Cancer is a debilitating, chronic disease that is the second leading cause of death in the United States. Cancer is characterized by abnormal cells in the body that quickly reproduce, spread and destroy normal cells, tissues and organs. Diet plays a big role in the cause and prevention of cancer. Consult your doctor about your health and the types of foods to consume and to avoid to reduce your cancer risks.
Weight
Consuming a high-calorie diet increases your risk for weight gain, obesity and cancers of the colon, endometrium, ovaries, kidney, pancreas, gallbladder, esophagus and breast. The National Cancer Institute says preventing weight gain can reduce your risk of cancer and that you should lose weight with a low-calorie diet and avoid additional weight gain if you are already overweight or obese. Increasing physical activity can help you burn calories and lose weight.
Foods That Increase Risk
Processed meats, foods with trans fats and products with added sugars may increase your risk of cancer. Processed meats contain a preservative called sodium nitrite, which your body converts into nitroasamines, a carcinogenic substance. These meats include bacon, sausage, hot dogs, bologna and salami. Research by scientists at the Cancer Research Center of Hawaii, published in the "Journal of the National Cancer Institute" in 2005, discovered that consumption of red and processed meat was associated with an increased risk of pancreatic cancer. Eating foods with trans fats may increase your risk of breast cancer, according to research by scientists at the Institute of Gustave Roussy in Villejuif, France, and published in the "American Journal of Epidemiology" in 2008. Consuming foods and beverages sweetened with added sugars may increase your risk of pancreatic cancer, according to scientists at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, Sweden, published in the "American Journal of Clinical Nutrition" in 2006.
Foods That Reduce Risk
Antioxidants, such as vitamins C and E, lycopene and beta carotene, are substances in foods that protect cells from aging, dangerous chemicals and free radicals and can reduce the risk of cancer growth. Free radicals are unstable molecules that can stimulate the growth of cancer. The concentrations of antioxidants are highest in fruits, vegetables and nuts. Consuming high amounts of fruits, vegetables and nuts, particularly oranges, berries, watermelon, dark green leafy vegetables, carrots, sweet potatoes, tomatoes and almonds, can help you reduce the risk of cancer. Oranges are high in vitamin C. Berries, such as strawberries and raspberries, have a high concentration of antioxidants. Watermelon and tomatoes are high in lycopene. Green leafy vegetables, carrots and sweet potatoes contain beta carotene. Almonds have a high content of vitamin E.
Misconceptions
A common misconception is that what you ate as a child has little bearing on the risk of cancer as an adult. The truth is that behaviors in early life can affect the risk of developing cancer later in life. Although you cannot change the past, you can live with healthy dietary habits today and into the future.
References
- Centers For Disease Control and Prevention: Leading Causes of Death
- MayoClinic.com: Cancer
- National Cancer Institute: Obesity and Cancer: Questions and Answers
- "Journal of the National Cancer Institute"; Meat and Fat Intake as Risk Factors for Pancreatic Cancer: The Multiethnic Cohort Study; Nothlings, U., L.R. Wilkens, et al.; Oct 5 2005
- "American Journal of Epidemiology"; Association between Serum Trans-Monounsaturated Fatty Acids and Breast Cancer Risk in the E3n-Epic Study; Chajes, V., A.C. Thiebaut, et al.; Jun 1 2008
- "American Journal of Clinical Nutrition"; Consumption of Sugar and Sugar-Sweetened Foods and the Risk of Pancreatic Cancer in a Prospective Study; Larsson, S.C., L. Bergkvist, et al.; Nov 2006
