To Your Health
June, 2019 (Vol. 13, Issue 06) |
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Is Your Poor Diet Fueling Cancer?
By Editorial Staff
It's no secret that too many people – particularly Americans – eat too many low-nutrient, high-fat, high-carb, processed foods. It's also no secret that a consistent diet along those lines can lead to obesity, type 2 diabetes, high cholesterol and cardiovascular disease. What isn't talked about enough, however, is the link between poor diet and cancer. The connection is a reality, and research continues to prove it.
Case in point: A recent study in the
Journal of the National Cancer Institute that evaluated the "preventable cancer burden" attributable to poor diet in the U.S., estimating "the annual number and proportion of new cancer cases attributable to suboptimal intakes of 7 dietary factors among US adults ages 20+ years." Here are the most significant findings from this eye-opening study, which evaluated cancer incidence over a one-year period:
- Approximately 80,000 new cancer cases were deemed attributable to suboptimal diet (5.2 percent of all new cancer cases that year).
- Of those cancer cases, the vase majority were direct associations with diet, while a much smaller percentage was associated with obesity.
- Colorectal cancer was the most common cancer type caused by poor diet, both in number and proportion of cancer cases.
- Low consumption of whole grains and high intake of processed meats were the most common food types associated with cancer.
More than 80,000 cases a year of cancer caused by poor diet – and you could be one of them. Now if that doesn't make you rethink your food choices, what does? Don't let poor diet lead to cancer when it's completely within your control. Talk to your doctor to learn more.
