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Eating to protect against cancer

29/ 4/2008

Q Can what I eat reduce my chances of getting cancer?

A Yes, what we eat really can help.

Experts agree that as many as one in three cases of cancer could be prevented with healthy diets.

There is no one single food which can cause or prevent cancer.

However, watching your weight can reduce your chances of developing as many as nine types of cancer including bowel, breast, kidney, womb, gall bladder, and blood cancers like leukaemia.

Switching from meat and processed foods to a more plant-based diet, high in fruit and vegetables (aim for five a day) and whole grains can protect us from cancers of the bowel, stomach, mouth, throat and even lung cancer.

You do not need to be vegetarian, but try to cut down red meat to no more than 500g (18 oz) a week.

Q Can a vitamin pill protect me from cancer?

A One in three of us regularly take nutritional supplements.

But, despite their popularity, there is surprisingly little evidence that supplements can prevent cancer and they might actually do more harm than good.

People taking high dose tablets of vitamins such as B carotene and vitamin E have rates of certain cancers such as lung, gullet, stomach, bowel, liver and pancreas which are increased by as much as a third.

There are no grounds for taking dietary supplements to protect us from cancer. It is far better to get your nutrients from food.

A balanced diet rich in fruit and vegetables, low fat dairy foods, fish, and lean meat, pulses, and whole grains will ensure you receive sufficient vitamins and minerals for a healthy body.