According to the American Cancer Society, people who have the healthiest diet have 11-24% lower risks of cancer death than those with the least healthy diet.
BEING OVERWEIGHT OR OBESE
One of the major risk factors of several types of cancers is being obese or overweight. When there are an excess amount of fat cells in the body, they become resistant to insulin. The body has to compensate for this by producing even more insulin, however, these elevated levels promote several types of cancers including colorectal, liver, breast, etc. The excess fat cells in your body not only cause inflammation (aids in the initiating and proliferation of cancerous cells), but also contribute to an imbalance of hormones. These factors can lead to uncontrolled growths of potentially malignant cells.
Obesity, of course, can be a genetic predisposition and different people are more or less susceptible. However, obesity is also often caused by eating an excess of calories that you don’t use, which causes them to become converted into fat as energy storage.
The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute suggests that in order to lower your risks, you should revert to healthier eating behaviors, exercise daily, get a good amount of sleep, and decrease your stress levels. To decrease the accumulation of body fat, you should consider lowering your consumption of refined carbohydrates, highly energy-dense (foods high in sugar) food, and low fiber foods.
Reducing your processed carbohydrate intake:
Americans today are increasing their consumption of carbohydrates in the form of processed grains. The processing of grains removes several of vital nutrients such as fiber, healthy fats, vitamins, etc. In addition, these carbohydrates also tend to spike blood sugar levels more than less-refined whole grains do. This increase in sugar levels also cause an increase in the production of insulin, instigating potentially negative consequences. Alternatively, whole grains provide the body with carbohydrates that are slowly digested and are rich in fiber, vitamins, minerals, etc. Studies have also shown that consumption of whole grain foods may reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes and have been associated with decreased risks of certain types of cancer. Whole grains also have a lot of insoluble fibers, which is very helpful with digestion as well (this will be discussed in more detail later on). Grains also contain phytochemical compounds that have anticancer properties. For instance, Isoflavone, a compound found in leguminous grains, is able to help reduce cancerous cell proliferation.
Note that whole grain is different than whole wheat. Whole wheat can be just as processed and spike up your blood sugar levels just as much as processed grains. On the other hand, whole grains have a much lower glycemic index, a measure of the rate of glucose from the carbohydrate that is released into the bloodstream, and thus do not affect your blood sugar levels as much.
A company that sells a variety of different whole grain products, including whole grain flours, cereals, oats etc. is linked below.
http://www.bobsredmill.com/shop/flours-and-meals/whole-grain-flours.html
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Lower the fructose consumption in your diet.
Not only is excess sugar a probable cancer cell promoter by essentially feeding cancerous cells, but it also increases your chances of type 2 diabetes, liver disease, and obesity.
When I say lower your fructose consumption, I don’t mean decrease the amount of fruits you eat. In fact, you should do the opposite. Fruits contain many vitamins, fiber, and other nutrients that are very beneficial for your health. In addition, the sugar in fruits are natural sugars and not refined and processed like that found in candy, soda, and canned fruits.
Fructose in general is high in calories and contributes to the excess of fat cells in your body. May people do not realize how much sugar is in some what may seem “healthy foods,” which is extremely dangerous, as they are not realizing the potential consequences.
Here are some examples:
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Juice/Sports
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Dried fruit
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As I mentioned above, fruits are great for several different nutrients. However, food companies tend to add a good amount of sugar to enhance the taste of several fruits. A better alternative is to eat just the normal fruit itself. Another choice would be to make sure there are no added sugars. Some brands that sell raw dry fruits without added sugars are linked below.
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Yogurt
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We often times tend consider yogurt as a healthy snack. This isn’t false...as long as you are eating the right kind. However, here are some of nutrition facts that come from your seemingly “healthy” favorite yogurt brands.
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Yoplait's Thick and Creamy Vanilla Yogurt:
Calories: 180
Protein 7G
Sugar: 28 grams
Dannon’s Peach Yogurt:
Calories: 150
Sugar 27 grams
Protein: 6 grams
Try grabbing the “light” versions of yogurt that many brands offer.
Dannon’s Light & Fit Strawberry Greek Yogurt:
Calories: 80
Sugar 6 grams
Protein: 12 grams
Yoplait’s Light Harvest Peach Yogurt:
Calories: 90
Protein 5 grams
Sugar: 10 grams
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FAGE’s 2% Plain Greek Yogurt:
Calories: 150
Protein: 20 grams
Sugar: 8 grams
(excellent source of protein)
Chobani Simply 100 Greek Yogurt:
Calories: 100
Protein 12 grams
Sugar: 8 grams
Also consider exploring less-common organic brands. They can be pricier, but may be more nutritious and be healthier alternatives.
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Granola
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Frozen Yogurt (still a better than ice cream however)
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Salad Dressing
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Protein and Energy Bars
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Store-bought smoothies
I suggest you all to make comparisons of the different sorts of protein bars, smoothies, etc. out there and figure out which would be best for you in terms of sugar levels. You’ll be surprised to see how much sugar each of the following actually has
Increase Consumption of High Fibrous Foods:
What is dietary fiber? Dietary fiber is parts of plant foods that your body cannot digest, but aids in the digestion of other foods. It is mainly found in the cellular walls of fruits, vegetables, and grains. It is commonly classified into 2 categories: soluble fiber and insoluble fiber. While Increasing your dietary fiber appears also to be helpful with weight control, it also has been found to be inversely associated with body weight and fat, and thus your body mass index.(BMI).
Soluble fiber has been suggested to be able satiate your hunger better and faster by releasing 2 specific gut hormones that help induce satiety: glucagon-like peptide and peptide YY. Thus, it seems that fiber may allow you to feel fuller and intake fewer calories. Fiber also is suggested to decrease the absorption of macronutrients, regulates blood sugar, and has been shown to improve insulin sensitivity. As with insoluble fiber, this fiber isn’t able to be dissolved and helps with the movement of the material through your digestive tract. You may be concerned with the fact that several foods that are high in fiber are also high in calories. However, fiber is known to be much more resistant to digestion in the digestive pathway; in other words, many of the calories from the food source don’t actually get absorbed by your body.
Foods high in fiber:
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Avocados (10.5 g/cup)
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Asian Pear (9.9g/ medium fruit WITH skin)
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Figs (14.6g/cup)
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Artichokes (10.3g/medium artichoke)
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Black Beans (12.2g/cup)
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Prune (12g/cup)
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Chickpeas (8g/cup)
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Cooked Lima beans (13.3g/cup)
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Brussel Sprouts (7.6g/cup)
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Berries (8g/cup)
Increase your water intake and decrease your sweetened beverage intake
Increasing water intake is known to be extremely beneficial as well as essential to our daily lives. It is generally also recognized to aid in weight loss. Several studies have suggested that water drinkers have lower total calorie intake than non water drinkers on a daily average. In addition, sweetened beverages are associated with increased weight gain. Water also helps with breaking down the food and flush waste from the intestines (prevent constipation), while taking up some space in the stomach, helping with satiating hunger.
Increase in Physical Activity:
Like mentioned before, obesity is a result of having too many excess calories in your system and having it then converted into fat as energy storage. However, a good method to use up these calories is by exercising. The American Cancer Society recommends adults to engage in at least 150 minutes of moderate intensity exercises or 75 minutes of high intensity exercises. The society also suggests limiting sedentary behavior, meaning, stop sitting on your couch and binge watching TV! Physical inactivity has been associated with increased risks of colon, breast, prostate, and other cancers. Physical activity, on the other hand, is known to help reduce the risks of obesity and also a variety of different cancers, including liver, kidney, and lung. For example, 73 different studies conducted all around the world have found a 25% average risk reduction amongst physically active women compared to to the least physically active women.
Exercise also helps clear your mind and releases endorphins, neurotransmitters that are responsible for pleasure, (the same ones released when you eat chocolate!), so why wouldn’t you want to exercise?
Fighting and Preventing Obesity Guide: https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/files/docs/guidelines/prctgd_c.pdf
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OTHER FOODS THAT MAY HELP WITH CANCER PREVENTION
INFLAMMATION:
Several of the risks factors that I’ve mentioned in the risk factor page, induces inflammation (i.e. smoking and processed meats). Inflammation may help with the production of growth factors and cytokines, stimulating the proliferation of cancerous cells and enhance the survival of these cells as well. Inflammation is also associated with tissue destruction, increased genomic damage, and disruption of DNA repair pathways. Thus, it may be beneficial to consume anti-inflammatory foods for it may be a valid way to reverse these effects and reduce the risks of cancer.
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Foods with anti-inflammatory and anticancer properties:
Virgin Olive Oil
Virgin olive oil contains a phenolic compound, oleocanthal, that works similarly to ibuprofen, the common household drug that has anti-inflammatory effects on your body in order to relieve pain. Virgin olive oil is even better actually, as it doesn’t come with the side effects that advil or tylenol have. In addition, it is high in antioxidants that can help reduce oxidative damage to DNA by inhibiting free radicals in your body, thereby also exhibiting cancer preventative characteristics.
Herbs, Spices, and Seeds
Species and seeds in general contain many organic compounds, such as anethole (in fennel) and gingerol (in ginger), that tend to have many anticancer properties. Many have anti-inflammatory component, inhibit cell proliferation, induce apoptosis, and activate several cell regulatory pathways.
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Examples include:
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Cumin
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Turmeric
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Cloves
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Fennel
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Fenugreek
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Garlic
Garlic in particular has a compound called diallydisulfid, which inhibits the growth of a variety of different cancer cells such as breast, melanoma, etc. through several different mechanisms. In experimental studies, it has been shown to decrease the amount of DNA adducts (DNA with toxic chemicals bound to it), increasing the activities of helpful enzymes that regulate cell divisions and repair DNA.
Fruits and Vegetables
Increased consumption of fruits and vegetables have been consistently associated with decreased cancer risks and this could be due to antioxidants found in them. Fruits and vegetables contain various amounts of natural carotenoids, organic pigments produced by plants. Carotenoids have shown to have both anti-inflammatory and anticancer properties. Fruits and vegetables are also high in quercetin, another antioxidant that also has anti-inflammatory properties. These properties include being able to inhibit the NF-κB pathway (a pro-inflammatory pathway). It also has been shown to reduce the amount of DNA damage and reduce cell proliferation as well.
The fruits listed below are especially high in anti-inflammatory properties:
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Berries
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High in an antioxidant called resveratrol. It also shows several anticancer properties, including inhibiting cellular division, initiating apoptosis (by activating several genes such as p53 that initiate apoptosis, and inactivating other proteins and mechanisms that inhibit apoptosis).
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Tomatoes
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Have ~85% of the dietary lycopene, another antioxidant that exhibits anticancer activity. It interferes with cell growth and helps with certain signal transduction pathways.
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Peppers
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High in anti-inflammatory properties
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Dark greens
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High in anti-inflammatory properties, fiber, and other nutritions
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Onions
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High in Quercetin.
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Prunes
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Have over 4,800 antioxidants that may be helpful in reducing the oxidative DNA damage from free radicals (reactive chemicals in the body that harm cells by damaging the DNA).
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Nuts
Nuts also contain resveratrol, which have many beneficial properties as well as several other antioxidants. Details can be found in the berry section above.
Chia seeds
Chia seeds typically seen as a “superfood”. They contain a lot of dietary fiber and thus helps with digestion. It also contains anti-inflammatory properties and also have been shown to give you energy. They contain a variety of different nutrients, including several vitamins, minerals, and proteins.
Note: refined sugars as well as carbohydrates are pro-inflammatory products. As mentioned before, whole grains should replace these refined carbs, as they are very nutritional.
