reduce cancer risk

[michejohnson]

Savaiano notes that though some types of cancer are more influenced by diet than others, nutrition and food scientists agree that there are four practical diet-related ways to lower cancer risk:

* Eat plenty of fruits, vegetables, whole grains and legumes in accordance with the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Guide Pyramid.
* Avoid empty calories from highly processed foods that are high in fat and/or sugar.
* Choose activities that involve moderate or vigorous exercise.
* Limit or abstain from alcohol.

He says that consumers should not let fear of pesticide residues deter them from eating fruits and vegetables, because the benefits of eating these foods appear to outweigh any potential risk.

Savaiano attributes Americans' difficulty in developing a healthy lifestyle to several factors, including lack of knowledge on how to implement specific actions and a lack of marketing forces aimed at creating consumer demand for a healthy lifestyle.

"Many foods that are widely advertised tend to be high in calories and relatively low in nutrients, while few advertisements appear for less processed foods such as vegetables and fruits or whole grains and beans," he says.

Long workweeks also translate into less time for meal preparation, he says, noting that meals often are purchased as takeout or from fast-food restaurants.

Savaiano says that in order to effect a change, all food, nutrition, fitness, health and government organizations must work together to promote healthy lifestyles.

SOURCE: Purdue University.

[jackportd]

The risk of cancer can be dramatically reduced through everyday choices about diet, exercise and tobacco use, according to a Special Report on Cancer Prevention in the November issue of Mayo Clinic Women's HealthSource.

Evidence suggests that one-third of the more than 560,000 cancer deaths that occur in the United States annually are related to diet, exercise and weight. Another one-third of annual cancer deaths are related to tobacco exposure. The eight-page Special Report examines the science and latest findings on 10 approaches that can make a real difference in preventing cancer. Here are some highlights from the list:

1. Don't smoke: The risk of smoking-related cancers increases with the length of time a person has smoked and the number of cigarettes smoked. The most common cancer associated with smoking is lung cancer, the leading cause of cancer death among American women and men. Quitting smoking reduces the risk of lung and other cancers -- regardless of the number of years of smoking.

2. Eat fruits and vegetables: The American Cancer Society recommends eating at least five servings of fruits and vegetables daily because they are loaded with vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and other substances that lower the risk of cancer. In recent years, some studies have indicated that the association between eating fruits and vegetables and lower cancer risk isn't as strong as once thought. Most experts still believe that a plant-based diet is one of the best ways to protect overall health.

3. Limit fat in the diet: Studies suggest that high-fat diets or high intakes of certain types of fat may be linked to several types of cancer, including colon, lung and postmenopausal breast cancer. The reason may be that high-fat diets tend to be higher in calories and increase the risk of obesity. More study is needed to better understand which types of fat should be avoided and how much of each alters cancer risk.

Current guidelines recommend keeping fat intake between 20 and 30 percent of total daily calories, with most fats coming from sources of polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats, such as fish, nuts and vegetable oils.

4. Maintain a healthy weight: Being overweight or obese can increase the risk of postmenopausal breast cancer as well as cancers of the colon, endometrium, esophagus and kidney. There's evidence that obesity increases the risk of cancers of the prostate, liver, gallbladder, pancreas, stomach, ovary and cervix. Some studies estimate that excess weight is a factor in 14 to 20 percent of all cancer-related deaths in American adults.

5. Be physically active: Evidence increasingly suggests that people who are physically active have lower risk of some cancers than those who are more sedentary. From 45 to 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous activity a day, on most days of the week, is considered optimal to reduce the risk of breast and colorectal cancers.

6. Curb alcohol consumption: Alcohol consumption increases the risks of cancers of the mouth, pharynx, larynx, esophagus, liver, colon and rectum. Women should limit themselves to no more than one alcoholic beverage a day. Men should have no more than two.

7. Limit exposure to radiation: Ultraviolet (UV) radiation, which comes from the sun, sunlamps or commercial tanning beds, is the primary cause of skin cancer, the most common of all cancers.

8. Protect against infection: Infections caused by viruses are recognized as risk factors for several types of cancer. Human papillomavirus (HPV), a sexually transmitted disease, is the most common cause of cervical cancer. Chronic hepatitis B and hepatitis C increase the risk of liver cancer. They are most often spread through contact with contaminated blood, from contaminated needles or by having unprotected sex. Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), the virus that causes AIDS, also increases the risk of several types of cancer. It's most commonly transmitted by unprotected sex or sharing of needles.

9. Consider chemoprevention: Chemoprevention is the use of natural or synthetic compounds to reduce the risk of cancer or its recurrence. Tamoxifen, prescribed to prevent breast cancer in high-risk women, is the best known chemoprevention agent. A caution: chemoprevention drugs can have serious side effects.

10. Get recommended screening exams: Pap tests, mammograms, colonoscopies and other routine screenings can't prevent cancer. But screenings can help find cancers early, when treatment is most likely to be successful.

Mayo Clinic Women's HealthSource is published monthly to help women enjoy healthier, more productive lives. Revenue from subscriptions is used to support medical research at Mayo Clinic.

Source: Mayo Clinic

[alexjems41]

7 way to reduce cancer
1: Tobacco
Tobacco kills. Smoking can damage almost every organ in your body and is a known cause of at least 15 different types of cancer.
2: Obesity
Being overweight or obese is a known cancer cause. In fact, excess weight is linked to an increased risk for developing more than a dozen types of cancer, including breast and pancreatic cancers. The American Cancer Society stresses the need to keep your weight in check by, first, eating right:
3: No Exercise
Diet alone usually isn't enough to maintain a healthy body and cut your cancer risk. So, pick an activity that suits your level of fitness and get moving.
4: Sun Exposure
About one million cases of skin cancer are diagnosed each year in the United States and most are sun related. Melanoma, the most serious skin cancer, can be fatal. You can lower your risk for skin cancer by limiting the time that you spend in the sun, especially between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.
5: Infection
Infections from viruses, bacteria, and parasites are a known cancer risk in up to 20 percent of all cancers. Several of those viruses are sexually transmitted, such as human papillomavirus (HPV) and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).
6: Chemical Exposure
A variety of substances found in common products are known to be a cancer cause. T
7: Consumer Products
Antiperspirants, talcum powder, hair dye, aspartame, and some cosmetics have all been reported as possible cancer causes, often incorrectly. The truth is that there is no conclusive evidence that any of these products cause cancer. But the U.S. Food and Drug Administration continues to monitor various studies and issues periodic updates.

[Jo]

add to your lists, get yearly checkups. often doctors can see things that might develope into cancer or other health risks. get checked! i didn't and what resulted was stage 1b cervical cancer followed by 30+ rounds of radiation.

[peytonbusch]

Intrauterine devices are not only among the most effective contraceptives, but they also can help protect women from a cancer of the uterus called endometrial cancer, researchers reported on Tuesday.

Doctors often forget the devices, known commonly as IUDs, can treat endometriosis, Dr. David Grimes of Family Health International in Chapel Hill, North Carolina told a meeting of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists in New Orleans.

IUD use among women is associated with a 40 percent reduction in the risk of endometrial cancer, similar to the cancer protection provided by oral contraceptives, yet many clinicians are not aware of that," Grimes said in a statement.