Cancer simply means dysregulated cell growth, which causes cells and organs to grow at rapid, uncontrolled speeds, causing damage to the affected and nearby organs, and disrupting their functions. Cancers have so many risk factors, which increases your chances of developing cancer. Mitigating these risk factors, in turn, lowers your risk of cancer.
Eliminate alcohol consumption: From the controversy of too little or too much alcohol, the scientific community is gradually coming to terms with the current position that there's nothing like safe alcohol consumption. No level of alcohol consumption is safe, and this puts you at risk of a wide range of cancers, including mouth cancer, stomach cancer, intestinal cancer, and even liver cancer. So, to reduce your risk of cancer, quit the controversy by quitting alcohol consumption.
Stop tobacco smoking: A close of ally of alcohol consumption, tobacco smoking of all forms adds nothing but trouble to your life. The burning of tobacco produces several compounds including those that can cause cancer, including cancers of the mouth, lungs, throat, stomach, intestines, kidneys, and even skin.
Get active: Being a couch-potato goes beyond piling the calories and the weight, you can literally kill yourself by leading a sedentary lifestyle. Researchers have shown than a sedentary lifestyle can increase your risk of certain cancers by a whopping 50 percent or greater! So, scientists make it clear that physical activity and exercise is not an exclusive affection or obligation of would-be macho men and exercise freaks. We should all increase our daily physical activity to reduce our risk of certain cancers including prostate cancer, colon cancer, and endometrial cancer!
Practice Safe Sex: Unprotected sexual intercourse increases your risk of genital infections that can progress to full-blown cancer. Human papilloma virus contracted through unprotected sexual intercourse is the major cause of cancer of the cervix. Hepatitis B and C are also contracted via unprotected sexual intercourse, and are potent causes of liver cancer. So ensure you practice safe sex to lower your risk of cancers.
You may also be surprised that sexual activity could be protective against prostate cancer. Researchers have found that maintaining sexual activity after sixty could be protective against cancer. You need to note though, that the protective effect of frequent sex against prostate cancer is still inconclusive. While some researchers report some protection, others concluded that the effect is minimal.
Breastfeeding and childbearing: Maybe it should be childbearing and breastfeeding! Whatever the sequence, research has shown than childbearing and breastfeeding offer some protection against cancers, especially breast cancer among women. Pregnancy lowers your risk of both ovarian and breast cancers because of the protective function of progesterone released in large amounts during pregnancy, and breastfeeding further lowers the risk of both.
Start early!
It's not just about having kids, but the timing is also important. Research reveals that starting childbearing before the age of thirty offers some protection against breast cancer. In fact, researchers say that a first full-term birth at an early age reduces your breast cancer risk by half! But, don't ask me how because the mechanism is unclear!
Take-home message: Cancers are bad news any day, but there's good news--you can reduce your risk by taking some simple measures like staying off alcohol and tobacco, having children, and practicing safe sex.
