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<br />6126235099 P.04/05
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<br />SEP-11-1997 15: 55 MN DEPT HERUH MCSS
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<br />Existing scientific evidence suggests that about one-third
<br />of [he cancer deaths that occur in the US each year is
<br />due to dietary factors. Another third is due to cigarette
<br />smoking. Therefore, for the majority of Americans who
<br />do oor smoke cigarettes, dietary choices and physical
<br />activity become the most important modifiable determi-
<br />nants of cancer risk. The evidence also indicates that
<br />although genetics are a factor in the development of
<br />cancer, cancer cannot be explained by heredity alone,
<br />Behavioral factors such as cig:uerre smoking, dietary
<br />choices, and physical activity modify the risk of cancer
<br />at all stages of its development. The introduction of
<br />healthful diet and exercise practices at any time from
<br />childhood to old age can promote health and reduce
<br />cancer risk.
<br />Many dietary factors can affect cancer risk: types of
<br />foods, food preparation methods, portion sizes, food
<br />variety, and overall caloric balance, Cancer risk can be
<br />reduced by an overall dietary pattern that includes a high
<br />proportion of plant foods (fruits, vegetables, grains, and
<br />beans), limited amounts of meat, dairy, and other high-
<br />fat .f~ods, and a balance of caloric intake and physical
<br />acnvlty.
<br />On the basis of its review of the scientific evidence,
<br />the American Cancer Society revised its nutrition
<br />guidelines in 1996 (the guidelines were last updated in
<br />1991). The Society's recommendations are consistent in
<br />principle with the 1992 US Department of Agriculture
<br />(USDA) Food Guide Pyramid, the 1995 Dietary
<br />Guidelines for Americans, and dietary recommendations
<br />of other agencies for general health promotion and for
<br />the prevention of coronary heart disease, diabetes, and
<br />other diet-related chronic conditions. Although no diet
<br />can guarantee full protection against any disease, the
<br />Society believes that the following recommendations
<br />offer the best nutrition information currently available to
<br />help Americans reduce their risk of cancer.
<br />
<br />Choose most of the foods you eat from plant sources.
<br />Eat five or more servings of fruits and vegetables each
<br />day; eat other foods from plant sources, such as breads,
<br />cereals, grain products, rice, pasta, or beans several times
<br />each day- Many scientific studies show that eating fruits
<br />and vegetables (especially green and dark yellow vegeta-
<br />bles and those in the cabbage family, soy products, and
<br />legumes) protect for cancers at many sites, particularly
<br />for cancers of the gastrointestinal and respiratory tracts.
<br />Grains ate an important source of many vitamins and
<br />
<br />minerals such as folate, calcium, and selenium, all of
<br />which have been associated with a. lower risk of colon
<br />cancer. Beans (legumes) are especially rich in nutrients
<br />that may protect against cancer.
<br />
<br />Limit your in/ake of high-fat foods, particularly from
<br />animal sources.
<br />
<br />Choose foods low in fat; limit consumption of meats,
<br />especially high-fat meats. High-fat diets have been
<br />associated with an increase in the risk of cancers of
<br />colon and rectum, prostate, and endometTium. The
<br />association between high-fat diets and the risk of breast
<br />cancer is much weaker. Whether these associations are
<br />due to the total amount of fat, the particular type of fat
<br />(saturated, monounsaturated, or polysaturated), the
<br />calories contributed by fat, or some oth'er factor in food
<br />fats, has not yet been determined. Consumption of meat,
<br />especially red meat, has been associated with increased
<br />cancer risk at several sites, most notably colon and
<br />prostate,
<br />
<br />Be physically active: achieve and maintain a healthy
<br />weight.
<br />
<br />Physical activity can help protect against some cancers,
<br />either by balancing caloric intake with energy expendi-
<br />ture or by other mechanisms. An imbalance of caloric
<br />intake and energy output can lead to overweight,
<br />obesity, and increased risk for cancers at several sites:
<br />colon and rectum, prostate, endometrium, breast (among
<br />postmenopausal women), and kidney. Both physical
<br />activity and controlled caloric intake are necessary ro
<br />achieve or to maintain a healthy body weight.
<br />
<br />Limit consumption of alcoholic heverages, if you
<br />drink at all.
<br />
<br />Alcoholic beverages, along with cigarette smoking and
<br />use of snuff and chewing robacco, cause cancers of the
<br />oral cavity, esophagus, and larynx. The combined use of
<br />tobacco and alcohol leads to a gready increased risk
<br />of oral and esophageal cancers; the effect of tobacco
<br />and alcohol combined is greater than the sum of their
<br />individual effects. Studies also have noted an association
<br />between alcohol consumption and an increased risk of
<br />breast cancer. The mechanism of this effect is not yet
<br />known, but the association may be due to carcinogenic
<br />actions of alcohol or its metabolites, to alcohol-induced
<br />changes in levels of hormones such as estrogens, or to
<br />some other process.
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<br />CANCER fACTS & fiGURES 1')97
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