Following an anti-cancer diet has become increasingly important, especially since the American Cancer Society predicts more than 1.6 million new cases of cancer will be diagnosed in America this year. While the cure rate for certain types of this dread disease continues to improve, it's still one of the most devastating diagnoses a patient can receive, and one of the most lethal. You can, however, decrease the possibility of receiving this diagnosis yourself, by making following an anti-cancer diet.
Researchers estimate that up to one-third of all cancer deaths could have been prevented with proper nutrition and exercise. In fact, the benefits of eating a proper diet and getting enough physical activity are on the same par as not smoking when it comes to reducing your risk of cancer. While eating right and exercising alone won't cure the disease, make no mistake - they will help lower your chances of getting cancer and a healthy body is better able to fight off the disease if you do get it.
Being overweight or obese has been shown to be a contributing factor in breast cancers, colon cancer, and kidney cancer. It also increases the likelihood of pancreatic cancer, gallbladder cancer, ovarian or cervical cancer and thyroid cancer. Hodgkins lymphoma and some prostate cancers are also thought to be associated with obesity. The research also indicates that being overweight increases the probability that cancer will recur and lowers the potential for survival.
More important, the American Cancer Society doesn't stop at simply recommending you eat a nutritionally balanced diet and get plenty of exercise. They also recommend avoiding excessive weight gain throughout life. In other words, it's important that children are taught to eat properly, as well.
What type of diet does the American Cancer Society recommend? First, they recommend eliminating saturated fats. Saturated fats are found in foods like butter, cheese, coconut oil, lard, red meats and chicken, etc. During digestion of these saturated fats the liver is required to produce excess amount of bile. And bile is a known carcinogen. Eliminate saturated fats from your diet wherever possible.
A nutritionally balanced anti-cancer diet focuses on plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables - at least 5 servings per day. The best fruits and vegetables are those that are colorful - the more color they have they higher they are in nutrients, especially antioxidants. Antioxidants help rid the cells of toxins and free radicals which can cause cell damage and lead to cancer. A nutritionally balanced diet should also include plenty of fiber, at least 25 grams per day. Fiber helps with the growth of healthy bacteria that the body needs and it also helps eliminate unhealthy, cancer-causing bacteria.
Over the past few years, researchers have come along way in improving the methods used to treat cancer and in improving the survival rate, as well. However, chemotherapy and radiation still have a devastating effect on the body and the treatment is often worse than the disease. Reduce your risk of cancer by following these studies which have shown that healthy lifestyle changes - following an anti-cancer diet, getting plenty of regular, physical exercise, limiting your alcohol intake, not smoking - can all greatly reduce your chances of contracting most types of cancers.
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