The Future Is Food

By Joe Christopher

Sometimes we’re so committed to finding smart or high tech ‘shortcuts for success’ that we overlook the source of problems and our own ability to tackle them. Fundamental to how we each define success is our gratitude for having good health. This article looks at basic diets – probably the greatest single factor in the epidemic of cancer, now the number one killer in the USA (although the statistics and commentary are from the U.S., the problem is worldwide, particularly in developed countries).

Note the following excerpt from the American Cancer Society website (www.cancer.org):
“Many dietary factors can affect cancer risk: types of foods, food preparation methods, portion sizes, food variety, and overall caloric balance. Cancer risk can be reduced by an overall dietary pattern that includes a high proportion of plant foods (fruits, vegetables, grains, and beans), limited amounts of meat, dairy, and other high-fat foods, and a balance of caloric intake and physical activity.

Many Americans do not follow such healthful practices. Indeed, trends indicate an increase in caloric intake, greater use of high-fat convenience foods, and a decline in physical activity among Americans. We believe that such unhealthful trends are due in part to shifts toward consumption of food outside the home, to more sedentary lifestyle patterns, and to the advertising and promotion of high-calorie foods.

Despite the strength of the evidence associating consumption of fruits and vegetables with decreased cancer risk, intake of these foods is low among many adults and children. Concern about low intake levels has led to a countrywide initiative - the National 5 A Day for Better Health Program - to increase fruit and vegetable intake to five or more servings daily.

Vegetables and fruits are complex foods containing more than 100 beneficial vitamins, minerals, fiber, and other substances. Scientists do not yet know which of the nutrients or other substances in fruits and vegetables may be protective against cancer. The principal possibilities include specific vitamins and minerals, fiber, and phytochemicals—carotenoids, flavonoids, terpenes, sterols, indoles, and phenols—that are present in foods of plant origin. How fruits and vegetables exert their protective effects constitutes an active area of scientific inquiry.
Grains such as wheat, rice, oats, barley, and the foods made from them constitute the base of healthy diets. Grains are an important source of many vitamins and minerals such as folate, calcium, and selenium, all of which have been associated with a lower risk of colon cancer. Whole grains are higher in fiber and certain vitamins and minerals than refined flour products.

Beans are excellent sources of many vitamins and minerals, protein, and fiber. Beans are especially rich in nutrients that may protect against cancer, and can be a useful low-fat but high-protein alternative to meat.
According to cancer researchers, the majority of cancers we face in this nation are preventable, not through new drugs, or major breakthroughs, but through diet and lifestyle changes. They also conclude that the introduction of healthful diet and exercise at any time from childhood to old age can promote health and reduce cancer risk.