Health Topics for Nutrition

Diet And Cancer Risk

Making smart food choices may reduce your risk of certain forms of cancer. We think that what you eat can cause certain cancers. It seems that what you eat can prevent it, too. Experts believe that 35 percent of all cancers in the United States could be eliminated if we improve our eating habits.

These are the most important changes you can make:

• EAT MORE FRUITS, especially citrus, and more vegetables, particularly green leafy and dark yellow or dark orange ones. Fruits and vegetables are rich in phytochemicals, which are naturally occurring chemicals that protect us from cancer by killing cancer cells or repairing damaged cells that otherwise might develop into cancer.

• EAT MORE FIBER. Choose whole-grain bread, cereal with at least 5 grams of fiber per serving, and more whole-grain pasta and rice. Fiber binds with and eliminates cancer-causing substances in our bodies.

• EAT LESS FAT. Choose lean meat, fish, and poultry. Choose skim or low-fat milk and low-fat cheese. Do not add extra fat to foods, try seasonings instead. High fat intake may contribute to breast and prostate cancer.

• BE CAREFUL WITH ALCOHOL. If you drink, limit your consumption of alcohol. Studies have shown a link between alcohol consumption and breast cancer. If you drink alcohol and use tobacco, your risk of mouth, throat, and esophagus cancer greatly increases. So keep your alcohol intake low (if you drink at all) and do not use tobacco in any form.

Getting regular exercise is also important to reducing your cancer risk.

For more information on how to reduce your cancer risk through diet, consult a registered dietitian or another healthcare professional.

Consult the UI Health Care Cancer Information Service for more information about this topic.

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