Lifestyle and cancer risk. The advices from researchers

Poor diets and sedentary lifestyles are among the most important contributors to cancer risk. We focus to some clinchers: heavy drinking, smoking and overweight

by Marisa Giuliani

Epidemiological studies have shown that 70-90% of all cancers are environmental.

Tobacco consumptions either as chewing tobacco or smoking tobacco will account for 50% of all cancers.

Dietary practices, reproductive and sexual practices will account for 20-30% of cancers. Correlation studies have raised specific dietary hypothesis like meat consumption and colon (large intestine) cancer.

Appropriate changes in lifestyle can reduce the mortality and morbidity from a good proportion of cancer and heart diseases.

Heavy drinkers of beer and spirits face a much higher risk of developing cancer than the population at large, says Dr. Andrea Benedetti of McGill University, Dr. Marie-Elise Parent of INRS-Institut Armand Frappier and Dr. Jack Siemiatycki of the Université de Montréal.
Their findings show that people in the highest consumption category increased their risk of developing oesophageal cancer sevenfold, colon cancer by 80% and even lung cancer by 50%.
In all, the researchers found statistically significant relationships between heavy consumption of beer and spririts and six different cancers. Moderate drinking (i.e. less than daily) and wine consumption did not show the same effects, however.
"For the most part we showed that light drinkers were less affected or not affected at all," said Benedetti. "It is people who drink every day or multiple times a day who are at risk. This adds to the growing body of evidence that heavy drinking is extremely unhealthy in so many ways. Cancer very much included."

A recent study published in the “Journal of Cancer Epidemiology” has reinforced the correlation between being overweight, smoking and breast cancer.
The study found that weight gains after the age of 20 increases the risk of breast cancer. If the weight gain is more than 15.5 kilos, the risk increases by an average of 68 percent. Risk increases depending on how late in life the weight gain occurs. A woman who gains more than 10 kilos after age 30 or more than 5.5 kilos after age 40 is almost twice as likely to suffer from breast cancer as a woman whose weight is stable. The risk triples if the body mass index is at its maximum after age 50.
The research team also found that smoking a pack a day for nine years increases breast cancer risks by 59 percent. The impact of smoking decreases for menopausal women but remains at 50 percent. According to Bissonauth, the correlation between smoking and breast cancer requires more research.
The investigation also found that moderate physical activity decreased cancer risks by 52 percent for pre-menopausal and post-menopausal women. The correlation is also observed for women who do intense physical activity but the difference isn't significant. This is because women who do moderate physical activity are more likely to do it regularly, while women who do intense physical activity are likely to quit after a few weeks.

The best way to cut your risk of cancer is to achieve and maintain a healthy weight, to be physically active on a regular basis, and to make healthy food choices.

One of the best ways to find out if you are at a healthy weight is to check your Body Mass Index (BMI), a score based on the relationship between your height and weight.

The biologically active ingredients of the fruits and vegetables are from the carotenoid family and they have substantial anti-cancer properties.

At least 30 minutes of intentional moderate to vigorous activity a day on 5 or more days per week are useful for adults. Even better, shoot for 45 to 60 minutes.
For kids, the recommendation is 60 minutes or more a day.