Simple Ways To Reduce Your Cancer Risk

Simple Ways to Reduce Your Cancer Risk

As of late November 2009, the National Cancer Institute's Surveillance Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) program estimated that nearly one in two men and women born in 2009 will be diagnosed with cancer at some time during their lifetime. With those depressing odds in mind, there's no time like the present for you and your family to pursue natural ways to help ward off cancer.

Watch What You Weigh
According to the American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR), approximately cases of 100,500 cancer that strike Americans annually are the result of excess body fat, underscoring the central role that overweight and obesity play in the development of cancer (and in the ability to survive the disease).

Think Natural, Not Chemical
An October 2009 report by the American Cancer Society's Cancer and the Environment Subcommittee advises the public to minimize exposure to known carcinogens (cancer-causing substances), calling for new strategies to more effectively and efficiently screen chemicals.

High Cholesterol Is Not Your Friend
A recent large-scale study, results of which were published in November 2009, suggests that a person's risk of cancer may be significantly lower when cholesterol levels are kept low.

Try Sugar and Spice
Irish researchers have determined that curcumin, an extract found in the curry spice turmeric, promotes death of cancer cells. Another study suggests that certain compounds in pomegranate, a rich source of antioxidants, inhibit a liver enzyme and thus may confer beneficial effects against prostate cancer development.

Live the Good Life
Earl Ford, from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and colleagues studied data from 23,153 German men and women, ages 35 to 65 years, who participated in the European Prospective Investigation Into Cancer and Nutrition-Potsdam study. The researchers found that four lifestyle factors -- never smoking, body mass index (BMI) of 30 or less, exercising 3.5 hours a week, and eating a healthy diet - slashed the risk of cancer, as well as cardiovascular disease and diabetes, by a staggering 80 percent.

This might not seem all that important now, but think how you'll feel if cancer strikes you or a member of your family. Why risk having that happen?
Now is the time to improve your health and help ensure a long, healthy life free of cancer and other diseases.