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How to Reduce the Risk of Cancer

Healthy Trends

Cancer is an uncontrolled growth of abnormal cells, also known as malignancy. There are over a hundred subtypes of cancer, such as skin cancer, breast cancer, prostate cancer, colon cancer, lung cancer, and lymphoma, each one of them characterized by different symptoms. Cancer treatment may include chemotherapy, surgery, and/or radiation.

Considering how deadly the disease is, it is advised that you get a headstart of minimizing the risk of you succumbing to it. The following list of tips will help guide you on how to remain cancer-free.

1. Increase your physical activity

Research published in JAMA Internal Medicine has shown that exercise is connected with a substantially reduced risk of many cancer subtypes. Regular exercise helps you maintain a healthy weight while also limiting the risk of catching the disease. Moderate exercise like swimming, cycling, or even walking for about 150 minutes a week should do the job. Work on building your stamina to include strenuous exercises, such as strength training or fitness classes.

Pexels | Even minimal amounts of exercise does the job

2. Quit Smoking

Lung cancer is among the top most common types of cancer globally and the second most common cancer in women at present. Believe it or not, 79% of cases are preventable. Lung cancer comes in two types: small and non-small cells, and both are linked to smoking. Although they may remain pre-cancerous or non-cancerous for a long time, repeated abuse can cause a rapid change in the pre-cancerous cells in your body.

3. Eat Well

Colorectal cancer is the 4th most common cancer overall. The most effective way to reduce your risk of bowel cancer is to eat a balanced diet high in fruits and vegetables. Fruits and vegetables provide the fiber needed to keep the gut healthy and in working condition. Eating many processed or red meats can also help increase your cancer risk, so if you are a meat-eater, select the best quality. You can stick to it in a small amount.

Pexels | Clean eating is a major component to being healthy

4. Protection Is Key

Ultraviolet rays from sunlight damage skin cells’ DNA, causing malignant melanoma, the most serious skin cancer. Be careful as these harmful UV rays are also emitted from the sunbed! Unlike other cancers, its number is disproportionately high in younger people.

To protect your skin in summer, stay in the shade between 10 am and 4 pm, when the sun’s rays are strongest. Use a sunscreen that blocks UVA and UVB rays (at least SPF 30) and reapply it every 2 hours or every hour if swimming.

5. Limit the Alcohol

Alcohol is associated with about 3 percent of cancer cases, so it is best to limit your intake. Chief Medical Officers recommend that alcohol intake be 14 units (6 glasses of medium wine) or less per week to reduce the risk of cancer and other health problems. To give some background to this, women who drink 14 to 35 units of alcohol a week are 15% more likely to develop breast cancer.

Pexels | Breast cancer risk decreases to 11% with the elimination of alcohol

Bottom Line

Seeing how common cancer has become the world over nowadays, it is important that you remain on red alert. Be sure to check yourself regularly for signs of the disease and consult your doctor immediately if something seems off to you.

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