Cancer Prevention and Fighting: Nutrition Advice Distilled from Research
In this article, you’ll discover:
- Sobering cancer statistics
- Advice summary to reduce cancer risk
- Global cancer institutions’ nutrition and lifestyle advice
- A comparison of popular diets in cancer prevention and treatment
- Cancer-fighting superfoods and debunking the myth of a single miracle food
- Promising research on reversing top male and female cancers
- Tips for healthy middle-aged individuals to reduce cancer risk
1. Statistics reveal the gravity of the situation:
- 2 in 5 individuals will face cancer in their lifetime
- Only 5% of cancer cases are genetic, with 95% influenced by external and lifestyle factors
- Key external factors include diet (35%), smoking (30%), and obesity (14-20%)
- Just 15 cigarettes can initiate cancer-causing DNA mutations
2. Advice and Action to reduce risk include:
- Following recommendations from global institutions
- Understanding the impact of different diets
- Incorporating cancer-fighting superfoods into meals
- Notable findings include the reversal of prostate cancer and breast cancer with a plant-based diet and lifestyle changes
- For middle-aged individuals, research highlights the risks associated with high animal protein intake, suggesting a shift towards plant-based diets to lower cancer risk.
3. The recommendation from global institutions is as follows:
Dietary Recommendations Adapted from the World Cancer Research Fund (WCRF), the American Cancer Society (ACS) and the European Code Against Cancer
| Word Cancer Research Fund (WCRF) (American Institute for Cancer Research & World Cancer Research Fund, 2007) | American Cancer Society (ACS) (Kushi et al, 2012) | European Code Against Cancer (Norat et al, 2015) |
| Base everyday life on plant foods, with unrefined grains and pulses at each meal, non-starchy vegetables and fruit | Choose whole grains instead of refined grain products | Consume abundantly unrefined grains, pulses, vegetables and fruit |
| Limit intake of salt and salted foods | Eat at least 2 + 1/2 cups of vegetables and fruit each day | Avoid sugar beverages |
| Limit red meats and avoid processed meats | Limit how much processed meat and red meat you eat | Limit red meats and to avoid processed meats |
| Limit consumption of alcoholic beverages | If you drink alcohol, limit your intake to no more than 1 drink per day for women or 2 per day for men | Limit or to avoid alcoholic beverages |
4. The impact of different prominent diets are as follows:
- The Alkaline diet gets high marks for being vegetable-focused, and encouraging people to cut down on animal foods.
- The Keto diet does the worst, though they get points for keeping people away from refined grains, alcohol, and soft drinks.
- The Macrobiotic diets win the day, being closest to a whole food, plant-based diet, centred around whole grains, vegetables, and beans, though may not be advising enough fruit.
- Paleo diets are a mixed bag, with insufficient whole grains, beans, and too much meat.
- The vegan diet starts out strong, but doesn’t necessarily preclude all manner of vegan junk food.
5. Cancer fighting food:
‘The American Institute of Center Research (AICR) adds that certain foods may be beneficial in cancer care in preventing recurrence including: beans, berries, cruciferous vegetables, flaxseed, garlic, green tea, tomatoes, and others. The AICR emphasizes that no single food or food component by itself can protect against cancer, but the combination of foods in a predominantly plant-based diet may offer protection.’
6. Diets for potential reversal of top male and female cancers:
- For young women facing breast cancer, preliminary findings suggest significant tumour reduction with a plant-based diet, emphasising the importance of dietary changes over exercise alone.
- Dr Ornish and colleagues found that the progression of early-stage prostate cancer could be reversed with a plat-based diet and other healthy lifestyle behaviours.
7. Advice for middle age:
Avoiding meat, dairy, and eggs in middle age can contribute to a cancer-free, healthy aging process.
If you found this information valuable, please donate to Victoria’s Giving Page to support and fund much needed cancer research.
Stay tuned for a 3-meal plan at the end April as part of the cancer-fighting April dog walking challenge.
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