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Reduce
Your Cancer Risk by Eating
The evidence is stacking
up, and there’s no doubt about it: You can reduce your risk
of cancer by eating wisely. What do the latest studies say
you should eat?
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Eat more raw vegetables
and less beef. A study released in September, funded by
the National Cancer Institute, showed that eating more
raw vegetables every day -- especially yellow and dark
green ones including spinach, kale and broccoli -- may
help cut the risk of pancreatic cancer in half. Conversely,
a study published in the October 5 issue of the Journal
of the National Cancer Institute found that red meat
consumption is associated with an increased risk of developing
pancreatic cancer.
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To prevent lung cancer,
stop smoking and consume plant compounds. A study published
in the Journal of the American Medical Association on
September 28 showed that dietary phytoestrogens (plant
compounds present in foods such as beans, cabbage, soybean,
grains and hops) substantially cut the risk of lung cancer
in both smokers and non-smokers. “Patients should be informed
that they may further reduce their risk of developing cancer
by adopting a diet rich in fruits and vegetables,” the
study authors remark.[†]
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Eat more green leafy
vegetables to cut your risk of ovarian cancer. In the Iowa
Women’s Health Study, women who ate the most green leafy
vegetables were found to have almost half (44 percent)
of the risk of ovarian cancer compared with subjects who
ate the least green leafy vegetables.
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Men should eat Brazil nuts and bread to bypass prostate
cancer. In 2002, study data showed that men who took selenium
for more than 7˝ years had about 52 percent fewer new cases
of prostate cancer than men who took the placebo. In the
United States
, meats and bread are common sources of dietary selenium.
Brazil nuts also contain large quantities of selenium.
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Men should also eat
tomatoes. One study that tracked the diets of a large group
of men for six years found that those who ate the most
tomato products (cooked tomatoes, tomato sauce, pizza and
tomato juice) had a 35 percent lower risk of early prostate
cancer and a 53 percent lower risk of advanced prostate
cancer than men who ate the least of these foods.
Sources: Reuters, CNN.com,
Medscape Medical News, National Cancer Institute, American
Institute for Cancer Research
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