Download Dietary and Lifestyle Changes to Help Prevent Cancer

Dietary and Lifestyle Changes
to Help Prevent Cancer
Non-modifiable
Genetics
Environmental
Modifiable
Lifestyle
Our Focus!
Diet
What Causes Cancer?
Modifiable Risk Factors
 Lifestyle
 Diet
Up to 1/3 of cancers can be avoided with a nutritious
diet, maintenance of a healthy weight, and an active
lifestyle
Optimize your diet!
1. Plant-based foods
2. Limit red and processed meats
3. Avoid grilling and frying foods
4. Limit alcohol
Optimize your diet!
1. Plant-based foods
2. Limit red and processed meats
3. Avoid grilling and frying foods
4. Limit alcohol
Plant-based Diets
 High in fruits, vegetables, nuts, beans, etc.
 Dietary fiber
 Vitamins, minerals, phytonutrients, and antioxidants
 Low in total and saturated fat
Benefits of Dietary Fiber
 Speeds up digestion
 Eliminates cancer compounds from the body
 Changes the bacteria in the gut to good bacteria
 Getting enough fiber can reduce the risk of:
 Colorectal cancer
 Breast cancer
 Some head/neck cancers
Sources of Fiber
 Whole Grains
 Legumes
 Vegetables
 Fruits
 Recommendations:
 Men: 32g per day
 Women: 25g per day
 (14g of dietary fiber per 1,000 calories daily)
Benefits of Vitamins and Phytonutrients
 Act as antioxidants in the body
 Antioxidants:
 Reduce cells that damage the body
 Control cell growth and death
 These compounds may be protective against:
 Breast cancer
 Prostate cancer
 Colon cancer
 Bladder cancer
 Lung cancer
 Esophageal cancer
Sources of Vitamins and Phytonutrients
 Vitamin A: liver, eggs, dairy
 ß-carotene: carrot, sweet-potato,
pumpkin, dark leafy green
vegetables
 Vitamin E: vegetable oils, nuts,
leafy green vegetables, sweet
potatoes, carrots, and tomatoes
 Vitamin C: citrus fruits, broccoli,
cabbage
 Recommendations:
 2 cups of fruit daily
 2.5 to 3 cups of vegetables daily
Benefits of Consuming a Low Diet
 Low intakes of saturated fat may prevent inflammation
 Inflammation is often associated with cancer development
 Increased waist circumference
and body weight (obesity) may
increase the risk of developing:
Colon cancer
Breast cancer
Multiple myeloma
Optimize your diet!
1. Plant-based foods
2. Limit red and processed meats
3. Avoid grilling and frying foods
4. Limit alcohol
Limit Red and Processed Meats
 Some processed meats
 Red meats:
may contain carcinogens
 Recommendations:
 Eat less than 18 ounces
of red meat a week to
reduce cancer risk
Hamburgers, steak, lamb
roast, pork chops
 Processed meats:
Smoked/cured/salted
meat, meat with added
preservatives such as
hotdogs, bacon, salami,
sausage
Optimize your diet!
1. Plant-based foods
2. Limit red and processed meats
3. Avoid grilling and frying foods
4. Limit alcohol
Avoid Grilling and Frying Foods!
 Cancer causing compounds are produced
when animal products are grilled or fried
 Chemicals formed when fat drips off the
meat into flames
 Try to replace grilling and frying with
baking, steaming, or boiling!
Optimize your diet!
1. Plant-based foods
2. Limit red and processed meats
3. Avoid grilling and frying foods
4. Limit alcohol
Limit Alcohol Consumption
 May damage DNA, increasing the risk of cancer
 High alcohol consumption is associated with:
 Head and neck cancer
 Esophagus cancer
 Mouth cancer
 Breast cancer
 Pharynx/Larynx cancer
 Liver cancer
 Recommendations:
 Men: 2 drinks per day
 Women 1 drink per day
Summary
There are many causes of cancer
Some causes can be changed
Diet is a modifiable risk factor
With these small steps, you can help reduce your risk of
cancer-causing agents!