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Hot topic - Healthy lifestyles may reduce cancer risk

9 July 2004 - written by Bupa's Health Information Team

Post-menopausal women may reduce their risk of developing cancer by 35 percent if they eat a healthy diet and lead a healthy lifestyle, according to an american study that will soon be published.

The results will be published in the July 2004 issue of the journal Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers and Prevention.

Below we look at the issue in more depth.

How was the study carried out?

The study looked at the lifestyle of 29,564 post-menopausal women, aged 55-69. Researchers followed the women over a period of 13 years.

Respondents were asked about their diet and other lifestyle factors, and questioned about their health.

What did the study show?

The World Cancer Research Fund and the American Institute for Cancer Research have made a number of diet and lifestyle recommendations for people who would like to reduce their risk of developing cancer (see below).

This study showed that post-menopausal women who followed six or more of the diet and exercise recommendations had a lower risk of developing cancer when compared with women who followed only one recommendation or none.1

By how much was the risk of developing cancer reduced?

Post-menopausal women who followed six or more of the recommendations were 35 percent less likely to develop cancer when compared with women who followed only one recommendation or none.1

Does following the recommendations reduce the risk of dying from cancer?

It would appear that, in the postmenopausal women who were studied, those women who followed six or more of the recommendations reduced their risk of dying from cancer by 42 percent when compared with women who followed only one recommendation or none.1

What are the diet and lifestyle recommendations?

The nine lifestyle recommendations that the study looked at are:2

  1. Not smoking. For more information on how to stop smoking, please see our stopping smoking information
    www.bupa.co.uk/health_information/asp/healthy_living/lifestyle/smoking/
  2. Remaining a healthy weight for your height - having a maximum BMI (body mass index) of no more than 25kg/m2 - and not putting on more than 11lbs in weight after the age of 18. To calculate your BMI, please use our BMI calculator
    click here to calculate your BMI
  3. Being active - doing an hour of moderate physical activity every day, such as walking, plus a total of one hour's vigorous physical activity a week)
  4. Eating fruit and vegetables - at least five portions of fruit and vegetables every day. For more on portions of fruit and vegetables, please see our "What is a portion of fruit and vegetables?" article
    www.bupa.co.uk/health_information/html/healthy_living/lifestyle/diet/portion.html
  5. Eating complex carbohydrates - seven portions of (including whole grain bread, cereal, pasta and rice, as well as pulses, roots tubers and plantains) every day. A portion is approximately 3oz or 80g - so total daily consumption should be 600-700g. For more information on carbohydrates, please see our carbohydrates article
    www.bupa.co.uk/health_information/html/healthy_living/lifestyle/diet/nutrition1.html
  6. Either not drinking alcohol, or drinking a maximum of one unit of alcohol per day (for women). For more information on alcohol, please see our alcohol section
    www.bupa.co.uk/health_information/asp/healthy_living/lifestyle/alcohol/index.asp
  7. Avoiding fatty food - limiting fat in the diet, particularly animal fat, so that less than 30% of the daily calories are provided by fat. For women eating approximately 2000 calories per day, this means limiting total daily fat to about 60g. For more information on fats, please see our fats article
    /health_information/html/healthy_living/lifestyle/diet/nutrition3.html
  8. Limiting red meat - eating less than 80g of red meat per day (for example beef, lamb and pork, and products made from these meats)
  9. Limiting salt - not adding salt to food during cooking or on the plate. Use herbs and spices to add flavour. For more information on salt, please see our "Shake the salt habit" article
    www.bupa.co.uk/health_information/asp/healthy_living/lifestyle/diet/salt/

Can I reduce my risk of cancer?

The good news is that the results of this study suggest that leading a healthy lifestyle (by following six or more of the above diet and lifestyle guidelines) may reduce the risk of developing and dying from cancer

Are the recommendations different to past advice about healthy diets and lifestyles?

No, these guidelines are the current diet and lifestyle recommendations for everyone, including younger women, men and children. Except for the guideline on alcohol, which is more stringent than current UK recommendations.

What does this study add to our knowledge of how to lower our risk of developing cancer?

This study provides further reassurance that lifestyle changes can make a difference. And the results of the study indicate that the positive benefits of a leading a healthy lifestyle may be reaped even in later life, because the women in this study were 55 years or older when the study started and were then followed for 13 years.

Further information

Bupa resources:

External resources:

References

  1. Press release, American Association for Cancer Research, July 7th 2004, "Healthy lifestyle may reduce women's risk of developing cancer".
  2. World Cancer Research Fund/American Insitute for Cancer Research report. "Food, Nutrition and the Prevention of Cancer: A Global Perspective". Chapter 8.
    www.aicr.org/research/report.lasso

 

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