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American Medicine

Improving quality of life

The World Cancer Research Fund and American Institute for Cancer Research have recommended guidelines for cancer prevention.  It is recommended that all people utilize these logical suggestions which include:

• Maintaining lean body weight.
• Being physically active for at least 30 minutes every day.
• Limiting consumption of high caloric or sugary foods.
• Eating more vegetables and fruits and grains and beans.
• Reducing red meat and avoiding smoked meats.
• Limiting alcoholic drinks to (for men two per day) and (women one per day).
• Reducing intake of salty foods.

The recommendations also suggest not using supplements unless they are proven by medical studies, and for mother’s to breast-feed for at least six months.

These recommendations are associated with decreased occurrence of cancer.  But the question has always remained, does this make a person feel better.

In a recent study, M. Inoue-Choi and co-authors (J. Clinical Oncology 2013, Volume 31, Page 1758) studied over 2,000 women who previously had cancer.  They compared women who followed these cancer preventing recommendations, versus those who did not follow the recommendations.  The results were impressive.

Women who followed more of the guidelines had an improvement in both physical and mental scores of quality of life.  Both physical well-being and mental health scores were improved.  Adherence to the physical activity recommendation produced a higher physical as well as mental quality of life score.  Following the normal body weight recommendation resulted in higher performance scores, but surprisingly lower mental health scores.  Adherence to dietary recommendations was surprisingly associated with a higher mental health score.

So here are my tips for you.

• To have the lowest chance of developing cancer, follow the guidelines mentioned above for cancer prevention.
• To have the best physical and mental quality of life, even if you have never had cancer, follow at least the physical activity guideline recommended above.
• Discuss physical activity, your weight, your diet and your intake of alcohol with your physician to make certain that you are going to have the best health outcomes.

For more information on preventing illness, see my new book, “Surviving American Medicine”.