One particular investigation into the findings of the EPIC study sought to determine the relative risk of developing major chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and cancer associated with 4 healthy lifestyle factors. The 4 factors were:
- Never smoking
- Having a body mass index lower than 30
(calculated as weight in kilograms divided by height in meters squared)
- Performing 3.5 hours per week or more of physical activity
- Adhering to healthy dietary principles (high intake of fruits, vegetables, and whole-grains and low or no meat consumption)
The 4 factors (healthy, 1 point; unhealthy, 0 points) were summed to form an index that ranged from 0 to 4. Fewer than 4% of participants had zero healthy factors, most had 1 to 3 healthy factors, and approximately 9% had 4 factors. Participants with all 4 factors at baseline had a 78% overall lower risk of developing a chronic disease - diabetes, 93% lower risk; myocardial infarction, 81% lower risk; stroke, 50% lower risk; and cancer, 36% lower risk - than participants without a healthy factor.
If you really want to do your best to prevent chronic disease, including cancer, healthy food choices must be the chief priority. Here are some dietary factors that decrease relative risk of cancer:
Whole grains:
Whole grains (such as rolled oats, brown rice, hulled barley, rye, whole wheat flour, and sprouted grains) contain high amounts of insoluble fiber which has been scientifically observed to help protect against a variety of cancers. In an analysis of the data from many studies, people who eat relatively high amounts of whole grains were reported to have low risks of lymphomas and cancers of the pancreas, stomach, colon, rectum, breast, uterus, mouth, throat, liver, and thyroid. Most research focusing on the relationship between cancer and fiber has focused on breast and colon cancers. Stay away from refined flour which is generally listed on food packaging labels as "flour," "enriched flour," "unbleached flour," "durum wheat," "semolina," or "white flour." Individuals who have celiac or wheat/gluten sensitivities can enjoy rice (brown rice is best), certified gluten-free oats, quinoa, buckwheat, millet, and other more exotic grains like amaranth and teff.
Vegetarianism:
Most studies have found that vegetarians are less likely to be diagnosed with cancer compared to their meat-eating counterparts. Studies indicate that a stronger immune system among vegetarians may account for the partial protection against cancer. Strong scientific research has also indicated two other reasons vegetarians appear to have extra protection against cancer:
1. Certain foods consumed by vegetarians may protect against cancer.
2. Eating meat may increase the risk of cancer.
The Antioxidant Rainbow
Nature has done something pretty amazing. The colorful assortment of fruits and vegetables is created by antioxidants that suck up nasty free radicals that are well-known to contribute to most chronic diseases and unhealthy aging. Plants create antioxidant shields to protect themselves from damage but we are not naturally equipped to provide ourselves with this type of protection against free radicals. But nature’s remarkable synergy is that we are able to consume plants to provide ourselves with the same antioxidant shield that they have. Furthermore, Mother Nature was kind enough to make fruits and veggies beautiful and tasty so we will eat them and borrow their antioxidant shields.
Carotenes, Flavonoids and Lycopenes
Carotenes are among the many antioxidants which are synthesized by plants but cannot be made by animals (including us). They vary in color from the red of apples, bell peppers, cranberries, strawberries, and tomatoes; to the orange of apricots, bell peppers, cantaloupe, carrots, mangoes, oranges, pumpkin, and yams; to the yellow of bananas, lemons, onions, pears, pineapple, and squash; to the green of asparagus, bell peppers, broccoli, chard, collard greens, cucumber, kale, peas, and spinach; and finally to the purple of beets, blackberries, blueberries, cabbage, eggplant, grapes, onions, and plums.
Flavonoids are found in nearly every kind of plant and herb. There are a few specific types of flavonoids that have shown significant protection against cancer. Catechins (found in strawberries and green and black teas), seem to have an affinity for protecting against breast and stomach cancer. Kaempferol (found in Brussels sprouts, broccoli and apples), seems to help protect against lung, stomach, colon, and rectal cancers. And quercetin (found in onions, apples, beans, and buckwheat), displays anti-cancer support for breast, lung, skin, ovaries, colon, rectum, and brain. In human studies, quercetin also appears to be protective against melanomas, leukemia, and lymphomas.
Most of the lycopene in our diets comes from tomatoes, but is also found in smaller amounts from other sources like red carrots, watermelons, guava, apricots, pink grapefruit, and papaya. Since lycopenes may be the most powerful carotenoid quenchers of singlet oxygen (which is known to oxidize LDL cholesterol making it more likely to clog an artery), lycopenes have been found to lower the risk of heart disease. Additionally, studies have indicated that men of consumed the highest levels of lycopene in their diet showed a 21 percent decreased risk of prostate cancer compared with those eating the lowest levels. Evidence of a protective effect of consumption of lycopene-rich foods was also strong for cancers of the lung, and stomach, but some evidence of a protective effect also appeared for cancers of the pancreas, colon, rectum, esophagus (throat), mouth, breast, and cervix.
Cruciferous Vegetables
Cabbage, Brussels sprouts, broccoli, bok choy, kale, collard greens, and cauliflower belong to the Brassica family of vegetables, also known as "cruciferous" vegetables. These are widely regarded for their health benefits as they are high in vitamin C, soluble fiber, and several nutrients that have demonstrated potent anti-cancer properties, such as, indole-3-carbinol (I3C), diindoylmethane (DIM), sulforaphane, glucaric acid, and selenium.
In summary, T. Colin Campbell, PhD, says it best:
"The triumph of health lies not in the individual nutrients, but in the whole foods that contain those nutrients: plant-based foods. In a bowl of spinach salad, for example, we have fiber, antioxidants and countless other nutrients that are orchestrating a wondrous symphony of health as they work in concert within our bodies."
The message could not be simpler: eat as many whole fruits, vegetables and whole grains as you can, and you will probably derive all of the benefits noted above as well as many others.
Key Sources:
Epic Website: http://epic.iarc.fr/index.php
Healthnotes 2008
Jacobs DR Jr, Marquart L, Salvin J, Kushi LH. Whole-grain intake and cancer: an expanded review and meta-analysis. Nutr Cancer 1998;30:85–96.
Murray M. How to Prevent and Treat Cancer with Natural Medicine
Frentzel-Beyme R, Chang-Claude J. Vegetarian diets and colon cancer: the German experience. Am J Clin Nutr 1994;59(suppl):1143S–52S.
Kinlen LJ, Hermon C, Smith PG. A proportionate study of cancer mortality among members of a vegetarian society. Br J Cancer 1983;48:355–61.
Malter M, Schriever G, Eilber U. Natural killer cells, vitamins, and other blood components of vegetarian and omnivorous men. Nutr Cancer 1989;32:271–8.
Armstrong BK, Brown JB, Clarke HT, et al. Diet and reproductive hormones: a study of vegetarian and nonvegetarian postmenopausal women. J Natl Cancer Inst 1981:67:761–7.
Frentzel-Beyme R, Chang-Claud J. Vegetarian diets and colon cancer: the German experience. Am J Clin Nutr 1994;59(5 Suppl):1143S–52S.
Thorogood M, Mann J, Appleby P, McPherson K. Risk of death from cancer and ischaemic heart disease in meat and non-meat eaters. BMJ 1994;308:1667–71.
Campbell, TC. The China Study
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