Topic of the week: Preventative Eating |

Topic of the week: Preventative Eating

Every week, Dr. Paul addresses a specific topic related to health and fitness. Please send in your questions.

Preventative Eating

I wrote about a year ago in this space about the relationship between certain types of food and cancer (se TOTW “Nutrition and Cancer”, May 8, 2006). Likely, it came as no surprise that foods like fresh fruits and vegetables (loaded with carotenoids like lycopene) were essentially foods that could help to prevent disease(s) and, therefore, were “preventative” in nature. And it is true that our food choices can be as medicinal as regular exercise. Hand in hand, these two factors (good nutrition and an active lifestyle) are the best weapons currently extant in terms of cancer prevention. But fruits and vegetables (especially cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli and cauliflower) aren’t the only nutritional tale to be told when it comes to reducing the incidence of cancer via the “diet”.

For example, recent studies have shown that garlic intake has been linked to a reduction in certain types of cancers. And another vegetable that seems to go well with garlic in food preparations and packs a punch in terms of cancer prevention is onions. One study found the just one serving per week of onions was found to reduce cancer incidence by 14%. An additional serving per day appeared increase the cancer protection for some forms of cancer by two or three times that percentage. Indeed, an onion a day (breath mints please!) reduced the incidence of colorectal cancer in the study population by 56%!

Another example is calcium. Calcium intake has also been found to “suggest” a reduction in the incidence of cancer (especially colorectal cancer) although studies to verify this factor are ongoing. And if you don’t care for milk products (an many do not tolerate milk all that well), calcium supplements are the way to go. The suggested daily amount for adults is about 1,200 milligrams per day. Older adults (over 50) are still encouraged to maintain this level of intake.

And don’t forget the contribution of fish and the omega-3 fatty acids found in some types of fish. Those who eat fish at least twice per week should benefit from a reduced incidence of certain types of cancer in addition to the already known reduction in the risk of cardiac disease (olive oil has also been found to share a similar preventative effect). Again, supplements might also be the way to go if fish is not your cup of tea. And speaking of tea (especially green tea), the current scientific consensus seems to be that, although not completely proven to have a preventative effect—it couldn’t hurt!

Finally, please notice that the suggested foods are also generally lower in calories and represent a variety of nutrients. And the key to good nutrition is variety and moderation. The subsequent weight loss (or weight maintenance) associated with proper nutrition is one of the biggest factors in the reduction of the incidence of cancer. In other words, overweight and obese individuals tend to have a higher cancer incidence than those who are not overweight or obese.

I’m Dr. Paul Kennedy and that’s the “Be Fit, Stay Fit” Topic of the Week. Good luck with YOUR program. I KNOW you can do it!