According to the American Cancer Society, half of all men and one-third of women in America will develop cancer in their lifetimes. A number of factors play into the risk of developing cancer, and there's no way to predict exactly who will face this terrible disease. However, in some cases, evidence shows that maintaining the right kind of healthy diet can help reduce your risk of developing certain types of cancer.
Overall Risk
The World Health Organization, through a series of studies, determined that diet is a factor in 30 percent of cancer cases in the developing world. While different cancers responded to specific risk factors, one of the most common determinants was meat in the diet. A WHO study in England and Germany found that vegetarians were 40 percent less likely to develop cancer, with consumption of red meat and animal fats the largest risk factors.
Carcinogenic Compounds
One of the reasons for the increased risk of cancer associated with meat consumption is the creation of compounds known as heterocyclic amines. These are mutagens formed when you cook meat at high temperatures and over a long period of time. In addition, cooking over an open flame can create polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons when fat drips into the fire and burns. These carcinogens adhere to the surface of the meat, and researchers suspect they play a major role in the development of gastrointestinal cancers.
Fruits and Vegetables
Eating a diet high in fruits and vegetables helps protect against cancer in multiple ways. Vegetable-rich diets tend to be lower in calories than diets containing a lot of meat, promoting weight loss. Obesity can be a major risk factor in the development of almost every type of cancer, so shedding extra pounds is one way to reduce your risk factors significantly. In addition, these diets tend to be high in cancer-fighting vitamins like C and A as well as high in fiber.
Fiber
An increase in the consumption of fiber has shown to reduce the risk of stomach and colorectal cancer. In addition to usually having a high vitamin content, high-fiber foods are also low in fat, reducing another risk factor. Furthermore, high fiber diets move food quickly through the digestive system, allowing food-borne carcinogens less time to affect the body.
Alcohol
Another component of diet which affects cancer risk is the consumption of alcohol. Moderate to high levels of alcohol consumption increase the risk of cancer throughout the gastrointestinal system, as well as liver and breast cancers. The American Cancer Society recommends that to reduce your risk of these cancers, men should drink no more than two alcoholic drinks per day and women only one.
