It is now commonly acknowledged that the environment is a main cause of cancer. Lifestyle choices and lifestyle related exposure is proved by the fact that people tend to adopt the cancer risks of their new country when emigrating abroad. Lifestyle is not just the key to general wellbeing, it is also the area to target in lowering your risk of developing cancer later in life. Since environmental factors are influential on the two main causes of cancer; inflammation and immune suppression, we shall start by examining the effects of lifestyle on inflammation and discuss ways in which we can minimise this risk.
Inflammation is a common bodily response known to us all. It usually shows itself in the red, hot swelling we get when our body is attempting to heal itself from injury or infection. Beneath the skin, what’s happening is that cells are dividing at a rapid rate. Since this is the body’s core response to sickness, we can understand it to be a healing response, aimed at stimulating cell growth and recovery. However, for inflammation to be a successful healing process it must be kept at a minimum; when cells divide at too rapid a rate, they can act as fuel to the onset of cancer.
It is important, therefore, to reduce excess inflammation in the body whenever possible. This can be seen in the way that oral cancer develops. One of the side-effects of a cigarette habit is gingivitis, or inflammation of the gums. The gum problems brought about by smoking mean a high and regular level of inflammation and it is this that brings about mouth cancer later on. A similar example can be found in the area of colon cancer – eating high-fibre foods reduces the risk of inflammation and consequently the risk of cancer. It is the same with sexually transmitted diseases such as the papilloma virus, where inflammation can cause cancer to develop later in life. There are numerous examples attesting to this, and all such examples indicate a corresponding lifestyle change that would significantly lower the risk of terminal disease at a later stage.
It is important to understand some of the basic mechanisms of cancer, in order to give yourself the incentive to make lifestyle changes before it is too late. We all know that a healthy diet and wellness routine is vital to our quality of life, but sometimes those bad habits just hold on too strongly. A solid understanding of what happens when we take bad food, alcohol, processed food or cigarettes can really help people to take control of their dietary regime. When the body is loved, protected and treated kindly, it will treat you well in return.
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