The powerful link between diet and cancer

Comprehensive Cancer Centers has seen firsthand the impact a healthy diet can have in both preventing and treating cancer.

While chemotherapy treatment may cause loss of appetite or make it hard to eat, the steroids used to treat breast and blood cancers can increase appetite. Either way, consuming nutritious foods before, during and after treatment can help patients maintain their strength.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), around one-third of deaths from cancer are due to tobacco use, high body mass index, alcohol consumption, low fruit and vegetable intake and lack of physical activity. Additionally, between 30 and 50% of cancers can currently be prevented by avoiding risk factors and implementing prevention strategies like screenings.

For optimal health, we recommend an appropriate diet that’s rich in fiber and consists primarily of whole foods that are not processed or refined. Healthy foods include fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts, seeds, whole grains, meat, fish and eggs.

It also can be helpful to consider eating the rainbow as part of a healthy diet. The variety of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and phytochemicals in fruits and vegetables have substantial healing powers.

The health community continues to receive new data regarding specific foods but consuming whole foods is a tried-and-true formula to achieve healthy eating patterns. Ultimately, this can reduce your cancer risk or benefit someone with a cancer diagnosis.

For more information on Comprehensive, call 702952-3350 or visit www.cccnevada.com/patientresources/healthy-recipes/ for healthy recipes.