Keep Cancer at bay by following a healthy diet

March 11 09:31 2021 by admin Print This Article

A healthy diet is a basic requirement to enjoy good health and prevent the onset of several diseases that affect the human body. And as any oncologist or cancer-specialist will tell you, a healthy diet can also prevent the onset of cancer.

The following guidelines will help in this regard.

Fresh Fruits and Vegetables

 Consume plenty of fresh fruits, vegetables, berries, and legumes for good health.

Adults should consume 5 servings of vegetables and 2 servings of fruit per day.

Pregnant women should consume a little more while children a little less than this recommendation.

Vegetables can either be cooked or raw. And in case you are traveling or access to fresh produce is limited, you can also consume tinned, frozen, or dried fruits and vegetables.

Eat fruits and vegetables of different colours. These colours are due to various nutrients, minerals, and antioxidants present in them. Mix and match for good results.

• Leafy green vegetables: Leafy greens like spinach, amaranth, fenugreek, kale, mustard greens, coriander, moringa, etc are all rich in folates and carotenoids. Both play an important role in cancer prevention.
• Legumes: Peas, lentils, and beans are popular in the Indian diet, as they pack both protein and crunch in the food. Further, they are rich in phytic acid and saponins which prevent the reproduction of cancer cells.
• Cruciferous vegetables: Cruciferous vegetables like cabbage, cauliflower, knol khol, and broccoli are rich in Sulphoraphane which is known to fight cancer.
• Berries: Tomatoes are rich in lycopene which is an antioxidant that can prevent cell damage. Other berries such as strawberry, cranberry, raspberry, blueberry, and blackberry are rich in antioxidants called anthocyanins.
• Citrus fruits: These are rich in Vitamin C, anti-oxidants, anti-mutagenic and anti-proliferative substances, all of which play a role in fighting or preventing cancer.

Fibre and whole-grains

Dietary fibre prevents the onset of colorectal cancers. It is present in fresh fruits and vegetables, seeds, nuts, and whole-grains.

Avoid foods that contain refined wheat flour (maida) while you can limit the use of refined grains. Since polished white rice can’t be avoided, incorporate unpolished brown rice into your diet once in a while.

Incorporate oats, broken wheat, broken brown rice, and millets into your diet. They pack crunch and taste along with the fibre. Use bread made of sooji (Rava) or whole wheat. Avoid or limit consumption of white bread, biscuits, cakes, pasta, and any home-made snack that is made from maida.

• Flaxseeds: These are loaded with antioxidants called lignans along with Omega-3 fatty acids. They may help fight cancers of the colon, breast, skin, and lung. Powder these seeds and sprinkle the same on salads or breakfast cereals.

Meat alternatives

Red meats such as mutton, beef, pork, and game meat, as well as processed meats like salami, ham, sausages, and deli meat increase the risk of colorectal cancers. Limit the consumption of red meat and avoid processed meat altogether.

Incorporate more poultry, fish, and seafood into your diet.

Dietary fat

Dietary fat is necessary for various processes in the body and also plays a role in fighting cancer.

Your dietary fat should come from cold-pressed oils of seeds, nuts, and vegetables such as sunflower oil, coconut oil, groundnut oil, mustard oil, sesame oil, and olive oil.

Avoid or limit the use of fats made from animal protein, such as lard. However, dairy products are good to consume.

Incorporate milk, curd, paneer (cottage cheese), and clarified butter (ghee) into your diet.

Avoid or limit consumption of butter, cream, and cheese.

A word of caution about dietary fat: do not overdo it. This can raise your weight and lead to obesity. And obesity itself is a risk factor for cancers of the kidney, pancreas, bowel, breast, endometrium, and oesophagus.

Salt

Limit the consumption of any variety of salt, in your diet. A high-salt diet increases the risk of stomach cancer.

Avoid or limit consumption of pickled foods, snacks, processed foods, cheese, and branded butter (as against home-made butter) which are all loaded with salt.

Water

Water is required for various processes in the body and good overall health.

Drinking an adequate amount of water may reduce the risk of cancers of the breast, prostate, and colon.

• Drink 10 to 12 glasses of plain water a day.
• Consume soups, fruit juices, and buttermilk as often as you can.

A simple test to know if you are consuming enough water is the color of your urine. It should always be colorless or pale yellow.

Herbs and Spices

• Garlic: Garlic may play a role in reducing the risk of certain cancers due to a substance called allicin in it.
• Turmeric: Curcumin found in turmeric can choke blood supply to cancer cells and help fight cancer effectively.

• Ginger: Fresh ginger contains gingerol while dried ginger forms zingerone. Both these substances have anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory properties that help fight cancer.
• Black pepper-corns: According to some research, black pepper can reduce the growth of cancerous cells in the breast.
• Red-chilli powder: This is rich in capsaicin which is a powerful anti-oxidant.
• Oregano: Carvacrol found in oregano works as a natural disinfectant and can limit the spread of cancer cells.

Alcohol

Consuming alcohol frequently or excessively (more than 2 drinks a day) can increase the risk of cancers of the liver, mouth, oesophagus, larynx, breast, and bowel.

Those undergoing treatment for cancer will be asked to abstain from alcohol completely. If you drink regularly, cut down on the frequency and drink-size.

Sugary beverages

Fruit drinks, sodas, sports drinks, and energy drinks are all loaded with sugar. These can lead to weight gain and obesity which is a risk factor for several cancers.

Avoid them altogether. Consume fresh fruit juices without added sugar.

Tobacco Chewing

While cigarette smoking is known to cause lung cancer, chewing tobacco as raw leaves or products such as ghutka increases the risk of mouth and oesophageal cancer.

Kauvery Hospital is globally known for its multidisciplinary services at all its Centers of Excellence, and for its comprehensive, Avant-Grade technology, especially in diagnostics and remedial care in heart diseases, transplantation, vascular and neurosciences medicine. Located in the heart of Trichy (Tennur, Royal Road and Alexandria Road (Cantonment), Chennai, Hosur, Salem, Tirunelveli and Bengaluru, the hospital also renders adult and pediatric trauma care.

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