[메디컬투데이=김준수 기자] As life expectancy increases, the incidence of cancer also increases. According to the 2020 cancer registration statistics of the Ministry of Health and Welfare, the estimated cancer incidence rate reaches 36.5% if a person survives to the life expectancy (83.5 years). This means that three or four out of 10 people will not be able to avoid cancer.
Cancer is influenced by many factors, such as family history and bad lifestyle, but immunity also plays an important role. However, if you live for a long time, it is difficult to resist cancer cells in the body as the immune system and body functions inevitably deteriorate, making it easy to get cancer. It is also in the same context that half of the number of cancer patients who occur each year are over the age of 65.
In order to maintain good health and enjoy a quality life, it is necessary to make efforts to strengthen immunity, such as eating right, exercising, and relieving stress. Fortunately, with the recent development of medicine, the cure rate and the 5-year survival rate of cancer patients are gradually increasing. In other words, it is possible to overcome cancer and maintain a quality life depending on systematic management such as physical strength and immunity.
An indispensable part of them is anti-cancer food. A systematic anti-cancer diet strengthens the body’s immunity and physical strength through proper nutrition and helps in cancer treatment and prevention. As Hippocrates, the father of medicine, said, ‘diseases that cannot be cured with food cannot be cured with medicine,’ foods rich in antioxidants can reduce oxidative stress, which is a cancer-causing factor.
It is mainly found in fruits, vegetables, nuts, and blue-backed fish. These anti-cancer foods have excellent anti-inflammatory effects, so they not only help inhibit the growth of cancer cells, but are also effective for weight management. Obesity, in particular, affects the occurrence of many types of cancer, so be careful. In particular, it is necessary to abstain from processed foods or high-fat, high-sugar, and high-calorie foods.
▲ Director Nam Young-il (Photo = Courtesy of Seoho Hadan Hospital)
To strengthen the immune system, it is better to eat a lot of foods rich in vitamins A, C, E, zinc, and selenin along with high-quality protein. Vitamins are found in spinach, carrots, lemons, etc., and selenium is found in mushrooms and whole grains. If you are a diabetic, you should avoid fruits because they are high in sugar.
It is also important to customize the anti-cancer diet according to the individual’s health condition and type of cancer. For example, for stomach cancer or high blood pressure, it is good to avoid foods that burden the stomach, salty foods, and minimize sodium intake. Thyroid cancer patients should supplement foods that are relatively high in calcium, such as dairy products and tofu, to help prevent thyroid function from deteriorating.
Instead, you should avoid the habit of eating only certain foods because they are good for cancer. On the contrary, it is not good to endure food that does not suit your mouth while being stressed. This is because stress is a more harmful carcinogen than food. Anti-cancer diets increase their anti-cancer and preventive effects when nutrition and the pleasure of eating are in balance.
Nam Yeong-il, director of Seoho Hadan Hospital in Busan, said, “It is not easy to organize and practice a systematic anti-cancer diet at home because it must be supported by medical and nutritional expertise. For this reason, the number of cancer patients receiving help from cancer nursing hospitals is increasing. If you have to choose a nursing hospital, you should also consider the anti-cancer diet prescription and taste.”
Reporter Kim Junsu of Medical Today (junsoo@mdtoday.co.kr)
[저작권자ⓒ 메디컬투데이. 무단전재-재배포 금지]
2023-09-04 07:47:01
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