Nutrition against cancer: the scientist dispels the myths
In recent years, more and more people have adopted drastic dietary measures in the hope of having a diet against cancer, which in some way protects them from the risk of this serious disease: in this way, diets such as alkaline have spread. of correlation between sugar and cancer, protein and cancer, and of particular antioxidant foods that would reduce the risk of cancer.
But a scientist is not there: Professor Mike Gibney, who heads the Food Safety Authority of Ireland , warns all those who try to make a diet against cancer ending up creating serious food shortages.
In particular , he points the finger at some dietary trends,more related to marketing than to effective effectiveness:
– the alkaline diet , the anti-inflammatory diet and the like: Robert O Young, its creator, ended up in handcuffs (not for the first time) on charges of trying to cure of cancer patients on the alkaline diet.
– the natural diet : Gibney recalls that there is no causal correlation between non-organic foods, additives to industrial foods, GM foods and cancer.
– the diet of superfoods / the antioxidant diet: often behind the so-called health foods there is a business that has nothing to do with real prevention.
– the sugar free / low carbohydrate diet: Cancer, Gibney explains, is a disease that causes high energy expenditure, but sugars don’t cause cancer, so eating a carbohydrate-free diet for preventive purposes makes no sense.
Evidence linking food intake to real cancer risks is scant, she says. Mostly there are observational studies, but nothing concrete that should lead people to cut categories of food.
Finally, Gibney explains that it is women who are most terrified of cancer , particularly breast cancer. But, she also explains, much more people die from cardiovascular disease, while cancer for three quarters of its incidence is caused by random and genetic mutations.
So what should be advised to those who are afraid of getting sick?
Not to have unbalanced diets, not to cut and demonize certain foods, to reduce stress, to have a healthy and stable body weight, to eat more fruits and vegetables and to exercise.
– the alkaline diet , the anti-inflammatory diet and the like: Robert O Young, its creator, ended up in handcuffs (not for the first time) on charges of trying to cure of cancer patients on the alkaline diet.
– the natural diet : Gibney recalls that there is no causal correlation between non-organic foods, additives to industrial foods, GM foods and cancer.
– the diet of superfoods / the antioxidant diet: often behind the so-called health foods there is a business that has nothing to do with real prevention.
– the sugar free / low carbohydrate diet: Cancer, Gibney explains, is a disease that causes high energy expenditure, but sugars don’t cause cancer, so eating a carbohydrate-free diet for preventive purposes makes no sense.
Evidence linking food intake to real cancer risks is scant, she says. Mostly there are observational studies, but nothing concrete that should lead people to cut categories of food.
Finally, Gibney explains that it is women who are most terrified of cancer , particularly breast cancer. But, she also explains, much more people die from cardiovascular disease, while cancer for three quarters of its incidence is caused by random and genetic mutations.
So what should be advised to those who are afraid of getting sick?
Not to have unbalanced diets, not to cut and demonize certain foods, to reduce stress, to have a healthy and stable body weight, to eat more fruits and vegetables and to exercise.
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