Cancer

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Cancer is a disease of the tiny cells that make up the body. Healthy cells normally divide when they need replacing. But when this process goes wrong, the cell keeps on dividing until a lump or tumour develops. In some cases these tumours can spread to other parts of the body.

Many things are thought to increase the risk of cancer, some of which we have no control over, such as having a family history of cancer. But there is also a lot we can do to cut down our risk. As well as cutting out smoking and avoiding getting sunburnt, eating a healthy balanced diet is extremely important. What we eat could help us avoid about a third of all cancers. There are lots of different types, but diet is thought to affect the risk of cancers such as bowel, stomach and lung cancer. If you are concerned about your health, contact your GP.

To avoid increasing our risk of developing cancer, we should be eating a healthy balanced diet. For most people, this means eating more fruit and vegetables, and more starchy foods such as bread, pasta, rice, cereals and potatoes. The key things to remember are:

Eat at least five portions of fruit and vegetables a day and vary the types you eat.
Eat more starchy foods and try to choose high-fibre varieties, such as wholegrain bread and brown rice.
Keep to a healthy weight.
If you eat a lot of red meat or processed meat such as burgers and sausages each week, try to cut down.
Avoid eating too much of highly salted, cured or smoked foods such as meat and fish.
Only drink moderate amounts of alcohol.

By eating lots of fruit and vegetables, you will be getting plenty of beta-carotene in your diet. The body converts this into vitamin A, which may help protect against cancer. But don't take beta-carotene supplements to try to help protect against cancer because high doses may in fact cause cancer. For most people, a healthy balanced diet gives us all the vitamins and minerals we need.