Wellness Articles

The Diet/Cancer Connection -
Can Your Diet Prevent Cancer?

Wellness Index

Can fiber prevent colon cancer? Can carrots prevent lung cancer? The fact is, while there is no evidence that any single food or lifestyle habit can prevent cancer altogether, some experts believe you can reduce your risk for developing many types of cancer by a combination of lifestyle changes (quitting smoking, for example) and eating a nutritionally sound diet. In fact, improving your diet may reduce your risk of cancer by as much as 35%. The key dietary changes that may be linked with reduced cancer risk are: less total fats, more fiber, and more fruits and vegetables, particularly those rich in Vitamin A, beta-carotene and Vitamin C.

Fats

Limit your intake of dietary fats to no more than 30% of your total daily calories. (Fats have 9 calories per gram.) No more than one third of your "fat calories" should come from the saturated variety. Saturated fats are primarily found in foods of animal origin, although two vegetable "oils" — coconut and palm — are also highly saturated. Saturated fats are those fats that remain solid at room temperature.

Fiber

Dietary fiber can be either water-soluble or water-insoluble. Most plant foods have a combination of both. Beans, oats, and many fruits are high in water-soluble fiber, while wheat bran and many vegetables are higher in water-insoluble fiber. To reduce your risk, balance your diet to include both forms of fiber. The National Cancer Institute recommends a daily intake of 20-30 grams of fiber per day. Excessive fiber intake can cause painful intestinal gas, diarrhea, bloating, and can interfere with the body's absorption of essential nutrients.

Fruits and Vegetables

Besides being excellent sources of dietary fiber, fresh fruits and vegetables contain many of the vitamins associated with possible reduced cancer risk. Vitamin A, or its chemical "precursor" beta-carotene may help protect against many cancers, and is found in orange vegetables like squash and carrots and dark-green leafy vegetables like spinach. Vitamin C may prevent the formation of some cancer-causing chemicals and is found in citrus fruits, tomatoes, strawberries, potatoes and dark-green leafy vegetables as well. Vegetables in the cabbage family — broccoli, cauliflower, brussel sprouts — may also contain natural chemicals that protect against cancer.

The Best Advice

Besides eating less fats and more dietary fiber, fresh fruits, and vegetables, the best advice is to eat a variety of foods that are fresh and/or as close to their "natural" state as possible.

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