Your body runs on food. Foods affect how you feel, how your body operates and your risk for diseases like cancer.
No food or food group can prevent cancer and excluding specific foods won’t eliminate your risk. But eating meals rich in healthy foods like vegetables, whole grains, beans and fruit and following some basic guidelines can help you reduce your risk for cancer and several other chronic diseases.
Eat healthy foods
Pack every meal with healthy and nutritious foods by filling at least two-thirds of your plate with vegetables, whole grains, fruits and beans. Nuts and seeds are good too. The remaining third of your meal is meat, fish or animal products like cheese and eggs, or try plant-based proteins like tofu.
Healthy meals can be tasty and exciting, no matter what type of food you like to eat. Take your favorite dishes and see where you can add more whole grains, vegetables, fruits, nuts and seeds.
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Feed your body antioxidants
Whole grains, vegetables, fruits, beans, nuts and seeds are important for your body because they contain antioxidants. Antioxidants are compounds that protect plants from disease and when you eat these plant foods, you benefit too. They help repair your cells and remove toxins you may have absorbed during your daily life, including toxins from pollution, bacteria and viruses, and additives and preservatives in processed foods. They also have anti-inflammatory properties.
Antioxidants are sometimes called phytochemicals and are in every kind of vegetable and fruit, plus some herbs and spices too. The color of the vegetable or fruit signals the type of phytochemical it includes.
- Green and cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower, kale, Brussels sprouts and arugula are high in vitamins A, C and K. They are also high in fiber, sulforaphane and folate.
- Bright red, orange and yellow foods like tomatoes, sweet potatoes, pumpkins, peppers and carrots are high in beta-carotene, lycopene, vitamins A and C, potassium and more.
- Dark purple foods like eggplants, berries, grapes, plums, beets, purple carrots and red cabbage contain a group of antioxidants called anthocyanins among other vitamins and minerals.
- White foods like mushrooms, garlic, cauliflower, onions and artichokes are high in anthoxanthins as well as other vitamins and minerals.
Fill up on fiber
Unprocessed vegetables, fruits, whole grains and beans also are the best source of fiber. Adding high fiber foods to your diet can help reduce your cancer risk. Here are all the benefits of fiber:
- Feeling full longer. Dietary fiber includes a form of carbohydrate that people can’t digest. The fiber slows the speed at which food and drink leave your stomach. So, you stay full longer after each meal or snack.
- Weight control. Many high-fiber foods are low-calorie and packed with nutrients. That’s good news, since maintaining a healthy weight is one of the most important factors in reducing your risk of cancer and other diseases.
- Lower cholesterol. Some fibers help prevent fat and cholesterol absorption, helping you lower your cholesterol over time.
- Stabilized blood sugar levels. Diabetic? Or at risk of becoming diabetic? Fiber can positively influence blood sugar levels by slowing how quickly sugar gets into your blood stream.
- Bowel management. Have digestive problems? Adding fiber to your diet can help protect your intestinal lining and make bowel movements easier or more frequent.
Include lean proteins
Eating more healthy foods does not mean you must be vegan or vegetarian. Meals that includes lean animal proteins like chicken and fish, as well as plant proteins, have been proven to reduce your risk for cancer.
Red meats like beef, pork and lamb can be included in moderation. Here are some guidelines for consuming red meat:
- Eat no more than 18 ounces of red meat per week. Each serving should be around three ounces, which is about the size of a regular deck of cards.
- Avoid burning or charring your meat because it creates compounds in the meat that have been linked to cancer. Use slow, low temperature cooking methods like baking or roasting. If you grill your meat, marinate it and finish off cooking in the oven or microwave.
Eat little, if any, processed meat like deli meats, hot dogs and bacon because they have been linked to colorectal cancer.
Follow the sugar stoplight
When it comes to sugar and artificial sweeteners, use the sugar stoplight to help balance how much you eat.
- Natural sugars are safe to eat. Any sugar that is naturally occurring in a food gets the green light. That includes sugar in fruit and starchy vegetables, as well as whole or minimally processed carbohydrates like brown rice and whole grain pasta. Sugar in dairy products like milk and cheese is OK, too.
- Added sugar should be eaten in moderation. Foods with added sugar get the yellow light. That includes the cane sugar in your yogurt, the honey or syrup in your granola bar, as well as the agave you might put in a drink. Added sugar can also appear in foods like bread and pasta sauce.
- Refined or processed sugar should be limited. Eat red light foods as little as you can because they contain a lot of processed sugar. One candy bar or piece of cake can contain around 30 grams of added sugar. Eating these foods regularly leads to weight gain and other problems. Sodas and sweetened beverages get the red light, too, even if they use artificial sweeteners.
Be aware of sugar spikes
All carbohydrates you eat are turned to sugar – it’s the main energy source for your body. But for some carbs, this process takes longer, which gives your body more time to deal with the sugar. This is why brown rice, whole wheat pasta and whole wheat bread are healthier for you. The extra fiber slows down digestion, helps you avoid a sugar spike and makes you feel full for longer. The refined white versions will strain your pancreas and likely make you want to eat more.
Simple swaps to avoid sugar spikes include switching from fruit juice to eating whole fruit or switching out sugary jelly for sugar-free peanut butter on your toast.
Limit alcohol
For cancer prevention, it’s best not to drink alcohol. Alcohol is a toxin and drinking any amount can damage your body and increase the risk for several cancers, including oral cancer, throat cancer, colorectal and esophageal cancers, as well as liver and breast cancers.
Alcohol also can change the balance in your gut microbiome, which supports your immune system and regulates inflammation.
If you choose to drink, be aware of the risks, aim to drink less often and have fewer drinks. The less you drink, the lower your cancer risk.
Tips for moving toward a healthy diet
Start slowly – look for progress, not perfection.
Assess your current diet – how much comes from whole grains, veggies, fruits, nuts and seeds? How much comes from meat? How much is from whole foods? How much is processed foods?
You are more likely to stick with changes if they happen in small, simple steps rather than one giant change.
Choose a small first step that is realistic for you and one you can make successfully. Here some ideas:
- Increase the amount of fruits and vegetables you eat. This might be by increasing the percentage of produce on your plate at each meal or the number of servings per day.
- Eat the rainbow daily or weekly to add more color to your diet. If you aim to eat the rainbow, you will automatically increase the amount and variety of fruits and veggies in your diet.
- Snack on healthy foods, such as fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds. Switching up snacks is a simple way to move toward healthy eating.
- Reduce intake of red and processed meats by choosing fish, seafood or poultry, or going meatless more often. There are many great plant-based protein options such as beans, lentils, peas and tofu. Eat them a few times per week.
- Choose whole grains or other whole food carbohydrates rather than processed carbohydrates at meals. Try spaghetti squash or veggie noodles instead of pasta. Switch to brown rice or quinoa instead of white rice.
- Eat salad as your meal. Top it off with nuts, seeds or beans as a protein source.
- Eat fruit for dessert.
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BMI Calculator
Body Mass Index (BMI) is a tool to help you determine if you are a healthy weight. Fill out the fields below to get your BMI.
| BMI | Classification |
|---|---|
| Less than 18.5 | Underweight |
| 18.5 - 24.9 | Healthy |
| 25 - 29.9 | Overweight |
| 30 or higher | Obese |
Your BMI indicates that you are underweight. Talk to your doctor about ways to maintain a healthy weight. No matter what your weight is, eating a plant-based diet and staying physically active can reduce your risk for cancer.
Your BMI is in the normal range. If you have questions or concerns about your BMI or maintaining a healthy weight, talk to your doctor. No matter what your weight is, eating a plant-based diet and staying physically active can reduce your risk for cancer.
Your BMI is in the overweight range. Maintaining a healthy weight is one of the most important things you can do to reduce your risk of cancer and other chronic diseases. You can take steps to maintain a healthy weight.
Your BMI is in the obese range. Maintaining a healthy weight is one of the most important things you can do to reduce your risk of cancer and other chronic diseases. You can take steps to maintain a healthy weight.
Artificial sweeteners vs. natural sweeteners: Which one is better?
The baking aisle at the grocery store can be a little overwhelming. There are so many different ingredients — especially sweeteners. There’s granulated sugar, raw sugar and stevia, to name a few. But which one is best for your health?
“Even natural sweeteners like raw sugar and honey are considered ‘empty’ calories,” explains Erma Levy, a senior research dietitian at MD Anderson. “That’s because they add to your daily caloric intake without offering nutritional value. And those empty calories can increase your waistline as well as your cancer risk.”
Why sugar intake matters
At least 10 different types of cancer, including breast cancer, endometrial cancer and colon cancer, have been linked to obesity. Over time, regularly consuming too much sugar can lead to weight gain, which in turn can lead to a higher cancer risk. So, it’s wise to monitor your sugar intake.
The American Heart Association recommends the following daily limits on added sugar:
- Women: no more than six teaspoons (25 grams)
- Men: no more than nine teaspoons (36 grams)
But don’t just limit your daily sugar tallies to obvious sweets like soda, candy and pastries. Added sugars can also crop up in unexpected places. Be on the lookout for added sugars in products like pasta sauce, salad dressing, and ketchup.
“Overall, there is no health benefit to consuming any type of added sugar,” Levy says. “So, read the nutrition labels to make sure you’re eating only the recommended amount per day or less.”
Do ‘natural’ sweeteners offer any nutritional benefits?
Some of the most common natural sweeteners on the market today include:
- agave nectar
- cane sugar (powdered, granulated or raw, also called turbinado)
- coconut sugar
- corn syrup (and its more processed form, high fructose corn syrup)
- dates
- honey
- maple syrup
- molasses
But none of these are considered more virtuous than the others.
“At first glance, natural sweeteners like honey and maple syrup may seem healthier than their more highly processed counterparts,” explains Levy. “But the trace amounts of antioxidants, vitamins and minerals they contain are not enough to make a significant difference when it comes to your health.”
Unprocessed sweeteners aren’t necessarily better than processed ones
You also might think that unprocessed sweeteners are somehow “better” or “healthier” choices than their more refined brethren. But that is not necessarily the case.
“All sugar has calories,” notes Levy. “It doesn’t matter where they come from. Raw honey may be made by bees and considered ‘unprocessed,’ and maple syrup may come from trees, but they still have calories. There is no one sweetener that’s better than all the others.”
What to know about artificial sweeteners
Artificial sweeteners are synthetic sugar substitutes created in a lab. Some have few calories, while others have none at all. Even so, Levy recommends limiting or avoiding these products.
“Some studies done with laboratory animals have found links between artificial sweeteners and cancer,” she says. “And while there is no proof that artificial sweeteners cause cancer, it’s best to avoid them or consume them in moderation.”
Common artificial sweeteners include:
- Acesulfame K
- Aspartame
- Saccharin
- Sucralose
- Xylitol
These products often go by their brand names, too, so be sure to check the label.
What about stevia?
As an alternative to sugar, stevia falls into a gray area. Technically, it is made from a plant, so it’s not artificial. But it also has zero calories. So, that should make it a better choice, right?
Levy says not necessarily.
“The problem with zero- and low-calorie sweeteners is that they are often many times sweeter than real sugar. Consuming them can start changing your tolerance for sweetness and reset your entire perception of it,” says Levy. “That can lead you to consume even more sugar than you normally would, in a quest for sweetness. And that, in turn, can hinder your weight management efforts.”
So, which sweetener should you choose?
If artificial sweeteners are best avoided, caloric sugars should be limited, and even stevia might make you crave more sweets, what should you put in your coffee?
“Sugar is sugar,” says Levy. “And any ingredient with an ‘-ose’ on the end of it means sugar is present. So, read the labels on the products you’re considering carefully to see where the source of sweetness is coming from. Then make your decisions accordingly.”
Request an appointment at MD Anderson online or call 1-877-632-6789.
Diet soda and cancer risk: What you should know
Diet soda has few, if any, calories. So, you may think it’s a healthier, waist-shrinking alternative to regular soda. But that’s not the case.
Research shows that people who drink diet beverages consume significantly more calories from food than people who drink sugar-sweetened beverages, like regular soda. These extra food calories can add up to a higher number on your bathroom scale. And people with obesity or higher weights are at increased risk for more than 10 types of cancer.
Artificial sweeteners
Sugar substitutes like aspartame, sucralose and saccharin are commonly found in diet drinks.
Some of these artificial sweeteners are several hundred times sweeter than sugar. They may create changes in your body and brain that make you crave other sweet foods. And because you think you’re cutting calories by drinking a diet soda, you may feel justified indulging these cravings.
In addition, scientists are still researching the possible health implications of artificial sweeteners, including whether they can increase cancer risk. But more research is needed.
Put simply, artificial sweeteners found in diet sodas have not been proven to cause cancer, but they don’t offer any nutritional value either. So, the less soda you drink, the better. That goes for both diet soda and regular soda, which also contains artificial ingredients and chemicals.