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The Link Between Diet and Cancer
Cancer can affect every aspect of your health, including your appetite and diet. Rebecca Simpson, a registered dietitian at WakeMed Cancer Care, explains why your diet is so important during cancer treatment, and provides tips on foods to add and avoid.
Featured Speaker:
Rebecca Simpson, MS, RD, LDN
Rebecca is a registered dietitian who provides nutrition counseling in multiple outpatient departments at WakeMed including WakeMed Cancer Care. She loves to collaborate with her patients to come up with a plan that is realistic while helping them achieve their health goals. With her oncology patients, she aims to help them understand how diet and nutrition impact their treatment and how to prevent malnutrition, a common issue for cancer patients. Transcription:
The Link Between Diet and Cancer
Deborah Howell (Host): You know, our mother's always told us, you are what you eat. And lately, there's been lots of talk and speculation around the link between diet and cancer. Today, let's talk about that link between diet and cancer with Rebecca Simpson, a registered dietician who provides nutrition counseling in multiple outpatient departments at WakeMed, including WakeMed Cancer Care.
Host: This is WakeMed Voices, the podcast from WakeMed Health and Hospitals. I'm Deborah Howell. Welcome, Rebecca.
Rebecca Simpson: Hi. Thanks for having me.
Host: Lovely, lovely to have you on today. You know so much about nutrition. Can you possibly tell us why nutrition is so important for preventing cancer?
Rebecca Simpson: Sure. When it comes to modifiable risk factors, aside from not smoking, maintaining a healthy weight is the next most important thing you can do to reduce your risk of developing cancer, along with a number of other medical conditions such as heart disease, high blood pressure and diabetes. It's estimated between 30% and 40% of all cancers could be prevented with good nutrition and physical activity.
Host: Wow, 30 to 40%. That's huge. So, what is the best diet for preventing cancer?
Rebecca Simpson: What research tells us is that eating a plant-based diet is what's best for preventing cancer. And that's just because plant-based foods such as whole grains, vegetables, fruits and beans are high in the kinds of fiber, nutrients and phytochemicals that might help to prevent cancer. Additionally, eating a plant-based diet can also help us to maintain a healthy weight, which is also important along with not smoking at preventing cancer.
Host: You mentioned the word phytochemicals. What are they?
Rebecca Simpson: So, those are chemicals that are found in plants and they can act as antioxidants or prevent carcinogens from forming. Since their action varies by the color and type of food, this is where the advice to eat a rainbow comes from, because eating a rainbow of brightly colored fruits and vegetables exposes you to a variety of phytochemicals, which may decrease the risk of developing certain cancers.
Host: That's pretty amazing. So, in your opinion, and you are an expert on this, should we follow a vegetarian diet?
Rebecca Simpson: So in short, no. A plant-based diet is one where the majority of your intake comes from plant-based sources, but you can still include animal-based foods in moderation. I really like to recommend the website for the American Institute of Cancer Research, which can be found at aicr.org. They've developed what they call the New American Plate. It puts an emphasis on foods that can reduce your risk for both cancer and other chronic diseases. So on the New American Plate, it's recommended that at least two-thirds of your plate is covered with plant foods such as whole grains, vegetables, fruits, beans, and the other third or less is filled with animal proteins such as seafood, poultry, dairy with the occasional lean red meat.
Host: All right. Now, here's a big question for you. Cancer and sugar, can you speak to that?
Rebecca Simpson: Sure. So, a lot of research has gone into this topic and the idea that sugar feeds cancer can really cause a lot of unnecessary anxiety, leading some people to avoid all carbohydrate-containing foods, including ones that are central to a healthy diet, such as whole grains and fruits. The thing to remember with this is that glucose, which is the form of sugar most used in the body, feeds every cell in the body, and it's so essential to brain function, that the body has several backup strategies to keep our blood sugars normal. With that said though, it is still advisable to limit your intake of added sugars and highly refined carbohydrates. There's a lot of recommendations floating out there about added sugars, but the American Heart Association suggests a limit of no more than about six teaspoons or 24 grams for women, nine teaspoons or 36 grams for men. And just to kind of put those numbers in perspective, a 12-ounce can of regular soda has about 10 teaspoons or 40 grams of sugar.
Host: Oh, so already exceeding everything for males and females. I'm a little annoyed that men get three more teaspoons though. I just have to say that. All right. What about cancer and soy?
Rebecca Simpson: So, there's been a lot of confusion around this subject. But the bottom line is that soy foods are safe. There's been observational studies that have consistently shown that women who regularly eat soy have a lower risk of breast cancer when compared with women who do not. Some of these studies have also suggested that breast cancer survivors who consume soy foods have a lower risk of breast cancer recurrence compared with those who don't consume soy. Soy foods are also a great source of plant-based protein and can replace some of our less healthy sources, such as red and processed meats. We do want to make sure that our intake comes from whole soy foods and not a supplement. So, some examples of that are just tofu, unsweetened soy milk or edamame.
Host: " What about alcohol consumption?
Rebecca Simpson: Behind smoking and also nutrition, alcohol is the third leading modifiable risk factor for cancer. Less than one drink per day can cause an increase for several common cancers. It's recommended if you do drink that you do so in moderation. So, what that looks like is no more than two drinks a day for men or one drink a day for women.
Host: Okay. Now, let's move on to the supplement category because there's such a huge business these days. Are there any supplements that can prevent cancer?
Rebecca Simpson: There's definitely a lot of health claims out there, but it's not recommended to use supplements for cancer prevention. Supplements don't offer the same benefits as eating whole foods, and that they do not offer protection from cancer. So, the bottom line is that the best way to get the vitamins, minerals and antioxidants that your body needs is to get them directly from food.
Host: Yeah. Eat that rainbow. Rebecca, is there anything else you'd like to add to our conversation today?
Rebecca Simpson: I guess the biggest thing that I would add is just to make sure to look for a balance, looking for ways that you can add more plant-based foods into your diet. Making sure to get a variety, especially when you're talking about colors and types of foods with fruits and vegetables. I'd also just add that small changes can really add up. And so if you're listening to this and, you know, some of these sound like big changes for you, just keep in mind that even the smaller changes can add up.
Host: Ah, that is very, very true. Well, we really, really appreciate all your good work, Rebecca. And it's just been wonderful to have you on today. Thanks for your time and thanks for shedding all kinds of light on the link between diet and cancer. We appreciate it.
Rebecca Simpson: Thank you for having me.
Host: That's Rebecca Simpson, a registered dietician at WakeMed Health and Hospitals. Thanks so much for checking out this episode of WakeMed Voices. To learn more about WakeMed Cancer Care Services, please visit wakemed.org/cure. If you found this podcast helpful, please share it on your social channels, that'll help us out a lot, and be sure to check out the entire podcast library for topics of interest to you.
This is Deborah Howell with WakeMed Voices, brought to you by WakeMed Health and Hospitals in Raleigh, North Carolina. Thanks for listening and have yourself a great day.
The Link Between Diet and Cancer
Deborah Howell (Host): You know, our mother's always told us, you are what you eat. And lately, there's been lots of talk and speculation around the link between diet and cancer. Today, let's talk about that link between diet and cancer with Rebecca Simpson, a registered dietician who provides nutrition counseling in multiple outpatient departments at WakeMed, including WakeMed Cancer Care.
Host: This is WakeMed Voices, the podcast from WakeMed Health and Hospitals. I'm Deborah Howell. Welcome, Rebecca.
Rebecca Simpson: Hi. Thanks for having me.
Host: Lovely, lovely to have you on today. You know so much about nutrition. Can you possibly tell us why nutrition is so important for preventing cancer?
Rebecca Simpson: Sure. When it comes to modifiable risk factors, aside from not smoking, maintaining a healthy weight is the next most important thing you can do to reduce your risk of developing cancer, along with a number of other medical conditions such as heart disease, high blood pressure and diabetes. It's estimated between 30% and 40% of all cancers could be prevented with good nutrition and physical activity.
Host: Wow, 30 to 40%. That's huge. So, what is the best diet for preventing cancer?
Rebecca Simpson: What research tells us is that eating a plant-based diet is what's best for preventing cancer. And that's just because plant-based foods such as whole grains, vegetables, fruits and beans are high in the kinds of fiber, nutrients and phytochemicals that might help to prevent cancer. Additionally, eating a plant-based diet can also help us to maintain a healthy weight, which is also important along with not smoking at preventing cancer.
Host: You mentioned the word phytochemicals. What are they?
Rebecca Simpson: So, those are chemicals that are found in plants and they can act as antioxidants or prevent carcinogens from forming. Since their action varies by the color and type of food, this is where the advice to eat a rainbow comes from, because eating a rainbow of brightly colored fruits and vegetables exposes you to a variety of phytochemicals, which may decrease the risk of developing certain cancers.
Host: That's pretty amazing. So, in your opinion, and you are an expert on this, should we follow a vegetarian diet?
Rebecca Simpson: So in short, no. A plant-based diet is one where the majority of your intake comes from plant-based sources, but you can still include animal-based foods in moderation. I really like to recommend the website for the American Institute of Cancer Research, which can be found at aicr.org. They've developed what they call the New American Plate. It puts an emphasis on foods that can reduce your risk for both cancer and other chronic diseases. So on the New American Plate, it's recommended that at least two-thirds of your plate is covered with plant foods such as whole grains, vegetables, fruits, beans, and the other third or less is filled with animal proteins such as seafood, poultry, dairy with the occasional lean red meat.
Host: All right. Now, here's a big question for you. Cancer and sugar, can you speak to that?
Rebecca Simpson: Sure. So, a lot of research has gone into this topic and the idea that sugar feeds cancer can really cause a lot of unnecessary anxiety, leading some people to avoid all carbohydrate-containing foods, including ones that are central to a healthy diet, such as whole grains and fruits. The thing to remember with this is that glucose, which is the form of sugar most used in the body, feeds every cell in the body, and it's so essential to brain function, that the body has several backup strategies to keep our blood sugars normal. With that said though, it is still advisable to limit your intake of added sugars and highly refined carbohydrates. There's a lot of recommendations floating out there about added sugars, but the American Heart Association suggests a limit of no more than about six teaspoons or 24 grams for women, nine teaspoons or 36 grams for men. And just to kind of put those numbers in perspective, a 12-ounce can of regular soda has about 10 teaspoons or 40 grams of sugar.
Host: Oh, so already exceeding everything for males and females. I'm a little annoyed that men get three more teaspoons though. I just have to say that. All right. What about cancer and soy?
Rebecca Simpson: So, there's been a lot of confusion around this subject. But the bottom line is that soy foods are safe. There's been observational studies that have consistently shown that women who regularly eat soy have a lower risk of breast cancer when compared with women who do not. Some of these studies have also suggested that breast cancer survivors who consume soy foods have a lower risk of breast cancer recurrence compared with those who don't consume soy. Soy foods are also a great source of plant-based protein and can replace some of our less healthy sources, such as red and processed meats. We do want to make sure that our intake comes from whole soy foods and not a supplement. So, some examples of that are just tofu, unsweetened soy milk or edamame.
Host: " What about alcohol consumption?
Rebecca Simpson: Behind smoking and also nutrition, alcohol is the third leading modifiable risk factor for cancer. Less than one drink per day can cause an increase for several common cancers. It's recommended if you do drink that you do so in moderation. So, what that looks like is no more than two drinks a day for men or one drink a day for women.
Host: Okay. Now, let's move on to the supplement category because there's such a huge business these days. Are there any supplements that can prevent cancer?
Rebecca Simpson: There's definitely a lot of health claims out there, but it's not recommended to use supplements for cancer prevention. Supplements don't offer the same benefits as eating whole foods, and that they do not offer protection from cancer. So, the bottom line is that the best way to get the vitamins, minerals and antioxidants that your body needs is to get them directly from food.
Host: Yeah. Eat that rainbow. Rebecca, is there anything else you'd like to add to our conversation today?
Rebecca Simpson: I guess the biggest thing that I would add is just to make sure to look for a balance, looking for ways that you can add more plant-based foods into your diet. Making sure to get a variety, especially when you're talking about colors and types of foods with fruits and vegetables. I'd also just add that small changes can really add up. And so if you're listening to this and, you know, some of these sound like big changes for you, just keep in mind that even the smaller changes can add up.
Host: Ah, that is very, very true. Well, we really, really appreciate all your good work, Rebecca. And it's just been wonderful to have you on today. Thanks for your time and thanks for shedding all kinds of light on the link between diet and cancer. We appreciate it.
Rebecca Simpson: Thank you for having me.
Host: That's Rebecca Simpson, a registered dietician at WakeMed Health and Hospitals. Thanks so much for checking out this episode of WakeMed Voices. To learn more about WakeMed Cancer Care Services, please visit wakemed.org/cure. If you found this podcast helpful, please share it on your social channels, that'll help us out a lot, and be sure to check out the entire podcast library for topics of interest to you.
This is Deborah Howell with WakeMed Voices, brought to you by WakeMed Health and Hospitals in Raleigh, North Carolina. Thanks for listening and have yourself a great day.