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By:
Leroy Templeton
We often hear of the top causes of
cancer, smoking and excessive drinking. I’m certain we can all recall at least
one television ad, radio PSA or subway poster telling of the dangers of smoking
and drinking. This is a good thing. Any increased awareness for cancer
prevention is a good thing; however I do find it curious that of all the cancer
prevention advertisements so few focus on one of the most important health
aspects; diet.
Diet has been shown to affect
nearly 30% of all cancer
diagnoses. There are a number of effects that stem from diet. As diet can both
help and hurt your chances for cancer, it is one of the more important things
you can control in the battle against cancer. Hence, it is very important to
know which foods to eat, as well as which to avoid when trying to lead a cancer
free diet.
The food that places one at a high
risk for cancer is typically the food that is least natural. With most
unnatural additives and pesticides the goal is to enhance flavors and extend
shelf life of foods, however, this is only achieved through the addition of
unnatural chemicals that are known to be carcinogenic. These chemicals are
difficult for the body to process and can upset the body’s natural chemical
balance, increasing the likelihood of cancer. It is best to eat natural and
organic foods whenever possible.
Red meat is also a dangerous
contributor to cancer development. This comes from a number of factors. First
of all, it has a high
correlation with colon cancer.
This could be due to the fact that it is difficult to digest. Also, red meat is
highly marbled with animal fat. As animal fat contains many carcinogens which
promote the development of cancerous tumors, it can be very dangerous. It is
important to, whenever possible; limit the amount of red meat in your diet and
replace it with leaner meats and fish.
However, when it comes to cancer
not all foods are bad. The presence of antioxidants and flavonoids in food can
actually fight cancer. Often found in bitter foods such as chocolate and
coffee, flavonoids are
shown to slow down and in some cases, even reverse cancer cell growth. Antioxidants
are in many fruits and vegetables. These antioxidants can promote healthy cell
growth and resist certain forms of pancreatic
cancer and pleural
mesothelioma. Increasing the amount of fruits and vegetables is a key
element of a cancer-free diet.
If you are able to heed some of the
aforementioned advice you will have a better chance at fighting off cancer. At
the very least, you’ll be feeling better and losing weight along the way and
who wouldn’t want that?
