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Changing 4 habits can reduce up to 20,000 cancer cases

Changing 4 habits can reduce up to 20,000 cancer cases

by  in Diseases
Updated May 24, 2021

Lifestyle can greatly influence health.

To reinforce this information, a study by the University of São Paulo (USP) revealed that 34% of cancer deaths are related to unhealthy habits that could be avoided.

The data also indicate that if some risk factors were avoided, it would be possible to prevent up to 63 thousand deaths per year, in Brazil.

The main factors and avoidable aspects associated with lifestyle are:

  • Smoking;
  • Frequent alcohol consumption;
  • Obesity;
  • Food rich in fats and sweets;
  • Lack of physical activity.

Read more: With little exercise, 53% of Brazilians are overweight

The research revealed that if these 5 factors were eliminated, some types of cancer (lung, esophagus, larynx and colon) could be reduced by half.

Experts also estimated the reduction of the disease in the country. For this, they analyzed the current scenario based on the average extracted from the general population.

It is believed that only 4 behavior changes can have an impact on the health of the population:

  • Decrease 10% of alcohol consumption;
  • Reduce tobacco by 30%;
  • Lose 1kG in body mass;
  • Keep your sodium intake between 200mG to 399mG per day.

Together, these measures can prevent about 20,000 cases of cancer and 11,000 deaths from the disease.

Read more: Know the dangers of excess sodium in the diet

The study, published in the journal Cancer Epidemiology, was carried out by the Department of Preventive Medicine at the Faculty of Medicine of the University of São Paulo (FMUSP) in partnership with Harvard University, in the United States.

How to prevent cancer?

According to estimates by the World Health Organization (WHO), by 2025, cancer cases in Brazil will increase by up to 50%. Today, the disease is already the second leading cause of death in the country.

There are two types of cancer prevention: the primary and the secondary.

Primary prevention implies not being exposed to risk factors. Smoking , excessive alcohol consumption and exposure to the sun between 10 am and 4 pm are some examples of habits that help the development of various types of cancer.

Read more: How to use sunscreen every day and in any situation

Secondary prevention, on the other hand, refers to routine tests (such as mammography ) to detect cancer in its early stages, which facilitates treatment and increases the chances of a cure.

Both are simple ways of taking care of health and can be adopted by the population.

Various types of cancer can be alleviated, or even prevented, if we take care of health. Good habits (healthy eating and regular exercise) are key factors in preventing cancer.

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About The Author

Veronika

My name is Veronika and founded “Hickey Solution” in an attempt to pass plain and working solutions of Health, Fitness, and Skincare related issues.Feel free to subscribe here to receive free regular post updates in your inbox!