What do bologna sandwiches, ham and sausage all have in common? New research links these and other processed and preserved foods to a dramatically increased risk of developing ovarian cancer.
Published in Gynecologic Oncology, the study at the School of Public Health at Curtin University in Perth, WA, Australia found that women with a higher intake of preserved foods had a 78 percent greater risk of ovarian cancer than women with a lower intake. Aside from all types of luncheon meats, sausage and ham, the list of preserved foods also includes pickled vegetables and smoked fish. These popular edibles contain a high amount of nitrosamine and nitrite/nitrate, compounds which are known carcinogens.
The participants in the study consisted of 1,000 women with a mean age of 59, half of whom had ovarian cancer. Food frequency questionnaires were used to procure dietary information, covering a period from 2006 to 2008. In addition to the greatly increased likelihood of being diagnosed with ovarian cancer, the women with a high consumption of preserved foods had twice the likelihood of developing subtypes of ovarian tumors than those with low consumption.
This study comes at a bad time for the processed meat industry, as other recently published studies have found that the consumption of preserved meats are directly linked with premature death. So what should you eat to ward off these deadly diseases?
Doctor Recommends Four Foods for Fighting Ovarian Cancer
Experts say that one-third of cancers are preventable by diet, according to William W. Li, M.D., President of The Angiogenesis Foundation. Li says research provides evidence that the following four foods are linked to a reduced likelihood of ovarian cancer: endive, onion, tomato and fish. He provides the following information on these valuable weapons in the battle against this illness.
Endive is a salad vegetable containing kaempferol, a compound that cuts off the blood supply of cancers. Onions, particularly red onions, contain cancer-fighters, but it is best to eat them raw or sautéed in oil rather than boiled. Tomatoes contain lycopene, another helpful nutrient in the cancer-fighting arsenal.
It is healthful to eat fish containing high amounts of omega-3 fatty acids while avoiding types that are high in mercury. As fish also cut off the blood supply of cancers, a variety should be incorporated into the diet. The best choices are salmon, herring and mackerel, but cod, sea bass, flounder and haddock are good options as well.
Sources:
http://www.foodconsumer.org/newsite/Nutrition/Food/preserved_foods_linked_to_ovarian_cancer_0826130653.html
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/23541794/?i=2&from=/23339562/related
http://www.doctoroz.com/videos/anti-ovarian-cancer-diet
Mary West is a natural health enthusiast, as she believes this area can profoundly enhance wellness. She is the creator of a natural healing website where she focuses on solutions to health problems that work without side effects. You can visit her site and learn more at http://www.alternativemedicinetruth.com. Ms. West is also the author of Fight Cancer Through Powerful Natural Strategies.