Diet is closely related to the risk of gastrointestinal cancer. Eating a lot of processed meat and red meat increases the likelihood of developing colon, stomach, colorectal, liver cancer… Meanwhile, balanced nutrition between groups of plant substances such as fruits and vegetables , whole grains and legumes, and less meat, contribute to reducing the rate of developing gastrointestinal malignancies.
Comprehensive research published in the US National Library of Medicine, 2022, on 472,300 people following different diets in the UK, for more than 11 years, shows that people who eat little meat, eat fish or are vegan are at higher risk. The risk of rectal, breast and prostate cancer is lower than in people who eat meat regularly.
There are many different types of vegetarian diets, such as vegan diets that exclude all products of animal origin such as meat, fish, dairy products and eggs. The lacto-ovo vegetarian diet uses whole foods such as eggs, milk, cheese, butter, yogurt, sour cream, ice cream and other dairy products. The pesco vegetarian diet is a semi-vegetarian diet that does not contain meat such as beef, pork, or chicken, but can eat fish and other seafood, and also allows the use of dairy products and eggs. .
Research at Loma Linda University in California, USA analyzed the eating habits of more than 70,000 people, showing that vegans have a 22% lower risk of colorectal cancer than meat eaters, but This muscle is even lower in pesco vegetarians with a reduction rate of more than 43%.
Fruits and vegetables have the ability to fight gastrointestinal cancer because plant fiber stimulates the growth of healthy bacteria. Antioxidants also help cells function smoothly, preventing disorders that can be caused at the cellular level, thereby reducing the risk of cancer.
Eating a variety of fruits and vegetables provides a variety of nutrients for the body, instead of individual substances. The combined substances create a high level of disease resistance. For example, the antioxidants in tomatoes, carrots and other vegetables rich in beta-carotene are completely different from the antioxidants from berries such as oranges and tangerines.
Eating green vegetables (broccoli, spinach, kale, lettuce) and seeds (chia seeds, flax seeds, pumpkin seeds, walnuts, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, almonds) are all good. for liver. Onions, leeks, bell peppers, sweet potatoes, oranges, and papaya help prevent stomach cancer. Colorful fruits such as raspberries, blueberries, strawberries, cherries and green vegetables such as cabbage and cauliflower are effective against colorectal cancer.
In addition to being vegetarian, to prevent gastrointestinal cancer, you should increase fiber, drink about two liters of water a day, not smoke, limit alcohol and bottled soft drinks, eat slowly, chew thoroughly, and exercise. regular sex. You and your family members all have genetic risk factors so you should be screened for cancer periodically once a year for early detection and timely treatment.
According to Globocan 2022, gastrointestinal cancer has the highest morbidity and mortality rate in Vietnam. Among the top 5 most common types of cancer in Vietnam, 3 of them are gastrointestinal cancers such as liver cancer, stomach cancer and colorectal cancer.