Today I had an internship at the cancerology department of my faculty. Of all the patients I ever encountered during my internships, I were the most affected by patients suffering from cancer and who had almost no hope of returning back to a normal life. This led me to ponder on the question of how our nutrition and lifestyle has changed drastically over the centuries and how cancer can be avoided. Today you have more fatty, sugary foods, animal meats doped with hormones and steroids and cultivations sprayed with insecticides and pesticides. All these contribute to the formation of cancers. So how to decrease the risks of cancer?

1. Limit the consumption of fine sugars

By this, I mean sugars which are powdery or in small cubes which are use to make cakes and other delicacies. So no sugar in your Coffee or tea as from now. Replace white bread with wholewheat breads. Stop drinking sodas. These food products have a high glycemic index: they contain a lot of sugar which are digested and absorbed very quickly by the human body. Cancerous cells need a lot of glucose to develop rapidly. A diet with lots of sugars can favorize the development of tumors in your body. Moreover, your pancreas, the organ which produces insulin in your body, must increase its turnover of insulin to break down surplus sugar. This increase of insulin, according to the chief of cancerology department, stimulates the growth and diffusion of cancerous cells. It is imperative then to limit the consumption of fine sugars.

2. Avoid hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oils

You can find them in some margarines and prepared dishes. They have inflammatory properties and prepare the ground for the formation of cancerous tissues. These are also trans fat products. Trans fats lowers the amount of HDL or good cholesterol.

3. Opt for fresh farmers foods

Fresh farmers foods have the advantage of having been cultivated the traditional way. The fruits and vegetables are not contaminated by pesticides and insecticides and the meats are not loaded with steroids and hormones. But beware though. Some farmers do resort to orthodox and unhealthy methods to boost their productions.

4. Green Tea

Green tea is rich in polyphenols and seems to block the formation of tumors by preventing blood vessels of forming everywhere. Green tea also seem to prevent the formation of leukemia, cancers of the prostate, breasts, kidneys, skins and mouth.

5. Soja

Soja contains isoflavines which have the property of reducing overstimulation of the body by oestrogens. It is used in some treatments of cancer like breasts cancer.

6. Curcuma

Curcuma have anti-inflammatory properties and thus may prevent proliferation of some tumors, namely in the colon, liver or stomach and breasts.

7. Maintain a correct weight

Maintain your BMI (Body Mass Index) in the healthy normal range of 18.5 to 24,9. Overweight and obesity increase the risks of developing cancer, even more if you have a lot of fatty tissues around your waists. An increase in weight raises the probability of having cancer in your colon and rectum, oesophagus, pancreas, kidneys and breasts even after menopause.

8. Do some regular physical activities

The famous 30 minutes daily walk must no longer remains as idle talks. You must make sure you have a daily time slice to do some jogging, walking or other physical activities. Doing some kind of sports may have some benefits against certain types of cancer such as lung and pancreatic cancers.

9. Limit the consumption of red meat to 500 g per week

Red meat has been known to be one of the causes of the cancer of the colon and rectum. But do not eliminate it completely from your diet because it is also a very good source of essential minerals and nutrients like proteins, zinc and iron.

10. Daily Maximum Alcohol Intake: only 1 glass for women and two glasses for men

And no alcohol for pregnant women! Alcohol favorizes the apparition of cancer in certain parts of the body: colon, rectum, oesophagus, liver and even breasts.

11. Limit consumption of salt to 5 g per day

It seems that salt is one of the major causes of stomach cancer.

12. Mothers should breastfeed their babies

Ideally every baby should be fed by breastfeeding only till the age of six months. Breastfeeding decreases the risks of Breast Cancers for the women and participates in the development of a solid immunitary system of the growing child. This also prevents overweight later.

Note that nutrition is one of the contributing factors among other factors such as heredity, stress, work environment, exposure to sun and chemicals, smoking but if you manage to atleast control one factor, you are decreasing the risks of developing cancer.

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