70% possibility of preventing cancer. This means up to 70% risk of getting cancer in an individual’s lifetime can be managed by managing controllable risk factors. Whereas 30 risk of getting cancer is due to uncontrollable factors (genetic, environmental, and unknown causes). Similarly, with a balanced and nutritious diet, there is a 30% chance of preventing all types of cancers.
Diet to prevent cancer
Add fruits and vegetables to your diet
Most of us are currently falling well short of the daily minimum of 5 servings of fruits and vegetables. Focus on eating “whole” meals that are as close to their original state as possible. For instance, rather than drinking apple juice, consume an unpeeled apple.
The Best Diet to Prevent Cancer
- Breakfast: Top your whole-grain, low-sugar cereal with fresh fruit, seeds, and almonds (like oatmeal).
- Lunch: Make a salad with your preferred vegetable combination. Make a whole grain sandwich with lettuce, tomatoes, and avocado. Serve with carrots, sauerkraut, or fruits as a side dish.
- Dinner: Toss your preferred pasta sauce or rice dish with frozen or fresh vegetables. Broccoli, sautéed vegetables, or salsa can be added to a baked potato.
- Dessert: Instead of sweet desserts, opt for fruit.
Incorporate an anti-oxidant rich diet
Antioxidants found in plant-based meals aid to strengthen your immune system and shield you from cancer cells.
- Fruit-rich diets may reduce the incidence of stomach and lung cancer.
- Lung, oral, throat, and larynx cancers may be reduced by eating carotenoids-rich foods including carrots, Brussels sprouts, and squash.
- Non-starchy veggies including broccoli, spinach, and beans, as well as legumes, may help shield against stomach and throat cancer.
- Citrus fruits, berries, peas, bell peppers, dark leafy greens, and other vitamin C-rich foods may help prevent esophageal cancer.
- Tomatoes, guava, and watermelon, which are high in lycopene, may help in reducing the incidence of prostate cancer.
Limit alcoholic consumption
Women should limit themselves to one drink each day, while males should limit themselves to two.
Pick whole-grain rather than refined grain products
- Rather than refined grain consumption, choose whole-grain bread, pasta, and cereal (barley or oats), as well as brown rice instead of white rice.
- Other processed carbohydrate foods, such as pastries, sweets, sugar-sweetened morning cereals, and other high-sugar foods, should be avoided.
Add plenty of fiber to your diet
Fiber, also known as roughage or bulk, is found in fruits, veggies, and whole grains and is essential for keeping the digestive tract healthy. It aids in the movement of cancer-causing substances through your digestive tract before they do damage. Colorectal cancer and other frequent digestive system malignancies, such as stomach, mouth, and throat, may be prevented by eating a high-fiber diet.
Pick healthy fats
- Biscuits, crackers, pastries, muffins, pizza doughs, French fries, fried chicken, and hard taco shells contain trans-fat or partially hydrogenated oil, which should be avoided.
- Saturated fat from red meat and milk should account for no more than 10 percent of your daily calorie intake.
- Fish, olive oil, almonds, and avocados are all good sources of unsaturated fats. Salmon, tuna, and flaxseeds contain omega-3 fatty acids, which can help to reduce inflammation and improve heart and brain health.
The Risk of Cancer
Red and processed meat, such as beef, swine, lamb, liver, hot dogs, and deli meat, have been shown to increase the risk of colorectal cancer in studies. Furthermore, charring meat or frying it to extremely high temperatures can produce toxic compounds that can increase the risk of colon cancer. Alcohol consumption has also been related to colorectal cancer and raises the risk of breast cancer. When compared to women who do not consume alcohol, females who drink 2 to 5 drinks per day have around one-and-a-half times the risk of breast cancer. Women should take no more than one alcoholic drink each day, according to the American Cancer Society.
Bottom line
Many of us do not take any action rather we learn, understand, talk and then forget – that’s what we do. The need of the hour is to take action. The only way you can beat cancer is by adopting a pragmatic approach and by making changes in your lifestyle. Whatever, you have read, and understood about the diet to prevent cancer – start making changes in your dietary habits from now onwards. Also, remember to combine good nutrition with plenty of activity. If you do this, then you have around a 70% chance of preventing cancer in your lifetime.
