As a physician, there is probably no single question I get more frequently than “What causes cancer – and how can I avoid getting it?”

We human beings always tend to look for that “one elusive thing” that will solve our problems. Even doctors do it. But the reality is that many things in life are made up of many small factors which combine in mysterious ways to produce big results. Cancer is one of those big things. There are many relatively small contributors that “cause” cancer and affect how it grows and spreads, and this complexity is why questions about cancer’s cause and cure are so difficult to answer.

In this blog we’ll focus on a few tips for cancer prevention. In upcoming blogs we’ll consider some supplements you should consider that we believe will help reduce your risk of getting cancer, and also suggest some things you can do if you already have cancer.

• It is generally an accepted fact that too much fat can contribute to causing cancer. This established fact is all too often ignored. Being overweight raises your risk of breast cancer, colon cancer and prostate cancer, three types of cancerous tumors that are fat-related.  No doubt there are several other cancers that are also probably related to weight.

• Doctors also understand that inflammation can contribute to causing cancer. We’re not exactly sure why this is so, but there are healthy ways to diminish and even prevent inflammation in muscles and joints and so reduce cancer risk. Consider these simple ideas:

• Reduce your intake of animal fats and replace them with healthy fats. Most animal fats have what’s called a saturated omega 6 structure, and when your body metabolizes these fats, inflammation results. Healthy omega 3 fats, from sources including fish, krill, many nuts such as almond and walnuts, and some grains like flax, all reduce inflammation.
• Moderate exercise decreases inflammation. Be careful, though: over-exercising actually produces inflammation. So exercise in moderation. Exercise is what doctors call “dose dependent”: do it, but don’t over-do it.
• Along with moderate exercise, muscle-development also reduces inflammation. When a muscle exercises it produces anti-inflammatory peptides: the more muscle you have, and the more regularly it gets used, the more anti-inflammatory peptides you produce.

Besides changing our fat consumption and reducing inflammation, here are two more things you can do to reduce your cancer risk:

• Most people know that too much sun can contribute to causing cancer. But you should know that moderate sun exposure, up to 20 minutes a day, may actually reduce cancer risk. (This may be related to Vitamin D which the body derives from sunlight.)

• On the positive side, you can reduce cancer risk by eating deeply pigments fruits, berries, and vegetables – the more, the better. Do your body a favor: add plenty of these cancer-fighting foods to your diet. They taste great, and they’ll help you stay healthier longer!