The word that begins with C: DIET AND CANCER

Cancer is one of the leading causes of death in the world. 15% of deaths worldwide are associated with cancer. Did you know that between 30 and 50% of all cancers are preventable with a healthy diet?

Accurate information should be provided so that the population adopts healthy lifestyles. However, is this being done? Is the public aware of the link between cancer and diet?

Besides cancer, do we know what is healthy and what is not? My answer is no, we do not.

Before I started studying dietetics and nutrition I thought my diet was relatively healthy, but when I started to study and to investigate, I realized that it was not. Neither the general population nor the health professionals have any training in healthy nutrition. We think that the products sold in the supermarkets are relatively healthy. This is not the case.

Thanks to scientific studies, we know that diet is a risk factor associated with the majority of diseases. The good thing is that we can modify our diet and achieve a healthier diet that will reduce the risk of cancer, notably colon, breast, prostate and pancreatic cancers. All we need to do is to be well-informed and to get down to work.

A quote from Hippocrates, the famous Greek father of medicine, which caught my attention in my first year of my career was: “Let food be your medicine and medicine be your food.”

First of all, I would like to start by looking at the relationship that cancer has between the environment and genes. I was wondering what influences the risk of cancer more. Is it our lifestyle or the genes we inherit from our parents? I did some research and only 5 to 10% of cancers can be attributed to genetic defects while the remaining 90 to 95% have their origin in the environment and the kind of lifestyle a person lives.

Obesity is increasing and is becoming a factor of greater risk than tobacco. Following a healthy diet, obesity control and smoking cessation could significantly reduce the incidence of cancer in Europe.

Is there evidence that diet influences cancer? After reading in Nature, one of the most prestigious research journals in theworld, I have reached a convincing answer to the question of whether or not there is a relationship between diet and cancer.

First, there is evidence that nutrition has considerable effects on cancer progression.  Second, a lifestyle characterized by caloric excess, sedentary lifestyle and a diet high in unhealthy fats and sugars also has the same effect on cancer progression.

10 RECOMMENDATIONS FOR CANCER PREVENTION:

1. Maintain a healthy weight: stay thin, avoid underweight or extreme thinness.
2. Get moving: Get at least 30 minutes of exercise every day.
3. Eat well: Avoid high-energy foods and sugary drinks.
4. Enjoy a plant-based diet: Eat more vegetables, fruits, legumes, and whole grains.
5. Consume less salt: Reduce your intake of salty or processed foods with salt.
6. Eliminate alcohol consumption.
7. Reduce red meat and processed meat.
8. Don’t routinely use supplements without consulting your doctor.
9. If you are a woman, if you can, breastfeed your baby for at least 6 months.
10. These recommendations should be followed before, during, and after treatment.