How to Help Reduce Your Risk of Cancer

Cancer, as we all know, is a very serious illness. There are more than 200 different kinds of the disease. It is caused by the mutation of cells in the body, which can grow and cause harm to healthy tissue. It is also incredibly common – it is thought that as many as one in three people will develop the condition at some point in their lives.

While there is no definitive cure for cancer, there are a number of treatments available which can slow down or even halt the progress of the disease. In recent years, survival rates for patients with cancer have generally increased – but there are also steps you can take to lower your risk of developing the condition in the first place.

Here are just four ways you can reduce your risk of falling victim to cancer:

Maintain a Balanced Diet

You’ve probably read or seen countless news reports linking various foods with the prevention of cancer during recent years, so it’s easy to be sceptical when people make claims about diet and the disease. What is consistently being shown, however, is that eating healthily can help to reduce your risk. Generally, a healthy diet contains a good amount of fruit and vegetables, fibre and wholegrain, and protein. Keeping your saturated fat intake to a minimum will also help.

Stop Smoking

Nine out of every ten cases of lung cancer can be attributed in some way to smoking. So, if you smoke and want to improve your chances of not falling prey to lung cancer, quitting is the first step. For those having trouble giving up, there are prescription medications and stop smoking treatment programmes which can help.

Curb Your Alcohol Intake

There have been links discovered between alcohol and certain types of cancer, including mouth and breast cancer. In any case, it’s always better to drink no more than the NHS recommended two-to-three units per day.

Protect Your Skin from the Sun

Reducing your exposure to harmful rays from the sun can exponentially reduce your risk of skin cancer. Always take sunscreen with you when going on a holiday in the summer, and try not to stay in the sun for too long during peak sunshine hours.

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