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We all know of someone who has suffered from cancer of one sort or another, sadly many of these people succumb to the condition. Here we have 10 ways to minimize your risk of developing cancer. The actions being recommended are drawn from anecdotal evidence to outcomes of recent professionally run studies.

In the United States it has been reported by the American Cancer Institute (ACI) that half a million people die every year from some form of cancer. However the ACI also points out that about 33% of these people may have avoided taking this path if they had made some lifestyle changes. They advocate people doing more than 150 minutes of mildly aerobic exercise every week, ensuring that they are not overweight and avoiding saturated fats and too much sugar.  In other words eat a healthy balanced diet.

Alcohol

The list of 10 ways to cut the risk of cancer starts with cutting alcohol. There are studies which have been completed and found that excessive alcohol increases the risk of cancers in the regions of the mouth, throat, oesophagus, larynx, liver, colon, rectum and breast. These studies have also identified that those with a higher intake of alcohol also have a higher risk of getting cancer too. This has led some females who already know that their risk of developing breast cancer is elevated because of family reasons to cut alcohol from their lives.

The advice is if you must drink then stick to recommended limits, however it may be better to abstain whenever possible.


Stay out of the Sun

Skin cancer is becoming more common every day....and yet it is preventable! Avoid being in the sun without suitable skin cover, whether it’s clothing or sun screen doesn’t matter. What matters is that your skin is protected. Always use sun screen if you are outside and there are uncovered areas of skin. Avoid using tanning beds and if possible don’t go out in the sun between 10 am and 4 pm, when the sun’s rays are at their most powerful.

It has also been found that skin cancer is one of the easiest to treat, with a high recovery rate, if found and treated during the early stages. This means that any small lesions, spots or abnormalities should always be investigated by a health professional.


Avoid Meat


Research has found that red meats such as beef, lamb and pork, along with processed meats like luncheon meat, spam and hot dog style sausages should all be avoided. This is because they appear to increase the risk of developing prostate and colon cancers and may affect other cancers in the area of digestion. Like alcohol, it appears that the level of risk increases with the amount that the body consumes. The amount of red or processed meat eaten daily should not exceed about 100g, that’s about 2 small to medium hot dogs.