Ovarian Cancer – Foods to Eat and Avoid
In the country, approximately 22,500 women are affected by ovarian cancer annually. As far as prevention goes, gynecologic cancers are often difficult to prevent. Studies prove that unhealthy lifestyle habits, like excessive drinking or smoking, do not cause gynecologic cancers. However, making a few lifestyle changes can boost your immunity and prevent the risk of cancer. So, here we have come up with some foods to avoid for ovarian cancer.
- Foods containing dietary acrylamide
These include foods, such as French fries, potato chips, processed snacks, and cereals. Dietary acrylamide primarily is a cooking by-product created after cooking certain types of starchy foods at high temperatures. You can find it in fried and processed foods. So, in all, avoid animal fats and foods with starchy carbs. - Cut out animal products from your diet
These include processed meats, such as butter, salami, and beef. Studies suggest that, in general, women should avoid the consumption of animal products as much as possible to prevent ovarian cancer. Hence, to lower your risk of ovarian cancer, you should switch to a healthy plant-centric diet. It does not suggest that you must go completely vegan or vegetarian, but it is certainly a motivating reason to change. In general, heavy consumption of processed meats and red meats are a significant cause of cancer. So, it is best to avoid these food items. - High sugar food items
These include foods, such as cookies, soda, candy, yogurts containing added sugars, and bottled aerated drinks. Such items have an inflammatory impact, and you should avoid or consume them in low quantities. - Avoid alcohol
Alcohol, such as beer or any hard liquor, can put you at a risk of cancer. Following a prominent study, it was found that all alcohol types increase your risk of developing cancers. Thus, to stay healthy, you should refrain from consuming any kind of alcohol. - Ignore trans fat and saturated fats
Cut out foods containing trans fat or saturated fats, such as processed meats, sugary snacks, and margarine. The worst type of fat that you can consume in your diet is trans fat or saturated fat. Fried or processed foods contain high amounts of these fats. So, avoid them as much as possible.
So, these are the top foods to avoid for ovarian cancer. Now, let’s have a look at the foods that you can consume to manage the condition.
Foods to eat
Now, the top foods that you should include in your diet include:
- Cruciferous vegetables, such as broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, kale, and Brussels sprouts
- Foods rich in selenium, like baked beans
- Foods rich in lignans, such as pumpkin seeds, flaxseeds, berries, beans, whole grains, like oats, rye, and barley
- Foods that have soy, such as tofu, tempeh, edamame, and miso
- Fruits and vegetables rich in antioxidants, such as broccoli, apples, strawberries, blueberries, and peppers
In all, a healthy and balanced diet will boost your immunity and protect you from the risk of ovarian cancer.