Do you ever give much thought to how you can reduce your risk of cancer?
Sadly I’m yet to meet someone who hasn’t been affected by cancer either directly or indirectly.
Cancer killed all four of my grandparents; three of which before I was 11 years old. It killed my great aunt and many other family friends.
I am also pleased to say I know a number of people who have successfully fought it, but there are fewer of those.
Cancer research into a cure is evolving all the time but prevention should be an important aspect of our lives too. We all know that we should eat a well balanced diet and exercise regularly; we know we shouldn’t smoke; we know we shouldn’t drink too much and we know that particular foods are thought to reduce our risks. We even know that breastfeeding can decrease our chances of getting breast cancer.
There is so much written about what to do and what not to it can all be rather confusing. How do we know how valid the source of our information is and who should we believe?
We have some top diet tips here from Tara Whyand, Oncology Dietitian, for breast wellbeing:
- Eat lean meat and nuts as they contain zinc. A low zinc intake has been found to increase the risk of breast cancer
- Consume more fruit for their high antioxidant vitamin and fibre content. Tomatoes, watermelon, papaya and pink guava contain a carotenoid called lycopene which has been linked to reduced risk of breast cancer.
- Eat more foods containing compounds called flavonoids, found in onions, broccoli, tea, fruits and turmeric. In one laboratory study, curcumin, the flavanoid found in turmeric, was able to prevent breast cancer when a cancer causing chemical was added to breast cells.
- Prevent vitamin D deficiency by eating fortified foods, oily fish, eggs and supplements. A small amount of sunshine will help, but cannot be relied on. There is evidence that higher levels of vitamin D in the blood decrease the risk of breast cancer.
- Keep a healthy weight and limit alcohol.
- Eat more marine foods containing fish oils (marine omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids). Salmon, fresh tuna, herring, pilchards and sardines all make good choices.
For some people, it can be hard to ensure our diet alone contains all of these things. What if it was more simple than that? What if there was a supplement you could take to reduce your risk?
Profbiotics have a fantastic #reduceyourrisk campaign at the moment – they have developed a range of supplements to help reduce the risks of a range of cancers. From breast, to liver, to bowel, to pancreas to prostate, they have a range of supplements designed to support your health and thereby reduce your risk.
As an example the breast supplement has been formulated to contain the specific blend of ingredients to help support breast wellbeing:
- Lycopene (found in tomatoes), which has been increasingly associated with breast well-being.
- Vitamin D, which has been found to regulate cell death
- Zinc – studies find that low zinc intake may be linked to breast cancer risk
- Curcumin, which appears to be useful in preventing human breast cancer development
Professor William Steward, medical advisor to ProfBiotics comments, “Any approach which may help reduce cancer risk utilising diet and appropriate nutrients is of huge potential value for individuals and society. The combinations used in these products are in line with the results of scientific research studying different tumour types and represent a new approach to tackling cancer incidence through diet and nutrient supplementation.”
What do you think? Is this something you would consider taking to #reduceyourrisk ?