Eating right could keep cancer at bay

Dr. Neha Pathania

Eating well reduces your cancer risk. Take a long, hard look at what you typically eat each day, and then build a healthy diet plan for yourself and your family. Eating ‘fast food’ and processed food high in fat and sugar leads to weight gain. And there is enough evidence to establish a link between obesity and cancer.  So, it’s imperative one switches to plant-based diet and consume fruit, vegetables, whole grains and beans.

Preventive diet 

Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables.  They are full of vitamins and minerals and are believed to reduce the risk of some types of cancer. The Mediterranean diet, largely comprising fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes and nuts, fight cancer. 

Green tea: It is a powerful antioxidant. It helps in preventing liver, breast, pancreatic, lung, esophageal and skin cancer.

Onion and garlic: Use these generously. These can block the formation of nitrosamines, which is a powerful carcinogen.

Fibre-rich diet 

Diets rich in fibre can help fight against bowel cancer. This may be because fibre helps in moving the food quickly through the bowel. There is strong evidence that eating a fibre-rich diet can protect against weight gain. This makes it one of the most important ways to help protect against cancer.

Benefits of eating fruit and vegetables

Vegetables and fruit can protect against cancers of the mouth, throat and digestive tract. Vegetables and fruit provide vitamins, minerals and other substances known as phytochemicals, which probably help protect cells from damage that may lead to cancer. Different types of vegetables and fruit contain different phytochemicals, so it is best to eat a variety every day.

Diet after cancer has been diagnosed

Eat plenty of proteins and calorie if you can. This helps you keep up your strength and helps rebuild tissues harmed by cancer treatment. 

• Drink plenty of liquids.
• Whole grain and starchy vegetables.
• Nutritious fats like olive oil, nut butter, and seeds

—The writer is dietician, Paras Hospitals

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