30% This is the number of cancers that would be favored by a poor diet, including 10% by the consumption ofalcohol. By comparison, only 10% of cancers have a genetic origin.
Food cannot “give” cancer, which remains a multifactorial disease. However, certain substances from our diet can promote the onset of the disease, ”explains Professor Michel Crépin, professor of oncology at the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Paris Nord.
How? ‘Or’ What ?
Cancers all arise from mutations in certain genes. However, our food can contain molecules called mutagens, that is to say substances which can directly or indirectly cause genetic mutations. Mutation after mutation, the normal cell can then degenerate into a cancer cell. Food can also play a role in the progression of these cancer cells, by promoting their anarchic division, by making them more aggressive. In addition, some molecules from our food are what we call ” endocrine disruptors »: They disrupt the hormonal balance of the organism and, ultimately, promote the appearance of cancerous tumors.
Multiple factors
Cancer is what is called a multifactorial disease involving individual (age, gender, genetic background, hormonal status …), behavioral (smoking, food, UV exposure, etc.) and environmental (chemical contaminants, infectious agents, etc.). Our diet is therefore only one factor among others, but on which we can directly act on a daily basis.
