Researchers studied the effects of supplemental calcium and vitamin D. They found that supplements did not affect colorectal cancer risk.

One form, folic acid, is made in the laboratory and found in dietary supplements. Enriched, white flour is fortified with it. This means that foods made with flour, including breads and cereals, contain folic acid. Studies show a link between folate and cancer risk.

People with low folate levels have a higher risk of:. But clinical studies have not yet shown a relationship between taking extra folic acid and cancer prevention. Currently, there is no strong enough evidence that multivitamins reduce cancer risk. But 1 study showed a potential benefit.

People who took multivitamins for more than 10 years had reduced colon polyp formation. Some polyps can develop into colorectal cancer if not removed during colonoscopy cancer screening. By reducing polyps, the study suggests multivitamins might also lower colorectal cancer risk.

But this research can be difficult to interpret. Usually, the healthiest people get regular cancer screening. And those people also commonly take multivitamins.

One study evaluated whether selenium prevents cancer. Supplements did not prevent people with skin cancer from getting a second one.

But it did reduce new cases of:. Some studies link selenium to a higher risk of diabetes. So use caution when considering supplements that contain selenium. Vitamin C. Some studies show diets with higher amounts of vitamin C can lower stomach cancer risk. But results have been inconsistent.

Vitamin E. A large clinical trial called the Selenium and Vitamin E Cancer Prevention Trial SELECT found that participants who took vitamin E had a higher risk of prostate cancer. High-dose vitamin C and E supplements have been shown to raise the risk of a head and neck cancer recurrence. A recurrence is when the cancer comes back after treatment.

This relationship is strongest for colorectal cancer. Most studies suggest a link between red meat and a higher risk of colorectal cancer. But avoiding processed meats is even more important. This includes bacon, ham, lunch meats, meat jerky, hot dogs, salami, and other cured meat products.

The study also found that people can eat up to 18 ounces grams of unprocessed red meat a week without raising cancer risk. Eating more calories than your body needs can cause weight gain. Many people eat too much food with added sugar and fat.

The following foods add extra calories that can contribute to obesity:. Sugar sweetened beverages, including soda and fruit-flavored drinks. Sugary drinks can be hot or cold. High-fat meats, including fried chicken with skin, duck, hamburgers, bacon, ham, sausage, hot dogs, and many deli meats.

Obesity is linked to a higher risk of many cancers. Talk with your health care team about whether your weight is affecting your health and cancer risk. American Institute for Cancer Research: Diet -What to Eat for Lower Cancer Risk. There are many types of diets.

Some claim to cure cancer or have certain benefits. There is no strong scientific evidence for some of these claims. Below are a few common diets that people ask us about. People who use Gerson therapy believe that changes to diet and nutrient intake can help to treat cancer and other conditions.

They also think that cancer is a symptom of disease of the whole body. Gerson therapy aims to rid the body of toxins and strengthen the immune system.

Those following it say this brings the body back to its normal metabolic state, so it can heal itself. Gerson therapy may not be the best diet for you to follow when you are ill and already undernourished.

This regime can have some harmful side effects. The alkaline diet tries to change the pH of the body through eating mostly alkaline foods. The pH is a number that shows how acidic or alkaline a substance is. A pH of less than 7 is acidic, and greater than 7 is alkaline.

The pH of blood is about 7. People following this diet believe that they can prevent and cure diseases, including cancer, by making the body's pH more alkaline. They argue that cancer prefers an acidic environment.

And that certain foods cause that environment. By creating a more alkaline environment, the cancer cells can't survive. Researchers carried out a systematic review of studies on an alkaline diet in They found that there was a lack of evidence to say that an alkaline diet can prevent or cure cancer.

They also said that an alkaline diet could change the pH of urine to be more alkaline, but not that of the whole body. The body regulates the pH of blood through several internal processes. Food does not affect it. Despite the alkaline diet being rich in certain vegetables and fruits, it also limits you to certain foods.

It is low in protein and dairy, so you have a higher risk of becoming malnourished. You may lack:. The ketogenic diet is a high fat, low carbohydrate, and low or unlimited protein diet. Usually, your body uses glucose from carbohydrates for energy.

Ketones become the energy to cells in the body. So, changing the diet to be high in fat and low in carbohydrate will lower glucose levels and starve cancer cells. Normal body cells adapt and can use ketones to survive. But these are early studies which are mostly in animals. We need more and better quality research on humans.

Only then can we know if the ketogenic diet can prevent or cure certain types of cancers. The ketogenic diet lacks fibre, fruit and vegetables.

It can also lead to low levels of calcium, vitamin D and other salts electrolytes. This diet can cause kidney stones in people with a family history of the condition. People following this diet often stop due to suffering with:. The macrobiotic diet aims to avoid foods containing toxins.

People following it believe that by eating a simple, healthy diet, we can live in harmony with nature. A new study finds that increasing overall fitness levels can help decrease the risk of developing prostate cancer.

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Medical News Today. Health Conditions Health Products Discover Tools Connect. Cancer-fighting foods to reduce cancer risk. Medically reviewed by Amy Richter, RD , Nutrition — By Jamie Eske — Updated on December 22, Apples Berries Cruciferous vegetables Carrots Fatty fish Walnuts Legumes Grapes Whole grains Dark chocolate Olive oil Supplements and medications FAQ Summary Some people refer to berries, fatty fish, walnuts, and other foods as cancer-fighting foods.

Cruciferous vegetables. Fatty fish. Whole grains. Dark chocolate. Olive oil. Supplements and medications. Frequently asked questions. How we reviewed this article: Sources. Medical News Today has strict sourcing guidelines and draws only from peer-reviewed studies, academic research institutions, and medical journals and associations.

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How gastric bypass surgery can help with type 2 diabetes remission. Atlantic diet may help prevent metabolic syndrome. How exactly does a healthy lifestyle help prevent dementia? Related Coverage. The ketogenic diet is a high fat, low carbohydrate, and low or unlimited protein diet.

Usually, your body uses glucose from carbohydrates for energy. Ketones become the energy to cells in the body. So, changing the diet to be high in fat and low in carbohydrate will lower glucose levels and starve cancer cells.

Normal body cells adapt and can use ketones to survive. But these are early studies which are mostly in animals.

We need more and better quality research on humans. Only then can we know if the ketogenic diet can prevent or cure certain types of cancers. The ketogenic diet lacks fibre, fruit and vegetables.

It can also lead to low levels of calcium, vitamin D and other salts electrolytes. This diet can cause kidney stones in people with a family history of the condition. People following this diet often stop due to suffering with:. The macrobiotic diet aims to avoid foods containing toxins. People following it believe that by eating a simple, healthy diet, we can live in harmony with nature.

They also believe that the macrobiotic diet can prevent and cure cancer and other serious illnesses. Many people follow a completely vegan diet with no dairy products or meat. But some people eat small amounts of organic fish and meat.

The macrobiotic diet excludes any processed foods. There are no scientific studies to say that a macrobiotic diet can prevent or cure cancer. Many people following the diet will lose weight.

Researchers believe it might not have enough calories or fluids for people having cancer treatment. A fasting diet is based on not eating for some time, or eating very little, followed by a period of eating normally.

This is also called intermittent fasting. People following it believe that it can help to:. Laboratory and animal studies have been looking at the effects of fasting on chemotherapy. These early studies showed that fasting might protect healthy body cells from chemotherapy. And that it might help chemotherapy to work better on cancer cells.

Some studies showed that short term fasting during chemotherapy improved quality of life and fatigue.

Fasting reduced the number of chemotherapy side effects. But these are early studies. Most of the studies on humans are small and based only on selected people with certain cancers.

We need more research. Fasting may be harmful if you have other health problems like:. Many people believe that organic food is healthier or has more nutrients.

Organic means a way of farming and food production that uses:. Researchers did a systematic review of studies in Some of the studies in the review showed a lower incidence of non-Hodgkin lymphoma in people eating an organic diet.

Non-Hodgkin lymphoma is a type of cancer that affects the lymphatic system. But the researchers said that there was not enough evidence to say that an organic diet is beneficial in the long term. And that we need more research.

Researchers studied the effects of supplemental calcium and vitamin D. They found that supplements did not affect colorectal cancer risk.

One form, folic acid, is made in the laboratory and found in dietary supplements. Enriched, white flour is fortified with it. This means that foods made with flour, including breads and cereals, contain folic acid.

Studies show a link between folate and cancer risk. People with low folate levels have a higher risk of:. But clinical studies have not yet shown a relationship between taking extra folic acid and cancer prevention.

Currently, there is no strong enough evidence that multivitamins reduce cancer risk. But 1 study showed a potential benefit. People who took multivitamins for more than 10 years had reduced colon polyp formation. Some polyps can develop into colorectal cancer if not removed during colonoscopy cancer screening.

By reducing polyps, the study suggests multivitamins might also lower colorectal cancer risk. But this research can be difficult to interpret. Usually, the healthiest people get regular cancer screening. And those people also commonly take multivitamins.

One study evaluated whether selenium prevents cancer. Supplements did not prevent people with skin cancer from getting a second one. But it did reduce new cases of:. Some studies link selenium to a higher risk of diabetes. So use caution when considering supplements that contain selenium.

Vitamin C. Some studies show diets with higher amounts of vitamin C can lower stomach cancer risk. But results have been inconsistent. Vitamin E. A large clinical trial called the Selenium and Vitamin E Cancer Prevention Trial SELECT found that participants who took vitamin E had a higher risk of prostate cancer.

High-dose vitamin C and E supplements have been shown to raise the risk of a head and neck cancer recurrence. A recurrence is when the cancer comes back after treatment. This relationship is strongest for colorectal cancer. Most studies suggest a link between red meat and a higher risk of colorectal cancer.

But avoiding processed meats is even more important. This includes bacon, ham, lunch meats, meat jerky, hot dogs, salami, and other cured meat products. The study also found that people can eat up to 18 ounces grams of unprocessed red meat a week without raising cancer risk.

Eating more calories than your body needs can cause weight gain. Many people eat too much food with added sugar and fat. The following foods add extra calories that can contribute to obesity:.

Sugar sweetened beverages, including soda and fruit-flavored drinks. Sugary drinks can be hot or cold. High-fat meats, including fried chicken with skin, duck, hamburgers, bacon, ham, sausage, hot dogs, and many deli meats.

Obesity is linked to a higher risk of many cancers. Talk with your health care team about whether your weight is affecting your health and cancer risk. American Institute for Cancer Research: Diet -What to Eat for Lower Cancer Risk.