Diet and health - How to eat scientifically to combat tumours?

Poor dietary habits account for 1/3 of the factors that trigger tumours, and dietary factors play a role in the occurrence, development and treatment of tumours. Therefore, dietary nutrition intervention is a necessary measure to prevent and treat tumour diseases.

The adverse factors in the diet that can induce tumours include high fat, insufficient or excessive protein intake, and carcinogenic substances such as nitrosamines, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and aflatoxins produced during food processing and preparation.

The favourable factors in diet for tumour prevention and control include dietary fibre, selenium, vitamins with antioxidant function (vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin E) and non-nutritional components such as flavonoids, polyphenols and organosulphur compounds.

The key to tumour control through diet is to adopt scientific eating habits. The first step is to eat more fresh vegetables and fruits. Vegetables and fruits, especially those in god colours, are rich in polyphenols, flavonoids and also provide a large amount of dietary fibre, all of which have good anti-cancer effects. It is recommended that you should ensure that you consume more than 500g of fruits and vegetables every day.

Secondly, do not eat smoked and rotten food, and eat less pickled, sausage and fried food. Smoked foods contain more polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, which can cause cancer in many parts of the body.

Rotten food can contain carcinogens such as nitrosamines and aflatoxins. Sausages and pickled foods contain mostly nitrites, which can synthesise nitrosamines when they enter the body, and are also detrimental and should be eaten sparingly.

Fried foods contain heterocyclic amines that can also cause cancer, and the more times oil is used, the more heterocyclic amines are introduced into the food.

Thirdly, increase the intake of roughly processed rice and pasta and mixed grains as appropriate.

Fourthly, control fat intake and reduce the consumption of animal meat. Fifth, reduce the consumption of food contaminated by pesticides and chemical fertilizers. Sixth, strengthen physical activity to maintain a balance between energy intake and physical activity.