Three nutritional tips for preventing cancer
A diet which emphasizes plant sources is recommended
Maintaining a healthy diet has numerous health benefits. Cancer prevention is one of them. But it can be overwhelming to read the countless newspaper articles, books and food labels to decipher what foods to eat and which foods to avoid. The American Cancer Society provides a simple list of nutritional tips to help Americans lower their risk of cancer.
- Eat 5 or more servings of a variety of vegetables and fruits each day. Fruits and vegetables which include flavonols have been shown to reduce the risk of some cancers. Onions, apples, berries, kale and broccoli have high concentrations of flavonols.
- Choose whole grains over processed (refined) grains. Whole grain foods are those which contain 100% whole grain. This may seem obvious, but often consumers are confused by products which advertise that they are “multigrain”, “wheat”, or “enriched”, but are actually not whole grain. Manufacturers of whole grain breads, pastas and other products generally print “100% whole grain” on the label.
- Limit intake of processed and red meats. Grocers have become much more sophisticated in the past several years by offering many alternatives to typical red meat staples. Turkey burgers, veggie burgers and soy burgers are all commonly found in meat and freezer cases. Salmon and salmon products are also easily found. A hearty alternative to steak, salmon is high in omega-3 fatty acids which many believe helps to reduce the risk of some cancers including colon, pancreatic, and prostate cancer.
The American Cancer Society emphasizes that a healthy diet should emphasize plant sources and promote maintenance of a healthy weight. By using these simple nutritional strategies, Americans can continue to enjoy food while improving their overall health and lowering their risk of cancer.
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