Emilia Gómez Pardo She is a doctor in biochemistry and molecular biology and master in nutrition and health from the University of Barcelona, with more than three decades of experience. Since 2018, she is a scientific advisor on prevention issues of the Cris against Cancer Foundation. In addition, she is the author of the book ‘More life, less cancer. Everything science knows about how to prevent cancer and live more years. ‘
-What point does feeding influence cancer prevention?
-There is no risk or 100%protection, but there is a lot of scientific evidence related to the potential of food in prevention, treatment and survival. It is not 100% robust because there is a lot of knowledge related to the beneficial or harmful impact of specific foods or nutrients, but strong enough to affirm that one in 3 cancers could be prevented with good diet. When we talk about healthy eating we are talking about important issues at the physiological level as is anti -inflammatory, to keep the healthy microbiota, or be rich in antioxidants. When we refer to food that decreases the risk of cancer, we talk about a mostly vegetable food pattern.
-What food should predominate and which we would have to reduce?
-The world of vegetables is very wide. It does not include only fruits and vegetables, which are the jewel of the crown due to its nutritional wealth, also legumes, whole grains, nuts, herbs and seeds. A mostly vegetable diet entails a minority consumption of animal products. And to prevent, you have to prioritize the consumption of blue and white fish in front of meats; and white meat in front of red and processed meat.
-And how do we transfer this to the plate?
-We can base ourselves on the ‘oncosaludable’ dish, which has its origin in Harvard’s dish. Vegetables occupy 3/4 of the plate: half, with a wide variety of fruits and vegetables; and the other room with integral cerales. Complete the final fourth of the dish with quality proteins, whether vegetables, such as legumes; o Animals: fish and birds.
-Why does it difficult for us to put this pattern practice?
-The first place because nutritional education is needed to know and understand the role of health food. It can be our main ally to maintain it or our enemy to lose it. Secondly, because we live in an obesogenic environment, which contributes to weight gain, by favoring sedentary lifestyle and encouraging the intake of caloric products and poor nutritional quality such as ultraprocessed. Overweight is the second factor, behind tobacco, cancer risk. A food pattern based on ultraprocessed, red meat and processed meat and alcohol consumption, is a very caloric pattern, poor in nutrients, oxidant and very poor in fiber. And fiber is essential for cancer health and prevention.
-And in the treatment of cancer, are there already diets with evidence to help cure it?
-He there is more evidence that it is a contributing strategy of therapy to follow very important. Science tells us that with good nutritional status the side effects are reduced and the efficacy of treatments increases. The better nourished we get to the diagnosis, the better the prognosis. So, let’s not miss occasion, day by day, food to food, to give the body what it needs. It is also important to understand that during treatment each person must be attended in a personalized way, since the response to the different treatments is very variable and compromises, on many occasions, to feed correctly.
-It is estimated that the exercise could reduce the risk of breast, colon, bladder, endometrium, esophagus and stomach up to 30%, and reduce almost 20% the risk of cancer -specific mortality.
-It is as important physical activity as avoiding sedentary lifestyle. You have to move daily.
-Beber alcohol is a socially accepted habit, but also a cancer risk factor. Is there a safe dose?
-There is no sure dose. The WHO says it for a long time. Alcohol is carcinogenic, mutagenic, neurotoxic and hepatotoxic, how will there be health compatible consumption? 10% of cancers have to do with alcohol consumption. Increases the risk of mouth cancer, pharynx, larynx, esophagus, breast, liver, stomach and colorectal. The more consumption, the more risk. But even slight increases risk. In women, for example, 1 in 6 breast cancers have to do with the consumption of less than one drink a week. Therefore, the alcohol consumption recommendation must be zero.
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