Diet and Cancer
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Diet and Cancer
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A wide variety of factors are involved in the development of cancer. Some are related to family history, while others are related to lifestyle and diet. Avoiding smoking, eating a balanced diet with plenty of fruit and vegetables and moderate amounts of red and processed meats, keeping body weight within the healthy range for height and keeping alcohol consumption to a moderate level, all help to reduce the risk of cancer.
The body is made up of small units called cells. New cells are constantly produced to replace cells that have become worn out or damaged. New cells are also made during growth, eg during infancy. Normally, the body regulates the growth of new cells but occasionally abnormal cells are produced. These abnormal cells do not function properly and if they are not destroyed by the body, they may develop and increase rapidly. This is cancer. The abnormal cells may also spread to other parts of the body and multiply there. Cancer can occur in different parts of the body. In the UK, the most common cancers in men are lung cancer, prostate cancer and colon cancer. The most common cancers in women are breast cancer, lung cancer and colon cancer. Cancer is a complicated disease to study because: cancer can take many years to develop there are many different forms of cancer a large number of factors are involved some factors increase the risk of cancer some factors reduce the risk of cancer some substances can start the process of cancer some substances affect the progression of cancer. Cancer is the second most common cause of death in the UK - it causes about a quarter of all deaths. Heart disease is more common. Cancer is more common in older people than in younger people.
The risk of cancer is affected by: Genetic factors: People who have a family history of a particular cancer are more likely to develop it themselves. Environmental factors: These affect the development of a large proportion of cancers. Examples are tobacco smoke, diet, alcohol, some chemicals, and many other aspects of lifestyle. Diet is an important factor that may influence the risk of developing some cancers. Hormonal Factors: The risk of some cancers is linked to levels of certain hormones in the body.
Diet has a greater influence on some types of cancer than others. Dietary factors may protect against or reduce the risk of cancer. Other factors may increase the risk of cancer. Usually, diet is only one of several factors involved.
It has been suggested that eating at least five portions (excluding potatoes) of fruit and vegetables each day is important for good health. Studies have shown that high intakes of fruit and vegetables may reduce the risk of many different cancers, eg lung cancer and also cancers of the digestive system, eg colon cancer. This may be because fruit and vegetables contain substances called antioxidants. Antioxidants protect cells from damage. Cell damage may start the process of a normal cell becoming a cancer cell. Also most fruits and vegetables are good sources of fibre which may reduce the risk of colon cancer. Important antioxidants in fruit and vegetables are carotenes and vitamin C. There are also others, for example, some of the substances that give fruit and vegetables their colour and flavour. Some vegetables contain vitamin E which is also an antioxidant. Good sources of vitamin E are nuts, seeds, some cereals and vegetable oils.
Maintaining body weight within the normal range may reduce the risk of cancer. Being obese (very overweight) and having high intakes of energy may increase the risk of some cancers. Fat provides a large amount of energy so a high fat diet may make weight gain more likely.
People who drink large amounts of alcohol have an increased risk of certain types of cancer, particularly liver cancer and cancers in the mouth and oesophagus. If such people also smoke, this makes the risk of cancer even greater.
Carcinogens are substances which can start the process of cancer. Tobacco smoke contains carcinogens which cause lung cancer. Foods may contain carcinogens. However, the risk from carcinogens in foods is low because if they are present, it is usually in very small amounts. Carcinogens in foods may be substances that occur naturally, they may be due to contamination, or they be formed during cooking or processing (eg in smoked foods). Aflatoxins are examples of carcinogens in foods. An example of these substances is those produced in peanuts that are contaminated by the growth of moulds.
A large proportion of cancers are influenced by environmental factors. This is known because research has been done to compare the most common types of cancers in different groups of people. This has shown that: some forms of cancer are more common in countries that have particular habits, eg stomach cancer is more common in parts of China where there is a high consumption of salted foods people who move from one country to another have a greater risk of the cancers more commonly seen in the country they move to (after a period of time): this is probably due to changes in diet and lifestyle groups of people who have a very different lifestyle from others in a community tend to have different patterns of cancer, eg religious groups. These types of studies do not show that a particular factor causes cancer, but they suggest links between aspects of lifestyle and cancer. These links are often examined in more detail by studying people with cancer. The mineral iron has many functions in the body. Iron from the diet is an essential part of haemoglobin - the substance which carries oxygen in the blood. It is therefore essential at all stages of life for blood to work efficiently. Taken from the British Nutrition Guide
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Diet
and Cancer 
WHAT IS CANCER?
