Cancer research has produced dietary guidelines over the last twenty-five years. This guidelines have become conventional wisdom when it comes to cancer prevention. Among the most common of these guidelines are :

Reduce unhealthy dietary fat. Since fat cells split apart easily, they contribute to a high population of free radicals, the molecular fragments which tear at the cell’s membrane, and in some cases, damage the cell’s DNA structure. When the DNA structure is interfered with, mutation can occur, which leads to the formation and growth of cancerous cells. It is recommended that you limit fat to 30 percent or less of your caloric intake. However, according to the Harvard School of Public Health, studies have shown that what is most important is not the amount of fat in the diet, per se, but the type of fat. Thus, the latest advice is to cut out the unhealthy fats – saturated fats and trans fats. See How does reducing unhealthy fat in my diet lower my risk of cancer? for ideas on how to reduce unhealthy fat in your diet.

Remove known carcinogens from your diet. Many studies have confirmed the presence of cancer-causing substances, or carcinogens, in particular foods and in methods of cooking food. See What are some tips for avoiding carcinogens and reducing my risk of cancer? for learning to avoid carcinogens.

Cut down on meat. Limit consumption of meats, especially high-fat meats, to 3–5 ounces a day or less. As mentioned above, prepare meat by baking, broiling, or poaching, rather than by frying or charbroiling. Choose white meat such as chicken or turkey instead of red meat, which in some studies has been correlated with colorectal cancer. The non-profit Cancer Project states that vegetarians are the most well off in terms of cancer immunity. According to their website, vegetarians have about half the cancer risk of meat-eaters. But what if you eat meat, and don’t want to bother with measuring ounces? The American Institute of Cancer Research promotes the ‘New American Plate,’ a simple way to determine a healthy amount of meat at meals based on proportions. They suggest aiming for 2/3 (or more) fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and beans, and 1/3 (or less) animal protein on your plate.

Eat food with ample nutrients shown to prevent cancer. The damaging effects of free-radicals are minimized by nutrients known as anti-oxidants. These include Vitamins A, C, and E, calcium and vitamin D, the B vitamins and folic acid, the minerals selenium and zinc, the essential fatty acids, and beta carotene. Anti-oxidant rich foods, primarily fruits and vegetables, should be eaten in abundance (see What foods should I eat?).

Limit or eliminate consumption of alcoholic beverages. Many studies suggest a higher risk of cancer of the liver, breast, rectum, mouth, esophagus, pharynx, larynx, digestive tract, bladder, and lungs among those who drink. It also appears that the combination of alcohol consumption and cigarette smoking has a synergistic effect: together they are more likely to cause cancer than either of them separately.

Exercise care in food preparation and storage. Refrigerate or freeze leftover or unused foods, or consume them promptly. The Food Inspection and Safety Service of the USDA says that perishable food should not be left out unrefrigerated for longer than two hours in temperatures between 40 and 90 degrees F, or for 1 hour in temperatures 90 degrees or above.

Restrict sodium intake. Keep your sodium consumption to 6 grams or less per day—food and table salt combined.

Take vitamin and mineral supplements when necessary. Considering the often challenging balancing act of getting proper nutrition through diet and maintaining an active, demanding lifestyle, supplementation for key nutrients is often advised. In people with already compromised immune systems, the extra nutritional support from supplements may be crucial. Consult your doctor to assess your need for a supplement program.

Reducing unhealthy fat in my diet can lower my risk of cancer.
The two most damaging fats are saturated fats and trans fats. The primary source of saturated fat is animal products, such as meat, seafood, whole-fat milk and milk products, and eggs. A twenty-year study called the Nurses Study, conducted by Harvard University, showed saturated fats were correlated with a higher incidence of endometrial cancer. Trans fats, otherwise known as hydrogenated oils, come from heating vegetable oils, and are found mainly in commercially prepared baked goods, fried foods, margarines, snack foods, and processed foods. They have been implicated in increased risk for non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma.

The Harvard School of Public Health offers the following tips for lowering trans fat intake:

1. Check the ingredient list on food labels before buying. When foods containing hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oils can’t be avoided, choose products that list the hydrogenated oils near the end of theingredient list.
2. Choose liquid vegetable oils or a soft tub margarine that contains little or no trans fats.
3. Reduce intake of commercially prepared baked goods, snack foods, and processed foods, including fast foods. To be on the safe side, assume that all such products contain trans fats unless they are labeled otherwise.

Cancer has grown as death full disease and it could attack on everyone, any gender in any age. To prevent it we must pay attention on our habits eating.

Here are rules that you must follow  as healthy diet for cancer prevention :

Eat at least five servings of fruits and vegetables each day

A recent report sponsored by the World Cancer Research Fund and the American Institute for Cancer Study estimated that eating 400 or more grams daily of fruits and vegetables could prevent at least 20 percent or more of all cancers. In addition, those who eat the highest amount of fruits and vegetables have been shown to have one half the cancer risk as those eating the least amounts.Plant-derived foods contain phytochemicals, nutrients that act powerfully to prevent a healthy cell from turning cancerous.

Phytochemicals have been studied for their role in boosting detoxification of the cells and stimulating the immune system, as well as their anti-bacterial and anti-viral properties—all hugely helpful in maintaining a healthful inner environment that reduces the likelihood of cancer from forming. Fruits and vegetables are high in vitamin A and beta carotene, the B Vitamins, Vitamin C, and essential minerals.

Choose foods from other plant sources, such as breads, cereals, grain products, rice, or beans several times each day. Limit consumption of refined carbohydrates, including pastries, sweetened cereals, soft drinks, and sugars. Choose whole foods that are rich in complex carbohydrates, vitamins, and minerals over minimally-processed or highly-processed foods.

Eat plenty of fiber. Fiber moves cancer-causing compounds out of the body before they can create harm. It is also thought to dilute potential carcinogens, and may effect hormone production, thus lowering the incidence of hormone-related cancers like breast and prostate cancers. The National Cancer Institute recommends 20-30 grams of fiber per day. Foods rich in fiber are:

• Whole grains such as barley and oats, oat bran, and nuts
• Apples, bananas, blackberries, citrus fruits, pears, and prunes
• Lima , kidney, pinto, and navy beans, chick peas, black-eyed peas, and especially lentils
• Brussel sprouts, carrots, tomatoes, potatoes, and broccoli

To help you increase the fiber in the diet, the Cancer Research and Prevention Foundation suggests that you substitute:

• brown rice for white
• whole wheat bread or rye for white
• black beans for ground meat
• bran muffin for croissant or pastry
• popcorn for potato chips
• unpeeled apple for applesauce
• baked potato with skin for mashed potato
• bean dip or salsa for sour cream dip

Partake of healthy fats. Healthy fats are good for you, in moderation. Olive oil, for instance, has been shown to reduce the risk of breast cancer. The human body needs fat for normal cellular functioning. So when you eat fat, replace saturated fats with unsaturated fats. These include sunflower, corn, and soybean oils (polyunsaturated fats) and canola and olive oils (monounsaturated fats). Two of the most beneficial fats are omega-6 and omega-3 oils, known as essential fatty acids (EFAs). The body cannot manufacture these fats, so they must be provided through the diet. Omega-6 fat is found in abundance in vegetable oils, margarines, mayonnaise, and salad dressings; omega-3 fat in fish, fish oil, and green plant food sources, especially spinach and mustard greens. Omega-3 fatty acids from fish oil have been shown to have an anti-carcinogenic effect in the laboratory.

Strengthen your immune system. The Wellness Community website put together some eating suggestions for maximum immunity.

Beans (or legumes), which include lentils and peas, are rich in fiber and contain several chemicals that boost immunity to cancer. Saponins have shown the ability to inhibit the growth of cancer cells in different tissues; protease inhibitors slow down cancer cells from multiplying and suppress proteases, potent cell destroyers; and phytic acid slows the growth of tumors. A study of 3,237 men of different ethnic backgrounds showed that the risk for prostate cancer was 38 percent lower in those who ate the most amount of beans, as compared to those who ate the least amount.

Berries are good sources of vitamin C and fiber, as well as a wonderful substance called ellagic acid, which has been found in laboratory studies to prevent cancers of the skin, bladder, lung, esophagus and breast. Strawberries and raspberries are particularly high in ellagic acid, and blueberries are loaded with a class of anti-oxidants as powerful as any seen. So splurge on berries in your morning cereal.

Cruciferous vegetables include broccoli, cauliflower, brussel sprouts, cabbage, kale, Swiss chard, and bok choy. Substances in these vegetables have shown the ability to stop the growth of cancer cells in laboratory studies, particularly by regulating a complex system of enzymes that provide a good line of cancer defense. High consumption of cruciferous vegetables has been associated with a decreased risk for lung, stomach and colorectal cancers.

Dark Green Leafy Vegetables like spinach, romaine lettuce, leaf lettuces, kale, mustard greens, collard greens, and Swiss chard all contain high amounts of fiber, folate and a wide range of anti-oxidants which attack and remove hazardous free radicals from the body. Researchers have found that carotenoids in dark green leafy vegetables are effective in inhibiting the formation of breast and skin cancer tumors, and preventing lung and stomach cancer. High folate levels in men who ate diets rich in green leafy vegetables have been correlated with a reduced risk of lung cancer, particularly among men who smoke. Results from the Iowa Women’s Health Study showed a 44%lower risk rate for breast cancer in women who ate the most green leafy vegetables, as compared to those who ate the least.

Flaxseed is the best known dietary source for a substance called lignans, which appear to replicate the action of estrogen in the body. Flax oil does not contain lignans, though they are often added by the manufacturers. In some short-term human studies, flaxseed consumption modified estrogen metabolism such that there appeared to be a possible protective effect against breast cancer. It has also been shown to inhibit the formation of colon, breast, skin and lung tumors in more than one laboratory study. Flaxseed is also high in omega-3 fats essential fatty acids.

Garlic is a natural antibiotic and immune system enhancer, a free radical attacker, and it increases the enzymes that break down carcinogens in the body. Ample research has shown garlic to be one of the best foods to eat for cancer prevention, linking its consumption with slowing or stopping the growth of tumors in prostate, bladder, and stomach tissue, and preventing cancers of the skin and lung. The evidence is particularly compelling for garlic as a preventative agent against prostate and stomach cancers. The Iowa Women’s Health Study found that women who regularly ate garlic had a lower risk for colon cancer. Eat as much of this mighty food as you can stand!

Grapes, especially red and purple varieties, contain high levels of resveratrol, which belongs to a classification of plant chemicals called polyphenols. Resveratrol has been shown to slow the growth of cancer cells and inhibit the formation of tumors in lymph, liver, stomach and breast cells.

Green Tea is the best source of catechins in the human diet, containing about three times as many catechins as there are in black tea. The catechins found in tea selectively inhibit specific enzyme activities that lead to cancer and may also repair cellular damage caused by free radicals. Green tea has been shown to inhibit or block cancer development in colon, liver, breast, and prostate cells. Studies done in Asia show that frequent use of green tea lowers the risk for bladder, colon, stomach, pancreatic, and esophageal cancers. It has also been shown to aid in preventing recurrence of stage 1 breast cancer.

Soy foods, which include tofu, soymilk, soybeans, soynuts, miso (soy paste), tempeh, and soy burgers, are particularly relevant in their effects on hormone-related cancer. Soy contains phytoestrogens, a plant-derived, weaker form of estrogen that some scientists believe replaces the body’s stronger form of estrogen at estrogen receptor sites in the breast, thereby reducing the probability of developing cancer. Several human and laboratory studies have suggested that soy consumption early in life may help protect against breast cancer later in life. However, according to breastcancer.org, many doctors worry that phytoestrogens in soy may increase the risk of women who have already had breast cancer. In another human study, men who said they drank soymilk more than once per day for 20 years were found to have 70% lower prostate cancer risk than men who never drank soymilk.

Tomatoes contain the phytochemical lycopene, which is also found to a lesser extent in watermelon, papaya, and pink grapefruit. More than 35 studies have confirmed a lower risk of cancer as a result of high lycopene and tomato intake, especially cancers of the prostate, stomach, and lung. Lycopene compounds tend to concentrate in tissues of the prostate, so its protective agency there has received the most attention. Tomatoes have the highest anti-cancer potential when taken in a processed form such as tomato sauce, tomato paste, and tomato juice, because of easier absorption. The PDR website reported a study that found that people with the lowest levels of lycopene are three times more likely to get lung cancer than those with the highest levels. African Americans in the same study were found to have eight times the risk of developing cancer when lycopene levels were lowest.

Turmeric is the spice most often used in curry powder. It has an active ingredient called curcumin that has shown resistance to colon, breast,liver, oral, skin, and stomach tumors in laboratory testing on animals.

Yoghurt consumed in high quantities has been linked in some population studies to reduced risks of cancer, particularly of the breast and colon.

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