Be careful about what you eat! These habits are linked to cancer

While nutrition plays a critical role in the fight against cancer, poor eating habits significantly increase the risk of cancer.

Factors such as poor nutrition, excessive saturated fat, processed foods, high glycemic load carbohydrates and inadequate antioxidant intake play a role in the development of cancer. While these risks can be reduced with a healthy lifestyle and balanced diet, maintaining body weight, consuming vegetables and fruits and increasing physical activity are also important factors in cancer prevention.

Nutrition and Dietetics Specialist Dietician Burcu Ustad Arda stated that nutrition and lifestyle choices directly affect cancer risk.

Arda stated that in addition to mutagenic substances that disrupt the DNA structure, carbohydrate, fat and protein imbalance, antioxidant deficiencies and incorrect cooking techniques also play an important role in the formation of cancer.

Dietician Burcu Üstad Arda said, "Excessive intake of saturated fats and omega-6 fatty acids has a positive relationship with increased cancer incidence. The balance in fat intake with food, the correct proportion of dietary fat to protein and carbohydrates is of great importance in terms of cancer risk. It should also be remembered that carbohydrates with a high glycemic load can also increase cancer risk. Therefore, the type of carbohydrate consumed should be carefully selected."

Arda pointed out that harmful substances such as burnt, cooked at high temperatures and processed foods, pesticide residues and aflatoxin formed in foods that have not been stored under appropriate conditions are among the main factors that increase the risk of cancer, and said, "These nutrition-related risks, which can directly damage DNA and indirectly damage the immune system, can be prevented with the right food choices, balanced macronutrient intake and healthy cooking methods.

Scientific research has shown that at least 30 percent of all cancers are related to poor eating habits. High glycemic load carbohydrates, processed meat products, foods containing refined sugar and a diet devoid of antioxidants play an effective role in the development of cancer," he said.

Arda, who drew attention to the fact that excessive consumption of animal protein and simple sugar are among the factors that increase the risk of cancer, warned that obesity plays an important role in the development of almost all types of cancer, especially breast and prostate cancer, and therefore a healthy body weight should be maintained.

Arda stated that nutrition plays an important role in the treatment and protection of different types of cancer, and emphasized that fiber is important for colon cancer, alcohol and calorie restriction for breast cancer, consumption of vegetables, fruits and foods containing quercetin such as onions and apples for lung cancer, and consumption of tomatoes against prostate cancer.

Arda listed the basic nutritional principles that should be taken into consideration to protect against cancer as follows:

"Healthy body weight and fat ratio should be maintained, vegetables and fruits should definitely be included in the daily diet, whole grains and legumes should be consumed regularly, physical activity should be increased, alcohol intake should be limited, red meat and processed meat consumption should be reduced, calcium and vitamin D needs should be met sufficiently, if necessary, it should be supported with glutamine supplements and protective foods such as garlic should not be forgotten."

Arda stated that the most effective way to reduce the risk of cancer is to follow a natural, fresh, balanced and conscious nutrition plan, and said, "This step towards a healthy life creates a strong defense not only against cancer but also against all chronic diseases."