Do you know? Open the door┋Want to stay away from cancer? Please keep these four cancer prevention suggestions in mind

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The expert who wrote this article: Li Yue, clinical nutritionist at the First Affiliated Hospital of Xinjiang Medical University and registered nutritionist in China.

Review expert: Li Li, President of Xinjiang Nutrition Society, Director of the Clinical Nutrition Department of the First Affiliated Hospital of Xinjiang Medical University, and Chief Scientific Communication Expert of the Autonomous Region

Want to stay away from cancer? Keep these four cancer prevention tips in mind

April 15th to 21st, 2022 is the 28th "National Cancer Prevention and Control Promotion Week". The theme of this year's publicity week is "Early Action for Cancer Prevention and Control", which aims to actively advocate that everyone be the first person responsible for their own health!

There is solid evidence that 40% of cancer cases are preventable! The following four cancer prevention tips apply to everyone.

Tip 1: Reach and maintain a healthy weight

There is strong evidence that being overweight or obese in adulthood increases the risk of heart disease and 12 types of cancer.

Whether children or adults, maintaining weight within a healthy range for a long time is the first priority in preventing cancer.

How do you know if your weight is within a healthy range? Measuring BMI and waist circumference is simple and easy, and can accurately assess our health status. Everyone should know this.

If you are overweight/obese, you must lose weight scientifically.

The general principles for weight loss proposed by the World Health Organization (WHO) are:

1. Limit energy intake from fat and sugar;

2. Increase the intake of fruits, vegetables, beans, whole grains and nuts;

3. Exercise regularly, 60 minutes a day for children and 150 minutes a week for adults.

Tip 2: Exercise actively

There is strong evidence that exercise reduces the risk of colon cancer, breast cancer (after menopause), and endometrial cancer.

Adults should get 150 to 300 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity per week, or 75 to 150 minutes of vigorous-intensity physical activity, or an equivalent combination; reaching or exceeding the upper limit of 300 minutes is optimal.

Children and adolescents should participate in at least 1 hour of moderate- or vigorous-intensity physical activity every day.

Limit sedentary behaviors such as sitting, lying down, and watching television and other forms of screen-based entertainment.

Tip 3: Healthy eating habits

Diet and nutrition are important determinants of cancer risk, especially for several gastrointestinal cancers, such as oral cancer, pharyngeal cancer, laryngeal cancer, nasopharyngeal cancer, esophageal cancer, lung cancer, stomach cancer and colorectal cancer.

Recent studies show that approximately 4.2%-5.2% of cancer cases each year are directly attributed to poor diet.

Choose healthy foods:

1. A variety of vegetables - dark green, red and orange, fiber-rich legumes (beans and peas), etc. Vegetables should include dark green and orange vegetables: cruciferous vegetables (such as cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, kale), soy products, beans, allium vegetables (onions and garlic) and tomato products;

2. Fruits, especially whole fruits of various colors;

3. Whole grains, including wheat, rye, rice, oats, barley, corn, millet, buckwheat, quinoa and wild rice.

Reduce unhealthy foods:

1. Red and processed meat

Red meat refers to unprocessed mammalian meat, such as beef, pork, lamb, horse or goat, while processed meat is meat that has been cured, smoked, salted, fermented or otherwise processed to improve preservation or enhance flavor, such as bacon, sausage, ham, hot dogs and deli meats.

Evidence that red and processed meats increase cancer risk has been around for decades, and health organizations recommend limiting or avoiding these foods.

It is recommended to choose protein foods such as fish, poultry and beans instead of red meat, and be cautious when it comes to processed meat products.

2. Sugary foods

Sugary drinks and other added sugars in high-energy foods, such as white sugar, rock sugar, brown sugar, corn sweeteners, fructose syrup, etc., are closely associated with the risk of weight gain, overweight or obesity. It is recommended to choose water and unsweetened beverages.

3. Highly processed foods and refined grain products

Highly processed foods tend to be high in fat, added sugars, refined grains, and sodium, and it is recommended to limit consumption of "fast food" and other processed foods that are high in fat, starch, or added sugar.

Tip 4: Limit or avoid alcohol

Experts point out that alcohol intake increases the risk of oral cancer, pharyngeal cancer, laryngeal cancer, esophageal cancer (squamous cell carcinoma), breast cancer, colorectal cancer, liver cancer, and stomach cancer.

It is recommended that "it is best to avoid drinking alcohol completely", and when you have to drink, you should limit your drinking to no more than 1 drink a day for women and no more than 2 drinks a day for men.

Warm reminder : Stay away from cancer and start with healthy living habits!

Reference: "American Cancer Society guideline for diet and physical activity for cancer prevention2020"