Just out is a discouraging report for all of those who try to eat a healthy diet with lots of fruits and vegetables:
The news isn't completely bad: "a diet rich in fruits and vegetables has been shown to affect the risk of cardiovascular disease."
But if a diet high in fruits and vegetables won't prevent cancer, what will?
I have looked into the research, and oddly enough, most of the things I can do or take to ward off cancer are things that are good for my hearts as well, things like aspirin, green tea, red wine, fiber, omega 3, statins, and exercise - all things already in my daily routine.
Here are the headlines, click on links for details:
Protective Measures:
Aspirin
Aspirin lowers breast & ovarian cancer risk
Aspirin lowers breast cancer risk
Aspirin lowers breast cancer risk - more
Aspirin lowers colorectal cancer risk
Aspirin lowers colorectal cancer risk - more
Aspirin lowers prostate cancer risk
Vitamin D
Vitamin D lowers kidney cancer risk in men
Vitamin D Fights lymphoma
Vitamin D Fights colon, breast and prostate cancers
Vitamin D fights cancer
Vitamin D reduces the risk of developing prostate cancer and may help suppress the growth and spread of prostate cancer cells in men who already have it.
2 new studies back vitamin D for cancer prevention
Breast Cancer
Green tea
Green tea fights oral cancer
Green tea fights lots of cancers
The review found that green tea had limited benefits for liver cancer, but found conflicting evidence for other gastrointestinal cancers, such as cancer of the esophagus, colon or pancreas. One study found a decreased risk of prostate cancer for men who consumed higher quantities of green tea or its extracts. The review did not find any benefit for preventing death from gastric cancer, and found that green tea might even increase the risk of urinary bladder cancer. Despite conflicting findings, there was “limited moderate to strong evidence” of a benefit for lung, pancreatic and colorectal cancerand a positive association between green tea consumption and a decreased risk of breast cancer.
Red wine
Red wine fights cancer
Drinking more than three glasses of red wine a week could cut the risk of colorectal cancer by almost 70 per cent.
Cholesterol
Higher levels of 'good cholesterol' (HDL) seem to be protective for all cancers.
Statins
Statins may lower the risk of certain cancers, including colorectal and skin cancers.
Statins may benefit men with prostate cancer .
Statin drugs may have a protective effect in the prevention of liver cancer .
Selenium
The incidence of prostate cancer, colorectal cancer, and lung cancer was notably lower in the group given selenium supplements
Observational studies indicate that death from cancer, including lung, colorectal, and prostate cancers, is lower among people with higher blood levels or intake of selenium. In addition, the incidence of nonmelanoma skin cancer is significantly higher in areas of the United States with low soil selenium content]. The effect of selenium supplementation on the recurrence of different types of skin cancers was studied in seven dermatology clinics in the U.S. from 1983 through the early 1990s. Taking a daily supplement containing 200 _g of selenium did not affect recurrence of skin cancer, but significantly reduced the occurrence and death from total cancers.
Garlic
Garlic fights cancer
Garlic fights cancer - more
Omega-3
Omega-3 fatty acid, "docosahexaenoic acid" or "DHA," and its derivatives in the body kill neuroblastoma cancer cells. This discovery could lead to new treatments for a wide range of cancers, including neuroblastoma, medulloblastoma, colon, breast, and prostate cancers, among others.
Apples
More on preventing different types of cancer tomorrow.
It is widely believed that a diet rich in fruits and vegetables can reduce the risk of cancer. In 1990, the World Health Association recommended eating five servings of fruit and vegetables a day to prevent cancer and other diseases. But many studies since then have not been able to confirm a definitive association between fruit and vegetable intake and cancer risk.
An analysis of dietary data from more than 400,000 men and women found only a weak association between high fruit and vegetable intake and reduced overall cancer risk, according to a study published online April 6, 2010 in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.
The news isn't completely bad: "a diet rich in fruits and vegetables has been shown to affect the risk of cardiovascular disease."
But if a diet high in fruits and vegetables won't prevent cancer, what will?
I have looked into the research, and oddly enough, most of the things I can do or take to ward off cancer are things that are good for my hearts as well, things like aspirin, green tea, red wine, fiber, omega 3, statins, and exercise - all things already in my daily routine.
Here are the headlines, click on links for details:
Protective Measures:
Aspirin
Aspirin lowers breast & ovarian cancer risk
Aspirin lowers breast cancer risk
Aspirin lowers breast cancer risk - more
Aspirin lowers colorectal cancer risk
Aspirin lowers colorectal cancer risk - more
Aspirin lowers prostate cancer risk
Vitamin D
Vitamin D lowers kidney cancer risk in men
Vitamin D Fights lymphoma
Vitamin D Fights colon, breast and prostate cancers
Vitamin D fights cancer
Vitamin D reduces the risk of developing prostate cancer and may help suppress the growth and spread of prostate cancer cells in men who already have it.
2 new studies back vitamin D for cancer prevention
Breast Cancer
Green tea
Green tea fights oral cancer
Green tea fights lots of cancers
The review found that green tea had limited benefits for liver cancer, but found conflicting evidence for other gastrointestinal cancers, such as cancer of the esophagus, colon or pancreas. One study found a decreased risk of prostate cancer for men who consumed higher quantities of green tea or its extracts. The review did not find any benefit for preventing death from gastric cancer, and found that green tea might even increase the risk of urinary bladder cancer. Despite conflicting findings, there was “limited moderate to strong evidence” of a benefit for lung, pancreatic and colorectal cancerand a positive association between green tea consumption and a decreased risk of breast cancer.
Red wine
Red wine fights cancer
Drinking more than three glasses of red wine a week could cut the risk of colorectal cancer by almost 70 per cent.
Cholesterol
Higher levels of 'good cholesterol' (HDL) seem to be protective for all cancers.
Statins
Statins may lower the risk of certain cancers, including colorectal and skin cancers.
Statins may benefit men with prostate cancer .
Statin drugs may have a protective effect in the prevention of liver cancer .
Selenium
The incidence of prostate cancer, colorectal cancer, and lung cancer was notably lower in the group given selenium supplements
Observational studies indicate that death from cancer, including lung, colorectal, and prostate cancers, is lower among people with higher blood levels or intake of selenium. In addition, the incidence of nonmelanoma skin cancer is significantly higher in areas of the United States with low soil selenium content]. The effect of selenium supplementation on the recurrence of different types of skin cancers was studied in seven dermatology clinics in the U.S. from 1983 through the early 1990s. Taking a daily supplement containing 200 _g of selenium did not affect recurrence of skin cancer, but significantly reduced the occurrence and death from total cancers.
Garlic
Garlic fights cancer
Garlic fights cancer - more
Omega-3
Omega-3 fatty acid, "docosahexaenoic acid" or "DHA," and its derivatives in the body kill neuroblastoma cancer cells. This discovery could lead to new treatments for a wide range of cancers, including neuroblastoma, medulloblastoma, colon, breast, and prostate cancers, among others.
Apples
More on preventing different types of cancer tomorrow.
