The Ant-Cancer Diet: Diet Tips to Reduce Your Risk for Developing Cancer

The Ant-Cancer Diet: Diet Tips to Reduce Your Risk for Developing Cancer Written by Jeff Behar It is estimated that 35% of all cancers are directly associated with the typical American diet; another 30% is directly related to smoking. By changing these two lifestyle habits you can drastically reduce your risk for developing many types of cancers.

Diet Recommendations

Increase your fiber intake. An increased fiber intake has been found to protect against colon cancer - presumably because it speeds up elimination of waste through the bowels. Choose a Mediterranean Diet. A mediterranean diet is a diet that derives about 40 percent of its calories from healthy fat and about half from complex carbohydrates such as whole grains, fruit and vegetables, combined with daily exercise, could promote health and reduce premature death. (So-called healthy fats are found in such foods as olive oil, avocados, nuts, and fish.). Several studies have found a clear association between the western lifestyle and an increased risk of cancers. A high intake of fat, meat and dairy products has been found to be particularly detrimental. Whereas, An increased consumption of fruit and vegetables has been found to have a protective effect against lung, colon, breast, prostate, bladder, mouth, cervix, and stomach cancer. Just recently a large Havard study concluded that people who eat a Mediterranean-style diet rich in fruit, vegetables, whole grains, olive oil and fish have at least a 25 percent reduced risk of dying from heart disease and cancer. 'In the past, when scientists talked about the Mediterranean diet, they usually talked about cardiovascular benefits. New research demonstrates the better the Mediterranean diet, the lower the cardiovascular disease and cancer mortality. The recent Havard study involved 22,043 adults, ages 20 to 86, who live in Greece; people with diabetes and known heart disease were excluded. The findings echo the results of smaller studies, including the Lyon Diet Heart Study in Franc e, that have hinted at health benefits of the Mediterranean lifestyle. In the Lyon trial, researchers randomly assigned 605 people diagnosed with heart disease to either follow a Mediterranean-style diet or the American Heart Association diet, which has about 30 percent of calories from fat, including 10 or less from saturated fat. In this study, people assigned to the Mediterranean group were encouraged to eat more fruit, vegetables and fish, to cut back on red meat and to use olive oil instead of butter and cream. The study found that the Mediterranean diet group suffered 73 percent fewer heart attacks or other heart-related problems and had 70 percent fewer deaths than those on the heart association diet.

Make healthy choices. Choose whole-grain foods, such as brown rice and whole-wheat bread. Limit sweets and salt. Eat a variety of fruits and vegetables. A diet high in fruits and vegetables has been linked to a lower risk of various kinds of cancer. Eat foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids. While a diet high in most kinds of fat is linked to a higher risk of cancer and other health problems, there is an exception. Omega-3 fatty acids â€" a type of fat found in cold-water fish such as salmon, herring and mackerel â€" appear to reduce the risk of certain cancers. Several studies have shown an inverse relationship between blood levels of fish oils (eicosapentaenoic acid [EPA] and docosahexaenoic acid [DHA]) and the risk of certain cancers. Drink green tea. Green tea contains antioxidants such as polyphenols that may help prevent certain cancers and other health problems. Drink alcohol in moderation. Alcohol consumption is implicated in cancers of the breast, rectum, mouth, and esophagus. Moderate consumpton generally, this means no more than two drinks a day for men. Choose red wine over white wine. Red wines are rich in phytochemicals, which act as antioxidants, thus possibly preventing cancer. Red wine has more anti-cancer properties because the skin is maintained during the wine making process. When white wine is being made, their skin are removed before they are crushed. They are not when making red wine. Limit the smokey, salty, fried and pickled foods. The consumption of charred, smoked, salted, fried and pickled foods is associated with cancer of the stomach and esophagus.

Avoid high-fat foods. Cancer rates vary greatly from one country to another, with the highest rates appearing in countries where people tend to eat a lot of fat. A high fat intake is associated with cancer of the colon, breast, prostate, rectum, and endometrium. These cancers are also associated with obesity as are cancers of the kidney, cervix, and thyroid. A diet high in saturated fats (such as animal fats found in red meat) may pose the greatest risk. For many more articles in the areas of: health, fitness, disease prevention, nutrition, bodybuilding, men's health, weight loss, vitamins and supplements, and anti-aging you can visit musclemagfitness.com - Your Source for the latest health, fitness, nutrition, and anti-agin information and late breaking news.


Jeff Behar is a senior writer for musclemagfitness.com and Mybesthealthportal.com where he regularly writes about hot topics in the areas of health, fitness, disease prevention, nutrition, bodybuilding, men's health, weight loss, vitamins and supplements, and anti-aging