Nutrition- Portions of fruits, vegetables will keep cancer away
May 24, 2009
THE World Cancer Research Fund estimates that 30-40% of all cancers can be prevented by appropriate diets, physical activity and maintenance of appropriate body weight.
By Rachel Bahika
THE World Cancer Research Fund estimates that 30-40% of all cancers can be prevented by appropriate diets, physical activity and maintenance of appropriate body weight.
Obesity, nutrient sparse foods such as concentrated sugars and refined flour products that contribute to impaired glucose metabolism (which leads to diabetes), low fiber intake, over consumption of red meat, and imbalance of omega 3 and omega 6 fats all contribute to increased cancer risk.
On the other hand, intake of abundant portions of fruits and vegetables will lower it. Vegetables with the highest anti-cancer activity include garlic, cabbage, soy, ginger, carrots, celery, cilantro, parsley and parsnip.
Vegetables with modest anti-cancer activity include onions, flax seed, citrus, broccoli, brussels sprouts and cauliflower. Tomatoes and peppers should also be included on this diet.
Not only do vegetables prevent cancer, they are also an essential part of a heart-healthy diet. Protective elements in a cancer prevention diet include selenium, folic acid, vitamin B-12 (found in meat, poultry, fish, eggs, milk and milk products), vitamin D, chlorophyll, and antioxidants such as the carotenoids.
There are factors that increase the risk of getting cancer.
High consumption of calories
Too much food is one of the main risk factors for developing cancer.
This can be shown by the additional risks of malignancies caused by obesity which increases the risk of cancer of the esophagus, colorectum, pancreas, breast, endometrium and kidney.
An anti-cancer diet should have adequate, but not excessive calories. Careful menu planning leads to an approach called CRON — Calorie Restriction with Optimal Nutrition.
Eat a reduced amount of food (about 70-80% of the amount required to maintain “normal†body weight) while still consuming the necessary amounts of vitamins, minerals and other necessary nutrients.
This approach has great scientific merit for being able to extend the average life span. It also causes a reduction in chronic diseases that are common to mankind.
Refined products
Refined sugar is a high energy, low nutrient food — junk food. “Unrefined†sugar (honey, evaporated cane juice, etc) is also very concentrated and likely to contribute to the same problems as refined sugar.
Foods which contribute to hyperinsulinemia, such as refined sugar, foods containing refined sugar, and refined flour products should be avoided and eliminated from a cancer protective diet.
Low fibre
Unrefined plant foods have an abundance of fibre. Dairy products, eggs and meat do not contain fibre.
Refined grain products also have most of the dietary fibre removed from them.
Therefore, a diet high in animal products and refined grains is low in fibre.
Consumption of refined grains is associated with increased risk of rectal cancer while plant food intake (vegetable, fruit and whole grains) reduces the risk.
About five daily servings of vegetables and fruit are needed to reduce cancer risk and the effect is even stronger among the elderly.Many other nutrients are co-variants with fiber, including folic acid.
Omega 3:6 fatty acid
Omega 3 fats protect against cancer, while Omega 6 fats promote it. A higher ratio of Omega 3 to Omega 6 fats reduces the risk of breast cancer.
Sources of Omega 3 include fish oil, green leafy vegetables, nuts, flax seeds, soy, tofu and cooking oils such as flax seed oil, canola oil and soybean oil.
Fruits and vegetables
One of the most important messages of modern nutrition research is that a diet rich in fruits and vegetables protects against cancer, cardiovascular diseases and diabetes.
Vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, Brussels sprouts contain sulforophane, which has anti-cancer properties.
Broccoli sprouts have a very high concentration of sulforophane since this compound originates in the seed and is not made in the plant as it grows.
Since sulforophane is especially cancer-protective, it would be wise to include some broccoli sprouts in an anti-cancer diet.
Selenium
Selenium is a mineral with anti-cancer properties. Poor selenium levels, especially for men, are a cancer risk.
If a person has low selenium and other antioxidant defencelevels, the risk of getting cancer is higher.
Both men and women are protected by higher levels of selenium from colon and lung cancer.
Good vegetarian sources of selenium are whole grains (millet, simsim, amaranth, oats, brown rice, wheat, barley, quinoa) and legumes grown in selenium-rich soil.
Others include brazil nuts (by far the most dense source of selenium), nutritional yeast, brewers yeast and sunflower seeds. Other sources are meat, fish, chicken, eggs, garlic and mushrooms.
Chlorophyll
All green plants contain chlorophyll, the light-collecting molecule.
Chlorophyll and its derivatives are effective at binding polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons; carcinogens — a substance that produces cancer — largely from incomplete combustion of fuels, heterocyclic amines (generated when grilling foods), aflatoxin (a toxin from molds in foods which causes liver cancer) and other hydrophobic molecules.
The chlorophyll-carcinogen complex is much harder for the body to absorb, so most of it is excreted with the faeces.
Folic acid
Folic acid is the dark green leafy vegetable vitamin. It has an integral role in DNA methylation and DNA synthesis.
Many studies have found a significant reduction in colon, rectal and breast cancer with higher intakes of folic acid and their related nutrients (vitamin B-6 and B-12).
Alcohol is an antagonist of folate, so drinking alcoholic beverages greatly magnifies the cancer risk of a low-folate diet.
Lycopene
Of the various carotenoids, lycopene is very protective, particularly for prostate cancer. The major dietary source of lycopene is tomatoes, with the lycopene in cooked tomatoes being more bioavailable than that in raw tomatoes.
Other sources include watermelon, pink grapefruit, guava, apricots pawpaws, tomato sauce and tomato ketchup.
Probiotics
The bacteria that reside in our intestinal tract generally have a symbiotic relationship with their host.
This means that beneficial bacteria produce natural antibiotics to keep disease - causing organisms in check (preventing diarrhoea and other infections) and produce some B vitamins in the small intestine where they can be utilised.
Beneficial bacteria also help with food digestion by providing extra enzymes, such as lactase, in the small intestine.
They help strengthen the immune system right in the gut where much of the interaction between the outside world and the body goes on.
Beneficial bacteria can help prevent food allergies and cancer at various stages of development.
These good bacteria can also improve mineral absorption thus maximising food utilisation. However, the balance of beneficial and potentially pathogenic bacteria in the gut is dependent on the diet.
Vegetable fibre encourages the growth of beneficial bacteria and yoghurt is a good source of probiotics. The World Cancer Research Fund has proposed eight diet recommendations you can use to lower your chances of developing cancer.
When a diet is rich in fruits and vegetables, it is likely that there will be at least a 60-70% decrease in breast, colorectal, and prostate cancers and a 40-50% decrease in lung cancer, along with similar reductions in cancers in other areas.
Cancer prevention diet
Be as lean as possible; aim for Body Mass Index of 21 - 23.
Be Active; aim for 60 minutes or more of moderate activity every day, or 30minutes of vigorous activity.
Avoid energy-dense foods and sugary drink; those that are high in fat, like fast foods and processed foods. Also avoid sugary drinks like soda.
Eat plant-based foods; aim for five servings of non-starchy fruits and vegetables every day (potato, yam, sweet potato, and cassava don’t count). Eat only limited amounts of refined grains like white bread and pasta. Instead, include legumes or whole grains in every meal.
Limit red meat intake and avoid processed meat (beef, pork, lamb and goat) to less than 18 oz. a week and avoid processed meat at all costs.
Limit alcohol; men should not take more than two drinks a day while women should not take more than one drink.
Limit salty foods; salt and salt-preserved foods are probably a cause of stomach cancer. Limit sodium intake to 2400 mg a day.
Do not rely on supplements alone. Some supplements or high-dose nutrients are associated with higher risk of developing cancer.
Stick to a healthy diet instead and do not rely on dietary supplements as the magic pills in preventing cancer.
THE World Cancer Research Fund estimates that 30-40% of all cancers can be prevented by appropriate diets, physical activity and maintenance of appropriate body weight.
Obesity, nutrient sparse foods such as concentrated sugars and refined flour products that contribute to impaired glucose metabolism (which leads to diabetes), low fiber intake, over consumption of red meat, and imbalance of omega 3 and omega 6 fats all contribute to increased cancer risk.
On the other hand, intake of abundant portions of fruits and vegetables will lower it. Vegetables with the highest anti-cancer activity include garlic, cabbage, soy, ginger, carrots, celery, cilantro, parsley and parsnip.
Vegetables with modest anti-cancer activity include onions, flax seed, citrus, broccoli, brussels sprouts and cauliflower. Tomatoes and peppers should also be included on this diet.
Not only do vegetables prevent cancer, they are also an essential part of a heart-healthy diet. Protective elements in a cancer prevention diet include selenium, folic acid, vitamin B-12 (found in meat, poultry, fish, eggs, milk and milk products), vitamin D, chlorophyll, and antioxidants such as the carotenoids.
There are factors that increase the risk of getting cancer.
High consumption of calories
Too much food is one of the main risk factors for developing cancer.
This can be shown by the additional risks of malignancies caused by obesity which increases the risk of cancer of the esophagus, colorectum, pancreas, breast, endometrium and kidney.
An anti-cancer diet should have adequate, but not excessive calories. Careful menu planning leads to an approach called CRON — Calorie Restriction with Optimal Nutrition.
Eat a reduced amount of food (about 70-80% of the amount required to maintain “normal†body weight) while still consuming the necessary amounts of vitamins, minerals and other necessary nutrients.
This approach has great scientific merit for being able to extend the average life span. It also causes a reduction in chronic diseases that are common to mankind.
Refined products
Refined sugar is a high energy, low nutrient food — junk food. “Unrefined†sugar (honey, evaporated cane juice, etc) is also very concentrated and likely to contribute to the same problems as refined sugar.
Foods which contribute to hyperinsulinemia, such as refined sugar, foods containing refined sugar, and refined flour products should be avoided and eliminated from a cancer protective diet.
Low fibre
Unrefined plant foods have an abundance of fibre. Dairy products, eggs and meat do not contain fibre.
Refined grain products also have most of the dietary fibre removed from them.
Therefore, a diet high in animal products and refined grains is low in fibre.
Consumption of refined grains is associated with increased risk of rectal cancer while plant food intake (vegetable, fruit and whole grains) reduces the risk.
About five daily servings of vegetables and fruit are needed to reduce cancer risk and the effect is even stronger among the elderly.Many other nutrients are co-variants with fiber, including folic acid.
Omega 3:6 fatty acid
Omega 3 fats protect against cancer, while Omega 6 fats promote it. A higher ratio of Omega 3 to Omega 6 fats reduces the risk of breast cancer.
Sources of Omega 3 include fish oil, green leafy vegetables, nuts, flax seeds, soy, tofu and cooking oils such as flax seed oil, canola oil and soybean oil.
Fruits and vegetables
One of the most important messages of modern nutrition research is that a diet rich in fruits and vegetables protects against cancer, cardiovascular diseases and diabetes.
Vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, Brussels sprouts contain sulforophane, which has anti-cancer properties.
Broccoli sprouts have a very high concentration of sulforophane since this compound originates in the seed and is not made in the plant as it grows.
Since sulforophane is especially cancer-protective, it would be wise to include some broccoli sprouts in an anti-cancer diet.
Selenium
Selenium is a mineral with anti-cancer properties. Poor selenium levels, especially for men, are a cancer risk.
If a person has low selenium and other antioxidant defencelevels, the risk of getting cancer is higher.
Both men and women are protected by higher levels of selenium from colon and lung cancer.
Good vegetarian sources of selenium are whole grains (millet, simsim, amaranth, oats, brown rice, wheat, barley, quinoa) and legumes grown in selenium-rich soil.
Others include brazil nuts (by far the most dense source of selenium), nutritional yeast, brewers yeast and sunflower seeds. Other sources are meat, fish, chicken, eggs, garlic and mushrooms.
Chlorophyll
All green plants contain chlorophyll, the light-collecting molecule.
Chlorophyll and its derivatives are effective at binding polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons; carcinogens — a substance that produces cancer — largely from incomplete combustion of fuels, heterocyclic amines (generated when grilling foods), aflatoxin (a toxin from molds in foods which causes liver cancer) and other hydrophobic molecules.
The chlorophyll-carcinogen complex is much harder for the body to absorb, so most of it is excreted with the faeces.
Folic acid
Folic acid is the dark green leafy vegetable vitamin. It has an integral role in DNA methylation and DNA synthesis.
Many studies have found a significant reduction in colon, rectal and breast cancer with higher intakes of folic acid and their related nutrients (vitamin B-6 and B-12).
Alcohol is an antagonist of folate, so drinking alcoholic beverages greatly magnifies the cancer risk of a low-folate diet.
Lycopene
Of the various carotenoids, lycopene is very protective, particularly for prostate cancer. The major dietary source of lycopene is tomatoes, with the lycopene in cooked tomatoes being more bioavailable than that in raw tomatoes.
Other sources include watermelon, pink grapefruit, guava, apricots pawpaws, tomato sauce and tomato ketchup.
Probiotics
The bacteria that reside in our intestinal tract generally have a symbiotic relationship with their host.
This means that beneficial bacteria produce natural antibiotics to keep disease - causing organisms in check (preventing diarrhoea and other infections) and produce some B vitamins in the small intestine where they can be utilised.
Beneficial bacteria also help with food digestion by providing extra enzymes, such as lactase, in the small intestine.
They help strengthen the immune system right in the gut where much of the interaction between the outside world and the body goes on.
Beneficial bacteria can help prevent food allergies and cancer at various stages of development.
These good bacteria can also improve mineral absorption thus maximising food utilisation. However, the balance of beneficial and potentially pathogenic bacteria in the gut is dependent on the diet.
Vegetable fibre encourages the growth of beneficial bacteria and yoghurt is a good source of probiotics. The World Cancer Research Fund has proposed eight diet recommendations you can use to lower your chances of developing cancer.
When a diet is rich in fruits and vegetables, it is likely that there will be at least a 60-70% decrease in breast, colorectal, and prostate cancers and a 40-50% decrease in lung cancer, along with similar reductions in cancers in other areas.
Cancer prevention diet
Be as lean as possible; aim for Body Mass Index of 21 - 23.
Be Active; aim for 60 minutes or more of moderate activity every day, or 30minutes of vigorous activity.
Avoid energy-dense foods and sugary drink; those that are high in fat, like fast foods and processed foods. Also avoid sugary drinks like soda.
Eat plant-based foods; aim for five servings of non-starchy fruits and vegetables every day (potato, yam, sweet potato, and cassava don’t count). Eat only limited amounts of refined grains like white bread and pasta. Instead, include legumes or whole grains in every meal.
Limit red meat intake and avoid processed meat (beef, pork, lamb and goat) to less than 18 oz. a week and avoid processed meat at all costs.
Limit alcohol; men should not take more than two drinks a day while women should not take more than one drink.
Limit salty foods; salt and salt-preserved foods are probably a cause of stomach cancer. Limit sodium intake to 2400 mg a day.
Do not rely on supplements alone. Some supplements or high-dose nutrients are associated with higher risk of developing cancer.
Stick to a healthy diet instead and do not rely on dietary supplements as the magic pills in preventing cancer.