Diet's Role in Cancer Prevention

I work at a cancer center in Knoxville, and one of the questions that people often ask me is whether there are any foods that they should definitely eat or avoid.  This is one of those questions that makes you wonder- what is the role of diet in cancer?  Diet is really about an overall average of what you’re eating. If you mostly eat healthy foods (you know what those are! Fruits, veggies, whole grains, beans- just like your mama told you) then an occasional splurge on a hotdog or ice cream isn’t going set off a cancer bomb in your body.  Likewise, if you habitually eat lots of processed snacks, convenience dinners, large servings of meat and processed meats, and get little exercise, then taking a multivitamin or even a plant-sourced nutritional supplement isn’t going to stop the train wreck that your diet is causing to many aspects of your health.

There is no food that by itself will cause cancer, and there is no food that by itself will prevent or cure cancer.  An overall healthy eating plan along with exercise and weight control (which, conveniently, are related), will help create an environment in your body that is hostile to cancer and promotes health.  Some people do develop cancer despite a healthy lifestyle, but they tend to have better outcomes. And who knows? They may have developed cancer years earlier, or a much worse case, if they hadn’t been taking care of themselves.

So my point is, its good to eat more plants, less animal to prevent cancer.  You may need to alter this proportion if you are currently going through treatment.  But there are no foods that you absolutely must give up, or absolutely must include.  Also keep in mind that you can’t cure cancer with only a healthy diet. If you could, I would be a rich woman.  Diet functions slowly and consistently to affect health, and when you have cancer you need something that takes effect quickly- like chemo and radiation.  Diet can help, but it won’t cure cancer by itself.

How do you promote health and prevent cancer? In the words of Michael Pollan, “Eat food, mostly plants, not too much.”  And enjoy the taste and satisfaction that a healthy diet will give you!

Submitted by:
Anna Gewecke, MS, RD, LDN
(865) 305-8099

agewecke@utmck.edu