How to reduce cancer risk by up to 30%

In the quest to defy cancer, emerging research highlights a powerful arsenal of ten lifestyle choices that could potentially slash your risk of specific cancers by a whopping 30%. It's not just about dodging the obvious culprits like smoking or processed foods.

From taming your red meat cravings to bidding farewell to sugary drinks, embracing a fibre-rich diet, and clocking in two and a half hours of weekly physical activity — these steps form a formidable defence against cancer.

Research conducted at the University of Newcastle dug into the impact of these guidelines, following a group of 94,778 adults. Focused on validating recommendations set by the World Cancer Research Fund (WCRF) and the American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR), the study assessed diet, exercise habits, BMI, and waist circumference. Participants scored based on their adherence to seven out of the 10 recommendations.

Lifestyle strategies to cut cancer risk by 30%

1. Limit red meat: Keep your red meat intake to three servings weekly to diminish cancer risks.
2. Skip sugary drinks: Bid farewell to sugary beverages, a move that not only benefits your health but also reduces cancer risks.
3. Fibre-rich diet: Maintain a balanced diet rich in fibre, aiming for at least 30 grams daily to fortify your defence against cancer.
4. Stay active: Dedicate two and a half hours each week to physical activity, a crucial step in reducing the risk of developing cancer.
5. Maintain healthy weight: Keep the scales in check as a healthy weight significantly lowers cancer susceptibility.
6. Cut fast food: Minimise fast food intake to curtail hormonal changes that might spur tumour growth.
7. Alcohol abstinence: Eliminate alcohol consumption to prevent DNA damage associated with various cancer types.
8. Breastfeeding: Breastfeed for six months as it introduces hormonal changes reducing lifetime exposure to estrogen, linked to increased cancer risk.
9. Moderate red meat consumption: Stick to a maximum of three servings of red meat per week to limit harmful compounds that may elevate cancer risk.
10. Avoid supposedly cancer-fighting supplements: Refrain from using purported cancer-preventing supplements, a step deemed critical in lowering cancer risk.

The findings? Each adherence point to these recommendations led to a remarkable 7% reduction in cancer risk. Dive deeper, and you'll find a cascade of benefits: from a 10% lower risk of breast and colon cancer to substantial risk reductions for kidney, oesophagal, liver, ovarian, and gallbladder cancers.

Surprisingly, breastfeeding emerged as a critical factor, offering a protective shield against cancer risk. Hormonal shifts during breastfeeding seem to play a crucial role in this defence, minimising lifetime exposure to estrogen, a hormone linked to heightened cancer risk.

The science is compelling: excessive fast food can trigger hormonal changes that fuel tumour growth, while compounds in red and processed meats pose cellular risks, elevating the cancer threat. Alcohol, metabolising into DNA-damaging chemicals, further adds to the risk profile.

Although the study's observational nature stops short of definitive conclusions, the message is loud and clear: these lifestyle choices wield immense power in reducing cancer risk. So, why wait?