Published Nov 25, 2021

Cancer Prevention & Thanksgiving Dinner: What is the Role of Diet In Cancer?

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Diet & Cancer Prevention

With the holiday season kicking off, it’s important to keep in mind the role diet has in cancer prevention and risk.
Although there's been no scientific evidence to prove a certain diet causes or prevents cancer, there is a definite link between carbs, alcohol, and foods that increase inflammation in the body.
Excessive drinking puts us at higher risk of a cancer diagnosis. Experts tell SurvivorNet that if you’re going to consume alcohol, moderation is the best policy.

It’s officially the holiday season, and that means a lot of us will be heading home and gorging ourselves on delicious food and drinks. Even though very little compares to a large home-cooked meal, it’s important to still keep your health in mind. Diet can play a huge role in your cancer risk, so SurvivorNet is breaking down what to keep in mind while going for a second plate.

Diet & Cancer

Whether it’s Thanksgiving turkey, the sides, or a bottle of wine, it’s worth noting that enjoying a large meal doesn’t mean that your health will be affected. However, it’s important to keep moderation in mind when it comes to cancer prevention. Although there's been no scientific evidence to prove a certain diet causes or prevents cancer, there is a definite link between carbs, alcohol, and foods that increase inflammation in the body.

"What we really want people to focus on is something called an anti-inflammatory diet," Krista Maruschak, a registered dietitian at the Cleveland Clinic Cancer Center, previously told SurvivorNet. "When I say anti-inflammatory diet, this is really a whole meal pattern that's going to decrease somebody's risk for cancer in the future. Inflammation in the body can cause a whole host of health conditions and co-morbidities, and inflammation is really increased by what we call a pro-inflammatory diet. Things that are pro-inflammatory in your diet are going to be refined carbohydrates as well as high fat, saturated fat meats, processed meats, things like that."

Krista Maruschak explains how cutting “pro inflammatory” foods can decrease cancer risk

Keeping diet in mind, it’s important to balance out foods that are high in carbs or fat with healthier options such as vegetables and fruit. That being said, there’s certainly nothing wrong with having a little turkey or dessert during your meal, just make sure that your holiday dinner is well-balanced.

Alcohol & Cancer Risk

During holiday celebrations, it’s not uncommon for some people to enjoy a glass of wine or two at dinner or when just hanging out with family. Of course, there’s nothing wrong with having a cocktail every so often, but it’s important to remember that drinking too much has been directly linked to cancer. There's no evidence that alcohol directly causes cancer, but it has been proven that excessive drinking puts us at higher risk of a cancer diagnosis. In a number of studies looking at breast cancer risk, researchers concluded that women who drank more than about three drinks in one day were at a one and a half times higher risk of developing breast cancer than non-drinkers.

"Binge drinking, it's not good for anybody," Dr. Elizabeth Comen, a medical oncologist at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, previously told SurvivorNet. "It's also not good for a woman's increased risk of breast cancer. So patients ask me this all the time 'well, how much can I drink?' If you want to have absolutely no risk from alcohol, then don't drink at all. But probably having less than four glasses a week of alcohol is probably okay."

Dr. Elizabeth Comen breaks down the link between alcohol and breast cancer

One other aspect of the holiday season to remember is that just because you’re relaxing at home doesn’t mean you should slack off on exercise. Along with a healthy diet, exercise can also make a huge difference in decreasing your cancer risk. This doesn’t mean you have to do a high-intensity workout at the gym every single day, but consider taking some time to walk around the neighborhood or maybe a light workout at home. Just a little movement can make a huge difference.

Learn more about SurvivorNet's rigorous medical review process.

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