NUTRITIOUS TABLE

Linda Farr RD/LD  210-735-2402

Serving San Antonio and South Texas
with personalized nutrition counseling,
customized for health, nutrition and fitness needs.

Linda's Hot Topics      The Prevention of Cancer - Second Expert Report

The report "Food, Nutrition, Physical Activity, and the Prevention of Cancer: a Global Perspective", was originally produced by the World Cancer Research Fund and the American Institute for Cancer Research in 1997. It was just updated this month and again becomes the most authoritative report on global food, nutrition, and cancer prevention. The report expects the reduction in the incidence of cancer, if the recommendations are followed. "The panel is aware that as with other diseases, the risk of cancer is also modified by social, cultural, economic, and ecological factors. Thus the foods and drinks that people consume are not purely because of personal choice; likewise opportunities for physical activity can be constrained." [I will quote directly from the published report.]

Background

"Studies consistently show that patterns of cancer change as populations migrate from one part of the world to another and as countries become increasingly urbanized and industrialized. Projections indicate that rates of cancer in general are liable to increase."

Eight general and two special goals and recommendations are detailed. In each case a general recommendation is followed by public health goals and/or personal recommendations. [For the purposes of this summary, I will only present the major recommendations.] For a full report go to: http://www.aicr.org/site/PageServer?pagename=res_report_second

THE PANEL'S RECOMMENDATIONS
(copied directly from the report)

RECOMMENDATION 1-- BODY FATNESS: Be as lean as possible within the normal range of body weight.

PERSONAL RECOMMENDATIONS:

1. Ensure that body weight through childhood and adolescent growth projects (follows a pattern of growth) towards the lower end of the normal BMI range at age 21.
2. Maintain body weight within the normal range from age 21.
3. Avoid weight gain and increases in waist circumference throughout adulthood.

RECOMMENDATION 2-PHYSICAL ACTIVITY: Be physically active as part of everyday life.

PERSONAL RECOMMENDATIONS:

1. Be moderately physically active, equivalent to brisk walking, for at least 30 minutes every day.
2. As fitness improves, aim for 60 minutes or more of moderate, or for 30 minutes or more of vigorous, physical activity every day.
3. Limit sedentary habits such as watching television.

RECOMMENDATION 3-FOODS AND DRINKS THAT PROMOTE WEIGHT GAIN: Limit consumption of energy-dense foods (defined as more than about 225-275 calories per 100 grams). Avoid sugary drinks (defined as drinks with added sugar).

PERSONAL RECOMMENDATIONS:

1. Consume energy dense foods sparingly (see my article Eat More Weigh Less-July 2005, Hot Topics).
2. Avoid sugary drinks.
3. Consume 'fast foods' sparingly, if at all.

RECOMMENDATION 4-PLANT FOODS: Eat mostly foods of plan origin.

PERSONAL RECOMMENDATIONS:

1. Eat at least five portions/servings (at least 400 grams or 14 ounces) of a variety of non-starchy vegetables and of fruits every day.
2. Eat relatively unprocessed cereals (grains) and/or pulses (legumes) with every meal.
3. Limit refined starchy foods.
4. People who consume starchy roots or tubers as staples also to ensure intake of sufficient non-starchy vegetables, fruits, and pulses (legumes).

RECOMMENDATION 5-ANIMAL FOODS: Limit intake of red meat (defined as beef, pork, lamb, and goat) and avoid processed meat (defined as smoking, curing, or salting, or addition of chemical preservatives).

PERSONAL RECOMMENDATION:

People who eat red meat to consume less than 500 grams (18 ounces) a week, very little if any to be processed.

RECOMMENDATION 6-ALCOHOLIC DRINKS: Limit alcoholic drinks.

PERSONAL RECOMMENDATION:

If alcoholic drinks are consumed, limit consumption to no more than two drinks a day for men and one drink a day for women. (Drink is defined as 10-15 grams of ethanol).

RECOMMENDATION 7-PRESERVATION, PROCESSING, PREPARATION: Limit consumption of salt. Avoid mouldy cereals (grains) or pulses (legumes).

PERSONAL RECOMMENDATIONS:

1. Avoid salt-preserved, salted, or salty foods' preserve foods without using salt.
2. Limit consumption of processed foods with added salt to ensure an intake of less than 6 grams (2.4 grams sodium) a day.
3. Do not eat mouldy cereals (grains) or pulses (legumes). "Specifically, the contamination of cereals (grains) and pulses (legumes) with aflatoxins, produced by some moulds when such foods are stored for too long in warm temperatures, is an important public health problem, and not only in tropical countries.")

RECOMMENDATION 8-DIETARY SUPPLEMENTS: Aim to meet nutritional needs through diet alone.

PERSONAL RECOMMENDATION:

Dietary supplements are not recommended for cancer prevention.

SPECIAL RECOMMENDATION 1-BREASTFEEDING: Mothers to breastfeed; children to be breastfed.

PERSONAL RECOMMENDATION:

Aim to breastfeed infants exclusively up to six months and continue with complementary feeding thereafter.

SPECIAL RECOMMENDATION 2-CANCER SURVIVORS: Follow the recommendations for cancer prevention.

PERSONAL RECOMMENDATIONS:

1. All cancer survivors to receive nutritional care from an appropriately trained professional.
2. If able to do so, and unless otherwise advised, aim to follow the recommendations for diet, healthy weight, and physical activity.

Article written November 2007