Your diet and cancer

The importance of eating foods rich in antioxidants 

When one has experienced a disease such as cancer, which is life threatening, one asks many profound questions after treatment. In my case, I made many reflections on the meaning of life as well as on my lifestyle.

It could be said that from cancer I have learned to be a rather thoughtful person. Regarding diet, my eating schedule was disorganised before cancer and in general, although my diet was healthy, the truth was that I did not worry much about the healthiness of what I ate but more about enjoying what I ate.

In one of the appointments I had with the oncologist, I asked him if I should follow a specific diet. The answer was that I had to have a balanced diet. He gave me a book on nutrition that talks about the properties of food in general. The only recommendation he gave me was to maintain a proper weight. He also mentioned to me that I should eat cheese in moderation. When asked him why it was wise to eat cheese in moderation, he explained that cheeses are high in fat.

At that time, I did not see the relationship between fat and cancer. A few months later, I began to investigate about healthy eating and found several studies that show that a high consumption of cheese as well as red meat develop elevated levels of antibodies and therefore those who have a diet high in these products are at greater risk of cancer.

The explanation about various types of cancer and their causes are quite long and complicated. My efforts to understand the disease have led me to scrutinize molecular processes. When I read articles or watch videos, I feel like I am in a high school in a science lesson.

Free radicals

Free radicals are molecules that our body produces daily due to biological reactions that occur in cells. Free radicals are necessary to perform certain functions and maintain optimal health.

Free radicals have the ability to react with everything around them in the body, so uncontrolled production of free radicals is harmful to health. If the body is unable to process and remove free radicals efficiently, oxidative stress can happen, resulting in damaging cells and bodily functions. As a result of this, cancer, as well as heart disease, arthritis, strokes, respiratory diseases and much more can occur.

Antioxidants

Antioxidants are substances in charge of neutralizing free radicals and protecting us against their damaging actions on cells.

The body produces some antioxidants on its own. Antioxidants are natural substances (which can also be manufactured) that prevent or delay cell damage caused by free radicals.

Antioxidants are found in many foods. When searching Google for information on antioxidant-rich foods, the list can be quite long. In this article I am going to include some foods that appear on the most lists as well as a picture, since some foods have different names in different countries.

To have a good health, one must have a balanced diet, including food rich in antioxidants.

FRUITS

VEGETABLES

NUTS

SPICES AND SEEDS

FISH AND OTHER FOODS

DRINKS

My diet has been enriched a lot after having cancer. I have reduced the consumption of salt and sugar. Now I include new spices and as a result I have discovered new flavours and textures, which are just different and I have tried to embrace them positively, so now I find them just as delicious.

The suggestion for my readers is the same as what my oncologist told me: Maintain a balanced diet. For specific diets, you should always consult a nutrition specialist who will assess each case individually and provide specific help. When consuming foods like spirulina, you should always read the label since, due to the high level of protein, this product can cause some side effects.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

• https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/318652
• https://health.clevelandclinic.org/free-radicals/
• https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3249911/
• https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/antioxidants/  
• https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/301506#benefits
• https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/healthyliving/antioxidants
• https://www.lovetoknowhealth.com/diet-and-nutrition/foods-high-in-antioxidants
• https://www.culturadelmare.it/bythos/679-2/