Cancer is a disease caused by many factors, including an unhealthy diet. The food we eat every day has an important influence, helping to prevent some cancers.
1. Unhealthy eating increases the risk of cancer
Good nutrition helps maintain healthy body functions and a healthy weight. What we eat has a significant impact on our health, including our risk of developing chronic diseases such as heart disease, diabetes and cancer.
Research shows that an unhealthy diet, frequent use of processed foods, foods high in saturated fat increases the risk of certain cancers and obesity, which causes many diseases including cancer. In addition, a sedentary lifestyle, smoking, and drinking a lot of alcohol are also risk factors that increase the likelihood of cancer.
 |
| Processed meats can cause colorectal cancer. |
Evidence suggests that red meat and processed meat increase the risk of cancer. Recently, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), part of the World Health Organization, issued a report on processed meats that can cause colorectal cancer.
According to the agency, processed meat is meat that has been altered through salting, curing, fermentation, smoking, or other processes to enhance flavor or improve preservation. By cutting out processed meat, you cut down on potentially cancer-causing compounds as well as your saturated fat intake.
Added sugar and other high-calorie sweeteners commonly used in beverages and processed foods, fast foods, etc. cause overweight and obesity, increasing the risk of chronic diseases and many types of cancer. In addition, alcohol abuse also increases the risk of cancer of the mouth, esophagus, liver, colon, etc.
According to MSc. Dr. Nguyen Ngoc Dan, Gastroenterology specialist, Xanh Pon General Hospital, colorectal cancer is one of the most common cancers in the world and is the leading cause of cancer deaths in general. In Vietnam, this disease tends to increase due to unhealthy eating habits, food contaminated with chemicals...
Environmental factors, especially food, play a very important role in the formation of colorectal cancer. The disease is related to a diet rich in energy, high in fat but lacking in fiber such as green vegetables, fresh fruits, etc.
2. Plant-based foods can help prevent cancer
Research shows that plant-based foods provide thousands of phytochemicals, which are natural plant compounds rich in antioxidants that can protect and repair the body's damaged DNA.
Antioxidants help protect the body and neutralize free radicals that damage cells, which can reduce the risk of cells mutating due to damage and becoming cancerous.
The vitamins and minerals in vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and beans also help produce and repair DNA and control cell growth. Some foods may have a more direct effect on specific cancers, such as plant foods that are high in fiber, which may reduce the risk of colon cancer. Eating foods high in fiber, such as vegetables, fruits, fish, and fiber, has been linked to a reduced risk of colorectal, lung, and breast cancers.
The powerful antioxidant effects of lycopene in plants can prevent or slow the progression of certain cancers such as breast cancer, prostate cancer, and kidney cancer by limiting tumor growth.
2.1. Green leafy vegetables
Green leafy vegetables are the foundation of a healthy diet because they are exceptionally rich in vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and enzymes, yet very low in calories, fat and sodium. Green leafy vegetables such as spinach, kale, lettuce, watercress… are rich in antioxidants known to have anti-cancer effects, including vitamin C and beta-carotene.
Cruciferous vegetables are rich sources of a family of phytochemicals called isothiocyanates that have been linked to cancer prevention. Cabbage and broccoli also contain sulforaphanes and indoles—two powerful antioxidants and detoxifying enzyme stimulators that protect DNA structure.
2.2. Bright orange fruits and vegetables
The brightly colored pigments found in plant foods are a sure sign that they contain phytochemicals, especially carotenoid antioxidants. Carotenoids (alpha-carotene, beta-carotene, lycopene, lutein, cryptoxanthin…) are derivatives of vitamin A found in abundance in citrus fruits, berries, pumpkins, sweet potatoes, carrots… and other plant foods.
One of the most studied is beta-carotene, an essential nutrient for immune function, detoxification, liver health, and protection against skin and eye cancers.
2.3. Berries
 |
| Berries are rich in antioxidants that help prevent cancer. |
Berries are among the top antioxidant foods. Berries such as blueberries, strawberries, cherries, raspberries, etc. are particularly rich in proanthocyanidin antioxidants, which have been observed to have anti-aging properties in some animal studies and are capable of reducing the harmful effects of free radicals. They also contain large amounts of phenols, zeaxanthin, lycopene, cryptoxanthin, lutein, and polysaccharides.
2.4. Nuts and seeds
Many studies have found a link between nut consumption and cancer prevention such as reduced risk of colon, prostate and breast cancer.
Chia seeds, flax seeds, sunflower seeds, almonds, walnuts… contain many healthy fatty acids. Chia seeds are rich in alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), an omega-3 fatty acid that can limit the growth of breast and cervical cancer cells.
2.5. Green tea
All traditional teas have health benefits, but green tea has the most significant effects because it contains the highest proportion of polyphenolic compounds, catechins, gallocatechins, and EGCG.
Polyphenolic compounds, including epigallocatechin-3-gallate, have been shown to inhibit tumor invasion. The most potent antioxidant EGCG has been shown to be effective in modulating multiple signaling pathways, ultimately leading to down-regulation of the expression of proteins involved in cancer cell invasion./.
According to suckhoedoisong.vn
Source link
Comment (0)