Now that the holidays are over, lots of people are starting out 2019 with resolutions to eat better and drink less, and new research shows that could help cut the risk of cancer. According to a new report from the World Cancer Research Fund, cutting booze and bacon from our diets could cut our risk for the disease by up to 40%.
Research from the group gets updated once a decade in what has been called the “blueprint” to beat cancer and it suggests even small amounts of processed meats and alcohol raise the risk of some cancers. But they have a 10-point plan to help keep us healthy, which includes only eating a “moderate amount” of red meat, limiting our processed foods like bacon and soft drinks, and drinking less.
The study includes research involving more than 51-million people and suggests avoiding obesity as a big part of the advice. The World Cancer Research Fund now warns that being overweight will probably replace smoking as the “number one risk factor for cancer” within decades.
To cut our risk for cancer, the group recommends we “drink mostly water and unsweetened drinks” instead of soda, eat less fast food, avoid tobacco, and limit alcohol consumption. But they stress that we have to look at the big picture and focus on living a healthy lifestyle overall.
“Our research shows it’s unlikely that specific foods or nutrients are important single factors in causing or protecting against cancer,” explains Dr. Giota Mitrou with the World Cancer Research Fund. “Rather, different patterns of diet and physical activity throughout life combine to make you more or less susceptible to cancer.”
Source: Business Insider