Nutrition and Cancer Risk: What You Need to Know

Eating a healthy diet is one of the best ways to reduce your risk of cancer. Whole foods such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, healthy fats, and lean proteins are all important components of a cancer-preventing diet. On the other hand, processed meats, refined carbohydrates, salt, and alcohol can increase your risk. While no diet has been proven to cure cancer, ketogenic and plant-based diets may reduce risk or benefit treatment.

Plant-based diets are especially beneficial for cancer prevention due to their high natural fiber content. Studies have shown that young women who ate the most fiber-rich diets were 25% less likely to suffer from breast cancer in the future. Additionally, research suggests that consuming 10 grams of fiber per day can reduce the risk of colorectal cancer by 10%. The World Cancer Research Fund (WCRF) and the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) have identified certain nutritional factors with convincing or probable evidence of cancer risk.

However, it is important to note that no single food can cause or cure cancer. Eating a wide variety of foods from each of the five food groups in the recommended amounts is the best way to maintain a healthy and interesting diet while providing your body with a variety of different nutrients.