Clean living 'kills' cancer - study

London - Healthier living could prevent about a third of the most common cancers in rich countries and about a quarter in poorer ones, international researchers said on Thursday.

Better diets, more exercise and controlling weight could also prevent more than 40 percent of colon and breast cancer cases in some countries, according to the study which urged governments and individuals to do more to cut the number of global cancer deaths each year.

"At the time of publication, roughly 11 million people worldwide are diagnosed with cancer and nearly eight million people die from cancer each year," said Michael Marmot, who led the study from the World Cancer Research Fund and the American Institute for Cancer Research.

"However, cancer is mostly preventable."

The study involved 23 experts who analysed both the incidence of 12 common cancers across the world and data on diet, exercise and weight to see how these factors contributed to kidney, mouth, lung, gallbladder and the other cancers.

The researchers found that healthier living would prevent 43 percent of colon cancer cases and 42 percent of breast cancer cases in Britain, and 45 percent of bowel cancer and 38 percent of breast cancer cases in the United States.

The findings follow the same groups' study in 2007 that showed how quickly people grow and what they eat are both significant causes of cancer.

They recommended - in line with what health experts, including governments and the UN World Health Organisation, have long been advising - that people follow diets based on fruits, vegetables and whole grains and go easy on red meats, dairy products and fats.

The team also looked at China and Brazil as representatives of low- and middle-income countries, respectively.

Overall improving diet, exercise and weight would in the United States prevent more than a third of the 12 most common cancers -- which also included stomach, womb (uterus), prostate, pancreas and oesophagus tumours .

This amounted to 39 percent of the cancers in Britain, 30 percent in Brazil and 27 percent in China.

"This report shows that by making relatively straightforward changes, we could significantly reduce the number of cancer cases around the world," Marmot said in a statement.

"On a global level every year, there are millions of cancer cases that could have been prevented and this is why we need to act now before the situation gets even worse." - Reuters

Children and Cholesterol

Compelling evidence shows that the atherosclerotic process (buildup of fatty plaque in arteries) begins in childhood and progresses slowly into adulthood. Then it often leads to coronary heart disease, the leading cause of death in the United States

Despite substantial success in reducing deaths from coronary heart disease in the past two decades, this disease is still responsible for over 450,000 deaths a year in the United States. Over 43 percent of the people discharged from hospitals for coronary heart disease are under age 65. Many of these adults have children who may have coronary heart disease risk factors that need attention.

Evidence shows that:

• Atherosclerosis or its precursors begin in young people.
• Elevated cholesterol levels early in life may play a role in the development of adult atherosclerosis.
• Eating patterns and genetics affect blood cholesterol levels and coronary heart disease risk.
• Lowering levels in children and adolescents may be beneficial.
• Cigarette smoking should be discouraged.
• Regular aerobic exercise should be encouraged.
• High blood pressure should be identified and treated.
• Overweight should be avoided or reduced.
• Diabetes mellitus should be diagnosed and treated.

The American Heart Association endorses these guidelines of the National Cholesterol Education Program’s Expert Panel on Blood Cholesterol in Children and Adolescents.

Obesity in Children becoming a worrying fact

Obesity is now recognised as a major public health problem in many countries like Australia, America, UK, Mexico, Brazil as well as South Africa. Worldwide statistics show that 22 million children under the age of five are overweight.

Lifestyle and diet as causal factors of cancer

According to Dr Carl Albrecht, cancer specialist attached to the Cancer Association of South Africa, 80 percent of cancers can be prevented if people were to adhere to three simple rules:

• Stay out of the sun
• Eat healthy food including lots of fruit and vegetables
• Stop smoking

Traditional diet

According to Sassman, black people living in rural areas have a high incidence of oesophageal cancer as a result of their traditional diet, which contains very little fibre. Other factors contributing to this are cooking methods, grain storage methods and a high consumption of home-brewed beer. The incidence of these cancers becomes much lower if people move to the cities where fresh fruit and vegetables are more readily available.

Diet the determining factor?

Epidemiologists who have studied the prevalence of cancer amongst the different populations of the world have found that diet determines 40 percent of all cancers. The incidence of different types of cancer in different regions points to diet being instrumental in the causing of cancer. Studies appear to disprove genetic determinants, as cancer incidence amongst immigrants to a new country quickly takes on the characteristic incidence of those already living there.

Eating the wrong type of food can increase one’s chances of getting cancer by 40 percent. Eating the right kind of food containing cancer-fighting molecules, such as fruit and vegetables, can make a huge difference.

The modern diet and fatty acids

Another major problem of the modern diet is that we consume far too many Omega 6 fatty acids. These are found in fatty foods, margarine, and most importantly, sunflower cooking oil. Omega 3 fatty acids, which are good for us and help in the fight against cancer, are contained in cold-pressed olive oil and the much cheaper Canola Oil. Many products also contain a combination of the two – a fact which is not always made clear on the packaging.

“Something has gone seriously wrong with our modern diet”, says Dr Albrecht. The incidence of cancer, especially breast and prostate cancer, has increased dramatically. The former seems to increase dramatically in a population where the per capita fat intake is high.