Diet and CancerIvette Huetas & Nafisa Jafari

What is Cancer?How do you maintain a good diet?

How does your diet correlate with your risks of getting cancer?

What is Cancer?

• Cancer is the general name for a group of more than 100 diseases in which cells in a part of the body begin to grow out of control. Cancer harms the body when damaged cells divide uncontrollably to form lumps or masses of tissue called tumors (except in the case of leukemia where cancer prohibits normal blood function by abnormal cell division in the blood stream). Tumors can grow and interfere with the digestive, nervous, and circulatory systems and they can release hormones that alter body function.

How do you maintain a good diet?

• Watch what you’re eating• Develop healthy habits• Pay attention to nutrition labels (carb intake, sodium

content, fats, etc.)• Consume lots of antioxidants• Make sure to get a source of whole grains, fruits,

vegetables, proteins, leafy vegetables, and calcium.• Maintain a healthy calorie intake and calorie

expenditure (meaning not to eat more than your body will utilize)

How does your diet correlate with your risks of getting cancer?

• Some of the nutrients you consume can affect your risk of getting cancer. Eating less total fats and the right kinds of fats can lower your probability of getting cancer; other things that lower risks are:

• -increasing your fiber intake• -eating lots of raw fruits & vegetables• -switching from red meat to seafood• -switching from an animal based diet to a plant based diet• -eating more soy products • -change your oils• -eating foods containing calcium • -eating a diet high in antioxidants• -drinking little or no alcohol• -don’t forget to add flax into your diet

Anti-cancer foods

Top anti-cancer vegetables • broccoli • brussel sprouts • cabbage • carrots • cauliflower • eggplant • green beans • kale • onions (red) • peppers • radishes • soy • squash • sweet potatoes • tomatoes • yams

Top anti-cancer fruits • apricots • blueberries • grapefruit • grapes • lemons • mangoes • oranges • papayas • peaches • persimmons • strawberries, organic • tangerines

Works Cited

• http://www.askdrsears.com/html/4/t040300.asp

• http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/info/cancer-oncology/

Summary Time!

• Cancer is a disease developed when cells in a part of the body begin to grow out of control. Cancer harms when tumors form.

• A good diet is critical to your health• Different foods can reduce or increase your

risks of getting cancer.