Interviews

Dr. Richard Beliveau is head of the Laboratory of Molecular Medicine and a best-selling author of numerous books. His newest book, Foods to Fight Cancer, explains that very small changes in our daily lives will allow us to gain better control of reducing our cancer risk.

Dr. Beliveau explains that cancer is a complex disease with a lot of misconceptions. At its core, cancer is a genetic disease caused by genes that are mutated. However, very few of these genes are transmitted by one’s parents. There are three types of cancer that have increased dramatically in recent years. These include lung cancer, esophageal cancer, and skin cancer—all of which are directly impacted by two main risk factors. These two main risk factors for cancer are smoking and obesity and diet. Additional risk factors include alcohol, salt, overexposure to UV light, reproductive factors, medical procedures, and pollution, among others. Dr. Beliveau recommends keeping the fight on tobacco and obesity.

Much research has generated several key recommendations for the prevention of cancer. These include:
• reduce alcohol
• avoid a sedentary lifestyle
• maintain a plant-based diet
• avoid obesity
• avoid processed or junk food
• reduce red meat to 1 pound per week
• reduce salt
• do not use supplements to prevent cancer

The goal is to create a healthy lifestyle that maintains an environment in your tissue that prevents cancerous cells from developing.

De. Beliveau also discusses the role of phytochemicals. These enzymes, produced by plants, are ingested when you eat a diversity of plant product. These critical molecules can kill cancer cells, reduce inflammation, block tumor growth, and reduce your probability of developing cancer. This is one of the reasons why a plant-based diet is so important.

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