‘Elephant in the room’ cancer causes

Humans have been trying to extend their lives for centuries…

Yet, the US life expectancy has dropped for two years in a row now. We are on a downward spiral to shorter lifespan with preventable diseases like cancer, heart disease and diabetes taking their toll.

To the point, many of the worst diseases that destroy lives are preventable; they are caused by our lifestyle choices. So if we are the cause we can also be the cure via prevention.

When it comes to cancer, a few lifestyle changes can make all the difference. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), “lack of exercise or physical activity, poor nutrition, tobacco use and drinking too much alcohol — cause much of the illness, suffering, and early death related to chronic diseases and conditions.”

What’s more, according to the World Cancer Research Fund, 20 percent of cancers are attributed to being overweight, being sedentary, poor diet and consumption of alcohol and cigarettes.  In other words, they are caused by simple lifestyle choices. And with education, we can then choose to make different choices and live longer, healthier lives…

Weight is a big issue

Excess weight, especially excess abdominal mass, is directly correlated to increased risk of many kinds of cancer, including:  breast (in women past menopause), colon and rectum, endometrium, esophagus, kidney and pancreas.

This occurs because excessive body adiposity (fat) causes inflammation and inflammation provides an environment for the growth of cancer cells.

If you are overweight, the best first line in reducing your risk of cancer is to lose weight. You can do this by changing your diet and by increasing your physical activity.

Diet improvement is essential

The food you consume plays a direct role in your health and especially in disease prevention. Think of it; whatever you eat, your body magically transforms into cells, tissues, muscles, blood. What you eat becomes your body, and so if you are eating highly-processed foods, food additives and chemicals, you are creating an unhealthy body. Inflammation is one of the negative results of poor diet.

According to the WHO’s International Agency for Research on Cancer, “…consumption of processed and red meat, alcohol and sugary drinks are associated with elevated cancer risk. On the contrary, consumption of fresh fruit and vegetables and whole grains can do much to reduce risk.”

The WHO recommends the Mediterranean Diet. But if you don’t want to follow that, you can make healthy horizontal shifts from convention to organic, from processed to whole foods.

Physical activity powers prevention

Being sedentary puts you at risk for cancer, and many other diseases like heart disease and diabetes. Exercise, even at moderate levels, increases metabolism, burns excess calories and reduces inflammation.

According to statistics from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), in 2015:

• 50 percent of adults aged 18 years or older did not meet recommendations for aerobic physical activity.
• 79 percent did not meet recommendations for both aerobic and muscle-strengthening physical activity.

There are many way to begin increasing your level, type and duration of physical activity that don’t cost money, or take up too much time. These include: Walking, jogging, hiking, yoga, tai Chi, martial arts, yardwork, bodyweight exercises like push-ups and sit-ups. You can even exercise from your chair. Whatever it is, make sure you get up and move your body.

Drop those bad habits

Any cancer prevention program must include avoidance of tobacco and alcohol. Seriously. If you are at risk even smoking or drinking “now and then” can increase that risk or put you over the edge. Here’s why:

According to the American Cancer Society, “tobacco smoke is made up of thousands of chemicals, including at least 70 known to cause cancer.” And e-cigarettes are not safe, either. As the ACS warns, “Marketers of e-cigarettes and other ENDS often claim the ingredients are safe. But the aerosols these products produce can contain addictive nicotine, flavorings, and a variety of other chemicals, some known to be toxic or to cause cancer.”

Where drinking alcohol is concerned, the American Cancer Society has a stern warning. Alcohol consumption has been linked with 10 different types of cancer: mouth, throat (pharynx), voice box (larynx), esophagus, liver, colon, rectum, breast and may also increase risk of pancreas and stomach cancer.

Moreover, the ACS warns that “For each of these cancers, the more alcohol you drink, the higher your cancer risk.”

Simply put: If you are at risk for cancer, stop smoking and drinking alcohol!

Additional thoughts

Stress is a killer and those under high levels of stress are more inclined toward unhealthy lifestyle choices and behaviors. Stress also causes inflammation and inflammation is the elephant in the room of cancer.

Inflammation is caused by lifestyle factors and inflammation causes cancer. You can read more about the inflammation abomination. Luckily, the remedy for inflammation is the same as the prevention for cancer: improved diet, more exercise, reduced stress, avoidance of tobacco and alcohol.