Risk is the second name for cancer. The risk of developing it,
risk of getting cured from it and the risk of it recurring nags
every individual who has heard of cancer; to some people this
worry matters less while to others it is the most constant fret
But understanding these risks will help in making informed
decisions about ones health and tackle factors that get influenced
due to a disease like cancer. The idea is not to give false hopes of
preventing cancer, which has a very fat chance of preventing
when it comes to advanced stages, but it is to make everyone
aware of the factors which might have a higher chance of
afflicting cancer. Afterall, it is better to know the enemy
better, to strike before it's too late.
Cancer Risk Factors - Know them first!
There is something that increases a risk towards any
disease, disorder and cancer - factors, these are not
the ones that will influence the development or
recurrence of cancer, but have shown a pattern
of increased chances of acquiring cancer among
the populace. Thus, knowing the risk factors and
how many of them will have an impact on health,
and are increasing the chances towards cancer is
important. Some of the general risk factors
towards cancer include,
Age
It is a most crucial factor that influences cancer. With growing
age the immunity decreases, making one more vulnerable
towards various diseases and cancer too.
Family History
In some case of diseases, genetic makeup plays an important
role in acquiring the disease. And thus, family with a history
of cancer may have an increased risk of striking the generations
to come with cancer.
Tobacco
Addiction is a serious cause for cancers of mouth and lungs.
Chewing or smoking of tobacco has a severe impact on
increasing ones risk towards cancer.
Viral Infections
Certain viral infections like Human Papillomavirus (HPV), if
not addressed on time can be a reason for developing cervical cancer.
Chemicals
These mainly include carcinogens which trigger development of
cancer. Use of certain chemicals or frequent exposure to these
carcinogens (which are known to be present in things used in
our day-today life) can trigger cancer.
Radiations
Constant exposure to radiations such as ultraviolet rays or even
harmful sun rays can influence and cause cancer.
Alcohol
Excessive consumption of alcohol can lead to increasing your
risk towards cancers of mouth, throat, esophagus, larynx,
liver and breast.
Chronic Inflammation
Inflammation is generally our body's way to respond in order
to heal any kind of injured tissue. However, chronic inflammation
poses a higher risk of developing cancer. The longer the inflammation
persists, the higher becomes the risk of cancer.
Diet
What we never thought was how diet can, to an extent, cause
cancer. Well, its not the diet that completely is to be blamed
but the kind of components (artificial sweetner, alcohol, charred
meat etc.) that are present in the food that one consumes
influence and increase the risk of cancer.
Immunosuppressive drugs
These are medications which are given to individuals undergoing
organ transplants so as to decrease the ability of their immune
system to fight against the grafted organ thereby causing its
rejection. However, these drugs increase the susceptibility
of an individual towards diseases and infections, Cancer
being one of them!
Obesity
Uncontrolled, abnormal weight gain is a problem to a
huge populace, and it is known to increase the risk of
developing several types of cancer, including cancer of
breast, colon, rectum, endometrium, pancreas, kidney, etc.
Cancer is a dreadful disease, getting saved from it is
not an impossible task, but a tedio us one for sure.
However, what we can focus on instead is how to
play safe with it, by paying attention to the above
mentioned risk factors.
Life is too short to worry about negatives they say, so why
not instead think about the positives keeping in mind that
our body strives to keep us alive; and let us take this tiny
step of awareness to sleep a peaceful night.
6 CANCER SUPERFOODS TO LOWER CANCER RISK
Wouldn't it be great if we could find the elixir to all our health
complications inside a fridge? Imagine just picking a fruit and
knowing that you are going to bid goodbye to your stomach ache or
running nose? And moreover the food that gives us strength to
carry out our day-to-day activities might also be a potential
warrior to fight cancer. It is known that certain foods help
prevent the growth of cancer cells and in fact are capable of
complementing to the treatment of the disease. Almost one-third
of all the cancers can be treated very effectively by maintaining
a proper diet and an appropriate weight.
DIET AND CANCER: How are they related ?
Research shows that a variety of cancers are related directly
to the lifestyle choices such as Smoking, drinking alcohol, lack
of exercise and an unhealthy diet. Eating a healthy, balanced
diet helps sustain a healthy body weight, as obesity is the second
biggest cause of cancer after smoking. Some foods contribute directly
to cancer such as red-meat, processed food products while products
like fruits, vegetables rich in fibre and certain phytochemicals play
an important role in fighting cancer cells.
Unhealthy diet can mainly increase the risk of following cancers.
Mouth
Upper throat
Larynx
Lungs
Stomach
Enlisted below are some foods that help to lower the risk of cancer.
Elagic acid
Many fruits contain nutrients that help in fighting cancer cells.
Rich antioxidants such as berries, oranges and mangoes prove to be
very beneficial. Cancer fighting fruits such as raspberries, grapes,
strawberries contain a phytochemical elagic acid. Elagic acid is
shown to dynamise immunity of the body to fight cancer cells and
also help in cancer cell destruction.
Walnut
Walnuts are rich source of phytosterols (plant sterols, a family
of molecules related to cholesterol). These molecules have shown
to block estrogen receptors in breast cancer cells, possibly
slowing the cell's growth.
Mushroom
The reishi mushroom (Ganoderma lucidum), an edible type of
medicinal mushroom that is known for various healing abilities
for thousands of years, is a true "superfood." These mushrooms
are strongly antiinflammatory, facilitate better immune function
and mental clarity.
Carrots
Carrots contain anti-cancer carotenoids like beta-carotene. A
savouring blend of carrots, apricot, sweet potato and cherries
can be a real cancer fighting drink. Raw carrots contain falcarinol
which can significantly reduce the risk of cancer
Beetroot
This amazing red coloured component widely used in salad contains
anthocyanins. Anthocyanins have shown to kill cancer cells. Also,
it contains a tumour-inhibiting flavonoid- betazyane which
increases the oxygen intake of the cells.
Broccoli
Broccoli is known for its properties that boost the immune system.
Broccoli possess phytonutrients that exhibit anti-cancer properties.
Sulforaphane in broccoli has been a subject of interest as it shows
potential in cancer prevention.
These are a few edibles and a solution that lowers the risk of cancer.
Most important thing about any diet is to "MAINTAIN" it! Preparing a
diet plan that can be followed easily in the beginning and gradually
approaching to a more comprehensive one will help in making it a
routine. Every time you eat or drink, you are either feeding the
disease or fighting it. Change in food habits makes our immunity
stronger to fight the menace named cancer.
Everyday Killers to Beware of!
Your everyday use items may appear commonplace, But beware For lurking harbingers of cancers they encase
How causally do we eat the foods we buy/like or prepare and drink
the water supplied or bought in bottled containers without even
giving it a thought that it may contain a cancer causing substance.
Not to mention, a general notion about the dreadful cancer is, it
resulting from a chronic or acute pathogenic infection/illness,
long-term smoking or alcoholism. It may come as a surprise
if you're told the burning sandalwood incense stick or scented
candle, or the plastic water bottle in use from past 2 years is a
potent concoction of cancer causing substances, called carcinogens!
Just inhaling the polluted air or being a passive smoker is
not the only reason for increasing the risk of cancer but
much to our dismay, carcinogens are everywhere. Getting
exposed to a lot of harmful particles everyday is definitely
unsafe yet common, but getting exposed to the same
particle for longer periods gravely put one at an increased
risk of acquiring cancer. What may seem normal and
daily-use items actually harbour grim carcinogens, and
exposure to these for extensive periods, causes them
to accumulate in our bodies, slowly disrupting the
normal metabolism and functions. Enlisted below are
the seemingly normal everyday things whose prolonged
exposure, turns them into grim reapers bringing cancers
of various types.
Air fresheners and Candles
Tiny containers of Lavender blooms, citrus fruit fragrances
and scented candles fill your premises with pleasant smell
and have conveniently replaced the essential home care
products and good old cleaning routines. In reality, providing
a false sense of sanitation by masking the foul odors, they
contain harmful chemicals that not only worsen air quality
but make the olfactory receptors of our nostrils incapable
of recognising other odors. Filled with petroleum products
and potentially dangerous industrial chemicals, including
formaldehyde and naphthalene at levels which, upon a
long-term exposure become more dangerous than even
tobacco smoke, leads to cancerous mutations in our DNA,
escalating the risk of cancers of nose and throat.
Cosmetics
Wanting to appear perfect makes many long-term addicted
slaves to spray deodorants, facial creams, hair products,
pressured powders, etc. Many of which makes our skin
smooth, supple, fair or shining, are not so fair in reality
with their ingredients. These so called "declared safe and
allergy-free as animal tested" cosmetics are filled with
carcinogens like formaldehyde, paraben, toluene and lead
which are found to mimic ovarian hormones like estrogen and get
accumulated to cause cancerous growths in breast and lungs.
Diet Soda
Fearing weight gain and Metabolic diseases, makes majority
of health conscious people to opt for diet soda instead of
sugary beverages but these diet sodas contain artificial
sweeteners like saccharin and cyclamate which are associated
with bladder cancer, and aspartame which after getting
metabolised into formaldehyde (a known carcinogen),
increases the risk of brain tumours.
Plastic bottles
Your favourite plastic containers and bottles in use from
months or years must be checked first for the levels of their
Bisphenol A (BPA) and discarded by their expiry dates. BPA
and dioxins leach into food or drink it stores and an over time
exposure to these carcinogens, increases an individual's risk
to breast cancer.
Toothpaste
A dollop of our favourite paste twice a day maintains oral
health is one of the first few habits we learn as kids, however
these popular toothpastes do more harm in the long run
because of their certain ingredients. Fluoride of toothpastes,
known to reduce cavities, if found in higher levels even in
the water used, may lead to fluorosis, (a degenerative
condition affecting teeth and bones). Triclosan, an
antibiotic present in toothpastes ensures dental hygiene
but its reaction with chlorinated water forms hepatotoxin
which increases the risk of hepatic tumors.
Deep grilled and processed foods
Always consuming cooked-crispy deep grilled/fried meat
and burgers pick up tar during the smoking process with
charred spots are basically hotspots of carcinogens
heterocyclic amines (HCAs) and polycyclic aromatic
hydrocarbons (PAH). A long-term exposure to these
along with canned foods can shoot up the risk of
prostate, pancreatic, and colorectal cancers.
Birth control pills
Certain oral contraceptives containing estrogen and
progesterone when used for prolonged periods may
increase the risk of breast and cervical cancers over
time while reducing the risk of endometrial, ovarian
and colon cancers.
Alcoholic beverages
These contain ethanol which gets converted to acetaldehyde
and damages DNA, increases estrogen production, eventually
triggers cancerous growths. They also produce stomach acids
that can damage the lining of gastrointestinal tract. Moderate/
occasional consumption of alcohol is manageable, but
excessive long-term drinking may increase the risk of
cancers of breast, esophagus, colon, and rectum, worsening
the consequence even more for those suffering from peptic
ulcers. Cancer attack is probabilistic but nobody is immune
to it and depending on the carcinogen load over time, risk of
acquiring a particular cancer increases as our body's immunity
weakens. Mere abstinence from foods that spice up our taste
buds is not the way to prevent cancer. A controlled consumption
of foods along with ample intake of fruits, green vegetables and
regular exercises is a better way to flush out these lurking
carcinogens from the system!
