In my last few articles I have discussed the main types of cancer in some depth. Whilst some of the articles did go a little outside this blog’s topic area there was a reason for this. I had heard from a number of people that a lot of modern health ailments including diabetes and cancer were largely due to an increasingly sedentary lifestyle and an increasingly poor diet, particularly in the developed Western world. After identifying strong links between diabetes and fitness I wanted to determine whether this was also true for cancer. So what are my conclusion on the topic? Read on to find out.
1) DIET:- According to this study you can reduce your risk of colon cancer by eating less red meat and consuming more fibre. This study also suggests that a fibre rich diet with lots of fruits, vegetables and whole grains can reduce your risk of prostate cancer.
Apart from the direct links between diet and cancer mentioned above, there are also some less direct links between diet and other types of cancer. This article suggests that a diet rich in fruit and vegetables can help prevent lung cancer and the associated small cell lung cancer because of the antioxidants and vitamins they contain. Diet is also believed to influence your risk of contracting breast cancer and ovarian cancer with this article and this article suggesting that what we eat could affect our chances of developing these two types of cancer.
Although it is difficult to correlate diet and cancer risk (due to the huge variances in what individuals eat every day e.g. two people with a healthy diet may still eat completely different foods), there does seem to be some kind of link between the two. In particular, a diet rich in fibre (particularly if that fibre is sourced from fruits and vegetables) looks like it can help prevent a variety of cancers. Adding a little fibre to your diet is not hard. Eat a couple of pieces of fruit each day and add some extra vegetables to your evening meal and not only could you be protecting yourself from cancer but you will feel a lot better too. Ever since I made a concious effort to get more fibre into my diet I have felt more alert and less tired. If it helps me reduce my risk of cancer too then that’s a fantastic bonus.
2) EXERCISE:- Like diet, there are a number of strong links between certain types of cancer and exercise. This article suggests that regular exercise can reduce your risk of contracting colon cancer by up to 50%. Breast cancer risk is also thought to be reduced through regular exercise, with this article indicating that moderate exercise five times per week can lower your chances of getting the disease. Physical activity is also linked with a reduced risk of lung cancer according to this article. For prostate cancer, the same study indicates that 30 minutes of moderate physical activity each day can reduce your risk. Exercise can help prevent ovarian cancer too according to this article. This article even goes as far as suggesting that your risk of skin cancer can be reduced through exercise.
Again, it is difficult to establish a causal relationship between exercise and cancer because there are so many other factors at play. Whilst some of the evidence is less than convincing (the skin cancer experiment was only performed on mice) and research into the links between cancer and exercise needs to be more conclusive, there does appear to be a connection. We are still quite a way from understanding exactly why exercise can reduce the risk for certain cancer types but surely it is worth investing 30 minutes per day until that conclusive evidence materialises? Doing more physical activity is not difficult. You just have to make the commitment and set aside the time each day. By doing this not only will you help potentially protect yourself against cancer but you will also realise many more fantastic benefits.
3) ALCOHOL:- According to this article, alcohol consumption can cause 7 types of cancer which are:
– Breast Cancer.
– Colon Cancer.
– Laryngeal Cancer (the voice box).
– Liver Cancer.
– Mouth Cancer.
– Oesophageal Cancer (the food pipe).
– Pharyngeal Cancer (the upper throat).
Drinking more alcohol increases your risk whilst cutting down reduces your risk. It also does not matter what type of alcoholic beverage you consume (wine, beer or spirit) because it is the actual alcohol that does the damage, not the other ingredients in the drink. There are however believed to be safe limits for alcohol consumption which are:
– 2 units/1 small drink per day for women.
– 3 or 4 units/2 small drinks per day for men.
Of the cancer types I have discussed in detail, alcohol affects breast cancer and colon cancer. It appears that reducing your consumption could really reduce your risk for these two types of cancer. Unlike the evidence on diet and exercise, the link between alcohol and cancer risk is much stronger as it is established that alcohol can damage your cells.
Cutting down on alcohol can be hard, especially when it has become part of your lifestyle. For me personally, taking alcohol out of my life completely would be nearly impossible. The key here is to make small changes. If you are used to drinking alcohol with every meal then instead try and drink it with every other meal instead. If you tend to drink a lot on nights out with friends then try and drink less next time or if you find this too difficult try and have fewer alcohol orientated nights out. Simply do whatever you can to reduce your alcoholic intake from what it was previously and you will be taking steps towards preventing a number of cancers.
4) SMOKING:- As most people know smoking is strongly linked with lung cancer (and small cell lung cancer. According to Cancer Research UK 90% of lung cancers are caused by smoking. Smoking is also linked with an increased risk of mesothelioma (a form of lung cancer which develops as a result of asbestos exposure) when combined with exposure to asbestos according to the National Cancer Institute.
However, what most people do not know is that smoking is linked other non-lung related cancers too. According to this article smoking increases your risk for colon cancer because the carcinogens in the tobacco are transported to the colon after smoking. Cancer Research UK also suggest that smoking is responsible for the following cancers:
– Bladder Cancer.
– Cervix Cancer.
– Kidney Cancer.
– Laryngeal Cancer (the voice box).
– Liver Cancer.
– Mouth Cancer.
– Oesophageal Cancer (the food pipe).
– Pancreatic Cancer.
– Stomach Cancer.
According to the same article, from Cancer Research UK smoking is the biggest cause of cancer worldwide accounting for an astonishing 25% of UK cancer deaths. The reason behind this is that cigarettes contain a huge 70 cancer causing substances which enter the lungs and can spread to other parts of the body, every time cigarette smoke is inhaled.
Whilst there are links between diet, exercise, alcohol and cancer, none of these are as strong as the link between smoking and cancer. Smoking significantly increases your chances of developing certain types of cancer so if you do currently smoke I highly recommend that you quit. If you do not smoke then don’t even think of starting. I have never been a regular smoker so I am not going to try and imagine how difficult it can be for some people to quit. However, I have written a series of articles on quitting smoking that may prove helpful. Although quitting is unlikely to be easy, by giving up the cigarettes for good you will realise a number of health benefits and eliminate the most significant cancer risk around.
Although more research still needs to be done to drill down the exact causes of certain cancers there is more than enough evidence available to establish a strong link between cancer risk and lifestyle choices. When little was known about cancer it was seen as an abnormal disease which was difficult to treat. However, as more and more research into the topic becomes available it can be seen that we should be looking towards cancer prevention so that it never becomes advanced enough to require cancer treatment. Improving your health and fitness levels by exercising regularly, improving your diet, reducing alcohol consumption and quitting smoking is one of the best preventative measures you can take. Whilst being fitter will not make you immune to cancer, it will seriously lower your risk. If you have been reading this blog for some time then cancer prevention is another thing that you can add to the long list of fitness benefits. If you are just getting started on your fitness program or want to improve your fitness levels, then what better incentive to get going today? I hope you have enjoyed these articles on cancer and found them informative. If you have anything you would like to add please leave me a comment.
Whilst every intention has been made to make this article accurate and informative, it is intended for general information only. Skin cancer is a very serious, life threatening condition and you should discuss any concerns, treatments or lifestyle changes fully with your doctor.
Sources:
Alcohol and Cancer (Cancer Research UK)
Diet and Breast Cancer Information (Cancer Research UK)
Diet and Colon Cancer Study (BBC)
Diet and Lung Cancer Information (Cancer Research UK)
Diet and Ovarian Cancer (Cancer Research UK)
Exercise and Breast Cancer (BBC)
Exercise and Colon Cancer (Cancer Research UK)
Exercise and Lung Cancer (Medical News Today)
Exercise and Ovarian Cancer (Medical News Today)
Exercise and Skin Cancer (The Times Online)
Lifestyle and Prostate Cancer Study (Natural News)
Smoking and Cancer (Cancer Research UK)
Smoking and Colon Cancer (About.com)
Smoking and Lung Cancer (Cancer Research UK)
Asbestos Overview & Health Concerns