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Ask the Expert: Kathleen Zelman Diets that prevent cancer – UHC TV Are there any foods or diets that can help prevent cancer? This is an important question because we all need to be working hard toward making our bodies as healthy and as protective as possible against all forms of disease. The good news is, a healthy diet can really protect you. It can boost your immune system. It can make you feel good, but it can also help you ward off diseases. According to the American Institute of Cancer Research, there are recommendations of what you can do that can help you prevent cancer. A healthy diet that’s rich in fruits, grains, vegetables. It’s full of antioxidants. Antioxidants go through your body and they scavenge for free radicals. Remember that game called Pac-Man, and they’d go and they’d eat the little guys to win the game? That’s kind of what an antioxidant does. It goes around and it eats up and gets rid of these free radicals that could potentially cause cancer. A diet that’s rich in antioxidants can boost your immunity and help you. Now, this is no guarantee. This has nothing to do with family history. These are recommendations that can help you get your best odds against developing many kinds of cancer. Another really important recommendation is to be as lean as possible. Lean being, how much you weigh. Being at a healthy body weight is important towards preventing cancer. We don’t mean being underweight because you don’t want to be too underweight. But being at a healthy weight is as critical a risk factor as is smoking. I think everybody knows that smoking is certainly not recommended and is one of the high risk factors for developing lung cancer. The reason for it? In a nutshell, when you’re overweight, people who carry extra pounds have higher insulin and higher estrogen. It’s a hormone. So, higher insulin and higher estrogen levels, and these levels are tied to tumor growth. By getting your body into normal body range, normal healthy weight range, you will reduce your risk of developing cancer. Eat lots of fruits and vegetables. Be as lean as possible. Get at least 30 minutes of physical activity a day, and it can be working in the garden. It could be cleaning your house. It could be dancing. You don’t have to run marathons. Look for foods that have lots of fiber, because fiber will move foods along in your GI tract. If you consume alcohol, alcoholic drinks should be limited to two for men and one for ladies. Limit consumption of salty foods and foods processed with salt. These are just a few of the recommendations. If you want more recommendations, go to the website for the American Institute of Cancer Research. They’ll have a list of all the different things you can do to protect your health. Start out with a healthy diet. That’s one of the best things you can do for yourself.

Ask the Expert

Can Foods Prevent Cancer?

Question: Can eating certain foods prevent cancer?

Answer from: Kathleen Zelman, R.D., nutrition expert

Before you push those greens off your plate, hear how diet affects your risk for cancer.

food & nutrition, Ask the Expert, cancer, diet, No-nonsense Nutrition

The content of these videos is for information only and is not intended to be medical advice. Refer to your health plan benefit guide for coverage details, and consult with your doctor to determine what is best for you.

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Can Foods Prevent Cancer?

Question: Can eating certain foods prevent cancer?

Answer from: Kathleen Zelman, R.D., nutrition expert

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