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Nutrition, Cancer and Lifestyle
Nutrition and Lifestyle Choices and Cancer.
The World Cancer Research Panel, including the US National Cancer Institute, published a 1000+ page summary of their review of more than 100,000 studies on Diet, Lifestyle and Cancer. They did not consider tobacco as that has been well proven already to cause 33% of all cancers.
Here are their main conclusions for nutritional and lifestyle factors that definitively reduce cancer risk:
- Non-starchy vegetables reduce risk of cancers of the mouth, larynx, stomach, colon and rectum. Consume at least eight servings of fibrous vegetables per day – that’s two full cups.
- Fruits reduce risk of cancers of the mouth, larynx, esophagus, lung, and stomach. Eat two fruits per day – preferably fibrous, low GI fruits such as apples, oranges, pears, berries, kiwifruit, peaches, nectarines and apricots.
- Garlic reduces colorectal cancer. Fresh garlic is best (try roasting whole heads of garlic, skin and all and then squeeze the delicious sweet, garlic out). You can also take garlic tablets.
- Folic acid reduces the risk of pancreatic cancer. Oranges, other citrus fruits, green leafy vegetables and asparagus are a source of folic acid.
- Carotenoids reduce risk of cancer of the mouth, larynx and, lung. Different carotenoids are related to their colours. There are two general categories, carotenes are present in yellow vegetables, while xanthophylls are in green ones
- Beta-carotene reduces risk of cancer of the esophagus. Beta-carotene, an essential nutrient that our body converts to Vitamin A, is present in orange carrots, kumara and pumpkin. Lutein exists in both dark green kale and broccoli and in egg yolks and capsicum.
- Lycopene reduces risk of cancer of the esophagus and prostate. It is found in red tomatoes, apricots, grapefruit, watermelon and pawpaw.
- Vitamin C reduces risk of cancer of the esophagus. Abundant in kiwifruit, red capsicum, citrus fruit, also found in potatoes, red berries, tomatoes, broccoli and spinach.
- Selenium reduces risk of colorectal and prostate cancer. New Zealand soils tend to be low in selenium so most multivitamins contain this vital mineral. A good source of selenium is brazil nuts
- Calcium reduces risk of colorectal cancer. Dairy products contain the highest levels of calcium, but green vegetables are also a source.
- Physical exercise reduces risk of breast, endometrial, and colorectal cancer. Thirty minutes per day of moderate exercise is the current recommendation.
- Coffee does not pose a risk for cancer. (phew, at last some good news!)
The above conclusions from the 100,000 studies on diet, lifestyle and cancer serve to emphasise how important it is to eat a wide variety of foods, especially vegetables and fruits.
Here are the main conclusions from the study for nutritional and lifestyle factors that definitively increase cancer risk:
- Aflatoxin (mainly absorbed from peanuts) increases risk of liver cancer.
- Red meats and processed meats increase risk of liver cancer. Lean red meat, eaten in moderation is quite different to processed meats which have various preservatives and additives added to them.
- Butter and salt both probably increase risk of stomach cancer.
- Arsenic from drinking water supplies increases risk of lung cancer.
- Alcohol increases risk of mouth, esophagus, and breast cancer, and probably liver cancer.
- Overweight increases risk of cancer of the esophagus, pancreas, colon, rectum, breast, endometrium, and kidney, and probably gall bladder.
All these nutritional and lifestyle factors are choices within our control.
Dr Michael Colgan PHD states in his 2007 book “You Can Prevent Cancer” that tobacco, overweight, inactivity and poor nutrition cause 74% of all cancers.
Lynda Smith, Real Nutrition
The information herein on our website is general information provided for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional care. It is not intended nor should it be used to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. Persons who have or suspect they may have an illness or medical condition should seek the guidance of a qualified health professional.
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