Blog: 10 Ways to Help Prevent Cancer

Blog by: Robyn Stoller, Cancer Hawk. http://www.cancerhawk.com/2011/09/10-ways-to-help-prevent-cancer-137.html

10 Ways to Help Prevent Cancer... (#137)

Scientists still don't really know what causes cancer.  But research has shown that eating certain healthy foods and maintaining certain healthy habits can dramatically lower your cancer risk.  This is no guarantee of course but every little bit helps, right?!

The information below comes from Prevention Magazine's "20 Ways to Prevent Cancer".  I chose to write about the 10 that resonated most with me...

1.  FILTER YOUR TAP WATER
A new report from the President’s Cancer Panel on how to reduce exposure to carcinogens (cancer causing substances) suggests that home-filtered tap water is a safer bet than bottled water.  The quality of bottled water often is not higher—and in some cases is worse—than that of municipal water sources.  Consumer Reports' top picks for faucet-mounted filters were Culligan, Pur Vertical, and the Brita OPFF-100.  Furthermore, water should be stored in in stainless steel or glass to avoid chemical contaminants such as BPA that can leach from plastic bottles.

2. STOP TOPPING YOUR GAS TANK
When the gas pump automatically shuts off, that's it.  Don't give it that one last squirt.  Gasoline is filled with toxic chemicals so it's important to keep them from coming in contact with your skin or getting into the air which then can enter your lungs.

3.  MARINATE MEATS BEFORE GRILLING
Processed, charred and well-done meats can contain cancer-causing heterocyclic amines (HCAs).  If you do grill, add rosemary and thyme to your favorite marinade and marinate for at least an hour before cooking.  Researchers at Kansas State University have found that rosemary & thyme can cut HCAs by as much as 87%.

4.  WATER DOWN YOUR CANCER RISK
You've heard this before... everyone needs to be drinking at least 8 glasses of water a day but who really does it?  Although there are a plethora of reasons why drinking water is important (weight loss, hydration, etc.) drinking plenty of water and other liquids may also reduce the risk of bladder cancer by diluting and flushing cancer-causing agents out of your body faster.  Does wine or tequila count as a liquid?  Just wondering...
 
5.  LOAD UP ON REALLY GREEN GREENS
The darker the green veggie = the more magnesium it contains = the better it is for you.  Makes sense.  And several studies have shown that magnesium can lower the risk of colon cancer in women.  

6.  SNACK ON BRAZIL NUTS
According to research from Dartmouth Medical School, selenium is an antioxidant that lowers the risk of bladder cancer in women.  And brazil nuts are a great source of selenium.  Researchers believe selenium also protects cells from free radical damage (which causes cancer);  enhances immune function; and suppresses the formation of blood vessels that nourish tumors.  (Soon I will post an incredible pesto recipe from one of my very favorite people in the world, my Aunt Elaine, that contains brazil nuts and may help remove heavy metals from your body... and it's amazingly delish and I eat a little bit of it every day.)

7.  ASK YOUR DR. ABOUT BREAST DENSITY
What is your breast density?  Research has shown that women whose mammograms have revealed breast density readings of 75% or more have a breast cancer risk 4 to 5 times higher than that of women with low density scores.  So what can you do if your breast density is over 75%?  EXERCISE... shrinking your body fat changes growth factors, signaling proteins such as adipokines and hormones like insulin in ways that tend to turn off cancer-promoting processes in cells.  *** BTW, I just learned from TalkAboutHealth that breast MRIs are the most effective way to screen if you have dense breasts.  (I'm going to insist that my doctor orders MRIs now in addition to my annual mammogram.)  

8.  BLOCK SKIN CANCER WITH COLOR
Some research has shown that blue and red colored fabrics offer better protection against the sun's UV rays than white or yellow fabrics.  And don't forget to wear a hat.  Although melanoma can appear anywhere on the body, researchers at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill have found that people with melanomas on the scalp or neck die at almost 2x the rate of people with melanoma on other areas of the body.

9.  EAT CLEAN FOODS
Everyone knows that what you put into your body affect your health.  But is paying up for hormone-free, pesticide-free foods worth it?  The jury is still out on this but the President's Cancer Panel does recommend buying meat free of antibiotics and added hormones as well as fruits and veggies that are free of pesticides as this is suspected to play a role in the cause of cancer.  For reasonable compromise for fruits & veggies, check out the Dirty Dozen & the Clean 15.  (Dirty dozen foods are the most pesticide-laden foods you can eat- so buy these organic; Clean 15 are much "cleaner" so no need to pay up for organic with these 15 foods.)

10.  PAY ATTENTION TO PAIN
Here's the dealio (as my daughter always says) re: pain, if you are not feeling well, or something hurts or just doesn't seem right, get it checked out by a medical professional.  And if your doctor dismisses your symptoms, find another doctor.  If Alan hadn't gotten the pain in his lower back checked out in March of 2000, we might not have found the kidney cancer while it was still in stage 1 and curable. Now think about ovarian cancer... if you are experiencing a bloated belly, pelvic pain and an urgent need to urinate, see your doctor.  These symptoms MAY signal ovarian cancer, especially if they're severe and frequent.  Many women (and doctor's candidly) ignore these symptoms, which is why ovarian cancer can be so deadly.  Caught early (before the cancer has spread outside the ovary), the 5 year survival rate is 90% - 95%... I'll take those odds any day.

Remember, there are no guarantees in life... but if there are some easy changes that one can make that might just help prevent cancer, why not do it?!  I know I'm going to make these changes... they certainly can't hurt, and they could possibly help.  Just my two cents....  ;-)

To read Prevention Magazine's "20 Ways to Prevent Cancer" in it's entirety, click HERE.