Warning Signs
- Empire star Taraji P. Henson says in a new interview that she battled myserious gastrointestinal issues for many years, including bouts of uncontrollable vomiting.
- The 51-year-old received a wake-up call from a doctor who told her if she doesn’t take care of herself, she will wind up developing stomach ulcers, which can lead to stomach cancer. So Henson changed her lifestyle.
- Although researchers are working on ways to understand how lifestyle factors like diet, exercise, and chemical exposures put people at risk, experts stress that eating well and staying active are important in cancer prevention.
After a couple of emergency trips to the hospital in 2015 and 2017, the 51-year-old author and mental health advocate received a wake-up call from one of the doctors:
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The D.C. native had been prescribed proton-pump inhibitors (PPIs) to treat acid reflux, which only served as a mask for the underlying issue. Henson then sought help from a holistic doctor who diagnosed her with small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO), which occurs due to slowed digestion.
In turn, this creates a breeding ground for bacteria, causing symptoms such as nausea, malnutrition, loss of appetite, and diarrhea. Although she still went back on PPIs, but this time around, Henson tried a plant-based diet with gut-friendly foods like fermented veggies, papaya and avocado.
SurvivorNetTV Presents 'How Not To Get Cancer: Diet'The Power of Prevention & Healthy Habits
"Western medicine saves lives, but it wasn't helping in my situation,” Henson said.
Like many others, the pandemic tested her, and she slipped on her diet and woke up one morning with a Cheeto stuck to her face. "I was like, 'This can sink me,'" she said. "That's when I realized I had to do everything I could to feel good, or that depression thing was going to get the best of me.”
Since August 2020, Henson has been working out with a trainer to build stamina and strength. Henson walks on the treadmill to warm up, then she moves into her hour of weights, cardio and abs. She has been looking more toned and trim ever since, and insists her healthy new lifestyle is here to stay.
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"The older you get, the harder it is to get in shape. I didn't want to be climbing out of a hole,” Henson said of her newfound fitness. "When I get those endorphins going, I'm like a whole different girl.”
How is Diet Related to Cancer Risk?
When it comes to dietary advice that applies to everyone, Dr. Robert Wright, chair of the Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health at Mount Sinai, was pretty straightforwardeat more vegetables and stay active.
"What we haven't figured out for cancer is, what is the combination of risk factors that end up leading to a particular person getting cancer," Dr. Wright told SurvivorNet in a prior interview. "The goal [in the future] is to identify those people who are more susceptible to cancer and to give them counseling and foods that they can eat and other habits like exercise that can reduce their risk. Right now, we're not really good at predicting that."
While some cancers do develop from inherited genes, most don't, so researchers are working on ways to understand how lifestyle factors like diet, exercise, and chemical exposures put people at risk. With that in mind, Dr. Wright stressed that eating well and staying active are still importantfor all of us.
"In the end, prevention is actually kind of simple," he said. "It's what we always know. It's exercise and eat well. That means eating more vegetables and less meats, particularly red meats."
Some dietary basics to avoid a higher cancer risk include:
- If you can afford it, buy organic fruits and veggies
- When buying non-organic, make sure to thoroughly wash produce
- Avoid overcooking food
- Try to eat fewer red meats
Learn more about SurvivorNet's rigorous medical review process.
