Deborah Howell
This is Weekly Dose of Wellness, brought to you by MemorialCare Health System. Here's Deborah Howell. Welcome to the show. I'm Deborah Howell, and you know, there are a lot of factors and variables when it comes to cancer risk. Today we'll ask, could your diet affect your risk for cancer? Our guest is Roslyn Carey, a registered dietitian at MemorialCare Todd Cancer Institute, Long Beach Medical Center. Welcome, Roslyn.
Rosslyn Cary, MS, RD
Thank you so much, Deborah. Thank you for having me.
Deborah Howell
Lovely to have you on the podcast. So what's the link between cancer and being overweight or obese?
Rosslyn Cary, MS, RD
So what we know right now from the current evidence is that excess body fat may increase your cancer risk because it causes the body to produce and circulate more estrogen and insulin. And these are hormones that can stimulate cancer growth.
Deborah Howell
So what foods are there that increase your risk for cancer?
Rosslyn Cary, MS, RD
According to the World Cancer Research Fund and also the American Institute for Cancer Research. They really found that a high intake of red and processed meat increases a person's risk for cancer. So the recommendation is if you do eat red meat and this is beef, veal, pork, lamb, horse and even goat that you want to limit your consumption to no more than 12 to 18oz per week. Also, if you consume any processed meat, you want to limit that. And this includes ham, salami, bacon, sausage like frankfurters, hot dogs and chorizo. So, very little, if any of that. And you know, this doesn't mean that you need to completely avoid meat or these things. You just want to be mindful of those limitations. And really, meat can be a valuable source of nutrients, especially protein, iron, zinc and even vitamin B12. We just want to be mindful of those limitations.
Deborah Howell
Sure. Two questions about that. Can you give us an example of what 12 to 15oz looks like on your plate?
Rosslyn Cary, MS, RD
That's about 3 to 4 servings. So usually one serving is equal to 3 or 4oz or the size of your palm.
Deborah Howell
Okay. And then one more question on the processed meats. What about like deli turkey.
Rosslyn Cary, MS, RD
That's fine. That's not included in this processed meat. So again it's ham, salami, bacon and sausages.
Deborah Howell
Got it. Now how does alcohol consumption affect people's risk for developing cancer.
Rosslyn Cary, MS, RD
So for cancer prevention, it's best not to drink alcohol at all. But like many people do it's fine if you limit your intake to one drink per day for women and two drinks per day for men. So the standard size for a drink is 12oz of beer, five ounces of wine, or 1.5oz of 40% hard liquor, such as vodka, rum, whiskey or gin.
Deborah Howell
That sounds reasonable. I think most of us can live with that. So, Roslyn, what diets out there can lower your risk for cancer?
Rosslyn Cary, MS, RD
Well, we know that eating antioxidants and phytochemicals that are found in a variety of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, beans, lentils really helps to lower the risk of cancer. Therefore, any diet that emphasizes these foods can be really helpful in lowering your cancer risk. So rather than focusing on any specific diet, I would focus on these three things. And this is from the evidence. So eating 30g of fiber per day from food and not supplements, eating whole grains, vegetables, fruits, beans and lentils at most meals. And finally, you want to eat a variety of plant foods, including at least five servings of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains of different colors every day.
Deborah Howell
Always have a colorful plate. That's what my mom and dad told me.
Rosslyn Cary, MS, RD
Absolutely.
Deborah Howell
In addition to diet, what are some of the other ways that people can reduce their risk for cancer.
Rosslyn Cary, MS, RD
Aside from diet? We want to go to your doctor regularly for annual exams. You want to report any changes to your health, get the recommended cancer screenings for your age and family history for mothers or mothers to be, if possible. If you want to breastfeed your baby because there's strong evidence that breastfeeding protects against breast cancer in the mother and also promotes a healthy growth in the infant. And then finally, you don't want to use supplements for cancer prevention, regardless of what the claims on the label or what you hear on social media, etc.. You want to aim to meet your nutritional needs from food alone.
Deborah Howell
What about exercise?
Rosslyn Cary, MS, RD
Exercise is really important as well. The recommendation is to aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate intensity activities weekly. So walking, cycling, household chores, gardening, swimming or dancing, or 75 minutes of vigorous intensity activities weekly. And this is like running, fast swimming, fast cycling, aerobics or some kind of sport.
Deborah Howell
Sounds good. And plus, it's fun and stress relieving as well, which also effects possible cancer development. So, Roslyn, how do you provide support for patients undergoing cancer treatments at the MemorialCare Todd Cancer Institute?
Rosslyn Cary, MS, RD
So, patients undergoing cancer treatments at Todd Cancer Institute can experience a variety of harsh side effects that make it really hard to eat. And malnutrition is often a concern. So, my job is really to offer individualized strategies to help patients maintain a healthy weight and diet based on those symptoms.
Deborah Howell
Got it. Just because a person may look like they have enough weight on them, they might be malnourished because of what they're eating.
Rosslyn Cary, MS, RD
Absolutely. That's a great point.
Deborah Howell
So where can people go to learn more about the supportive care services available at the MemorialCare Todd Cancer Institute?
Rosslyn Cary, MS, RD
The best place to go is MemorialCare.org/TCI.
Deborah Howell
Once again MemorialCare.org/TCI. And we thank you so much Roslyn for your time and expertise today. We really enjoyed having you on the show.
Rosslyn Cary, MS, RD
Thank you so much.
Deborah Howell
For more info or to listen to a podcast of this show, please visit MemorialCare.org/podcasts. That's MemorialCare.org/podcasts. That's all for this time. I'm Deborah Howell. Have yourself a terrific day.
