There are always conflicting reports about what can or can’t help with cancer prevention. The issues to do with cancer prevention often are confusing — sometimes what’s recommended in one report is advised against in another. What you can be sure of when it comes to cancer prevention is that making small changes to your everyday life might help reduce your chances of getting cancer.
Cancer prevention step 1: Don’t use tobacco
All types of tobacco put you on a collision course with cancer. Rejecting tobacco, or deciding to stop using it, is one of the most important health decisions you can make. It’s also an important part of cancer prevention.
Smoking has been linked to several types of cancer, including:
Bladder
Cervix
Esophagus
Kidne
Lip
Lung
Mouth
Pancreas
Throat
Voice box (larynx)
Chewing tobacco has been linked to multiple types of cancer, including:
Esophagus
Mouth
Throat
Inhaled chewing tobacco (snuff) may increase the risk of cancers, including:
Esophagus
Mouth
Even if you don’t smoke, avoid exposure to secondhand smoke. Being around others who are smoking may increase your risk of lung cancer.
Cancer prevention step 2: Eat a variety of healthy foods
Though making healthy selections at the grocery store and at mealtime can’t guarantee you won’t get cancer, it may help reduce your risk.
The American Cancer Society recommends that you:
Eat an abundance of foods from plant-based sources. Eat five or more servings of fruits and vegetables each day. In addition, eat other foods from plant sources, such as whole grains and beans, several times a day. Replacing high-calorie foods in your diet with fruits and vegetables may help you lose weight or maintain your weight. A diet high in fruits and vegetables has been linked to a reduced risk of cancers of the colon, esophagus, lung and stomach.
Limit fat. Eat lighter and leaner by choosing fewer high-fat foods, particularly those from animal sources. High-fat diets tend to be higher in calories and may increase the risk of overweight or obesity, which can, in turn, increase cancer risk.
Drink alcohol in moderation, if at all. Your risk of cancers, including mouth, throat, esophagus, kidney, liver and breast cancers, increases with the amount of alcohol you drink and the length of time you’ve been drinking regularly. Even a moderate amount of drinking — two drinks a day if you’re a man or one drink a day if you’re a woman, and one drink a day regardless of your sex if you’re over 65 — may increase your risk.
Help to Stop Smoking – Mayo Clinic
There are proven treatments that help people stop smoking. Medications and supportive discussion with a health care provider and counseling with a specialist will greatly increase your chances for stopping. In this video, health care providers from the Mayo Clinic describe medication and counseling options and explain how they work to help smokers stop smoking Patients tell how treatment provided for them the help they needed to become and stay smoke-free. There is effective treatment for anyone who smokes. Visit the Mayo Clinic website.