Slash your cancer risk
First, the good news: You probably won't get cancer.
That is, if you have a healthy lifestyle. "As many as 70%
of known causes of cancers are avoidable and related to lifestyle,"
says Thomas A. Sellers, PhD, associate director for cancer prevention
and control at Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa. Diet, exercise, and
avoidance of tobacco products are, of course, your first line of
defense, but recent research has uncovered many small, surprising ways
you can weave even more disease prevention into your everyday life. Try
these novel strategies and your risk of cancer could dwindle even more.
1. Filter your tap water
You'll reduce your exposure to known or suspected
carcinogens and hormone-disrupting chemicals. A report from the
President's Cancer Panel on how to reduce exposure to carcinogens
suggests that home-filtered tap water is a safer bet than bottled water,
whose quality often is not higher—and in some cases is worse—than that
of municipal sources, according to a study by the Environmental Working
Group. (Consumer Reports' top picks for faucet-mounted filters:
Culligan, Pur Vertical, and the Brita OPFF-100.) Store water in
stainless steel or glass to avoid chemical contaminants such as BPA that
can leach from plastic bottles.
2. Stop topping your tank
So say the EPA and the President's Cancer Panel: Pumping one last squirt of gas into your car after the nozzle clicks off can spill fuel and foil the pump's vapor recovery system, designed to keep toxic chemicals such as cancer-causing benzene out of the air, where they can come in contact with your skin or get into your lungs.3. Marinate meat first
Processed, charred, and well-done meats can contain
cancer-causing heterocyclic amines, which form when meat is seared at
high temperatures, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, which get into
food when it's charcoal broiled. "The recommendation to cut down on
grilled meat has really solid scientific evidence behind it," says
Cheryl Lyn Walker, PhD, a professor of carcinogenesis at the University
of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center. If you do grill, add rosemary and
thyme to your favorite marinade and soak meat for at least an hour
before cooking. The antioxidant-rich spices can cut HCAs by as much as
87%, according to research at Kansas State University.
4. Caffeinate every day
Java lovers who drank 5 or more cups of caffeinated coffee a day had a 40% decreased risk of brain cancer, compared with people who drank the least, in a 2010 British study. A 5-cup-a-day coffee habit reduces risks of oral and throat cancer almost as much. Researchers credit the caffeine: Decaf had no comparable effect. But coffee was a more potent protector against these cancers than tea, which the British researchers said also offered protection against brain cancer.5. Water down your risk
Drinking plenty of water and other liquids may reduce the
risk of bladder cancer by diluting the concentration of cancer-causing
agents in urine and helping to flush them through the bladder faster.
Drink at least 8 cups of liquid a day, suggests the American Cancer
Society.
6. Load up on green greens
Next time you're choosing salad fixings, reach for the darkest varieties. The chlorophyll that gives them their color is loaded with magnesium, which some large studies have found lowers the risk of colon cancer in women. "Magnesium affects signaling in cells, and without the right amount, cells may do things like divide and replicate when they shouldn't," says Walker. Just 1/2 cup of cooked spinach provides 75 mg of magnesium, 20% of the daily value.7. Snack on Brazil nuts
They're a stellar source of selenium, an antioxidant that
lowers the risk of bladder cancer in women, according to research from
Dartmouth Medical School. Other studies have found that people with high
blood levels of selenium have lower rates of dying of lung cancer and
colorectal cancer. Researchers think selenium not only protects cells
from free radical damage but also may enhance immune function and
suppress formation of blood vessels that nourish tumors.
8. Burn off your risk
Moderate exercise such as brisk walking 2 hours a week cuts risk of breast cancer 18%. Regular workouts may lower your risks by helping you burn fat, which otherwise produces its own estrogen, a known contributor to breast cancer9. Skip the dry cleaner
A solvent known as perc (short for perchloroethylene)
that's used in traditional dry cleaning may cause liver and kidney
cancers and leukemia, according to an EPA finding backed in early 2010
by the National Academies of Science. The main dangers are to workers
who handle chemicals or treated clothes using older machines, although
experts have not concluded that consumers are also at increased cancer
risk. Less toxic alternatives: Hand-wash clothes with mild soap and
air-dry them, spot cleaning if necessary with white vinegar.
from prevention.com
10. Ask about breast density
Women whose mammograms have revealed breast density readings of 75% or more have a breast cancer risk 4 to 5 times higher than that of women with low density scores, according to recent research. One theory is that denser breasts result from higher levels of estrogen—making exercise particularly important (see #8). "Shrinking your body fat also changes growth factors, signaling proteins such as adipokines and hormones like insulin in ways that tend to turn off cancer-promoting processes in cells," Walker says.from prevention.com
