Nutrition consultant Judith Coulson explains how cancer can be prevented with the right dietary choices
OCTOBER and November are global cancer prevention months. The WHO has published the following cancer facts in 2008:
At least one-third of all cancer cases are preventable. Prevention offers the most cost-effective long-term strategy for the control of cancer.
In 2015, the global medical establishment, as well as several national cancer research centres around the world, have changed the number of preventable cancer cases closer to 50%. Screening tests can help detect malignancies in their earliest stages, but you should always be alert for symptoms of the disease.
The American Cancer Society developed this simple reminder years ago:
C: Change in bowel or bladder habits
A: A sore that does not heal
U: Unusual bleeding or discharge
T: Thickening or lump in the breast or elsewhere
I: Indigestion or difficulty in swallowing
O: Obvious change in a wart or mole
N: A nagging cough or hoarseness
Harvard Medical School has put together the following eight commandments of cancer prevention:
1. Avoid tobacco in all its forms, including exposure to second-hand smoke.
The newest research shows, that the e-smoking devices have an equal impact on your health as normal smoking habits.
Reduce your consumption of trans- and saturated fats as well as red meat, which appears to increase the risk of colon and prostate cancers. Limit your intake of processed products especially meat products like sausage, hot dogs, cold cuts, meatballs etc. and avoid deep-fried foods. Increase your consumption of fruits, vegetables, beans, legumes and whole grains. Two large studies in 2003 found that high-fibre diets may reduce the risk of colon cancer. Find more info here: lifestylefoodclinic.com/bangkok-lifestyle-food-news/
3. Exercise regularly.
Physical activity has been linked to a reduced risk of colon cancer, breast and reproductive cancer in women and it may even help prevent prostate cancer. Exercise will help protect you even if you don’t lose weight because it helps boost your immune system. Exercise at least 150 minutes weekly, if needed, start with walking 8,000-10,000 steps a day.
4. Stay lean.
Obesity increases the risk of cancer. If you need to slim down, take in fewer nutrient dense calories and burn more energy with exercise.
5. Limit yourself to one to two drinks a day.
Excess alcohol increases the risk of cancers of the mouth, larynx (voice box), oesophagus (food pipe), liver, and colon and increases a woman’s risk of breast cancer. Smoking further increases the risk of many alcohol-induced malignancies. Personally, I would limit alcohol to 3-4 drinks a week.
6. Avoid unnecessary exposure to radiation.
Get medical imaging studies only when you need them. Check your home for residential radon (radioactive, colourless, odourless, tasteless noble gas), protect yourself from ultraviolet radiation in sunlight, but don’t worry about electromagnetic radiation from high-voltage power lines or radiofrequency radiation from microwaves and cell phones. They do not cause cancer.
7. Avoid exposure to industrial and environmental toxins.
This includes asbestos fibres, benzene, aromatic amines, and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs).
8. Avoid infections that contribute to cancer,
Including hepatitis viruses, HIV, and the human papillomavirus. Many are transmitted sexually or through contaminated needles.
If you stay healthy, you won’t need cancer treatments (chemotherapy, radiotherapy, drugs that suppress the immune system) that have the ironic side effect of increasing the risk of additional cancers. (Harvard Medical School, April 2009)
As always, prevention is the best medicine.
Judith Coulson is a Certified Corporate Wellness Specialist and Nutritionist working with individuals, executive teams, schools and companies based in Thailand, Hong Kong and Singapore.