Cancer Prevention through Diet.

Prevention is better than cure they say and while medical technology and research have made major breakthroughs in the last two decades it is still wise to take responsibility for our own health and well-being. Cancer is now the second biggest killer of the adult American population and the statistics in South Africa are not much better…

Cancer and Diet

The link between cancer and improper diet was first highlighted in 1977 in the Senate Select Committee’s Dietary Goals for the United States, in 1982 the National Academy of Sciences released an important report called Diet, Nutrition and Cancer and in 1988 the U.S Department of Health and Human Services Published a major manuscript by C.Everett Koop, M.D which also discussed the relationships between nutrition and common degenerative diseases, including cancer. How do we follow a diet to promote health and well-being? The first step is to identify the most common possible carcinogens and try to minimise our regular intake of these substances.

Common possible carcinogens include:

Additives: food colours, flavours, nitrites and nitrates.
Hormones: mainly found in meats.
Coffee: some de-caffeinated coffee may be treated with carcinogens such as trichloroethylene or methyl chloride.
Saccharin: implicated in bladder cancer.
Pesticides: sprayed on foods before and after harvesting.
Pickled or salt-cured foods: could influence digestive and stomach lining.
Potatoes: when bruised or green
Aflatoxin: may cause liver cancer and is produced by moulds on peanuts and other legumes.
Sugar: may weaken immunity.
Nitrates and nitrites: common in smoked and preserved meats.
Mushrooms: may contain toxic hydrazines.
Excess fats: saturated and animal fats (found in meats and dairy products), fried or rancid oils, hydrogenated and refined oils as well as cooked polyunsaturated fatty acids. Obesity is also cited as one of the factors correlated with higher cancer rates thus moderation is key in any diet plan.

Nutrient deficiencies

Certain nutrient deficiencies have been implicated in some cancers. Vitamin A and beta-carotene deficiency has been linked to an increase in the incidence of lung and mouth cancer as well as skin, throat, prostate, bladder, cervix, colon, esophagus and stomach cancers. Selenium deficiency may increase the risk of breast, lung, colon, skin, rectum, prostate, pancreas and intestinal cancers as well as leukaemia. Vitamin E deficiency increases cancer risk because a deficiency in this vitamin decreases the body’s ability to balance free radicals and rancid oils. Vitamin C may help to reduce the carcinogenicity of nitrosamines and other chemicals. Zinc, molybdenum, iodine and iron deficiencies have also been implicated in certain cancers.

A Cancer Prevention Diet

A Cancer Prevention Diet is easily incorporated into any busy lifestyle, all that is required are a few small changes. These are as follows:
1 – Lower your saturated fat intake
2 – Increase dietary fibre
3 – Increase fresh fruits, vegetables (especially cruciferous vegetables like cauliflower, broccoli and cabbage) and whole grains.
4- Avoid smoked, pickled, salted and barbecued foods.
5- Lower alcohol intake.
6- Increase plant proteins such as legumes and soya, nuts and seeds.

With attention to our own health and well-being and a respect for our bodies, we can go a long way to optimising our chances of a healthy life far into a care-free and disease-free old age.