Is Chicken bad for cancer patients? 6 foods which increase or decrease your risk of cancer

If you think cancer is a disease that strikes from nowhere with little in your hands to prevent it, you would be mistaken on both counts. Most cases of cancer are believed to be preventable lifestyle options and by nutrition.

Six new nutrition cancer prevention guidelines published today in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition reinforce some sound advice, but also incorporate a surprise or two.

Cancer is a major killer of Australians, and is responsible for 30 percent of all deaths each year. The"big five" in order of incidence are prostate, bowel, breast, melanoma and lung cancer. Our love of the sun and smoking mostly explain the two, but it is food, exercise and other lifestyle choices that explain much of a person's risk of cancer.

So what are we told by these six new cancer prevention recommendations? And notice should we take?

1. Eat plenty of vegetables and fruits

Unfortunately, there's no"cancer prevention superfood"; it is a combination of food variety that gives the greatest benefit.
A variety of fruits and vegetables is best. Alby Headrick/Flickr, CC BY-NC-ND

Why are fruit and vegetables so good? Take you pick from any and all the following: antioxidants, fiber, phytochemicals and weight management.

One group of vegetables you may care to provide a close look at during your shop, are the dark leafy greens. These include broccoli, spinach, leaf lettuce and kale -- foods that are nutrient powerhouses that are true.

2. Limit or avoid alcohol

When it comes to alcohol, forget about justifying drinking since it's good for your heart. Alcohol is strongly linked to cancer of the mouth, oesophagus, breast, colon and liver; the more you drink, the greater the risk.
The more you drink, the higher your cancer risk. Wagner T. Cassimiro 'Aranha'/Flickr, CC BY

Alcohol through conversion to acetaldehyde can directly damage mobile DNA. It increase the solubility of additional cancer-causing chemicals, may also damage the liver, increase the level of estrogen, and reduce the levels of several nutrients like folate.

Risk, though, needs to be balanced with pleasure and lifestyle. There are lots of other things you can do to reduce cancer risk without giving up your favorite drink altogether.

3+4. Avoid red and processed meat

The advice on avoiding meat is supported by evidence. This agrees with the biggest voice in the cancer prevention business, the World Cancer Research Fund (WCRF) that rates the connection between red meat and colorectal cancer as"convincing" -- the maximum level of evidence possible.
Where possible, avoid processed meats. Alpha/Flickr, CC BY-NC-SA

Meat lovers can take some solace. The WCRF recommends maintaining consumption of red meat to under 500 grams of meat weekly. Fish and chicken are good alternatives if the notion of missing a beef is too much for you.

Following on from the advice is a recommendation to avoid overcooking meat from frying and grilling. When meat, chicken and fish is overcooked at high temperatures for a long time, natural reactions in the food can create heterocyclic amines (HCAs).

HCAs are thought to be causes of lung, breast, colon, stomach and prostate cancer -- at least in animal models.

5. Women: eat soy foods to reduce your risk of breast cancer

This is a surprising recommendation, more so that when bands like the WCRF have looked at the evidence, it hardly made it to the"restricted" level of evidence.
The evidence on cancer and soy is patchy. Chloe Lim/Flickr, CC BY

Soy comprises a class of phytochemicals called. In stimulating cell growth, these isoflavones are thought to inhibit a woman's own estrogen. That is the theory at least.

Soy foods are a staple of vegetarian diets and the recommendation advises choosing natural soy foods like tofu, tempeh or edamame and to steer clear of protein concentrates often found in nutritional supplements.

Women who are being treated for estrogen-receptor-positive breast cancer should avoid soy supplements because they contain high concentrations of isoflavones.

6. Men: limit or avoid dairy products to reduce your risk of prostate cancer

This certainly stands out as the recommendation and the one which could grab the headlines.

This recommendation is a fantastic example of needing to balance risk in preventing cancer when it comes. Although there is some limited evidence that dairy products may raise a person's risk of prostate cancer, there is also a higher degree of evidence (which the WCRF classifies as"likely") that calcium and milk may lower the risk of colorectal cancer.
There is no need. jacqueline/Flickr, CC BY-NC

A diet high in calcium may lead to a decline in vitamin D production. less of it can lead to prostate cancer cells vitamin D is an important regulator of cell growth and proliferation.

In the colon, however, it's a different matter. Calcium can bind in the gut to potentially carcinogenic compounds, making them insoluble and excreted. Calcium may also directly influence cell development, slowing down proliferation.

What's a man to do? There isn't any need to prevent them, if you like dairy foods. You may want to have a bit less, if you've got a family history of prostate cancer. If colon cancer runs in your family, a bit more could help.
Other ways to reduce your cancer risk

While not part of the nutrition recommendations, physical activity has become recognised as a powerful"cancer-preventing" habit. Estimates link routine physical activity to some 20-40% lower risk of colon and breast cancer.

How much activity is enough? All physical activity is beneficial, but for cancer prevention up to 30 minutes of activity or one hour of activity gives the best benefit.

Carrying too much weight, especially around the middle, is a known cancer risk, particularly for breast and colon cancer risk. Men should aim for a waist circumference below 94cm. For women it is below 80cm.
Regular physical activity reduces your risk of cancer. Don DeBold/Flickr, CC BY

Cancer prevention guidelines reflect change over time, and the current state of proof as proof affects. The core of the guidelines though have changed little and could be summed up in sentence. Eat mostly plant foods near their natural condition, keep busy, drink responsibly, stay safe and don't smoke.

For some individuals, a lifestyle overhaul can be a difficult thing. Instead, focus on one change at a time like following up this and then building more action into your day with eating five different kinds of vegetables and 2 of fruits daily as your best guide to variety.

Prevention guidelines should not be seen for restricting your lifetime, but a series of small changes to how you eat and live now that will build the framework for a healthy, long and cancer-free life.