1. Eating to Prevent Cancer:
Provided Courtesy of Nutrition411.com
Eating to Prevent Cancer:
How a Healthy Diet and Physical Activity May Help Keep You Cancer Free
Note to presenter: Reading of the following document is highly recommended prior to using these slides:
ACS Guidelines on Nutrition and Physical Activity for Cancer Prevention by the American Cancer Society® (available at:
During this presentation, make sure you discuss the complexity of scientific research and how media outlets can grab onto one research study and report it. Remind participants that a large body of evidence must support a nutrition recommendation, and well-planned and executed studies are needed in order to have valid results.
Review Date 9/13 G-1502 1

2. Relationship Between Lifestyle and Cancer
It is possible to prevent:
35% of cancers by:
Following a healthy diet
Maintaining a healthy weight
Having regular physical exercise
30% of cancers by:
Not using tobacco
A total of 60% to 70% of cancers may relate to lifestyle!
Source: American Institute for Cancer Research 2

3. Relationship Between Lifestyle and Cancer (cont’d)
Many foods and nutrients are linked to cancer prevention
For cancer prevention, focus on an overall healthy diet, rather than specific foods or nutrients
Note to presenter: Tell attendees that later in the slide presentation you will discuss specific nutrients that may help prevent cancer. However, science does not support recommending specific foods or nutrients for cancer prevention at this time. The following source is recommended reading for the presenter.
Source: Cancer prevention overview (PDQ®). National Cancer Institute. Accessed September 11, 2013. 3

4. American Cancer Society® Guidelines
Achieve and maintain a healthy weight throughout life
Keep physically active
Eat a healthy diet, with an emphasis on plant foods
If you drink alcohol, limit your intake
Source: Kushi LH, Doyle C, McCullough M, et al; American Cancer Society 2010 Nutrition and Physical Activity Guidelines Advisory Committee. American Cancer Society Guidelines on nutrition and physical activity for cancer prevention: reducing the risk of cancer with healthy food choices and physical activity. CA Cancer J Clin. 2012;62(1): doi: /caac 4

5. Achieve and Maintain a Healthy Weight
Overweight and inactivity account for one-third of the worldwide cases of these cancers:
Esophagus
Pancreas
Colon and rectum
Breast (after menopause)
Endometrium (lining of the uterus)
Kidney
Thyroid
Gallbladder
Source: Obesity and cancer risk. National Cancer Institute Web site. Accessed September 11, 2013. 5

6. Achieve and Maintain a Healthy Weight (cont’d)
Stay as lean as possible throughout life without becoming underweight
Avoid excessive weight gain at all ages
Know that losing even a small amount of weight has health benefits 6

7. Maintain a Healthy Weight
Know your body mass index (BMI):
Below 18.5=underweight
18.5 to 24.9=normal weight
25.0 to 29.9=overweight
30.0 and above=obese
Note to presenter: Information on body mass index (BMI), including charts that you can print for participants to calculate their own BMI, is available at
It is recommended that you provide these handouts and allow participants to determine their own BMI. 7

8. Tips for Maintaining a Healthy Weight
Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables
Limit simple sugars (cakes, cookies, pies, candies, and sweetened drinks)
Eat smaller portions of everything
Add physical activity to your life
Note to presenter: Add your own tips here. Ask for tips from the audience. 8

9. Stay Physically Active
Adults: Get a least 150 minutes of moderate intensity or 75 minutes of vigorous intensity activity each week, spread throughout the week
Children and adolescents: Get 60 minutes/day of moderate to vigorous physical activity each day, with vigorous activity at least 3 days/week 9

10. Eat a Healthy Diet Emphasis on Plant Foods
Examples include:
Fruits
Vegetables
Legumes
Packed with vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and other substances that work together to lower risks of several cancers 10

11. Cancers Associated With Low Intake of Plant Foods
Lung cancer
Mouth cancer
Esophageal cancer
Stomach cancer
Colon cancer
Source: Kushi LH, Doyle C, McCullough M, et al; American Cancer Society 2010 Nutrition and Physical Activity Guidelines Advisory Committee. American Cancer Society Guidelines on nutrition and physical activity for cancer prevention: reducing the risk of cancer with healthy food choices and physical activity. CA Cancer J Clin. 2012;62(1): doi: /caac 11

12. Eat a Healthy Diet: Emphasis on Plant Foods
Eat at least 2½ cups of fruits and vegetables each day
Choose whole grains over processed (refined) grains and sugars
Limit consumption of processed red meats
Fruits and vegetables are rich in fiber, vitamins, minerals, and phytochemicals.
Whole grains are rich in fiber, vitamins, minerals, and phytochemicals. They contain several substances that are linked to lower cancer risk, including fiber, antioxidants, phenols, lignans, polyestrogens, and saponins.
Standard serving sizes: 1 cup (C) raw fruit or vegetable, ½ C canned fruit or cooked vegetable, one medium piece of fruit, and ¼ C dried fruit. 12

13. Fruits and Vegetables
Choose colorful fruits and vegetables for the most nutrient content
Select a variety of fruits and vegetables
Enjoy fruits and vegetables prepared and served without added fat or sugar
One serving equals ½ C cooked vegetables, 1 C leafy vegetables, ½ C 100% juice, one medium piece of fruit, ½ C fresh, frozen, or canned fruit, or ¼ C dried fruit. 13

14. Alcoholic Beverages Limit consumption if you drink alcoholic beverages
Drink no more than one drink/day for women and two drinks/day for men
A drink is 12 fluid ounces (fl oz) of regular beer, 5 fl oz of wine, or 1.5 fl oz of spirits 14

15. Cancers Associated With Alcohol Intake Oral (mouth)
Pharyngeal (throat)
Esophageal
Laryngeal (voice box)
Breast
Liver
Use of tobacco at the same time as alcohol increases your risk of developing these cancers.
Source: American Cancer Society. Alcohol and Cancer. Accessed September 11, 2013. 15

16. Food Components That May Prevent Cancer
Antioxidants:
Vitamins A, C, and E, carotenoids, and selenium
No evidence supports taking antioxidant supplements to prevent cancer
Source: Kushi LH, Doyle C, McCullough M, et al; American Cancer Society 2010 Nutrition and Physical Activity Guidelines Advisory Committee. American Cancer Society Guidelines on nutrition and physical activity for cancer prevention: reducing the risk of cancer with healthy food choices and physical activity. CA Cancer J Clin. 2012;62(1): doi: /caac 16

17. Food Components That May Prevent Cancer (cont’d)
Dietary fiber:
The link between fiber and cancer is weak
Foods that contain fiber are high in other nutrients that may prevent cancer
Source: Kushi LH, Doyle C, McCullough M, et al; American Cancer Society 2010 Nutrition and Physical Activity Guidelines Advisory Committee. American Cancer Society Guidelines on nutrition and physical activity for cancer prevention: reducing the risk of cancer with healthy food choices and physical activity. CA Cancer J Clin. 2012;62(1): doi: /caac 17

18. Food Components That May Prevent Cancer (cont’d)
Phytochemicals:
Compounds made by plants that may prevent cancer, such as lycopene in tomatoes
No evidence that phytochemical supplements prevent cancer
Note to presenter: Lycopene is a phytochemical, a red-orange carotene pigment found in tomatoes and other pink and red fruits and vegetables. Several studies report that consuming tomato products reduces the risk of some cancers, but the link with lycopene is uncertain. This is highly touted as preventing prostate cancer based on one study. Further studies are in progress.
Source: Kushi LH, Doyle C, McCullough M, et al; American Cancer Society 2010 Nutrition and Physical Activity Guidelines Advisory Committee. American Cancer Society Guidelines on nutrition and physical activity for cancer prevention: reducing the risk of cancer with healthy food choices and physical activity. CA Cancer J Clin. 2012;62(1): doi: /caac 18

19. Food Components That May Prevent Cancer (cont’d)
Vitamin D:
Growing evidence shows that vitamin D may help to prevent colorectal cancer
In some cases, supplements are recommended for good health, but not necessarily for cancer prevention
Research is needed to determine how much vitamin D is needed by different populations, but it is a possibility that current Dietary Reference Intakes (DRIs) are inadequate to prevent cancer. A balanced diet, moderate supplementation, and frequent sun exposure (small amounts) are the preferred methods to obtain vitamin D.
Source: Kushi LH, Doyle C, McCullough M, et al; American Cancer Society 2010 Nutrition and Physical Activity Guidelines Advisory Committee. American Cancer Society Guidelines on nutrition and physical activity for cancer prevention: reducing the risk of cancer with healthy food choices and physical activity. CA Cancer J Clin. 2012;62(1): doi: /caac 19

20. Do These Foods Prevent Cancer?
Cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower, and cabbage):
These vegetables may contain phytochemicals that reduce cancer risk
A wide variety of vegetables is recommended, not just cruciferous vegetables 20

21. Do These Foods Prevent Cancer? (cont’d)
Soy foods:
The phytochemicals that they contain may fight cancer (based on animal studies)
Soy-based foods, such as tofu, may lower the risk of cancers of the breast, prostate, or endometrium
Evidence does not support the use of isolated soy phytochemical supplements to reduce cancer risk
High doses of soy could increase the risk of estrogen-responsive cancers, such as breast or endometrial cancer.
Source: Kushi LH, Doyle C, McCullough M, et al; American Cancer Society 2010 Nutrition and Physical Activity Guidelines Advisory Committee. American Cancer Society Guidelines on nutrition and physical activity for cancer prevention: reducing the risk of cancer with healthy food choices and physical activity. CA Cancer J Clin. 2012;62(1): doi: /caac 21

22. Do These Foods Prevent Cancer? (cont’d)
Tea:
Some research (animal studies) suggests that tea may have antioxidant properties and prevent cancer
Studies in humans are less conclusive
Drinking tea is not shown to prevent cancer in humans
Source: Kushi LH, Doyle C, McCullough M, et al; American Cancer Society 2010 Nutrition and Physical Activity Guidelines Advisory Committee. American Cancer Society Guidelines on nutrition and physical activity for cancer prevention: reducing the risk of cancer with healthy food choices and physical activity. CA Cancer J Clin. 2012;62(1): doi: /caac 22

23. Do These Foods Prevent Cancer? (cont’d)
Garlic:
The health benefits of garlic are widely publicized
Not enough evidence exists to support garlic as a food to prevent cancer at this time
Source: Kushi LH, Doyle C, McCullough M, et al; American Cancer Society 2010 Nutrition and Physical Activity Guidelines Advisory Committee. American Cancer Society Guidelines on nutrition and physical activity for cancer prevention: reducing the risk of cancer with healthy food choices and physical activity. CA Cancer J Clin. 2012;62(1): doi: /caac 23

24. Things That Do Not Cause Cancer
Irradiated foods
Bioengineered foods
Aspartame
Coffee
Dietary fat
Pesticides and herbicides (wash food thoroughly)
Based on information provided by the American Cancer Society, no evidence exists to link any of these items with cancer. The low doses of pesticides and herbicides in food do not appear to increase the risk of cancer.
Dietary fat remains under study. Substantial, but not conclusive, evidence shows that dietary fat is related to cancer. Because it is calorically dense, possibly leading to obesity, and because of its relationship to other chronic diseases, following the Dietary Guidelines for Americans is recommended, limiting saturated fats, trans fats, and total fats.
Source: Kushi LH, Doyle C, McCullough M, et al; American Cancer Society 2010 Nutrition and Physical Activity Guidelines Advisory Committee. American Cancer Society Guidelines on nutrition and physical activity for cancer prevention: reducing the risk of cancer with healthy food choices and physical activity. CA Cancer J Clin. 2012;62(1): doi: /caac 24

25. The Bottom Line Achieve and maintain a healthy weight throughout life
Stay physically active
Eat a healthy diet, with emphasis on plant foods
If you drink alcohol, limit your intake
Focus on the overall content of your diet, rather than specific nutrients
At this time, no strong evidence is available to suggest that you should take vitamin supplements to prevent cancer 25

26. References
Cancer prevention overview (PDQ®). National Cancer Institute Web site. Accessed September 11, 2013.
Healthy weight—it’s not a diet, it’s a lifestyle! Centers of Disease Control and Prevention Web site. Accessed September 11, 2013.
Kushi LH, Doyle C, McCullough M, et al; American Cancer Society 2010 Nutrition and Physical Activity Guidelines Advisory Committee. American Cancer Society Guidelines on nutrition and physical activity for cancer prevention: reducing the risk of cancer with healthy food choices and physical activity. CA Cancer J Clin. 2012;62(1): doi: /caac 26

27. References (cont’d)
Obesity and cancer risk. National Cancer Institute Web site. Accessed September 11, 2013.
Recommendations for cancer prevention. American Institute for Cancer Research Web site. Accessed September 11, 2013. 27