Reduce Your Risk Of Cancer
Dietary Choices Have A Huge Impact on Cancer Prevention
According to the American Cancer Society, one half of all men and one third of all women in the U.S. will develop cancer in their lifetime. This translates to more than 1.2 million new cases diagnosed each year and over 500,000 deaths annually. Of these cases only 5-10% result from inherited defective genes that predispose a person to a very high risk of certain types of cancer. The remaining 1.8 million cases result from lifestyle choices. Diet is the second leading factor (after smoking) connected to cancer. The American Institute for Cancer Prevention claims as many as 375,000 cases of cancer could be prevented each year in this country through healthy dietary choices. The following recommendations demonstrate how you can improve your diet to increase health and lower cancer risk.
Food selections are one of the most important factors in protecting against cancer. Taking inventory of what you eat will illustrate how you provide nourishment for your body. Begin by compiling a record of everything you eat for three to seven days.
The first thing worth noting when examining your diet is whether or not there are ample vegetables. The three most popular vegetables in the United States are french fries, potato chips and ketchup. French fries and potato chips are problematic because they are usually deep fried in partially hydrogenated oils.
The processing of these artificial oils creates trans fatty acids. Ingesting trans fatty acids disrupts the hormonal system's ability to regulate healing. This leads to defective cell membranes, which encourages the development of cancer.
Margarine, snack foods, cookies, crackers, spreads, and other baked goods also generally contain partially hydrogenated oils. Diligence in reading food labels will uncover these oils in more products than you can imagine. If you absolutely love French fries and potato products try making baked au gratin versions of potatoes including sweet potatoes, turnips and other vegetables. Potato chips can be replaced with baked corn chips when a crunchy snack is desired. These substitutes can be just as satisfying but contain a lot less fat and no hydrogenated oils.
How many servings of vegetables (not on the most popular list) do you eat each day? The American Cancer Society claims that eating five servings each day could by itself reduce cancer rates by more than 20%. Several studies demonstrate even this may be a conservative estimate, asserting 8 to 10 servings is necessary for optimum health and cancer prevention. A serving is 1/2 cup cooked or raw chopped vegetables or 1 cup of raw leafy green vegetables. If counting servings each day is a nuisance, think of your food in percentages. Your vegetables should encompass approximately 25-30% of your daily intake. It is even simpler if you try and keep this ratio at each meal. At breakfast peppers, onions, shitake mushrooms (which have strong anti tumoral properties) or spinach may be included in an egg-white omelet. Adding vegetable salads and soups or a side of broccoli to lunch and dinner can also help increase your proportions. Eat the vegetables first to guarantee increased intake.
Vegetables, more than any food group, have the ability to assert a protective effect on health. The cruciferous or cabbage family has significant anti-cancer properties. Dr. Saxon Graham from the State University of New York conducted a study of the diets of men with colon cancer and those without cancer. He determined those who ate the most cabbage, Brussel sprouts, broccoli, turnips, cauliflower and other vegetables experienced the lowest rates of cancer. The project discovered a direct correlation between increased vegetable consumption and increased protective effect. Among the vegetables studied, cabbage was found to have the most benefit. Eating cabbage more than once a week reduced the risk of colon cancer by one third.
Leaves are the respiratory system of the plant. Therefore, it is no surprise that dark leafy green vegetables have been found to be extremely beneficial in significantly lowering lung cancer rates. This is due in part to the high beta-carotene content in greens such as spinach, escarole, collards, kale, swiss chard, dandelion and mustard greens as well as watercress, bok choy and parsley. Beta-carotene can also be found in orange-yellow vegetables like squash, sweet potatoes and carrots. A 19 year study of 1,954 men at a western electric plant revealed those who regularly ate carrots, kale, broccoli and other carotene rich foods had significantly lower lung cancer rates. This study published in the Lancet, reported that men with the lowest consumption of beta-carotene foods had a seven times greater risk of lung cancer than men with the highest intakes. Leafy greens are the ingredient most lacking in the American diet. Adding spinach or escarole to your salads, omelet’s or pizza is a good way to introduce these wonderful energetic foods into your diet.
What percentage of your diet contains processed ingredients versus whole foods? In particular what are your grain sources? Are they mostly flour products like bread, pasta, cereals etc.? These are processed foods. Whole oats, barley, corn, brown rice, buckwheat, rye and millet are preferable because they have not had any elements removed. Wheat noodles, pre-packaged rice dishes, and wheat breads have all been altered in the process of being made. Whole grains are the most perfect fare containing all of the vitamins and minerals needed to digest and assimilate this food to the fullest. The staff of life is whole grains and in the fight against cancer this is no exception. Not to mention the role fiber and whole bran plays in reducing the risk of almost all cancers.
Sea vegetables and beans also promote health and have been proven to reduce tumors. Kombu, wakame, arame, hijiki, dulse and kelp are all part of the sea vegetable family. In studies, several varieties of kombu were found to cause a complete regression of tumors in more than half of the mice tested. Wakame has also shown anti tumoral activity as well as preventing and reversing lung cancer according to a study at the University of Hawaii. Keeping in mind that cancer is a general name for over 100 diseases that involve a group of abnormal cells that multiply and form tumors this is significant. Get more seaweed into your diet by eating sushi (which can be found in vegetarian varieties if you don’t want to eat raw fish), soups, and edamame salads. There are seaweed shakers (use like saltshakers) in dulse, kelp and nori varieties that can be purchased at local Asian markets or health food stores. Ingesting small amounts two or three times a week is all that is needed to reap the benefits.
Where is the fat in your diet coming from? Saturated fats in the form of animal products, including butter and other dairy products, are the most damaging. People who eat red meat, pork and poultry every day are more than twice as likely to get colon cancer than those who avoid it. Processed meats like cold cuts, bacon, and hot dogs also contain high levels of nitrates. People with diets that include substantial amounts of smoked foods and meats treated with nitrates have higher rates of cancer of the stomach and esophagus. Healthy sources of fat include olive oil, flax seed oil and fish. Studies have shown that women with a high intake of olive oil have lower incidence of breast cancer. Omega-3’s found in fish and flax have been associated with inhibiting breast tumors. Eat very little red meat if any. Choose animal protein no more than once a day and ideally once or twice a week. Choose fish over meat and poultry whenever possible. Use lower-fat toppings or dressings on potatoes, toast, rolls or salads.
What beverages are you drinking? Choose beverages and foods that moderate your intake of sugars. Americans consume an average of 20 teaspoons of added sugars a day, accounting for 16 percent of calories. The intake of soft drinks has risen over 2,638 percent in the last century packing an average of 12 teaspoons of sugar per 12 ounce serving. Regular alcohol consumption and cancer risk are directly related especially in cases of breast cancer. If you presently drink alcoholic beverages, reduce or eliminate them from your diet. Increase water intake. Bancha teas and green tea have been associated with lower incidence of many kinds of cancer as well as increased bone density.
These are just a few of the dietary guidelines to a healthier cancer-free life. Don’t forget all lifestyle choices are important. Avoiding use of tobacco products as well as including regular physical activity significantly diminishes health risk. This truly is a case of “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure”. Incorporating cancer-inhibiting vegetables while reducing saturated fats and sugar will greatly decrease your chances of developing and dying of cancer. Experiment first with food recommendations that appeal to you most. Then consistently add one healthy food to your diet as is comfortable. Be gentle with yourself.
Rose Payne is the founder and Director of High Level Wellness a holistic health and nutrition center in Cherry Hill, New Jersey. She is an AADP certified Holistic Nutrition Counselor and National Educator with a private practice that offers assistance countrywide. She is also the Director of the Immersion Graduate Program at the Institute for Integrative Nutrition in NYC. Her passion is helping clients transform their lives through the power of nutrition. You can contact Rose at info@high-level-wellness-online.com
If you are interested in purchasing an article or having Rose write for your publication contact publishing@high-level-wellness-online.com
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