Healthy diet ‘could help prevent 80,000 cancers a year’

If people were to eat healthier diets then 80,000 cancers could be prevented each year, a medical expert has claimed.

Professor Martin Wiseman, scientific and medical adviser for the World Cancer Research Fund, said that around a third of cases of the most common forms of cancer, such as lung, mouth, stomach and liver cancer, could be avoided through healthy eating, physical activity and maintaining a healthy weight.

He stressed that these figures are merely estimates and should be treated with caution.

“But even so, they do give an idea of how high the stakes are and highlight the importance of getting across the message about the potential impact that lifestyle changes can have,” Professor Wiseman added.

The World Cancer Research Fund recommends that people avoid sugary drinks and limit their consumption of energy-dense foods, particularly processed foods that are high in added sugar, low in fibre or high in salt.

According to Cancer Research UK, scientists have estimated that unhealthy diets cause between ten and 30 per cent of cancer deaths in developed countries.

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