Help Prevent Cancer with your diet

Christy Reynolds, registered dietitian
Ball Memorial Hospital

Q. How does what I eat prevent cancer?
A. Hippocrates said, "Of several remedies, the physician should choose the least sensational." What could be less “sensational” than a first class diet? The link between diet and cancer prevention is undeniable. Emerging studies have shown that up to one third of all cancer cases may be related to what we consume. Every year, nearly 1.3 million people are newly diagnosed with cancer. If everyone chose to eat a wholesome diet, nearly half a million of these cases could be prevented. Hundreds of scientific studies, on worldwide populations, have concluded that moving toward a plant based diet will not only improve health but actually assist the body in protecting against cancer on a cellular level. Plant based foods are rich in favorable assets. Among some of the most valuable, yet least notarized are antioxidants and phytochemicals.

Q. What are antioxidants and phytochemicals?
A. Antioxidants protect the body from adverse chemical reactions involving oxygen metabolism, which creates toxic compounds called “free radicals.” These free radicals can damage a cell’s DNA, making it more susceptible to cancer causing agents, known as carcinogens. Phytochemicals (from the Greek word “phyton,” meaning plant) are non-nutritive bioactive plant substances, which are considered to have a beneficial effect on human health. They are simply natural chemicals found in plants that are so advantageous due to inherent cancer preventing traits. Most recently, studies have shown the ability of these compounds to enhance survival even after cancer has been diagnosed.

Q. What can I do to improve my daily diet?
A. A healthy diet is especially important during any illness, because nutritious food choices will allow the body fuel for recovery and renewal. The best way to enhance daily nourishment is proportionality and variety. This may require a completely different way of contemplating the traditional “American meal.” Ideally, a meal should be predominantly plant based. For example, if you divide a typical dinner plate into three sections, half of the plate should be filled with vegetables, fruits, or legumes. A fourth can be filled with a starch (such as a dinner roll or potato). Another fourth should be filled with three or four ounces of a high –quality protein choice, such as meat, fish, eggs, tofu, etc. This is most certainly an adjustment to the ever-popular “meat and potatoes” mentality. There is no refuting the immense enrichment that plants can provide to any meal plan.

Though the transition can sometimes be an arduous one, there are community resources available. For more information and a cooking demonstration call Cardinal Health System Access Services at (765) 741-1073 for reservations to attend Cancer Recovery and Renewal Through Nutrition: Antioxidants and Phytochemicals. This is a free program on Saturday April 28th at 11 a.m. for anyone interested in taking control of their health and learning to integrate more plant based foods into their everyday diet. Regardless of your current eating habits or even the genes you inherited, imagine the infinite control you could have over your own healthy destiny.

Christy Reynolds is a registered dietitian at Ball Memorial Hospital. Contact her at info@chsmail.org

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