25 Health Tips to Cut Your Cancer Risk

Trim the fat

Along with cutting down on red meat, a diet free from high-fat foods may have benefits for preventing cancer. A recent study in mice showed how a fatty diet can lead to cancer growth—and in humans, a study from the University of North Carolina found that prostate cancer was more aggressive in men who ate a lot of saturated fat.

Because people who eat fatty foods are less likely to be healthy in general, it’s hard to tease out the direct effects of fat on cancer, but in any case it’s not good for you. ‘I tell patients to limit their intake of high-fat meats—there are other great sources of protein you can try including fish, eggs, soups with beans, quinoa pasta, and veggie wraps,’ Komar says.

‘When you do eat high-sugar or high-fat foods, they are taking up valuable space in your diet, in turn making your immune system work overtime, which leads to cancer-causing inflammation.’ She recommends eating 80 percent whole foods like fruits, veggies, nuts, and legumes, and 20 percent animal products like dairy, meat, and eggs in order to limit the fat in your diet.