Food
fight
Scientists now estimate that as many as one in every three cases of the most
common cancers could be prevented by eating a healthy diet, being physically
active and maintaining a healthy weight, writes dietician
Denise Fair
.
U
ntil recently, many people
believed that getting
cancer was all down to
genetics or bad luck.
But evidence is now showing that
our risk is actually dependent on a
combination of factors including our
genes, environment and lifestyle.
That means we are able to take
control and reduce some of our risk
factors.
We’ve known for some time that
diet plays a significant role in the
prevention of specific types of cancer;
however, the link and degree is not
yet fully understood and research is
on-going. We do know that increasing
our intake of fruits and vegetables
and reducing our consumption of red
meat and processed foods can have a
positive effect, not only on our cancer
risk, but to our overall health.
No single fruit or vegetable,
however, offers full protection from
cancer or the key to good health.
Individual vitamins, minerals and
phytochemicals are known to have
anti-cancer properties, but it’s the
synergy of the nutrients working
together that offers the greatest
defence. And while our busy lifestyles
can fuel the temptation to substitute
supplements for healthy food,
they can only fill the gaps in our
nutritional intake – not replace a
healthy diet.
Many supplements contain
synthetic elements – that means
they’re not derived from natural
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