12 ways to reduce your cancer risk

Diet

Have a healthy diet:

• Eat plenty of whole grains, pulses, vegetables and fruits.
• Limit high-calorie foods (foods high in sugar or fat)and avoid sugary drinks.
• Avoid processed meat; limit red meat and foods high in salt.

There is strong evidence that people can reduce their risk of cancer by adopting healthy dietary and activity behaviours. In European populations, people who follow a healthy lifestyle that adheres to the recommendations for cancer prevention have an estimated 18% lower risk of cancer compared with people whose lifestyle and body weight do not meet the recommendations. This risk reduction was estimated for a healthy lifestyle that includes: being a normal body weight (a body mass index [BMI] between 18.5 and 24.9 kg/m²) and avoiding foods that promote weight gain, such as sugary drinks and fast foods; being moderately active for at least 30 minutes per day; breastfeeding (for women); eating mostly foods of plant origin; limiting intake of red meat; avoiding processed meats; and limiting consumption of alcoholic drinks.