DIET IS ONE MAJOR CAUSE OF CANCER

Some of people would be wondering how diet could be a major cause of cancer. I love to tell you it's very true diet is a major cause of cancer. Man as always been known to be the most stubborn of all animals. Other animals will run away from a threat to their lives but not MAN.

Otherwise, how can one explain the reason why disease such as Cancer if detected early can be managed with aids of drugs but late detection of it result in poor outcome. And its spread is dependent on lifestyle. There is a consensus that cancer of stomach, colon and rectum are causally related to certain dietary factors. Cancer (stomach, colon and rectum) affects rich people in our urban areas and people in advanced countries more than those in the rural areas is because of the type of food intake. The villages eat more fruits, vegetables and high fibre food as well as less meat, spices than the rich people in the townships and advanced countries and its decreases the risk if cancer.

For example, salted fish and preserved food cause cancer of the nasopharynx. The decrease in stomach cancer that has occurred throughout the world has paralleled a decline in the use of salting and pickling for preserving food and concomitant increase in the consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables. The corrosive effect of a high salt diet on stomach mucosa leading to cell injury, death and regeneration partially explain the direct relation between consumption of preserved or salty foods and cancer. Animal fat is a risk factor and a significant association between animal fat and consumption and colon cancer risk has been established. It has also be shown through epidemiological study that association between colon cancer risk and the consumption of fat from dairy products was generally weaker than that with the consumption of fat from beef, lamb and pork. Women with the highest animal fat intake and the lowest crude fibre intake have the highest risk of colon cancer.

Food rich in fibre deceases transit time through the colon and increases the water content in the intestinal lumen, thus diluting other nutrients, such as animal fat. Moreover, dietary cancer can be prevented through lifestyle change or medical intervention.