We’ve all heard about the importance of healthy eating and living for longevity, but how influential is it for cancer, specifically? Are diet and lifestyle influential enough to significantly reduce cancer formation and progression?
The answer is “yes!”
Approximately 30-40% of cancer diagnoses could be prevented by modest diet and lifestyle changes. This number increases to 90% for certain cancers, like stomach cancer. In 2017 alone, 675,512 cancer diagnoses could have been avoided! Healthy eating is important, especially as it related to cancer. And in recognition of National Nutrition Month, this National Foundation for Cancer Research blog post will offer a deeper look into the science of this important correlation.
Carcinogens in Food
Nutrition interacts with cancer development in many important ways. The first is through the potential introduction of carcinogenic (cancer causing) materials into the body. If carcinogenic materials are introduced into the body, these will by definition increase cancer risk. These chemicals can be thought of as toxic; their very presence is inherently contradictory to health. But there are still multiple possibly carcinogenic materials which are not yet banned by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Many of these are added chemicals or “additives” that are used to preserve food, alter the foods texture, or change the foods appearance.
A simple way to avoid these chemicals (without carrying around a big list) is to refrain from, or minimize, eating processed foods with ingredients that you don’t recognize or that you know aren’t whole-food based. Many times foods such as these are of low quality. They are generally low in healthy micronutrients and more refined, so the nutrients they do have are less bioavailable (nutrients aren’t able to be integrated into the body). They are also hyper-palatable so that the reward centers in the brain are extremely active during consumption, which leads to overindulgence. Perhaps most importantly, these foods can be embedded with potentially toxic materials. Specific compounds to steer clear from are nitrates/nitrites, carrageenan, and BHA/BHT (butylated hydroxyanisole / butylated hydroxytoluene). These have all been shown to have carcinogenic properties.
Carcinogens in Digestion & Cooking
Some foods and drinks have materials in them that aren’t carcinogenic themselves but can produce carcinogenic materials during their cooking process, breakdown or detoxification. In other words, as the body processes these materials or as they’re prepared, intermediate materials are produced which are carcinogenic.
Alcohol is one such substance that can have a carcinogenic effect on the body. Alcohol is broken down in the liver to produce a metabolite called acetaldehyde, which is considered a definite carcinogen. Acetaldehyde is genotoxic, which means that it damages the genetic material of the cell, increasing the likelihood of mutations.
The second common potentially carcinogenic food is red meat. While there is interest in looking at the inherent carcinogenic qualities of red meat, research is not yet conclusive on this matter. For this reason, red meat is currently classified as a probable carcinogen. However, when meat is cooked at high temperatures, many known carcinogens are produced. These include heterocyclic amines, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and acrylamide. These products help create some of the aroma and browning associated with cooked meat. Although tasty, these certainly do contribute to cancer; especially colorectal cancer. It is therefore much better to consume a reduced amount of red meat and cook red meat that is consumed at lower temperatures.
Cancer-Fighting Foods
Luckily, eating healthy isn’t all about avoiding foods! It’s also important to include nourishing foods with anti-cancer properties. Some of these properties include antioxidant status and micronutrient density. Antioxidants are chemicals which oppose free radicals (compounds which react uncontrollably with oxygen) by stabilizing the cell. Micronutrient density has to do with the amount of vitamins and minerals within foods. Each vitamin and mineral plays an integral role in the healthy functioning of various body tissues. Important anti-cancer micro nutrients include calcium, zinc, vitamin A, vitamin K2, vitamin D, vitamin C and the B vitamins—with are loaded with folates. Fruits and vegetables are both incredibly important to ensure that antioxidant and micronutrient status are good. Fruits and vegetables are also important for their inherent fiber which has been proven to help reduce certain cancers.
Energy Balance
Another important consideration in eating for cancer prevention is energy balance. The best condition for our physical health is one where we are only consuming the calories that we need to function well. This is helpful because it can reduce the burden of digestion, detoxification and unnecessary hormonal influence.
If we don’t need the energy, why stress our bodies out more by consuming it? Such just forces our bodies to have to adjust functioning and find a place to store the excess? In addition, the added hormonal, structural, and metabolic stress of carrying extra weight can significantly influence our overall health. Obesity is a major risk factor for cancer. In fact, 20% of cancers could be avoided by reducing obesity. Eating based on our needs can help us reduce waste, externally and internally. It fosters a healthy connection of our minds to our health needs and allows us to build mindfulness into our daily lives.
In Sum
There are many different components of eating for cancer prevention. Not only is it beneficial to minimizing outright carcinogen ingestion, but we also want to be aware of carcinogens which emerge as a result of cooking or detoxification. Once we reduce the intake of these foods, we then want to increase fruits and vegetables due to their antioxidant qualities, micronutrient density and intrinsic fiber. Finally, it’s important to be aware of balancing energy demand with energy consumption. The overall goal is to eat food which can support our bodies healthy functioning and reduce our overall stress.
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References:
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2121650/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3391950/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3773450/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4049200/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4390184/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4409470/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4808863/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23026007
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/3899519
A 2017 epidemiological study published in Frontiers in Oncology suggests that a diet rich in antioxidants like carotenoids and vitamin C can help to prevent breast cancer and lung cancer. Antioxidants have had their fair share of press in recent years and numerous studies have been done trying to pinpoint their perceived benefits. The good news is that those benefits are plentiful and getting enough of these powerhouse elements into one’s diet is easy as their sources are bountiful and delicious. But what are antioxidants? What do they accomplish in our bodies and how do these functions translate into cancer prevention?
With 2018 now at hand, many of us will resolve to reign in our eating habits until the Holiday season returns next fall. The leeway we have understandably allowed ourselves over the past few weeks so as to indulge during the Holidays will be curtailed. So we say!
In honor of National Eat Your Beans Day, we’d like to boast about the bountiful benefits beans provide. Black beans… Great Northern beans… garbanzo beans… kidney beans… lima beans… no matter which you chose, beans provide a myriad of health benefits. In general, ½ cup of beans provides 7 grams of protein, the same amount as in 1 ounce of chicken, meat or fish. Beans are low in fat, filled with fiber and contain a powerhouse of micronutrients and antioxidants like copper, folate, iron, magnesium, manganese, phosphorous, potassium and zinc. In fact, research suggests that eating beans regularly may decrease the risk of diabetes, heart disease, reduce risk of colorectal, breast, and prostate cancers and help with weight management.
INGREDIENTS:
1. Keep fruits and veggies where you can see them. Whether you store your produce on the counter or in the fridge, placing them where you can easily see them increases the likelihood that you’ll actually eat them. To keep your produce as fresh as possible, follow these guidelines from 
3. Blend a smoothie. Smoothies are a great way to increase the amount of fruits and vegetables you eat. They’re easy to make and are a perfect portable breakfast and satisfying snack. Try our 
5. Go meatless on Mondays. Join the “Meatless Monday” Movement and replace meat with vegetables one day a week. Salads and stir fries are two ideas for getting tasty vegetables on your plate. Try our 
Try our Sensational Salsa below. It contains two of our favorite cancer-fighting foods- tomatoes and hot peppers. Also give our nutritious, delicious 
The active ingredient in hot peppers, capsaicin, has anticancer, antiulcer and antibacterial properties. Lab studies have shown capsaicin to shrink prostate, lung, breast and pancreatic cancer cells. TIP: the hotter the pepper, the more capsaicin it contains. Bell peppers contain little to no capsaicin, while some varieties of habanero contain so much it would cause your skin to blister.
Ingredients
Garlic has been used as both food and medicine for thousands of years. Today, it is used to help prevent heart disease, high cholesterol, high blood pressure and to boost the immune system. Research has shown that eating garlic regularly may also help protect against cancer.[i]
INGREDIENTS
Artichokes contain the highest levels of antioxidants of any vegetable (polyphenols, flavonoids, anthocyanins among others) and are loaded with an army of beneficial nutrients that can protect the body from cancer.
