Lifestyle Choices That Will Reduce Your Cancer Risk

By , Category : General Health


Lifestyle choicesYou’ve heard that your lifestyle plays an instrumental role in your health.

The choices you make can impact the likelihood of developing cancer or heart disease, being overweight, and dying.

But new research is showing just how big of a difference it can make.


Lifestyle and Cancer Risk

A large review of a number of studies on lifestyle and cancer risk shows that people who exercise regularly and eat a nutritious diet can reduce their chances of dying from cancer by up to 61%, and reduce their chances of a cancer diagnosis by 45%.

In 2016, 1.7 million new cancer cases are expected to be diagnosed in the U.S., while 596,000 cancer deaths are expected. These large numbers are likely reflected by the lifestyle and dietary decisions many Americans make.

Limited exercise and poor diets are major contributors to health problems—cancer development in particular. Healthy living is closely tied to noticeable reductions in the prevalence and severity of breast cancer, endometrial cancer, and colon cancer. Eating right and getting regular exercise can reduce the chances of:

  • Breast cancer by 19% to 60%;
  • Endometrial cancer by 23% to 60%; and
  • Colon cancer by 27% to 52%.

Not only did the review show that these massive reductions are brought on by healthy lifestyles, but they also indicated how poor decisions regarding diet, activity levels, and alcohol consumption could account for more than 20% of new cancer cases this year.

So now you can put some hard numbers to exactly how your choices can impact your cancer risk and the chance it might kill you. Getting daily exercise and eating a healthy, nutritious diet focused on colorful fruits, vegetables, healthy fats, proteins, and whole grains, while limiting refined grains, sugar, processed meats, alcohol, and the time you spend sitting all play a noticeable role in managing weight and reducing the risk of cancer and other illnesses.


Adrian Newman, B.A.

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