The news about cancer gets better all the time. This pamphlet is about the best news: that you can take steps to help protect yourself and your family from cancer. Many studies of the habits of people all over the world suggest that you may reduce your risk of getting cancer by making healthy choices about the foods you eat, the beverages you drink, and whatever you smoke.
About one-third of all cancer deaths may be related to what we eat. Making positive choices in your diet every day promotes good nutrition and good health and may reduce your risk of some types of cancer.
This pamphlet can help you make these choices. (These choices are for healthy people. If you require a special diet, consult a physician or registered dietitian before beginning any modified diet plan. Remember good nutrition alone cannot protect against all diseases or injuries. Be wary of fad diets and supplements that are promoted to prevent or cure cancer). Its recommendations are consistent with seven simple guidelines that have been developed to help people eat a healthy diet:
Nutrition and Your Health: Dietary Guidelines for Americans, U.S. Department of Agriculture and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Home and Garden Bulletin No. 232. Second edition, 1985. The explanatory text following each of the guideline statements has been written by NCI.
1. Eat A Variety of Foods. No one food provides all the nutrients that a person needs. It is important to eat a wide variety of foods each day such as: fruits and vegetables; whole cereals; lean meats, poultry without skin, and fish; dry peas and beans; and low-fat dairy products.
2. Maintain Desirable Weight. Obesity is a risk factor for many diseases, including heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, and some cancers.
3. Avoid Too Much Fat, Saturated Fat, and Cholesterol. A diet low in total fat may reduce the risk for cancers of the breast, prostate, colon, and rectum. Such a diet will probably be low in saturated fat and cholesterol and may also reduce risk of heart disease.
4. Eat Foods With Adequate Starch and Fiber. Most Americans eat a diet low in starch and fiber. Health experts recommend that we increase the amount of starch and fiber in our diets by eating more fruits, vegetables, potatoes, whole grain breads and cereals, and dry peas and beans. A high-fiber diet may reduce the risk of colon and rectal cancer.
5. Avoid Too Much Sugar. A diet high in sugar promotes tooth decay. Sugary foods are also often high in fat and calories and low in vitamins and minerals.
6. Avoid Too Much Sodium. Too much sodium in the diet may contribute to high blood pressure, especially for people with a family history of high blood pressure. Untreated high blood pressure can lead to heart attacks, strokes, and kidney disease.
7. If You Drink Alcoholic Beverages, Do So In Moderation. Drinking too much can lead to many health problems. Heavy drinking is associated with cancers of the mouth, throat, esophagus and liver. Cancer risk is especially high for heavy drinkers who smoke. Alcoholic drinks are also high in calories and low in vitamins and minerals.
FOODS TO CHOOSE
Given these guidelines, let's look at the kinds of food and food components that are related to your cancer risk and see how you can make choices to reduce that risk.
DIETARY FIBER
Dietary fiber is material from plant cells that humans cannot digest or can only partially digest. It helps move food through the intestines and out of the body, promoting a healthy digestive tract. A diet high in fiber and low in fat may reduce the risk of cancers of the colon and rectum.
Americans now eat about 11 grams of fiber daily. The National Cancer Institute (NCI) recommends that Americans double the amount of fiber they eat to between 20 and 30 grams daily. For those who wish to consume more fiber, NCI recommends that individuals not exceed 35 grams daily, because of possible adverse effects. Fiber-rich foods, not fiber supplements, are the sources of fiber to choose unless your doctor advises you to do otherwise.
To put the fiber you need into your diet, choose more often foods -breads, rolls, pastas, and cereals, for example - made with whole grains and whole-grain flours of all kinds: wheat, corn, rye, oats, and their brans. Choose less often products made with refined flours - white breads, rolls, pastries, and cakes. Choose from among all the fruits and vegetables, both fresh and frozen. Eat foods like apples, peaches, pears, and potatoes with their skins. Choose cooked dry peas and beans; they are a good source of fiber. Foods that are high in fiber are also usually low in fat.
FAT Some evidence indicates that diets high in fat may increase the risk of cancers of the colon, breast, prostate, and the lining of the uterus. Diets low in fat may reduce these risks while they help to control weight and also reduce risk of heart attack and stroke.
In the typical American's diet, about 40 percent of calories come from fat. Some experts believe that amount should be reduced to 30 percent. For example, an average diet for a woman usually contains about 1,600 calories per day. If a woman chooses to reduce fat consumption to 30 percent of calories from fat, 480 calories would come from fat. An average diet for a man contains 2,400 calories per day. If a man chooses to reduce fat consumption to 30 percent of calories from fat, 720 calories
would come from fat.
To reduce the fat in your diet, choose more often the lean cuts of beef, lamb, and pork and less often the high-fat cuts. Trim away all the fat you can see before you cook the meat and again before you eat it. If you eat luncheon and variety meats, choose those that are labeled "reduced fat content."
Meats provide necessary protein, vitamins, and minerals, especially iron and zinc. These nutrients are important components of a balanced diet to promote good health.
Choose more often poultry, such as chicken and turkey, and remove the skin and visible fat before cooking.
Choose more often fresh fish and shellfish, plain frozen seafoods without sauce, and canned fish packed in water rather than canned fish packed in oil or fried seafoods. Choose more often dry peas and beans and less often nuts and seeds. As snacks, choose more often fresh or frozen fruits and vegetables and air-popped popcorn and less often pastries and deep fried foods.
Choose low-fat dairy products more often and those made with whole milk or cream less often. Dairy products are good sources of protein, vitamins and minerals, especially calcium, another mineral important to good health.
Choose reduced-calorie or low-fat salad dressings and margarines. Use cooking methods that add little or no fats to foods. Cook meats on racks that drain away fats, and drain fat from the pan before making gravy. Season vegetables with herbs, spices, and lemon juice rather than with fats and salt.
VITAMINS AND CRUCIFEROUS VEGETABLES
Diets rich in foods containing vitamin A, vitamin C, and a precursor of vitamin A called betacarotene, may reduce the risk of certain cancers. Diets low in vitamin A actually may increase risk for some cancers.
Many vegetables and fruits contain vitamins A and C and betacarotene. Choose especially from the vitamin-rich dark green leafy vegetables and other green vegetables; the red, yellow, and orange vegetables and fruits; the citrus fruits; and juices made from any of these.
Vegetables from the cabbage family (cruciferous vegetables) also may reduce cancer risk. They are good sources of fiber and some vitamins and minerals as well. The cruciferous vegetables are bok choy, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, collards, kale, kohlrabi, mustard greens, rutabagas, and turnips and their greens.
Eat a variety of vitamin-rich foods, rather than relying on vitamin and mineral supplements, to help protect yourself from cancer.
CHANGING HABITS
You don't have to give up the foods you like to help protect yourself from cancer. Instead, choose "more often" the foods that may reduce your risks of cancer; choose "less often" the foods that might increase your risks of cancer.
Do not make all the changes overnight. Add fruits and vegetables to your diet gradually over a period of several weeks. Each time you shop, choose one more low-fat dairy product in place of a product made with whole milk. Replace a product made with refined flours or processed grains, such as white bread, with one made with 100 percent whole-grain flours and whole grains, such as whole wheat or rye bread.
Read product labels to help choose foods high in fiber and vitamins A and C, and low in fat. Many food manufacturers list calories, protein, fat, carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals, and fiber on package labels.
Plan your day's menu. Use information from product labels and other sources to find the total grams of fat you plan to eat; multiply by 9 (the number of calories in a gram of fat); then divide by the number of calories you will consume. The answer will equal the percentage of calories from fat. If it is more than 30 percent, you may wish to choose more high-fiber, low-fat foods.
Choose cooking methods that add no fats to your foods; bake, steam, poach, roast, or use a microwave oven.
If you broil, grill, or barbecue, protect foods from contact with smoke, flame, and extremely high temperatures. They can produce possible cancer-causing substances. Move racks or grills away from heat sources, cook more slowly, and wrap food in foil or put it in a pan before grilling or barbecuing.
CANCER PREVENTION TIPS
At the beginning of this pamphlet, you read that good nutrition promotes good health. But good nutrition is only part of the story. It also is important to exercise each day, maintain desirable weight, get regular physical checkups, and remember these cancer prevention tips:
.Choose foods high in dietary fiber daily (fruits, vegetables, and whole-grain breads and cereals).
.Choose foods low in dietary fat.
.If you drink alcoholic beverages, do so only in moderation.
.Avoid unnecessary X-rays.
.Health and safety rules of your workplace should be known and followed.
.Avoid too much sunlight; wear protective clothing; use effective sunscreens.
.Take estrogens only as long as necessary.
.Above all, DON'T SMOKE. Tobacco smoke causes about one-third of all cancer deaths - more than all the other reliably known cancer-causing agents added together. Heart disease and emphysema caused by smoking kill even more people than does cancer
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