Recommendations for Cancer Prevention

1. Be as lean as possible without becoming underweight.

Maintaining a healthy weight is one of the most important things you can do to reduce your risk of cancer. Aim to be at the lower end of the healthy Body Mass Index (BMI) range.

2. Be physically active for at least 30 minutes every day.

Physical activity in any form helps to lower cancer risk. Aim to build more activity, like brisk walking, into your daily routine.

As well as helping us avoid weight gain, activity itself can help to prevent cancer. Studies show that regular activity can help to keep hormone levels healthy, which is important because having high levels of some hormones can increase your cancer risk.

3. Avoid sugary drinks. Limit consumption of energy-dense foods (particularly processed foods high in added sugar, or low in fiber, or high in fat).

Choosing healthy foods and drinks instead of those that are high in refined carbohydrates and often in added sugar and fat (energy-dense foods) can help us avoid overweight and obesity and thereby reduce our cancer risk.

What are energy-dense foods?

Most foods provide us with energy (calories), but some foods contain more energy ounce-for-ounce than others. Energy-dense foods tend to be processed foods with sugar and fat added to improve the taste. The result is more calories per ounce.
For example, 3.5 oz. of chocolate contains 10 times more calories than the same amount of apple:
3.5 oz. of milk chocolate = 520 calories
3.5 oz. of apple = 52 calories
It can be difficult to control how much energy you are consuming if you eat a lot of energy-dense foods because you only need to eat a small amount to take in a lot of calories. It’s okay to eat energy-dense foods occasionally, or in small quantities, but try not to make them the basis of your diet. By choosing a diet based on low-energy-dense foods, you can actually eat more food but consume fewer calories.
Foods that are low in energy density, like the apple, are high in fiber and water. Most vegetables, fruits and beans fall into the low-energy-dense category. It is yet another reason to base your diet on plant-based foods.

Sugary drinks and weight gain

The expert report found that regularly consuming sugary drinks contributes to weight gain. These drinks are easy to drink in large quantities but don’t make us feel full, even though they are quite high in calories. Sugary drinks include: soft drinks like colas and juice flavored drinks. We should try to avoid these drinks.
Water is the best alternative. Unsweetened tea and coffee are also healthy options. Natural fruit juice counts as one of our recommended 5 or more daily portions of vegetables and fruits, but it does contain a lot of sugar. It’s best not to drink more than one glass a day.

4. Eat more of a variety of vegetables, fruits, whole grains and legumes such as beans.

Basing our diets on plant foods (like vegetables, fruits, whole grains and legumes such as beans), which contain fiber and other nutrients, can reduce our risk of cancer.

5. Limit consumption of red meats (such as beef, pork and lamb) and avoid processed meats.

To reduce your cancer risk, eat no more than 18 oz. (cooked weight) per week of red meats, like beef, pork and lamb, and avoid processed meat such as ham, bacon, salami, hot dogs and sausages.

6. If consumed at all, limit alcoholic drinks to 2 for men and 1 for women a day.

For cancer prevention, AICR recommends not to drink alcohol. However, our expert report recognizes that modest amounts of alcohol may have a protective effect on coronary heart disease. If you do drink alcohol, limit your consumption to no more than two drinks a day for men and one drink a day for women.

7. Limit consumption of salty foods and foods processed with salt (sodium).

Consuming too much salt can be harmful to our health, increasing our risk of stomach cancer as well as high blood pressure.

Our daily intake of salt should be less than 2,400 milligrams. We actually need much less than this. Most people in the United States currently consume more than 2,400 mg, but there are simple ways to cut down on our intake.

8. Don't use supplements to protect against cancer.

To reduce your risk of cancer, choose a balanced diet with a variety of foods rather than taking supplements.

The expert report found strong evidence that high-dose supplements of some nutrients can affect the risk of different cancers. The panel judged that in general, the best source of nourishment is food and drink, not dietary supplements. Nutrient-rich whole foods contain substances that are necessary for good health–like fiber, vitamins, minerals and phytochemicals. (The plant-based foods are the source of many cancer-fighting compounds. Be sure to fill your plate two-thirds (or more) with a variety of vegetables, fruits, whole grains and beans, and one-third (or less) of animal protein.)

9. It is best for mothers to breastfeed exclusively for up to 6 months and then add other liquids and foods.

Evidence shows that breastfeeding can help protect mothers from breast cancer. It also protects babies from excess weight gain that can lead to their being overweight in adult life. And overweight adults have higher cancer risk.

According to the expert report, the evidence that breastfeeding protects mothers against breast cancer is convincing. Having been breastfed probably protects children against overweight and obesity. Overweight and obese children tend to remain overweight in adult life.
Breastfeeding lowers the levels of some cancer-related hormones in the mother’s body, reducing the risk of breast cancer. At the end of breastfeeding, the body gets rid of any cells in the breast that may have DNA damage. This reduces the risk of breast cancer developing in the future.
Research shows that babies who are breastfed are less likely to consume too many calories and too much protein than babies who are fed infant formula. This means that they are less likely to become overweight or obese as they grow up.
If you’re planning to breastfeed your baby, your doctor or certified lactation consultant will be able to provide more information and support.

10. After treatment, cancer survivors should follow the recommendations for cancer prevention.

Anyone who has received a diagnosis of cancer should receive specialized nutritional advice from an appropriately trained professional. Once treatment has been completed, if you are able to do so (and unless otherwise advised), aim to follow our cancer prevention recommendations for diet, physical activity and healthy weight maintenance.

Cancer survivors are people who are living with a diagnosis of cancer, including those who have recovered from the disease.
There is growing evidence that physical activity and other measures that help us to maintain a healthy weight, such as a balanced diet, may help to prevent cancer recurrence, particularly for breast cancer. However, the evidence is not yet clear enough to be able to make any specific recommendations for cancer survivors in general, or for those who are survivors of any specific form of cancer.
These recommendations can also reduce the risk of other chronic diseases like heart disease and diabetes.