I recently wrote about things you should avoid in “Diet and Cancer: Part 1 – Foods to Avoid” but you might be wondering “What can I eat” or “What foods might help actively strengthen my health” – these are great questions that this post will cover in depth.
From specific nutrients to the gut microbiome to diet systems as a whole and fasting, we discuss diet and cancer in depth.
In my opinion, I’d much rather build a healthy base of high-quality foods that support my body, microbiome, etc so that if I want to have a few “bad” foods then I’m able to without worrying about it too much as opposed to cutting out everything and living off of lettuce.
Diet and Cancer
Just to reiterate all of my previous disclaimers that I also made in Part 1 of this series:
I am not a medical provider and no diet, supplement, technique, etc written about here is a substitute for conventional medical treatment.
While my writing is based on studies, science, and logic – I could always be wrong for a multitude of reasons – feel free to discuss constructively below.
- Disclaimer: This post may contain affiliate links so we may receive compensation if you sign up for or purchase products linked below from Amazon or other affiliated companies. Full Affiliate Disclosure. This post does not contain medical advice, we, Hardmaxing.com, are not medical doctors, this information is for general and educational purposes only. Full Medical Disclaimer.
Dietary Patterns
I hold the view that diets should be well-rounded and foster a diverse environment of foods. The more I learn, the more that cutting out large categories of foods seems illogical in terms of the gut microbiome, sustainability of the diet, etc.
For that reason, I aim to follow a dietary pattern similar to that of the Mediterranean diet with some modifications here and there. I also choose to do some form of fasting which for me just looks like skipping breakfast the majority of days enjoying a late lunch, many snacks, and multiple dinners.
Again – I’m not entirely militant with this stuff. If I want to have chocolate and almonds at midnight then I do. If I want to have a huge breakfast with waffles and eggs then I do. The general consistency of sticking with a base of healthy eating is what I focus on.
Mediterranean Diet
While researching for this series this is the most prevalent diet model I found for eating to potentially lower the risk of cancer (as well as many other diseases such as cardiovascular ailments and diabetes) was the Mediterranean diet.
So many of the studies I went through recommended this diet specifically. One review study even concluded that “Convincing evidence suggests that preventing obesity and discouraging “Western” dietary patterns, while promoting “prudent” patterns, such as the Mediterranean pattern, will result in a significant reduction of cancer incidence.”
I think this is a great choice for the vast majority of people because it’s not too extreme in any direction. The basic idea of the diet is to prioritize whole grains, fruits, vegetables, healthy oils, and lean meats like fish and poultry while reducing consumption of processed and red meats, processed foods in general, and foods that are high in sugar.
Fasting
The same review study that mentioned the Mediterranean diet also touched on fasting and fasting-mimicking diets.
While the evidence isn’t as clear here it might be something to look into further for those interested. It’s well known that sessions of fasting for 3-5 days, intermittent daily fasting, and even fasting mimicking diets play a role in autophagy and overall health.
These protocols may also help to regulate glucose levels, inflammation, and weight which also lead to downstream benefits when thinking about disease prevention.
As I mentioned I do intermittent fasting just naturally every day by skipping breakfast most days. This is something I don’t even feel and I think it makes me sharper even and allows for better focus. Of course, this varies and some days I’m eagerly thinking about when I’m going to eat.
Over the past year, I’ve also been implementing more extended fasts and have tried a few 24, 48, and even 72-hour water fasts. These fasts are draining and something that I would advise caution with as there can be some associated risks and dangers.
I just make sure that I’m properly hydrated with salted water, and green tea, and that I don’t eat too much too quickly when breaking a fast.
Trusted Sources (medical authors):
- Fasting Cycles Retard Growth of Tumors and Sensitize a Range of Cancer Cell Types to Chemotherapy
- Targeting Cancer Metabolism: Dietary and Pharmacologic Interventions
- Diet and supplements in cancer prevention and treatment: Clinical evidences and future perspectives
Gut Microbiome
The gut microbiome has become more and more of a heavy topic of discussion when talking about health overall. There are so many downstream impacts that come from the gut whether good or bad, so taking care of it is extremely important.
You could be on an extremely restricted diet restricting calories but if the base of your diet is still processed or sugary foods you might still be left with an unhealthy gut microbiome leading to things like chronic inflammation, immune system dysregulation, etc.
That would be like having a factory full of toxic sludge except instead of being 100% full of sludge you’re just 90% full of toxic sludge instead.
Not much better, right? That’s why you need to feed your gut and its microbes with a foundation of foods that allow for beneficial outcomes. Bad foods encourage bad bacteria while the opposite is true for good foods.
I choose to nourish my gut with an extremely diverse base of fruits and vegetables aiming for 20+ organic fruits weekly. Of course, this is an extremely lofty (and expensive) goal (which I struggle with hitting) but I’ve seen many anecdotes from medical providers and users online that doing this yields amazing results.
I also aim to get a large amount of healthy fiber daily through things like ground flaxseed, oats, various beans, and of course fruits and vegetables.
Probiotic-rich foods like kefir or fermented pickles and probiotic/synbiotic supplements are also something to look into.
Of course, the research also is starting to support the idea of the gut microbiome, human microbiome, and environmental factors related to these things and diseases more and more.
For more information on the gut microbiome read my Beginner’s Guide to Gut Health.
Trusted Sources (medical authors):
- Understanding the role of the gut microbiome in Gastrointestinal Cancer: A review
- Review Microbiome and cancer
- The microbiome and cancer
Superfoods
While dietary patterns, gut microbiome, and fasting are all great options, not everyone is looking to make such drastic changes. For these people, I suggest looking into just adding in some potentially beneficial foods into your overall diet!
Broccoli & Broccoli Sprouts
Broccoli and broccoli sprouts specifically contain sulforaphane, a potent anti-inflammatory and antioxidant food.
For more information on sulforaphane, I highly suggest reading/viewing Dr. Rhonda Patrick’s (Ph.D.) content on this topic here. She even has a guide on growing your broccoli sprouts for maximum sulforaphane.
Green vegetables in general have been shown to reduce certain types of cancers as well.
Other Foods
Other foods noted would be high-quality extra virgin olive oils, fish, berries, nuts, beans & legumes, dark chocolate, etc.
For a comprehensive review of foods with their studies, I’d recommend this article by Healthline, a great resource for science-backed information.
Conclusion
Overall I hope you enjoyed this quick miniseries on diet and cancer featuring this article as well as Diet and Cancer Part 1: Foods to Avoid.
I learned a lot from this and it reminded me about what I should be focusing on and just how bad some of my eating patterns were with things like red meats and highly processed sugary foods that I enjoyed indulging on.