Eating healthier prevents a lot
In the Netherlands, one in four women and one in three men will develop cancer. If everyone lived healthier lives, we could prevent as many as three quarters of cancer in the western world. Eating better and exercising more: 35 percent less cancer. No smoking: 30 percent. No alcohol: 10 percent.
Whether we are capable of such a drastic change in our lifestyle is of course the question. And there are no guarantees either, because anyone who obediently adheres to all the rules can still get sick. People who lead an unhealthy life and get cancer are not (entirely) to blame for this either. Because if you are sensitive to cancer, is a matter of sheer bad luck. However, you can greatly reduce the risk of cancer by living healthier now. That may soon matter, because it can take years (sometimes forty years) before a tumor reveals itself. Those who want to eat healthier are bombarded with – sometimes contradictory – information about the relationship between nutrition and cancer. By soya you get breast cancer because it contains hormone-like substances, claims one. No, says another, those substances actually protect against breast cancer. And does red wine help prevent cancer, because of the substance resveratrol it contains, or does it actually give you cancer because of the alcohol it contains?
Prof. dr. Dr Ellen Kampman (1962) is professor of nutrition and cancer at Wageningen University and has conducted research into the relationship between diet, hereditary susceptibility and cancer. She responds to several statements:
‘Fruit does little against cancer’
“That is not true. Fruit does protect against cancer, especially against tumors in the mouth, esophagus, lungs and stomach. These are often caused by smoking. Quit smoking is therefore the best you can do. You cannot prevent these cancers by eating fruit. But those who eat fruit have less chance of it. What is true is that fruit does less against cancer than we used to think. Initially, the idea was that the antioxidants in fruit would protect against all types of cancer, but the evidence for this is less strong. Perhaps it is other substances in fruit, so-called phytochemicals, that reduce the risk of cancer. Many people claim that superfruits exist: pomegranates and small forest fruits, such as raspberries, blueberries, cranberries and acai berries. They would protect very well against cancer. But it’s really too early to say that. However, it has already been shown in mice that the phytochemicals from berries and raspberries have a beneficial effect on colorectal cancer, for example. But you can’t just translate that to people. Because we do not know which substances in fruit help against cancer, it is good to vary with different types and try to get the recommended two pieces per day. Indirectly, eating a lot of fruit (and vegetables) can also reduce the risk of all kinds of cancer related to obesity, such as esophageal, pancreatic, colon, breast, uterine and kidney cancer. Fruit contains few calories and thus reduces the risk of being overweight.”
‘The more dairy, the less chance of colorectal cancer’
“That’s right. Calcium binds toxic and irritating substances in the gut and then takes them outside. The fact that the World Cancer Research Fund has not yet officially recommended the use of dairy is because a lot of dairy has the chance of prostate cancer can enlarge something. But whether this is due to the calcium is not yet clear. Especially if you have or have had colon cancer in your family, it is wise to regularly use milk products and to follow the recommendations of the Nutrition Center: 450 to 650 ml of dairy for adults per day, depending on the age (up to 50 450 ml, 51 to 70 years 500 ml and from 70 years 650 ml). In that case, choose especially the low-fat or semi-skimmed dairy products, to reduce the risk of being overweight.”
Sugar increases the risk of cancer
“It’s not that simple. That sugar as a source of calories promotes cancer, I can imagine that: the sugar or insulin balance can indeed be disturbed if you are overweight. This has an effect on the ‘growth factors’ that can promote cancer. But it has not been shown that you get cancer from eating sugar. It is of course wise to use as few sugar-rich products as possible, such as soft drinks, because this contributes to obesity.”
‘Cabbage varieties help prevent cancer’
“Maybe. The studies contradict each other, which is why cabbage varieties such as broccoli, Brussels sprouts and green cabbage are not recommended in the World Cancer Research Fund report. Moreover, one sprout is not the same; how many healthy substances (glucosinolates) are in it depends very much on the way of cultivation, storage and distribution. In addition, it is not easy to say how much of it your body absorbs. These kinds of vegetables are certainly healthy, not especially in relation to cancer, because they also contain many other healthy substances.
As for other vegetables: tomatoes protect against prostate cancer, and concentrated products, such as ketchup, even more strongly. It is not possible to indicate exactly how much you should take, but a small piece of tomato (5 mg) already lowers the risk by 3 percent. We don’t know yet if more is better. Please note: most ketchup types contain quite a bit of sugar.”
‘Protect Omega 3 fatty acids’
“That may well be true. We think that Fatty fish reduces the risk of colorectal cancer. Omega-3 fatty acids seem to inhibit inflammation, which plays a role in cancer. We do not yet know whether this may protect fish against cancer. It could also be due to the vitamin D, or the relatively high amount of selenium in fish.”
‘Turmeric inhibits cancer’
“You can’t just say this. Turmeric (turmeric, a component of curry), in combination with black pepper, is said to be a powerful anti-inflammatory and thus help prevent all kinds of cancer. Animal studies do indeed show an effect on tumors. Mice However, we get very high doses in a short time. We are different from mice, we don’t ingest large amounts of turmeric and we also eat all kinds of different things that interact.”
‘You can get breast cancer from soy’
“That’s probably not right, even if you breast cancer have had. Soy contains isoflavones: these are estrogenic substances that influence normal hormone action. Soy has not been shown to increase or decrease the risk of breast cancer. In countries with a high consumption of soy, such as in Asia, there is little breast cancer, but this may also be because the people there have different eating and living habits. I would not recommend dietary supplements containing isoflavones in a dosage that is much higher than what you can get with the diet (more than 100 mg per day). Breast cancer tissue grows precisely because of this type of supplement, according to research on animals and on human cells in test tubes. This is difficult to study in humans. But it’s better to be safe than sorry.”
‘Red meat increases the risk of colon cancer’
“That’s right. Haem iron probably plays a role in this. Haem is the natural coloring agent in red meat. Red meat is beef, pork, horse and lamb. The report of the World Cancer Research Fund states that 100 grams of red meat per day increases the risk of colorectal cancer by about 30 percent. For processed meats, the risk of colon cancer increases by 20 percent if you eat 50 grams per day. However, long-term Dutch research showed no link between eating meat and colorectal cancer. In the US, meat is smoked more often and barbecued more often, and then there is that connection. Our meat products also have a slightly different composition. Nevertheless, the advice of the World Cancer Research Fund is: few meat products and limit the consumption of red meat to 500 grams per week.”
Green tea protects against cancer
“That is controversial: the studies on this contradict each other. It is certainly not harmful. A side note: if you tea Drinking too hot can promote esophageal cancer, a study in China found.”
Sources):
- Plus Magazine