Cancer has been identified as the second leading cause of death worldwide after cardiovascular disease. Its incidence is also increasing steadily in developing countries.
According to data from GLOBOCAN, a project through which the World Health Organization conducts international cancer research, 18 million people were diagnosed with cancer last year and the number of deaths from the disease exceeded 9.5 million.
While genetic factors account for 5-10 percent of cancer cases, the disease is influenced by environmental factors in 90-95 percent of cases. Nutritional habits make up 30 percent of these environmental factors. Therefore, by eating healthily, we can actually protect ourselves from cancer by approximately 30 percent.
Moreover, when we pay attention to three important rules—eating healthily, walking briskly for 30 minutes daily, and maintaining an ideal weight—this rate rises to as high as 40 percent.
Özge Öçal, Nutrition and Dietetics Specialist at Acıbadem Maslak Hospital, shared with us what dietary habits we need to develop to protect ourselves from cancer and offered important recommendations.
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Consuming a wide variety of vegetables and fruits is essential
Research has shown that people who consume sufficient fruits and vegetables during the day carry 10 percent less cancer risk compared to those who do not. To protect yourself from cancer, consume as many different colored vegetables and fruits as possible every day.
The more different colors you eat, the greater the variety of antioxidants you obtain. Women should consume 2-3 servings of fruit daily, and men should consume 3-4 servings. Vegetables are sources of vitamins, minerals, and fiber.
A diet rich in fiber shows protective properties especially against digestive system cancers. Make it a habit to consume about 2-3 bowls of raw vegetables and 6-8 tablespoons of olive oil-based or cooked vegetables daily. Make sure vegetables and fruits are in season.
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Grains and legumes must be included
Particularly with the popularity of certain diets, the trend toward eating only one type of food has increased. "However, eating well means eating adequate amounts of each food group. In other words, if you eat only one type of food, you are actually eating poorly," warns Nutrition and Dietetics Specialist Özge Öçal, who continues:
"Therefore, do not eliminate carbohydrates from your life. However, consume only what we call 'quality' sources—whole grains and legumes. Grains are a source of B1 vitamin. B1 vitamin is necessary both for the body's energy system to function and is a precursor to the 'serotonin' hormone, which we know as happiness.
Being healthy means being in a state of complete physical and mental well-being. Depression can lower our immune system and increase the risk of developing many systemic diseases, including cancer.
For this reason, make sure to consume grain sources like whole wheat bread, oats, soup, and bulgur daily, and legume sources like lentils, dried beans, and chickpeas at least 2 days a week.
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Fish 2-3 days per week
According to research, omega-3 fatty acids, which have many benefits for human health, also reduce the risk of cancer development. To benefit from the protective effects of omega-3 fatty acids, make it a habit to consume fish steamed or baked in the oven 2-3 times per week.
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Limit red meat consumption
Excessive red meat consumption increases the risk of stomach and colon cancer. For this reason, limit your meat consumption to no more than 2 days per week and no more than 350 grams total. When cooking meat, prefer baking, steaming, or boiling instead of frying or sautéing.
According to the World Health Organization, consuming 50 grams of processed meat daily can increase cancer risk by 18 percent. Therefore, consume processed meat products as little as possible.
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Avoid sugar
Excessive refined sugar consumption increases both energy intake and insulin levels, leading to an increase in fat tissue. Increased fat tissue can also raise cancer risk.
For this reason, ensure that the total sugar you consume daily does not exceed 5 percent of your total energy intake. For example, if you consume 2,000 calories daily, no more than 100 calories should come from sugar.
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Do not neglect probiotics
The intestines are responsible for a large portion of our immune system. Any functional disorder in our intestines can lower our immune system, which can open the door to many diseases.
One of these diseases is cancer. "In our intestines, good and bad bacteria are in balance, but this balance can be disrupted due to environmental factors such as poor diet, smoking, stress, and alcohol," warns Nutrition and Dietetics Specialist Özge Öçal, who notes that to prevent this balance from being disrupted, you should take advantage of natural probiotic sources such as yogurt and kefir. Therefore, make it a habit to consume about 3 glasses of yogurt or kefir in total daily.
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Do not forget unsaturated fatty acids
Make sure to include in your diet soy and canola oils, soybeans, flaxseeds, and oily seeds such as hazelnuts and walnuts, which contain monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids that protect against cancer.
