5 Ways to Ward off Cancer

Cancer is one of the most deadly diseases that can affect a person. There are more than a hundred types of cancer that affect the body, from breast cancer to lung cancer, skin cancer, mouth cancer, prostate cancer and so on. These are 5 ways to ward off cancer.

Refrain from consuming tobacco to ward off cancer

According to the National Cancer Institute, tobacco is one of the widely known factors that cause cancer. Tobacco can lead to mouth cancer, lung cancer, larynx cancer, pancreas cancer, throat cancer, kidney cancer and so on. Regular, or even occasional use of tobacco puts you in harm's way and provides your body with a breeding ground for cancer cells. A study by NCBI shows that exposure to secondhand smoke, from a person smoking nearby, also puts you at risk of cancer. As per the study, spousal smoking increases the risk of Lung Cancer by 20% for women and 30% for men.

Follow a healthy diet to ward off cancer

Also Read: Tips to Quit Smoking

We all love the occasional junk food binging, and while they may make you feel better at that time, it goes a long way to increasing the risk of cancer. Although following a healthy diet won't guarantee complete cancer prevention, it will reduce the risk of cancer. A paper from NCBI addresses how a healthy diet can prevent around 30-40% of all cancers.

Here are some guidelines to follow for healthy eating:

• Consume plenty of fruits and vegetables: Follow a diet from plant-based sources, such as beans and whole grains
• Avoid foods that lead to obesity: Eating lighter foods, and prioritizing low-calorie foods and overweight-gaining foods such as refined sugar and animal fat will help reduce the risk of cancer
• Cut down on Alcohol since research has concluded that Alcohol enhances the risk of cancer in the lungs, kidneys, colon, breast and liver.

Be physically active and maintain a healthy weight

Maintaining your body and keeping it at a healthy weight helps lower the risk of various kinds of cancer like lung, prostate, breast, kidney and colon. Physical activity helps maintain your body and helps control weight as well.

Also Read: Smoking Addiction And Cancer

Minimize staying under the sun for too long

Though Skin Cancer is one of the most common types of cancer, it also makes it the easiest to prevent. Cancer Research UK, the biggest cancer research-based charity in the world, revealed that 9 out of 10 cases of Skin Cancer could be avoided by taking the necessary precautions.

Here are some tips to follow when taking precautions for skin cancer:

• Avoid the midday sun: The sun's rays between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. are the most dangerous because it's when the sun's rays are the strongest.
• Cover exposed areas of your skin with clothing of bright or dark colours, since these colours divert the sun's harmful ultraviolet rays when compared to more pastel colours. On the exposed areas of the skin, apply sunscreen with SPF 30 or more.
• Avoid using tanning beds as they emit the same damaging rays as sunlight.

Get regular medical care and do occasional checkups

Maintaining a habit of going for checkups and screenings for various types of cancer such as cancer on the lungs, skin, colon, breast, cervix and so on will help you identify cancer cells at their early stages. This would prove to be greatly beneficial since cancer treatment is more effective the sooner it's discovered.

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Reference:

1. Dart H, Wolin KY, Colditz GA. Commentary: eight ways to prevent cancer: a framework for effective prevention messages for the public. Cancer Causes Control. 2012 Apr;23(4):601-8. doi: 10.1007/s10552-012-9924-y. Epub 2012 Feb 26. PMID: 22367724; PMCID: PMC3685578.

2. Kerschbaum E, Nssler V. Cancer Prevention with Nutrition and Lifestyle. Visc Med. 2019 Aug;35(4):204-209. doi: 10.1159/000501776. Epub 2019 Jul 23. PMID: 31602380; PMCID: PMC6738231.