According to American Cancer Society (ACS), the main reasons for cancer death in 2009 are due to smoking, obesity, physical inactivity and poor nutrition. If we are aware of our health, it is easy to prevent cancer. Here are some tips that may reduce the risk of cancer. 1. Avoid tobacco consumption: Smoking is the main reason for lung cancer. Smoking is responsible for almost 9 out of 10 lung cancer death. The top 5 or 6 types of cancers in men are all tobacco related cancers which include lung cancer, esophagus cancer, laryngeal cancer, oropharyngeal cancer, stomach cancer etc. Using tobacco is one of the major reasons for cervical as well as ovarian cancer for woman. Refraining from tobacco use provides other health benefits besides lowering cancer risk. 2. Limit alcohol intake: Alcohol is associated with an increased risk of number of cancers. Over consumption of alcohol are the main causes of mouth, larynx, pharynx, liver and esophagus cancers. It also increases the risk for colon as well as rectal cancer. Breast cancer in women is also associated with alcohol intake. So try to limit your daily intake of alcohol to two drinks for men and one drink for women. 3. Maintain Weight:Obesity may be linked to cancers of the breast, colon, thyroid, uterus, kidney, esophagus and gallbladder. Be aware that more people in the world are becoming obese. Aim to be physically active for at least 30 minutes every day, and aim to be reducing caloric intake in a systematic manner. Have a strict regimen of diet and exercise. Do check your BMI. 4. Eat a low fat diet: Excess body fat causes cancer. Foods high in saturated fat are one of the reasons for endometrial, pancreas, kidney, gall bladder, esophagus, breast and ovarian cancers. Low fat diet may reduce the risk of breast and ovarian cancers in women. Women with excess fat around the waist have a 63 per cent greater risk of dying from cancer. Try to limit your total fat intake to less than 30 percent of daily calories. Avoid saturated fats, and try to consume Omega-3 fats. 5. Regular Exercise: Lack of physical activity is the cause of major lifestyle diseases. The American Cancer Society (ACS) recommends exercise 30 minutes a day; 5 days a week for preventing cancer. Greater participation in physical activity can reduce the risk of cancers such as colon and breast. Regular exercise in your teen years can protect you from breast cancer as an adult. Physical activity can lower estrogen, considered a risk factor for breast cancer. 6. Consume fresh fruits and vegetables: Fruits and vegetables have several protective mechanisms for our body. A diet full of fresh fruits, vegetables and whole grains will reduce the risk of many types of cancer. Aim to eat at least one-third of your food raw. Balance your intake of red, green, yellow and orange fruits and vegetables to cover the full range of photochemical. Besides being high in fiber, fruits and vegetables are natural sources of antioxidants that protect cells from potential damage caused by carcinogens. 7. Avoid red meats and processed meats: Avoid consumption of red meats including beef, pork and lamb and avoid processed meats. Recent studies show that eating cooked red meat may increase the risk of getting cancer because of carcinogenic compounds called heterocyclic amines are created during the cooking process. Processed meats like bacon, sausage, ham and salami are the reason for pancreatic and colorectal cancers, because they are usually high in fat and very salty. 8. Increase your fiber intake: Intake of at least 40 grams of fiber per day will protect you from colon cancer. Dietary fiber can play a role in preventing breast cancer through no estrogen pathways among postmenopausal women. Eat more of a variety of vegetables, fruits, whole grains and legumes. This will alkalize your body and enable cells to function at their best. 9. Eliminate processed, sugary and salty food: Eliminate processed foods that deposit toxins into our body. Avoid sugary snacks and drinks. … [Read more...]
10 tips to reduce Cancer risk
American Cancer Society is recommending following health guidelines to reduce Cancer risk by 50%. By making simple changes to your lifestyle and eating habits, you can reduce risk for cancers like Lung, breast and colon etc by more than 30-50%. 10 health tips to reduce cancer risk? 1. Stay away from smoking and chewing of tobacco products to reduce risk of lung cancer, Mouth, colon cancer and urinary bladder cancer incidence. 2. Regular screening for major cancers. We can prevent cancers of breast, prostate, colon, skin and cervix by screening. 3. Reduce alcohol consumption to prevent cancers of breast, colon, pancreas, oesophagus and head-neck. 4. Use sunscreen to prevent skin cancer or reduce incidence. 5. Regular exercise for 3-4 hours per week will reduce cancer incidence by 30-50%. 6. Control your weight by making proper diet changes and with regular exercise to prevent cancers of colon, breast, pancreas, kidney, liver and endometrium. Junk foods are major culprits for rise in obesity incidence. 7. Women should not post-menopausal hormonal therapy to reduce risk for cancers of breast, ovary and endometrial cancers. 8. Avoid exposure to carcinogens and radiation. 9. Vegetarians have low risk of getting cancer. Eat foods and green leafy vegetables and stay away from high calorie foods like soft drinks. 10. One should take proper medication to reduce cancer risk by consulting oncologist. More than 30% cancer deaths are preventable. We can reduce cancer occurrence by more than 30% if we follow above measures. Please share your opinion. … [Read more...]
Red wine improves cancer prognosis
Consumption of red wine reduces the growth of cancer cells and aids in the radiation treatment. Resveratrol, an antioxidant present in grape skin helps to kill mitochondria of cancer cells. It also makes cancer cells more susceptible to radiation therapy and makes normal cells more resistant to cancer treatment. This research study was done by University of Rochester scientists and published in the journal “Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology”. Resveratrol also acts as anti-inflammatory and anti-atherogenic agent. This anti-oxidant is a tumour sensitizer and makes cancer cells more susceptible to radiation and chemotherapy. It improves prognosis of cancer patients. It helps to use energy efficiently by helping to kill mitochondria of tumour cells. So, Cancer patients who are under treatment can consume moderate quantities of red wine. Scientists need to do more experiments on the effects of other antioxidants like Caffeine etc. … [Read more...]
Exercise reduces cancer risk
Regular brisk walking can not only decrease heart disease and diabetes risk, but also cancer risk. Exercise also prevents infection and cold. Moderate exercise like brisk walking for 45 minutes a day, five times a week, will prevent breast cancer in post menopausal women. According to the researchers, exercise enhances the immune system and decreases the risk of breast and prostate cancers. This research study was published in the journal of the “Archives of Internal Medicine”. Vigorous exercise reduces prostate cancer diagnosis risk by 67% and lowers prostate cancer deaths by 74%. Exercise reduces colon cancer risk by 35%. Patients should consult doctor before starting exercise regimen. Obesity increases prostate cancer death risk: Obesity increases death risk from prostate cancer, according to a research study. This research report was published in the journal “Cancer”, a publication of American Cancer Society (ACS). Obese men twice likely die from advanced prostate cancer than normal patients. Overweight increases death risk by 52% and obesity raises this risk by 64%. Body Mass Index (BMI) in between 18-25 is considered normal. BMI in between 25-30 is considered as overweight while BMI>30 is Obese. According to researchers, prostate cancer treatments are less effective in obese men. Obese men generally suffer from other chronic diseases like diabetes and hypertension which further raises death risk. … [Read more...]
How to prevent cancer?
American Institute for Cancer Research has done extensive studies on the prevention of cancer. The researchers did 7,000 extensive studies over 5 years to find the methods to prevent cancer. Tips to prevent Cancer: 1. Stay away from soft drinks and junk foods. These empty high calorie foods are not only responsible for cancer but also for chronic diseases like diabetes and obesity. People should try to maintain their Body-Mass-Index (BMI) in between 21-23. 2. Obesity is the number one cause of cancer in non-smokers. Reduce your weight by exercise and healthy diet. Obese people are at high risk for cancers of Pancreas, Colon, Uterus and kidney. Obesity increases breast cancer risk in post-menopausal women. 3. Daily exercise for 30-45 minutes per day is must to stay away from chronic diseases like cancer and diabetes. 4. Vegetarians have low risk of getting cancer when compared to non-vegetarians. Vegetables, fruits and grains consumption reduces cancer risk. Red meat increases cancer risk. Diet is crucial in preventing cancer incidence. 5. Smoking is the number one cause of cancer in the world especially for lung cancer. 6. Excess alcohol consumption is the major factor behind many cancers. Alcoholic women are at high risk when compared to men for same amount of alcohol consumption. 7. Junk foods not only responsible for obesity but also for cancer especially for cancers of gastro-intestinal tract. 8. Increased incidence of breast cancer in women of western countries is mainly due to Alcoholism and absence of breast feeding. 9. Reduce your salt intake. Spicy foods and pickles consumption raises your cancer risk. 10. People who are at risk by birth (genes) should screen regularly for cancer. 11. Diet supplements may not play vital role in preventing most cancer. But Vitamin A&D may prevent few cancers. It is better to consume nutrients through natural diet instead of supplements. According to “Facts Vs Fears Survey”, cancer is the number one health concern for 40% of Americans. If people follow above precautions, we can prevent 30-40% cancer cases. Click here for more information on this cancer prevention study. … [Read more...]
Cancer Diet: low fat foods reduce ovarian cancer risk
Health foods like fruits and vegetables which are low in fat and high in fiber will help postmenopausal women in reducing ovarian cancer risk, according to Women’s Health Initiative dietary study. Women who reduced fat content in their diet have reduced ovarian cancer risk by 40%. This is a complete contrary finding to the WHEL trial (published in the Journal of American medical Association) which found no relation between no relation between diet and breast cancer. This randomized control study was done on 48,835 postmenopausal women over 8 years. The research study was published in the Journal of National Cancer Institute. Low-fat diet reduces ovarian cancer risk by decreasing estrogen production. Ovarian cancer statistics:Ovarian cancer is a rare one which affects 1 in 60 women but it is very difficult to diagnose in the early stage. It is a very serious disease which kills 55% of patients within 5 years. According to American Cancer Society estimates, 22,430 women will be diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 2007 of which 15,280 women will die of it. Ovarian cancer prevention: Currently, use of birth control pills is the only way to reduce ovarian cancer risk and removal of ovaries is the major treatment. Birth control pills will reduce cancer of ovaries by 60%. Pills and fiber diet combination will reduce ovarian cancer risk by more than 80%. Genetic mutation is another major ovarian cancer cause. If women can take these simple modifications in their diet, they can be free of this deadly disease. … [Read more...]
Antioxidants prevent Cancer
Vitamin C supplements and other antioxidants can prevent Cancer, according to a study by John Hopkins Oncology scientists on mice. Vitamin C and other antioxidants destabilize tumour’s ability to grow under oxygen-starved conditions. This research study will be published in Cancer Cell. Vitamin C, N-acetylcysteine (NAC) and other antioxidants have shown wonderful results in stopping free radicals. Image Courtesy: John Pratt. HIF-1 (Hypoxia Induced Factor) helps an oxygen starved cell covert sugar to energy without using oxygen. HIF-1 can only act if it has enough free radicals. Antioxidants remove these free radicals and HIF-1. HIF-1 is critical for the survival of tumour cells. According to conventional wisdom, vitamin C prevents growth of cancer tumours by grabbing volatile oxygen free radicals and stops damage to DNA. But this research revealed the new way of functioning of free radicals. Vitamin C, Vitamin E and Beta Carotene are the popular antioxidants. More research should be done on humans before giving antioxidants prescription for preventing cancer. … [Read more...]
