BRYAN, Texas (KBTX) – This segment on The Three was paid for and sponsored by St. Joseph Health.
A general surgeon at St. Joseph Health said no single diet has been proven best for cancer prevention, but research points to the Mediterranean diet as a strong option.
Dr. Michael Steines said a 2015 study showed the Mediterranean diet led to a substantial decrease in cancer development compared to a standard low-fat diet.
The Mediterranean diet is mostly plant-based and includes fruits, vegetables, olive oil instead of butter and nuts, Steines said. It largely avoids processed foods and processed meats.
“That highly processed food has been shown to be very carcinogenic,” Steines said.
Steines said processed foods include items that come in boxes or are wrapped up, as opposed to whole foods.
The Mediterranean diet has been shown to decrease the rate of cancer formation, improve results for people being treated for cancer and decrease the chance of recurrence, Steines said.
The same dietary approach applies to both cancer prevention and treatment, Steines said.
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Dining and Cooking