Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 32, Number 7, 1 July 2015 — Lower your cancer risk [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Lower your cancer risk

Cancer is still our most feared illness. We are fearful because cancer is still not totally understood and its cure still eludes us. Also, cancer develops quietly, then, surprises us. Still, mueh progress has been made understanding most cancers. And, now, there is some solid advice on how to avoid it. For example, with breast cancer, we know the risk is higher among women who are 65 years or older. It's higher if you have a relative

who has had cancer . . . especially a mother, sister or daughter. The risk is greater if you have gene mutations (like BRCA1 and BRCA2) found in families with high rates of breast cancer; if you were older than 30 when you had your first child; if you never gave birth; took hormones after menopause; or have abnormal breast cells. Among older women who take no hormones, those who are overweight or obese have almost double the risk of estrogen-positive breast cancer compared to women who are lean. Heavier women have a 60 percent higher risk of estrogennegative breast cancer. We know that 40 percent to 60 percent of cancer cases are linked to foods commonly eaten. Chemicals found in processed foods are just one source. We also know that smoking and chewing tobacco and secondhand smoke are responsible for 30 percent of cancers. Constant

exposure to chemicals, X-rays and sun ean cause cancer. There are also rare cases of genetic cancer. The good news is that there are important, simple ways to prevent

or avoid cancer. Cancer develops slowly, over a very long time, probably 10 to 30 years, making detection difficult. However, that long incubation period provides many opportunities to block processes causing cancer. That's really good news. Foods grown and eaten by our ancestors are now replaced by western French fries, chips, snacks, canned meats, sausages, eoke and beer. These introduced "food items" have none of the protective qualities of our traditional foods and, in fact, may be harmful. Our kūpunas' advice, to learn to eat vegetables, such as lū'au, pōpolo, palula and 'uala is no longer passed on to our keiki. Sadly, many illnesses could be prevented by eating the foods of our kūpuna. For example, modern science has found that dark, leafy greens contain folic acid, vitamins A and C, antioxidants, fiber and numerous phytochemicals. These nutrients ean work to prevent such illnesses as colds, infections, certain birth defects . . . and cancer.

What foods help to prevent cancer? The best cancer protection foods are vegetables (they're the best protectors) and fruits, especially the rich sources of vitamin A and C, and fiber. Papaya, guava, mangoes, all cabbages, broccoli, cauliflower, lū'au, spinach and watercress are easy to find and eook. All ean be eaten raw, except for lū'au. Eating some of these protective foods every day will strengthen the body's defenses to fight cancer. Scientists continue to study many phytochemicals in food to discover exactly how they fight a variety of cancers. Some solid advice to reduce your risk of all cancer is: 1) Don't use tobacco; 2) Lose (or don't gain) excess weight; 3) Limit red and processed meat; 4) Limit aleohol to two servings a day (men) or as little as possible (women); and 5) Get at least 30 minutes of exercise a day. Start today. ■

Simple rules to fight cancer with food are: 1. Eat a variety of vegetables anel fruits, anel whole grains, at least five half-cup servings daily. 2. Eat a low-fat diet. This means cookingthe traditional Hawaiian way: steaming, baking and roasting, and eat more fish and ehieken (without skin). 3. Eat foods that are good sources of fiber, such as greens,taro, potato, poi, brown rice and whole-wheat bread.

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By Claire Ku'uleilani Hughes, Dr. PH„ R.D.