Cancer and Nutrition

Interested in what role food has with cancer? Check out the Cancer Nutrition Center (http://www.cancernutrition.com/) for more information.

Carolyn Katzin, a Certified Nutrition Specialist offers this advice:

Does what we eat really affect our risk?

The National Cancer Institute estimates that at least 35% of all cancers have a nutritional connection. When lifestyle factors such as smoking and exercise are included the associated risk becomes much stronger and may be as high as 85%. What we eat makes a big difference in our energy levels, our mood and even our self esteem. When we choose foods rich in protective factors such as fruits and vegetables we are also doing something positive for our health and well-being.


Which foods are important for health?

Foods that come from the plant kingdom rather than the animal kingdom have many protective botanical factors: plants cannot move away from danger, unlike animals. These phyto (meaning plant) nutrients can be beneficial to us also. Antioxidants, anticarcinogens and bioflavonoids are some of the terms used to describe the actions of phytonutrients. Foods rich in botanical factors or phytonutrients include berries, dark green leafy vegetables, citrus fruits, legumes (beans of all sorts including soy) and whole grains.