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Cancer is a serious disease that can start anywhere in your body. It results from your cells growing out of control and crowding out normal cells, often causing malignant tumors. In the U.S., cancer is one of the leading causes of death among men and women, although statistics show that mortality is higher among men than women. Based on reported cases, the most common cancers diagnosed in America are breast cancer, lung cancer, prostate cancer, colon and rectum cancer, melanoma of the skin, bladder cancer, non-Hodgkin lymphoma, kidney and renal pelvis cancer, endometrial cancer, leukemia, pancreatic cancer, thyroid cancer and liver cancer.

Cancer is a frightening disease to have, and not all cancers have effective treatments available. This is why cancer is one of the most studied human diseases at present. Besides developing more effective therapies, one of the main focuses of modern research is finding preventive strategies against cancer.

Cancer prevention tips you need to know

Many of the things that you do out of habit can increase your risk of cancer. Your diet, daily activities and even certain things you’re frequently exposed to could contribute to the development of aberrant cells in your lungs, liver, colon, brain or even blood. For this reason, expert advice regarding cancer prevention — which are based on clinical studies — always involve specific lifestyle changes. Here are some of the most effective ways you can slash your cancer risk naturally: (h/t to MayoClinic.org)

1. Quit smoking or avoid tobacco smoke — According to studies, smoking spells trouble not just for your lungs, mouth and throat, but also for your bladder, cervix, kidney, larynx and pancreas. Besides causing tissue injury, smoking also contributes to cancer development in these areas. So if you want to considerably lower your risk of cancer, stop smoking and limit your exposure to secondhand smoke.
2. Switch to a healthy diet — The foods that you eat can either increase or decrease your likelihood of developing chronic diseases, including cancer. For a healthy diet, consider the following tips:
   • Eat whole plant-based foods — Limit your consumption of meat and eat more fresh fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds and whole grains. Some plant-based foods contain active compounds that can effectively fight cancer.
   • Fight obesity — Studies show that being overweight or obese increases your risk of cancer. To maintain a healthy weight, avoid high-calorie foods that contain plenty of salt, sugar and fats.
   • Watch your alcohol consumption — Drinking moderate amounts of alcohol is not bad for your health, but drinking large amounts can increase your risk of breast, colon, kidney, lung and liver cancer. As per the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, women should have no more than one drink per day, and men should have no more than two.
3. Be physically active — Regular exercise can help you manage your weight as well as lower your risk of breast and colon cancer. Adults are advised to get at least 150 minutes of moderate aerobic exercise weekly or 75 minutes of vigorous aerobic exercise.
4. Limit your sun exposure — Ultraviolet radiation from the sun is one of the leading causes of skin cancer. To prevent common types of skin cancer, avoid the midday sun (from 10 am to 4 pm), stay in the shade when you’re outdoors, cover your skin, and don’t skimp on sunscreen if you’re going to stay under the sun for a long time.
5.  Avoid risky behaviors — Risky behaviors can lead to infections that could increase your risk of cancer. According to studies, people with sexually transmitted diseases (e.g., HIV or HPV) have a higher risk of liver, lung and anal cancer. HPV infection is also linked to cervical cancer in women. To prevent any of these cancers, practice safe sex and limit the number of your sexual partners.

Your blood sugar may be helping cancer cells grow

There are certain health benefits associated with maintaining healthy blood sugar levels throughout the day. Besides helping you avoid afternoon energy crashes, keeping your blood sugar levels even at all times can also help prevent or control diabetes. But new research is looking to add another benefit of having normal blood sugar levels to the list: According to a recent study by American and South Korean researchers, controlling your blood sugar levels can help stop the growth of certain types of cancerous tumor.

For their study, the researchers looked at the effects of glucose restriction on tumor growth in mice. They fed the animals a ketogenic diet — that is, a high-fat, low-carb diet — and gave them a diabetes drug that prevents the reabsorption of glucose from the blood. The researchers reported that although the ketogenic diet and the drug did not reduce the size of the tumors, their combination effectively stopped tumor growth. This proves that certain cancers like squamous cell carcinoma — the second most common type of skin cancer — are dependent on glucose, so restricting your sugar intake is a viable way of keeping these cancers from progressing.

“Both the ketogenic diet and the pharmacological restriction of blood glucose by themselves inhibited the further growth of squamous cell carcinoma tumors in mice with lung cancer,” said Jung-whan Kim, one of the study authors. “The key finding of our new study in mice is that a ketogenic diet alone does have some tumor-growth inhibitory effect in squamous cell cancer. When we combined this with the diabetes drug and chemotherapy, it was even more effective.”

Kim and his colleagues noted that glucose restriction was able to halt the growth of tumors because it triggered oxidative stress. The reduction in blood sugar levels also caused a decrease in blood insulin levels, which suppressed an important cell signaling pathway that drives cell growth and survival. These events effectively stopped the cancer cells from growing. However, Kim and his colleagues said that glucose restriction only works for squamous cell cancers; the combination of the keto diet and the diabetic drug had no effect on non-squamous cell cancers.

The power of the ketogenic diet against tumors

According to Dr. William Li, a physician and author of the book “EAT TO BEAT DISEASE – The New Science of How Your Body Can Heal Itself,” ketogenic diets can interfere with tumor growth in more than one way. By decreasing your sugar and carb intake, you can take away a fuel source for cancer cells. Cancer cells, Li says, adapt poorly to low-glucose environments, so their ability to survive is compromised under that condition.

“A ketogenic diet also triggers a chain reaction of at least three other cancer-fighting mechanisms. Less glucose means cells produce less IGF-1, a protein growth signal for cancer. Ketogenic diets also lower the tumor’s ability to produce another growth signal called VEGF. Tumors use this signal to grow a private blood supply. By cutting off the tumor blood supply, an effect called anti-angiogenesis, cancer cells become starved and can’t grow,” Li added.

Based on these new findings, it is safe to say that blood sugar management is a key component of cancer prevention. Diets that restrict glucose consumption, like the ketogenic diet, can therefore be helpful to cancer patients, especially those with squamous cell cancers. The same kind of diet, coupled with healthy lifestyle changes that lower cancer risk, can also help healthy individuals prevent certain cancers.

Sources:

Cancer.org

Cancer.gov

MayoClinic.org

Cancer.net

CDC.gov

Healthline.com