Wellness Watch – Cancer Fighting Diet
Can A Healthy Diet Prevent Cancer?
It would be great if sticking to a certain diet would prevent cancer, but there are just too many other risk factors to be that definitive. There’s no guarantee you will or won’t get cancer based on what you put in your body, but there is plenty of evidence to suggest that certain foods can lower your cancer risk, while others may increase your cancer risk.
That’s especially true with colorectal cancer. Modifying your diet is one of the best things you can do to protect your colorectal health. The American Cancer Society says,
"Diets that include lots of vegetables, fruits and whole grains have been linked with decreased risk of colon or rectal cancer. Also, eat less red meat (beef, pork or lamb) and processed meats (hot dogs and some luncheon meats), which have been linked with an increased risk of colorectal cancer."
Another analysis of multiple studies found higher intakes of dietary fiber, dietary calcium and yogurt lowered the risk of colorectal cancer, while higher intakes of alcohol and red meat increased the risk.
The Phoebe Family includes numerous dietitians who work in departments throughout our health system. Sahimar Yammine is a Clinical Dietitian in the Phoebe Cancer Center. Watch this discussion with Sahimar to learn about eating healthy and to find out what kind of diet is important for people going through cancer treatment.
Cancer screenings are important to help prevent cancer or catch it early when it is more treatable. Visit www.phoebecancer.com to see our screening recommendations for major forms of cancer.
For colorectal cancer, screening should begin at age 45 for people at average risk and earlier for those with a family history of colorectal cancer. You may want to talk to your primary care physician about what screening may be best for you and when you should start screening. If you are interested in scheduling a colonoscopy, which can remove precancerous growths and detect cancer early, you can call Phoebe Gastroenterology at 229-312-0698.
For more information from the American Cancer Society about how your diet may affect your chances of getting cancer, click here.