Cancer Vs. Your Diet.

Cancer is on the rise, did you know a baby born today has a 40% change of developing some form of cancer in their lifetime according to the latest figures from the National Cancer Institute-

They cite diet as a major cause and estimates that 600,000 cases in the U.K alone could have been avoided in the last 5 years, if people had followed a healthier lifestyle

A report from Cancer research U.K. lists the main contributing factor as

·         Over weight,

·         Eating too much unhealthy food

·         Drinking too much Alcohol

·         Smoking

·         UV exposure

·         And lack of regular exercise

With a few simple changes you can reduce your risk and these 5 tips will help

1 EAT MORE CRUCIFEROUS VEGETABLES

Eat your greens, broccoli, Pak Choi, cabbage, kale, and cauliflower are all cruciferous They all carry anti-cancerous properties – the compound called “sulforphane” is produced when we eat them, A study in 2010 Showed this compound to suppress breast cancer growth, Broccoli sprouts has been shown to have the highest amount of this compound, in fact 100 times more than regular broccoli- they are available in bigger supermarkets as sprouts, but are extremely bitter so mix with other sprouts in a salad every other day

2 EAT MORE MUSHROOMS

Eating mushrooms everyday has shown in studies to cut breast cancer risk by up to 64%- The study of 2000 Chinese women – saw women who consumed just 10g of mushrooms and drank green tea everyday saw their risk of breast cancer slashed by 90% - This doesn’t prove however that eating mushrooms will prevent cancer, but mushrooms are powerful immune stimulants and it is believed the anti-cancer properties of mushrooms are down to the immune boosting effect- in Japan people are given mushroom with Chemo to try and offset the effects.

3 EAT MORE HERBS AND SPICES

In tests, ginger has shown to inhibit colon and lung cancer, stop breast cancer from spreading, kill ovarian cancer; Ginger is high in anti-inflammatory properties, which may explain these results. Use is in stir fries curries or even in a tea, Turmeric has also shown helpful with colonic, pancreatic, breast, lung and prostate cancers, use it as a marinade for fish or chicken, Studies have also shown adding rosemary, ginger and turmeric to meat before cooking reduces the carcinogenic chemicals released by cooking at high temperatures.

4 EAT LESS SUGAR

Sugar has been shown to be one of the major factors in some cancers such as oesophageal cancer; It leads to weight gain and higher risk of diabetes, which increase your chances of developing cancer.

Stick to the guideline of no more than 30g of free sugar- remember this included, honey, syrup and fruit juice- and is as little as 1tablespoon of maple syrup on your porridge, 150ml of orange juice or 2 squares of dark chocolate.

5 EAT LESS PROCESSED MEAT.

The W.H.O organisation last year warned us that processed meats such as bacon, sausage and ham contain carcinogenic properties. Why is this? These meats form nitrosamines in your stomach which is carcinogenic But don’t go thinking all meat is bad. The way the animals have been reared play a factor also – Grass fed meat contains a higher level of linoleic acid- which has shown in some experiments to reduce tumour growth.