Discover lifestyle tips that could significantly lower your chance of cancer!
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We understand that nowadays, a healthy lifestyle and a balanced diet are some of our biggest priorities for our long-term well-being.
Of course, we have to admit that it can be easier said than done, and that staying on track with goals like these can be a bit of a challenge.
But the most important thing is to keep trying—because not only will it benefit our physical and mental health, it might also give us an added safeguard against cancer.
A study in the UK has just found certain lifestyle changes reduce our chances of being diagnosed with some cancers by up to 30 per cent!
These lifestyle changes came about through joint efforts of The World Cancer Research Fund (WCRF) and the American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR).
Here are the simple lifestyle tips that can make a big difference:
1. Sticking to a balanced diet with enough fibre
This means including fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, nuts, and seeds. For every meal, make sure to add groceries that touch all the food groups.
2. Limiting fast food
Time-saving though it may be, don’t make fast food and takeaway a main part of your diet. Having it sparingly is fine, and will offer you a balanced variety as long as you make sure to include some fresh produce with each meal.
3. Don’t eat more than three portions of red meat
Red meat like beef, pork, and lamb contain compounds like heme and nitrates. These can become carcinogenic when broken down in your body, causing long-term damage to your cells.
4. Avoid sugary drinks
Even if you don’t have a sweet tooth, you may still slip up and buy a sugary concoction from the store. Unfortunately, these chemicals can lead to an increase in inflammation in the body—something which cancer cells may be able to exploit. Opt for healthier drinks like herbal teas, fruit salad juice, and fresh coconut water.
5. Be mindful of the booze
Stress makes us want to hit the bottle, but it could be a risk no matter the occasionality. Alcohol breaks down into toxic chemicals like acetaldehyde, which can prohibit the repair function of damaged cells.
6. Exercise for two and a half hours per week
You don’t have to be sweating and panting for hours on end and lifting heavy weights if you don’t like it. Even a brisk 20-minute walk each day is enough to get your blood pumping storm and help combat cancer.
7. Keep a healthy weight and BMI
Maintain a healthy weight by sticking to whole fresh foods like fruits and vegetables!
8. If able, breastfeed for six months
9. Don’t use supplements to prevent cancer
10. Follow cancer diagnosis recommendations
Researchers from Newcastle University tested the advice from the WCRF and the AICR by using data from 94,778 British adults with an average age of 56. The study used self-reported data on exercise to include body mass index (BMI) and waist measurements of participants.
Each participant was scored on their adherence to seven of the recommendations. Three recommendations—those on breastfeeding, discouraged use for cancer prevention, and following guidance after a cancer diagnosis—were not included in the study due to reasons like lack of information available.
They used cancer registry data to track cancer diagnoses during the eight-year study period.
Participants scored 3.8 out of 7 for adherence to the recommendations studied on average. Some 7,296 participants developed cancer during the study.
The researchers found that greater adherence to the suggestions led to a lower cancer risk.
The study found that each point earned by following the guidelines was linked to a 10 per cent decreased chance of breast and colorectal cancer, a 22 per cent lower risk of liver cancer, and a 30 per cent less chance of developing gallbladder cancer, among others.
Overall, people who garnered scores of 4.5 or more in the study’s assessment had a 16 per cent lower risk of developing cancer in contrast to those who scored 3.5 below.
Despite the results, the study, which was published in the journal BMC Medicine, was also quick to caution that their study was observational. This means it cannot be said for certain that the values for lower cancer risk were linked to following the anti-cancer guidelines.
But that said, there’s no harm in following these simple lifestyle changes you can make today to proactively protect yourself from cancer!
Do you have some additional tips for our list? Share with us in the comments below!
Of course, we have to admit that it can be easier said than done, and that staying on track with goals like these can be a bit of a challenge.
But the most important thing is to keep trying—because not only will it benefit our physical and mental health, it might also give us an added safeguard against cancer.
A study in the UK has just found certain lifestyle changes reduce our chances of being diagnosed with some cancers by up to 30 per cent!
These lifestyle changes came about through joint efforts of The World Cancer Research Fund (WCRF) and the American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR).
Here are the simple lifestyle tips that can make a big difference:
1. Sticking to a balanced diet with enough fibre
This means including fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, nuts, and seeds. For every meal, make sure to add groceries that touch all the food groups.
2. Limiting fast food
Time-saving though it may be, don’t make fast food and takeaway a main part of your diet. Having it sparingly is fine, and will offer you a balanced variety as long as you make sure to include some fresh produce with each meal.
Eating healthy foods can lower the chance of cancer! Image: Pexels
3. Don’t eat more than three portions of red meat
Red meat like beef, pork, and lamb contain compounds like heme and nitrates. These can become carcinogenic when broken down in your body, causing long-term damage to your cells.
4. Avoid sugary drinks
Even if you don’t have a sweet tooth, you may still slip up and buy a sugary concoction from the store. Unfortunately, these chemicals can lead to an increase in inflammation in the body—something which cancer cells may be able to exploit. Opt for healthier drinks like herbal teas, fruit salad juice, and fresh coconut water.
5. Be mindful of the booze
Stress makes us want to hit the bottle, but it could be a risk no matter the occasionality. Alcohol breaks down into toxic chemicals like acetaldehyde, which can prohibit the repair function of damaged cells.
6. Exercise for two and a half hours per week
You don’t have to be sweating and panting for hours on end and lifting heavy weights if you don’t like it. Even a brisk 20-minute walk each day is enough to get your blood pumping storm and help combat cancer.
7. Keep a healthy weight and BMI
Maintain a healthy weight by sticking to whole fresh foods like fruits and vegetables!
8. If able, breastfeed for six months
9. Don’t use supplements to prevent cancer
10. Follow cancer diagnosis recommendations
Researchers from Newcastle University tested the advice from the WCRF and the AICR by using data from 94,778 British adults with an average age of 56. The study used self-reported data on exercise to include body mass index (BMI) and waist measurements of participants.
Each participant was scored on their adherence to seven of the recommendations. Three recommendations—those on breastfeeding, discouraged use for cancer prevention, and following guidance after a cancer diagnosis—were not included in the study due to reasons like lack of information available.
They used cancer registry data to track cancer diagnoses during the eight-year study period.
Participants scored 3.8 out of 7 for adherence to the recommendations studied on average. Some 7,296 participants developed cancer during the study.
The researchers found that greater adherence to the suggestions led to a lower cancer risk.
The study found that each point earned by following the guidelines was linked to a 10 per cent decreased chance of breast and colorectal cancer, a 22 per cent lower risk of liver cancer, and a 30 per cent less chance of developing gallbladder cancer, among others.
Overall, people who garnered scores of 4.5 or more in the study’s assessment had a 16 per cent lower risk of developing cancer in contrast to those who scored 3.5 below.
Despite the results, the study, which was published in the journal BMC Medicine, was also quick to caution that their study was observational. This means it cannot be said for certain that the values for lower cancer risk were linked to following the anti-cancer guidelines.
But that said, there’s no harm in following these simple lifestyle changes you can make today to proactively protect yourself from cancer!
Do you have some additional tips for our list? Share with us in the comments below!
