Diets effect on cancer
February 27, 2007 |19:11 | Fresh food By : Zeenia Shah
The prevalence of cancer has gone up significantly over the last two decades. The numbers have grown globally, in both developed and developing nations. Every year billions of dollars are spent on research to combat this menace; however its prevention may be a simple matter of changing your diet. Years of research have explicitly shown that a diet low in fat and high in plant products can lessen an individual’s chance of getting cancer.
A diet high in overall fat content increases risks of breast, colon, prostate, and possibly pancreatic and ovarian cancers. Saturated fat has been significantly linked to breast cancer in older women.
Fruits, vegetables and grains reduce cancer risk in several ways. The first reason is that they contain large amounts of fibre; this fibre is indigestible and absorbs toxins and carcinogenic [cancer causing] compounds while in the intestines. This is why a high fibre diet has been linked to lower rates of colon and stomach cancers.
Carotenoids are compounds found in yellow and orange fruits, such as carrots, and leafy green vegetables, such as spinach. Several studies have shown that a diet containing carotenes and Vitamin A can significantly reduce lung cancer risk in former smokers.
Vitamin C is found in large quantities in citrus fruits. There is evidence that it can reduce the incidence of cancers of the esophagus, mouth, and stomach, its protective effects have also been reported for cancers of the pancreas, rectum, and cervix. Vitamin E has also shown tumor suppressing effects in lab trials.
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