A Healthy, Cancer-Free Life Requires More Than a Single Action

Strong evidence shows how substantially simple lifestyle changes reduce cancer risk. A recent study following 353.150 people for 5 years found that:

• not using tobacco or tobacco products,
• a healthy body mass index (BMI),
• little or no alcohol,
• physical activity, and
• maintaining healthy eating habits significantly reduced cancer risk.

The study shows that a healthy lifestyle is not merely not smoking or exercising alone, but a whole incorporating all the uncomplicated recommendations above.

Compared with people following only one or none of the 5 habits, those following all healthy behaviors showed approximately <b<a one-third reduction in cancer risk.

This is not the first study showing healthy lifestyles’ positive effects on cancer. However, it is the first to include such a large group and demonstrate the combined effects of so many healthy habits.

A Healthy Lifestyle Can Be Said to Be Better Than All Medicines, with No Side Effects

Each of these habits reduces cancer risk individually, but consistently practicing all of them has a greater effect.

Healthy behaviors and their effects on cancer cases have been examined in several other studies:

• The American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Cancer Prevention Committee announced in a 2012 statement that 5.5% of all new cancers and 5.8% of cancer deaths worldwide were caused by alcohol . Alcohol is linked to oral, pharyngeal, laryngeal, esophageal, liver, breast and colon cancers.

• Similarly, overweight and obesity have strong links to several cancer risks. They increase endometrial (uterine) cancer risk 2 to 4 times; esophageal cancer risk twofold; liver, kidney, pancreatic and colon cancer risks up to twofold; and postmenopausal breast cancer likelihood by 20% to 40%.
• Let Us Get to Know Obesity, a Friend to Cancer, Diabetes and Cardiovascular Disease
• The link between healthy eating and cancer has long been known. A study covering 1992 – 2000 associated abundant fruit and vegetable intake with lower risks of lung, colon, breast, cervical, esophageal, oral, gastric, bladder, pancreatic and ovarian cancers. People eating little fruit and vegetables reportedly had approximately twice the cancer risk of those eating plenty.
• Analyzing 1.44 million participants in the United States and Europe, a large 2016 study (a meta-analysis of 12 prospective cohort studies) found that adequate physical activity reduced the risk of 14 cancers.
• Exercise and the 14 cancers whose risks it reduces

It would be wrong to say that a healthy lifestyle alone prevents cancer in everyone. Hereditary factors and various random (mostly age-related) mutations are other causes. People also differ in their DNA repair capacity and immune system control over cancer . Some people with healthy lifestyles therefore still develop cancer, but risk is substantially reduced for many. The 5 habits listed at the start are also among the most important factors for improving survival and quality of life after developing cancer .

Beyond reducing cancer risk, a comprehensive healthy lifestyle also improves people’s quality of life . Adding life to years matters as much as adding years to life.