Nutrition and Health Care for Cancer Care and Prevention

Abstract

Nutrition and health care is a backbone of good health. Eating healthy foods with varieties of nutrients such as proteins, fats, carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals will boost our immune system and prevent us from chronic diseases including cancer. Cancers are the results of the interaction of genetics, epigenetics and environment of the individual. It is a chronic disease. Furthermore, healthy foods contain bioactive compounds which act as anti-oxidants, anti-carcinogenic, anti-tumour and immune system modulation which fight against cancer. Poor nutrition in a cancer patient cause malnutrition which leads to side effects such consequently increasing the risk of infection and eventually reducing chances of survival. On the other hand, by controlling diet and improving the life style, chances of cancer can be reduced up to 30 to 40 per cent The good nutrition and health care can contribute in improving the health of cancer patients whereas, poor nutrition and poor health care contribute towards mortality rate. There is a strong direct interrelation found between saturated fat intake and the incidence of breast, colon, and prostate cancers. It is found that chronic alcohol consumption is associated with increased risk of cancers of oral cavity, pharynx, esophagus, and larynx. Different physiologically functional components are found in the dietary materials which improve our immune system and prevent our body from chronic diseases. Therefore, food containing bioactive compounds should be included in our diet to avoid risk of chronic disease like cancer.