This is what you can do to prevent cancer

Emilia Gómez Pardo holds a PhD in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and a Master's degree in Nutrition and Health from the University of Barcelona, ​​with more than three decades of experience. Since 2018, she has been a scientific advisor on prevention issues for the CRIS Foundation Against Cancer . In addition, she is the author of the book 'More life, less cancer. Everything science knows about how to prevent cancer and live longer'.

-To what extent does diet influence cancer prevention?

-There is no zero risk or 100% protection, but there is a lot of scientific evidence related to the potential of food in prevention , treatment and survival. It is not 100% robust because a lot of knowledge is needed related to the beneficial or harmful impact of specific foods or nutrients, but it is sufficiently compelling to affirm that one in three cancers could be prevented with a good diet. When we talk about healthy eating, we are talking about important issues at a physiological level, such as being anti-inflammatory, maintaining a healthy microbiota , or being rich in antioxidants. When we refer to the diet that reduces the risk of suffering from cancer, we are talking about a mostly plant-based and minimally processed diet.

-What foods should predominate and which ones should we reduce ?

-The world of vegetables is very broad. It does not only include fruits and vegetables, which are the jewel in the crown for their nutritional richness, but also legumes, whole grains, nuts, herbs and seeds. A predominantly plant-based diet entails a minority consumption of animal products. And to prevent this, we must prioritize the consumption of blue and white fish over meat; and white meat over red and processed meat.

-And how do we transfer this to the plate?

-We can base ourselves on the 'onco-healthy' plate, which has its origin in the Harvard plate. Vegetables occupy 3/4 of the plate: half, with a wide variety of fruits and vegetables ; and the other quarter with whole grains. Complete the final quarter of the plate with quality proteins, whether they are vegetables, such as legumes; or animals: fish and poultry.

-Why do we find it difficult to put this pattern into practice?

-Firstly, because nutritional education is needed to know and understand the role that food plays in health. It can be our main ally in maintaining health or our enemy in losing it. Secondly, because we live in an obesogenic environment, which contributes to weight gain by promoting a sedentary lifestyle and encouraging the intake of high-calorie, low-nutritional products such as ultra-processed foods. Overweight is the second risk factor for cancer, after tobacco. A dietary pattern based on ultra-processed foods , red meat and processed meat, and alcohol consumption is a very caloric pattern, poor in nutrients, oxidizing and very low in fiber. And fiber is essential for health and cancer prevention.

-And in the treatment of cancer, are there already diets with evidence to help cure it?

-There is increasing evidence that it is a very important adjuvant strategy for therapy. Science tells us that a good nutritional status reduces side effects and increases the effectiveness of treatments. The better nourished we are on the day of diagnosis, the better the prognosis. So, let's not miss the opportunity, day by day, meal by meal, to give the body what it needs. It is also important to understand that during treatment each person must be treated in a personalized way, since the response to the different treatments is very variable and often compromises proper nutrition.

-It is estimated that exercise could reduce the risk of breast, colon, bladder, endometrium, esophagus and stomach cancer by up to 30%, and reduce the risk of cancer-specific mortality by almost 20%.

-Physical activity is as important as avoiding a sedentary lifestyle . You have to move every day.

-Drinking alcohol is a socially accepted habit, but also a risk factor for cancer. Is there a safe dose?

-There is no safe dose. The WHO has been saying this for a long time. Alcohol is carcinogenic , mutagenic, neurotoxic and hepatotoxic. How can consumption be compatible with health? 10% of cancers are related to alcohol consumption. It increases the risk of cancer of the mouth, pharynx, larynx, esophagus, breast, liver, stomach and colorectum. The more you drink, the greater the risk. But even mild consumption increases the risk. In women, for example, 1 in 6 breast cancers is related to the consumption of less than one drink a week. Therefore, the recommendation for alcohol consumption should be zero.