QUESTION: With all the statements made, which incidentally seem to change daily, I am totally confused about the role my diet may have in preventing cancer.
Can you make any sense out of the endless numbers and "facts" that are printed each day, or reported on television?
ANSWER: The topic of health and disease prevention is one that most Americans seem to be very interested in, and the news media is just trying to keep up with all the very latest developments published in medical journals each week. It is hard to report on all of this material, and to keep straight those statistics which apply only to a few cases from those which are generally accepted by many researchers and clinicians.
Reducing the percentages of calories obtained from fats in the diet is recommended by most.
Reducing the amount by about 10%, from 40% to 30%, may provide protection from breast, colon, ovarian and endometrial cancer.
Some experts would like to see that percentage pushed even lower, to about 20% of total caloric intake.
This could reduce the risk of breast and colon cancer by as much as 80%.
To accomplish this, you are going to have to learn the fat content of various food, and keep careful count.
Fiber is another big item in the news these days.
It may decrease the chances of colon cancer by increasing the bulk of stools, diluting possible cancer producing material in the stool and decreasing the time they stay in contact with the cells lining the colon. Fibers are present in cereals, whole grain breads, fruits and vegetables. Calcium is also recommended, not only as a measure to prevent osteoporosis, but also to reduce the chances of colon cancer.
Daily intake of 1200 mg is recommended.
Other dietary items have been linked with cancer in some studies: they are smoked, charred and nitrite cured foods.
Stomach cancer has also been associated with long time use of pickled and salted foods.
If cancer prevention is really your goal, there are two other items to be mentioned, although they do not deal specifically with food.
They are exercise and smoking.
Individuals with active occupations do seem to have a lower risk of both breast and colon cancer.
The use of tobacco can be linked with about 30% of all cancer deaths, and it has been associated with cancer of the lung, pancreas, bladder, kidney and possibly the cervix.
Lung cancer is now the biggest killer of women (21%), even more lethal than breast cancer (18%).
In summary, if you desire to prevent that which might be preventable by consuming a healthy diet, choose foods low in fat and high in fiber, keep your weight down, exercise regularly, and stay away from tobacco.
The material contained here is "FOR INFORMATION ONLY" and should not replace the counsel and advice of your personal physician.
Promptly consulting your doctor is the best path to a quick and successful resolution of any medical problem.
