In recent years, many celebrities have died prematurely due to cancer. Many people used to think that serious illnesses such as cancer are diseases that belong to older people, but according to a worldwide study, the proportion of people under the age of 50 suffering from cancer is increasing, including breast cancer, kidney cancer, liver cancer, pancreatic cancer, prostate cancer and 14 other types of cancer have a tendency to develop early.
According to the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), an agency of the WHO, there is a tendency to increase the number of early-onset cancers among people under the age of 50. The research team found that 14 cancers, including breast, endometrial, colon, stomach, bile duct, gallbladder, head and neck, kidney, liver, pancreas, esophagus, prostate, bone marrow, and thyroid cancers, have a tendency to increase in the cancer registry records of 44 countries.
For example, colorectal cancer, which has the third highest mortality rate, has increased by 2% annually in the United States, Australia, Canada, France, and Japan, 3% in the United Kingdom, and 5% in Korea. Shuji Ogino, a professor of pathology at Harvard University, explained that although the increase may seem small, the rising trend of cancer becoming younger can be imagined as inflation, and although the annual increase is only 2%, there will be a huge change in 10 or 20 years.
Interestingly, the study also found that “the later the birth, the higher the risk of cancer”. For example, people born in the 1960s had a higher risk of cancer before the age of 50 than those born in the 1950s, and the team expects this trend to gradually increase in later generations, probably because of risk factors associated with exposure at younger ages.
In addition to medical advances, the rising trend of cancer in young people is related to lifestyle and diet
Shuji Ogino said that although some cancers, such as thyroid cancer, are on the rise, partly due to medical advances that make it easier to detect cancer, this does not fully explain the trend. The increase in early-onset cancer is also associated with a number of unhealthy risk factors, including shift work, lack of sleep, smoking and drinking habits, as well as obesity, physical inactivity, diabetes, a diet of red meat and excess sugar, and environmental pollution.
Among these, diet is probably one of the most important parts of the population to focus on. Tomotaka Ugai, a pathology researcher at Harvard University and lead author of the study, noted that of the 14 types of cancer on the rise, eight are related to the digestive system. The food we eat feeds the microbes in our intestines, and diet directly affects the composition of the intestinal flora, which ultimately leads to changes in the flora that affect disease risk.
Many studies have pointed out that cancer-causing mechanisms are related to intestinal bacteria. Once the number and variety of normal microorganisms that coexist peacefully in the human intestine are reduced, they are likely to be replaced by pathogenic pathogens, which can cause many diseases, including cancer.
7 dietary tips to avoid cancer in the body, exercise and sleep habits should be noted
Therefore, in order to avoid accumulating cancer-causing risk factors in the body, cancer prevention should start at a young age. According to the health education data of Kuandu Hospital, the processed red meat, fried and deep-fried food, as well as delicate cakes, desserts and other delicacies that are commonly eaten will greatly increase the chance of breast cancer and colorectal cancer. In order to prevent cancer, there are important points to note in the diet.
- Adequate daily intake of fruits and vegetables: 5 servings of fruits and vegetables daily, or 7 servings (4 servings of vegetables and 3 servings of fruits) for those with a family history of cancer. Through a variety of nutrients and phytochemicals can hinder the development of cancer.
- Increase roughage to avoid refinement: use brown rice, germ rice, cereal and white rice.
- Healthy cooking: less oil, less salt, less sugar, mainly boiled, steamed, braised and chilled.
- Control the intake of red meat: chicken, deep-sea fish, seafood and other white meat instead of red meat.
- Eat more fresh food: eat less food with additives and less processed drinks.
- Avoid processed beverages: drink less sugary drinks and moderate alcohol consumption.
- Balanced diet: maintain a balanced nutrition.
In addition to diet, lifestyle habits are also very important. To avoid cancer at a young age, it may be more effective to exercise than to spend money on increasing the frequency of health checkups and conducting high-level examinations. Studies have found that exercise can activate the body’s T cells and reduce fat accumulation. Although it does not mean that regular exercise will definitely prevent cancer, without exercise, cancer will be more likely to appear in the body.
Doctors suggest that you should exercise for 30 minutes a day to avoid obesity and to increase metabolism and eliminate apoptotic cells. In addition, you should also avoid staying up late, day and night, and maintain normal work and rest.