Your Diet and Physical Activity Affect Your Likelihood of Cancer

It is estimated that at least 30 percent of all cancer diagnoses in the US are preventable through diet and exercise. If a significant portion of the foods you eat are not fruits and vegetables, you are overweight and you do not exercise regularly, your likelihood for cancer is far greater than others who eat right and exercise.

Eating Right

A number of movements are underway to achieve more active and healthier lifestyles, however such movements are not moving quickly enough to save the lives of hundreds of thousands of people each year. People who do not eat five servings of fruit and vegetables each day, people who eat too much red meat, people who do not eat enough fiber and people who eat too much salt face a significantly higher risk of some cancers. The link between diet and cancer is real. The nutrients of fruits and vegetables protect your DNA, repair damaged cells that cause cancer, they absorb harmful chemicals in your body and they block the formation of chemicals that cause cancer.

Regular Exercise

Physical activity and cancer have also been proven to have a direct correlation. Some of the cancers known to be contributed to a lack of exercise include breast, uterine, colon and lung. People who exercise between a moderate and intense level of workout each week for more than three hours will significantly reduce their risk in developing various cancers. Exercising helps to combat cancer by reducing inflammation, reducing levels of hormones, improving resistance to insulin and preventing obesity. Examples of appropriate levels of exercise include swimming, running, biking, briskly walking and even gardening.

Dangerous Weight

By not eating right and exercising regularly, you are likely to be overweight or obese. Obesity is also directly linked to cancer. It is estimated that over 10 percent of cancer in the US is caused by obesity. A few reasons overweight and obese people are at a greater risk are that estrogen is produce in excess amounts by fat tissue, insulin levels are higher which could develop tumors and fat cells affect the regulators of tumor growth. Each pound a person loses is one step closer to cancer prevention.

Diet and physical activity can greatly affect your likelihood of cancer. Making a few simple changes to your daily diet and exercise routine could save your life. Eating more fruits and vegetables and talking a walk five times a week is a great place to start.

Gil Lederman is a certified medical doctor who specializes in Oncology and Internal Medicine. He currently resides in New York City and has a passion of educating people about health.