I know, I know, the title sounds like a sales pitch or something you would hear when someone is trying to convince you of something. But this is no lie, attention statement, or hoax.

Yes, it is possible to control and minimize the chances of cancer cell production.

Even though we tend to perceive cancer as something that can happen anytime, to anyone without any warning; recent research actually shows that we may have much more control over cancer than we think. According to many scientists, genes increase the risk of cancer by about 5-10%, and environmental factors play the biggest role by 90%.

 

 

Epigenome

Genetics, epigenetics, and other factors play significant roles in cancer. However, especially if we pay close attention to the epigenome, and understand how epigenome plays a crucial role as a mediator between the environment and genes, we can understand our contribution to developing cancer clearer.

Our bodies have thousands of genes inside DNA cells. An article from Psychology Today explains the role of epigenome within the body very clearly:

“When you're fighting a cold, eating an ice cream cone, or training for a marathon, these behaviors interact with your epigenome to trigger different patterns of gene activation (e.g., some genes are turned off and others turned on) and protein production to facilitate your immune system, aid digestion, or enable adaptions to your training program.”

“If you're wondering how your genes decide what proteins to make during the above scenarios, they don't. That's the critical job of your epigenome.”

 

In other words, gene activation is the decision of the epigenome which translates environmental signals from the body to genes. This means some environmental changes can signal genes to activate in a way that can increase the risk of cancer.

To put it simply, Dr. Bruce Lipton gives this example: Think of your genes as a car and epigenome like the car key. You may have the car but the car will not start without the keys, right? So what triggers the epigenome is an important factor in cancer development. 

That is to say, if we can control the environmental factors, we can have significant control over cancer risk.

 

 

Environmental Factors

There are some environmental factors that contribute to an increased risk of cancer. I am sure you’ve heard about most of them but perhaps, you chose to disregard them until now. But if you are serious about taking control, there are some actionable steps that can help:

 

 

1.     Diet

What you eat, significantly affects your chances of having cancer. More and more, different research studies show that certain diets can help lower the risk of cancer while unhealthy diets can increase this risk.  

For example, a study that was published in the National Library of Medicine points out that 30-40 percent of all cancers can be prevented by changes to diet and lifestyle. Additionally, high consumption of sugar, refined flour products, red meat, and obesity can be associated with increased cancer risk as well.  

In other words, a healthy diet that includes unprocessed whole foods is a good start to reverse cancer risk.

 

2.     Balanced body fat 

Obesity is the biggest contributor to cancer worldwide. According to Healthline.com, obesity can increase cancer risk by contributing to insulin resistance, having an increased number of cytokines in the blood, and fat cells increasing estrogen levels which can cause ovarian and breast cancer.

On the flip side, losing weight can significantly lower this risk. So why wait? If you are serious about cancer prevention, the first step should be losing excess body fat.

 

 

3.     Exercise 

More and more research studies show that increased activity level lowers the risk of cancer including bladder cancer, breast cancer, colon cancer, endometrial cancer, esophageal cancer, kidney cancer, and stomach cancer.

Exercise simply helps lowering inflammation, improves the immune system, prevents obesity, and prevents high levels of insulin.

Following your doctor’s recommendations about exercising is a good start. if you are just starting to workout, start small but focus on consistency!

 

 

4.     Sleep

Sleep is an important resource to prevent many life-altering diseases but cancer is undoubtedly the most important one. According to the Sleep Foundation:

“Some of the systems that may be influenced by sleep in ways that affect cancer risk include the brain, the immune system, the production and regulation of hormones, and metabolism and body weight. Sleep may affect how cells function, altering their environment or the signals that affect how they grow.”

 

It's important to get a good quality sleep regularly 7-8 hours every day to promote cancer prevention.

 

 

5.     Carcinogens

The name carcinogen says it all: something that can cause you to have cancer. Carcinogens simply increase the risk of getting cancer and they are actually pretty common.  

Tobacco, burnt (overcooked) food, UV rays, alcohol, processed meat, and pollution are common carcinogens that you may be exposed to on a regular basis.

 

 

6.     Stress levels

By now, we pretty much all know the risks of stress to our health but how can stress really contribute to cancer? 

Physically speaking, the National Cancer Institute states that stress hormones such as adrenaline and norepinephrine set off a chain reaction involving neutrophils and dormant cancer cells.

Mentally, stress triggers a fight-flight-freeze response which can trigger the body toward the production of blood cells. This applies to chronic stress especially.

 

 

7.     Unhealthy habits

In the study “Association between five lifestyle habits and cancer risk: results from the E3N cohort”, there are 5 habits that can increase the risk of getting cancer: smoking, body mass index (BMI), alcohol consumption, lack of fruit and vegetable consumption, and lack of physical activity.

I think these habits really sum up the most important factors that can either lead to cancer or prevent cancer risk. All in all, if you have an active lifestyle and you consume whole foods, most likely you will have a significantly lower chance of cancer.

On the other hand, if you are a smoker, drinker, or sunbather, along with a highly-processed diet, you are almost setting yourself up for a disastrous future.