¿Una alimentación sana puede prevenir el cáncer?

Resumen

Cancer is an illness as old as life on our planet. Proof of this statement are the tumours found in the bones of dinosaur fossils or in the human mummies of Peru and Egypt. Documents dating from 2,000 to 1,500 BC like the Ramayana from India or the Papiro from Egypt Ebers, refer to this illness. It�s name cancer, was inspired by the observing of breast tumours, which as they grow take on the shape of a crab (Galeno, 131-203 AC in his treatise Definitions Medicae). It can be said that from the beginning of life on our planet human beings have been exposed to physical, chemical and biological agents which are potentially canceriginous to which nowadays we can add some other synthetic products capable of causing cancer. IS CANCER ONE OR MANY ILLNESSES? Cancer involves a great variety of illnesses with a common factor: the uncontrolled development of cells. Starting from the analysis of epidemiological studies done in the USA we have reached the conclusion that more than 80 por 100 of deaths caused by cancer are related to environmental factors. Among them smoking stands out with 335, followed by alcohol with 3% and diet 33%. It can be said that cancer is an illness which could be prevented by taking measures related to these factors. To study in depth scientific knowledge about the way diet and cancer are related would require extensive epidemiological studies together with important laboratory studies including biochemical markers and genetic susceptabilities. A suitable diet combined with physical exercise, periodic controls an a healthy life style could be of great preventive importance, and in the case of lung cancer, the priority is, of course, giving up smoking. It must be taken into account that ingestion involves the interaction of its components and other genetic and environmental factors. The complexity of the interaction between dietetic components and their metabolism must be taken into account when analysing the results of the studies on diet and cancer. There are many kinds of cancer which seem to be closely related to the day-today diet. Although it is not the only causal factor to be borne in mind, it is, of course, of prime importance.