- ALLERGY, RESPIRATORY
- Obesity May Raise Kids' Allergy Risk
- Keep Asthma, Allergies at Bay for the Holidays
- Know Your Asthma Triggers
- ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE
- Alternative Treatments May Boost IVF Success
- Green Tea May Help Brain Cope With Sleep Disorders
- Pharoah's Wine Jar Yields Medicinal Secrets
- ANIMAL CARE
- Separation Anxiety, Canine-Style
- 'Comfort Dogs' Come to Emotional Rescue
- Rest Easy. When It Comes to Swine Flu, Your Pet Is Safe
- BONES & JOINTS
- Studies Struggle to Gauge Glucosamine's Worth
- Rheumatoid Arthritis a Threat to the Heart
- Rheumatoid Arthritis Rising Among U.S. Women
- CANCER
- Method for Treating Cervical Lesions May Pose Pregnancy Risks
- Occaisonal Dieting May Cut Breast Cancer, Study Says
- More Cancer Tests Mean More False-Positive Results
- CAREGIVING
- Organ Donation Policies Vary Among Children's Hospitals
- Rapid Infant Weight Gain Linked to Childhood Obesity
- Mom's Smoking May Lead to SIDS
- CIRCULATORY SYSTEM
- Anemia Rates Down for U.S. Women and Children
- Obesity Linked to Heart Failure Risk
- Common Antioxidant Might Slow Parkinson's
- COSMETIC
- Study Evaluates Laser Therapies for Hair Removal
- Contact Lenses Boost Kids' Self-Image
- Wrinkle Fillers Need Better Label Warnings: FDA Panel
- DENTAL, ORAL
- Gum Disease May Reactivate AIDS Virus
- An Oral Approach to Heart Disease
- Obesity Boosts Gum Disease Risk
- DIABETES
- Brown Rice Bests White for Diabetes Prevention
- Saliva Test Could Monitor Type 2 Diabetes
- Abnormal Heart Rhythm Boosts Death Risk for Diabetics
- DIET, NUTRITION
- Leafy Greens Top Risky Food List
- Dark Chocolate May Lower Stroke Risk
- The Best Diet? That Depends on You
- DISABILITIES
- Could Your Cell Phone Help Shield You From Alzheimer's?
- Review Finds Marijuana May Help MS Patients
- ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH
- Global Warming Linked to Heightened Kidney Stone Risk
- Pollution Particles Impair Blood Vessel Function
- As Earth Warms, Lyme Disease Could Flourish
- EYE CARE, VISION
- FDA Goes After Unapproved Eye Washes, Skin Ointments
- Impotence Drugs Don't Harm Vision: Study
- Stem Cells Repair Damaged Corneas in Mice
- FITNESS
- Be Healthy, Spend Less
- Study Shows Exercise Shields Against Osteoporosis
- Many Cancer Survivors Don't Adopt Healthy Lifestyle
- GASTROINTESTINAL PROBLEMS
- HRT Use Raises Risk of Stomach Trouble
- Olive Oil May Protect Against Bowel Disease
- Gum Chewing May Speed Colon Surgery Recovery
- GENERAL HEALTH
- Treat symptoms (result of disease) or diagnose systems (cause of disease)?
- Swine Flu May Have Infected More Than 100,000 Americans
- Time to Remind Teens About Sun Protection
- HEAD & NECK
- Zen May Thicken Brain, Thwart Pain
- Many Children Will Outgrow Headaches
- Ski Helmets Encouraged for All
- HEALTH & TECHNOLOGY
- Save Your Aging Brain, Try Surfing The Web
- E-Mailing Your Way to Healthier Habits
- Subway Defibrillators Save Lives
- HEART & CARDIOVASCULAR
- Lack of Vitamin D Linked to High Blood Pressure
- Ingredient in Dark Chocolate Could Guard Against Stroke
- Cocoa in Chocolate May Be Good for the Heart
- INFECTIOUS DISEASE
- Swine Flu Loves a Crowd
- Viral Infection Might Trigger High Blood Pressure
- The HPV Vaccine: Preventative Medicine or Human Sacrifice?
- KID'S HEALTH
- Most Depressed Teens Don't Get Treatment
- Combo Treatment Eases Wheezing in Babies
- Babies Cared For In Others Homes Might Become Heavy Toddlers
- MEN'S HEALTH
- Varicose Veins May Mask Larger Problem
- Could Chinese Herb Be a Natural Viagra?
- Lots of Sex May Prevent Erectile Dysfunction
- MENTAL HEALTH
- Mind Exercise Might Help Stroke Patients
- Psychotherapy Can Boost Happiness More Than Money
- The 3LS Wellness Program for Reversing Chronic Symptoms and Creating Lasting Health
- PREGNANCY
- Before Conceiving, Take Folic Acid for One Full Year
- Sleeping Could Help Women Lose The Baby Fat
- Yoga's Benefits Outweigh Risks for Pregnant Women
- SENIORS
- For Older Walkers, Faster Is Better
- Mediterranean Diet Plus Exercise Lowers Alzheimer's Risk
- The Juice From Beetroots May Boost Stamina
Want to Stop Cancer? You Can, Experts Say
By eHolistic.com Published: 06/03/2009
WEDNESDAY, June 3 (HealthDay News) -- Although some believe that certain people are destined to get cancer and nothing can be done to change their fate, that's just not the case, experts say.
Even people who have genes that predispose them to certain types of cancer might be able to reduce their risk by living a healthy lifestyle, they say.
"Between 27 and 49 percent of people think preventing cancer is impossible or highly unlikely," said Karen Collins, a registered dietitian and a nutrition adviser for the American Institute for Cancer Research.
But, she said, the institute has identified three steps people could take to dramatically affect the chances of developing cancer:
* Eat a mostly plant-based diet.
* Maintain a healthy weight.
* Exercise regularly.
"The data is pretty clear that we can make a significant drop in the cancer rate with these three changes," Collins said. "We can prevent about one-third of cancers with these changes. And if you add tobacco prevention, which reduces about 30 percent of cancers, over half of today's cancers could be prevented."
Dr. Virginia Kaklamani, an oncologist who specializes in breast cancer at Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago, added that "increased weight increases the risk of cancer, and physical activity, regardless of weight, decreases breast cancer risk."
The institute joined with the World Cancer Research Fund to release a report, Food, Nutrition, Physical Activity and the Prevention of Cancer: A Global Perspective, that was prepared by a team of international researchers who reviewed more than 7,000 studies on cancer.
Their recommendations included:
* Weight: Maintain a body mass index (BMI) between 21 and 23 and avoid gaining weight during adulthood. Although a BMI of up to 24.9 is considered normal, the lower end of normal is better for cancer prevention, the report said.
* Exercise: Participate in moderate activity -- brisk walking or something equivalent -- for at least 30 minutes a day. Ideally, though, people are advised to work up to 60 minutes of moderate exercise daily, or 30 minutes of vigorous exercise. The report also advised limiting sedentary activities, such as TV-watching.
* Diet: Eat healthily. That means a diet that consists of mostly plant-based foods, such as fruits, vegetables and whole grains. The experts recommended avoiding sugary, processed foods and fast foods as much as possible and limiting red meat consumption to no more than 18 ounces a week. Salt consumption should also be restricted to no more than 2.4 grams of salt daily. And, the report advised, limit alcohol consumption to one drink a day for women and two drinks a day for men.
* Supplements: Don't rely on them. The cancer-preventing benefits derived from nutrients are believed to come from foods, not from individual supplements. Authors of the report advised against taking supplements.
But Collins stressed that people need to realize that the recommendations weren't an "all or nothing" proposition.
"Some people feel, 'I'm so far away from a healthy weight that I'll never get there, so why try?' " she said. "But every drop toward a healthy weight is a good move, and it's worth it."
And, she said, each healthy change someone makes tends to support another one. "When you're active and at a healthy weight, eating choices become clear, because good foods tend to give you more energy to be physically active," she said.
Kaklamani said that she, too, encourages people to make healthy changes. But she cautioned that the 20 percent or so of women who have a family history of breast cancer might need to do a bit more.
It's vital that these women talk with their doctors about genetic counseling because, in addition to making healthy lifestyle changes, they might need to take more aggressive steps to prevent cancer.
In fact, experts emphasize that everyone with a family history of cancer, of any type, should make sure their doctor is aware of it and should ask whether tests are available to assess their risk of developing that type of cancer.
SOURCES: Karen Collins, M.S., R.D., nutrition adviser, American Institute for Cancer Research, Washington, D.C.; Virginia Kaklamani, M.D., oncologist, Northwestern Memorial Hospital, Chicago; American Institute for Cancer Research and World Cancer Research Fund Published on: June 03, 2009
