London, April 1 (IANS) A few simple lifestyle changes can help you reduce the risk of developing cancer, say experts.
According to Cancer Research UK, preventing cancer doesn't work in the same way as using vaccines to prevent infectious diseases and not all cancers are preventable but with a few lifestyle changes, one can reduce the risk of the disease, reports dailyexpress.co.uk.
Smoking is the single biggest cause of cancer in the world. Kicking the habit can cut the risk of developing the disease drastically.
Alcohol can cause seven types of cancer including breast, bowel, liver and mouth cancers. The more we cut down on drinking, the more we reduce cancer risk.
Keeping a healthy body weight is one of the best ways of reducing the risk of cancer. Eating five portions of fruit and veg a day or choosing a healthy snack like fruit or low calorie yoghurt over chocolate or crisps could work wonders.
Breast and bowel cancers are less common in people who get 30 minutes of moderate activity a day, five days a week such as brisk walking, gardening, dancing or even doing housework.
Most skin cancers are caused by overexposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun. Use of shade, clothing and regular application of sunscreen can protect the skin.
The UV rays from sunbeds can also age the skin before its time and cause malignant melanoma, the most serious type of skin cancer.