Can Your Diet Prevent Cancer?

Ideal Body Weight: Those who maintain an ideal body weight are less likely to develop cancer. Those who are 20% or more above their ideal body weight are more likely to develop certain cancers, such as cancers of the uterus, gallbladder, kidney, prostate, cervix, stomach, colon & breast.

Dietary Fat And Cholesterol: A high fat diet is found to promote colon cancer & also a change in estrogen level & provide a conducive environment for developing ovarian & prostate cancer.

Dietary Fibre: The insoluble fiber, such as cellulose or wheat bran, appears to be the best protectors against cancer. Total dietary Fiber requirement is 25-40g / day or 12-14g / 1000kcal energy.

Vitamin-A & Vitamin-C: Vitamin-A (or) ß-carotene is found to inhibit the growth of abnormal cells so that cancer tissue is unable to form. Rich sources of vitamin A include dark green leafy vegetables, orange, carrots, broccoli, pumpkin, sweet potato, peaches, apricots, melon, liver & dairy products. Those who consume several servings each day of vitamin-C rich fruits & vegetables are less likely to develop cancers of the stomach, throat, bladder and colon. Rich sources of vitamin-C are citrus fruits, strawberries, broccoli & asparagus.

Vitamin-E: Vitamin-E’s function as an antioxidant is its primary link in the prevention of cancer. Vitamin-E prevents the formation of free radicals that damage cells & tissues & other compounds suspected to be carcinogens.

Selenium: Selenium is an antioxidant that prevents cancer by protecting cell membranes getting damaged by free radicals. Low selenium levels are found in people with Hodgkin’s disease, leukemia, cancer of breast, lymph system, stomach & intestine, colon, bladder, genital tract & skin. Sources of selenium include lean meats & seafood, plants grown in high – selenium soil & also organic forms such as selenomethionine & selenocysteine.

Cruciferous Vegetable: Cruciferous vegetable such as cabbage, brussel sprouts, cauliflower & broccoli protect against stomach, colon and respiratory cancers. This is due to the non-nutritive substances in these vegetables called indoles.

Vitamin-D: Inadequate synthesis of vitamin-D is found to be involved in the progression of colon cancer & rates of colon cancer increase in areas where people have limited exposure to sun. Skin cells in the presence of sunlight can produce vitamin-D.

Folic Acid: The primary function of folic acid is to maintain the genetic code of cells & regulate normal cell division and growth. Best dietary sources include dark green leafy vegetables, lettuce, broccoli, etc.