Eating right may help you reduce your risk of cancer, too. Here are some dietary guidelines to help you reduce your risk of cancer and promote general health.
* Avoid obesity. Obesity is linked to increased death rates from some types of cancers, including breast, ovary, colorectal, uterine and pancreatic cancers.
* Eat a varied diet. This helps you get all the nutrients you need, which helps your body stay healthy.
* Include a variety of fruits and vegetables in your daily diet. Fruits and vegetables are rich in vitamins A and C, which have cancer-inhibiting qualities.
* Eat more high-fiber foods. Vegetables, fruits and whole-grain products are rich in fiber, which appears to help protect you from a variety of cancers, especially colorectal cancers.
* Cut down on total fat intake. Eating too much saturated and unsaturated fat has been linked to colorectal and other types of cancer. It is best to limit fats to about 30 percent of your total calorie intake.
* If you drink alcohol, do so in moderation. Drinking large amounts of alcohol over a long period of time increases your risk of liver cancer. In combination with smoking, alcohol also increases your risk of cancers of the mouth, larynx, throat and esophagus.
* Limit consumption of salt-cured, smoked and nitrate-cured foods. Excessive consumption of smoked and cured meats such as bacon, ham, sausage and the like may promote cancer of the esophagus and stomach. Some cooking methods, including barbequing or smoking, can produce substances that may promote cancer. For that reason, limit your consumption of foods prepared in these ways.
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