Preventing Cancer with a Low Calorie Diet

Cancer Prevention Factors

According to the book, The Okinawa Program written by Bradley J. Willcox, MD, D. Craig Willcox, PhD, and Makoto Suzuki, MD, there are eight factors that protect against hormone-dependent cancers:

1. Low Calories
2. Vegetables and Fruits
3. Good Fats
4. Low glycemic index and High-fiber foods
5. Flavonoids
6. Moderate alcohol consumption
7. Low body fat levels
8. High level of physical activity

The doctors have placed "low calories" as the number one factor for a reason.

Low Calorie Studies

The National Institute on Aging has conducted studies of primates in regard to a low-calorie diet. Their studies show that a low-calorie diet improves blood sugar control, provides mental sharpness and creates a younger looking and leaner body.

During their study, the research group for The Okinawa Program, monitored caloric intake in Okinawans in an effort to understand the secrets of this population who they herald as being the "world's longest-lived people" who have achieved, "healthy longevity". They found that Okinawans traditionally eat 40 percent fewer calories than North Americans. Their caloric reduction has been noticed by the New England Journal of Medicine, which suggests it to be one of the reasons that Okinawans have such a long-life expectancy.

The theory reflected in the book is that when our bodies produce energy from food, "it creates unstable molecules that can damage cells", therefore a low-calorie diet lowers the cell-damaging activity. They stress that becoming anorexic is not the answer, but that the trick is to eat minimally processed, high-complex-carbohydrate foods, packed with fiber. By filling up on foods that are naturally low in calories, fiber-dense, and antioxidant -rich, we will wind up feeling full but weighing less.

Low Calorie Fruits and Vegetables

The U.S. National Cancer Institute (NCI) has consistently recommended eating an abundance of fruits and vegetables to decrease your risk for cancer. Their formula is "Five-a-Day", which means eating a combination of these essential foods that are packed with vitamins, minerals, fiber and flavonoids as well as antioxidants. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) website has a tool entitled, "How Many Fruits and Vegetables Do You Need?" Use this tool to discover the minimum number of fruits and vegetables recommended for your gender and age.

The Okinawa Program tells us that eating foods at the high end of the glycemic Index (which creates a high glucose load) may be connected to causing cancers. The book explains that insulin and related growth hormones are linked to speeding up growth of most cells, including those dreaded cancer cells. They say, "When your body is forced to produce excess amounts of these hormones, your risk for cancer increases. In essence you are feeding the cancer cells."

By minimizing the foods high on the GI scale (refined carbs), and eating those at the low end, such as high-fiber vegetables, fruits and whole grains, we can keep our blood sugar levels in a healthy mode and reduce our chances for cancer.

Ways to Reduce Calories

The Okinawa Program provides sixteen secrets to cut excess calories from our diet.

-One of the sixteen secrets is to drink a cup of green or jasmine tea before a walk. They explain that the caffeine in the tea "liberates fatty acids from muscles so that you can burn fat faster."

-They stress eating bulky "chopped" vegetables in salads and soups, which provides more chewing and a feeling of fullness.

-A secret shared in the book is using hot chili peppers and other hot spices which may slow down eating and cause us to quit sooner.

-They provide common sense, calorie-reducing advice that includes drinking water, reading labels, measuring, and buying and storing foods in smaller quantities.

-I especially like their idea of "earning" food by first doing sit-ups or push-ups before allowing yourself to open the refrigerator door!

For decades, becoming slimmer has been the impetus for millions of people to adopt a low calorie diet. Now, with the possible link to prevention of cancer, choosing low-calorie foods at the low-end of the glycemic index may also be critical to healthy longevity as well!

Resources
The Okinawa Program, written by Bradley J. Willcox, MD, D. Craig Willcox, PhD, and Makoto Suzuki, MD, published by Three Rivers Press, 2001
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
U.S. Cancer Institute