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The Environmental Working Group has just released its new Cancer Defense Diet, developed based onexisting research linking diet to cancer and designed to help people consume more cancer-fighting foods through a varied, plant-based diet.
The real strong evidence for reducing cancer risk in terms of diet is focused on broader dietary patterns, explains EWG Senior Scientist Curt Della Valle, Ph.D., director of the organizations Cancer Prevention Initiative, noting that the synergy of nutrients in a varied diet is more likely to have cancer-fighting benefits than a sole fad superfood.
Those might be part of a healthy diet, but thinking that any one nutrient or one food source is going to be the cure-all probably is not true, he says.
EWGs philosophy in creating the Cancer Defense Dietwas to makeinformation about cancer-fighting foods more easily accessible, thus encouraging people to abide by these guidelines.
Most people know thateating more fruits and vegetables is good for you, explains Della Valle, But most people, at least most people in the U.S., arent doing that.
He and his team believe that by presentingnot only the what, but also the why of adiet based oncancer-fighting foods, EWG is offering people the ability and the motivation take control of their own health.
The Cancer Defense Diet website includes anutrition calculator, whichallows people to check whether theyareconsuming cancer-fighting foods or likely carcinogens.
EWG also highlights food pairings that can enhance the bioavailability of nutrients and phytochemicals or even reduce risk factors in possibly carcinogenic foods. Della Valle notes, for example, thatthe nitrates in hot dogs are a big concern from a cancer perspective andare less likely to become carcinogenic when consumed with vitamin C or another antioxidant.
Its great to have more resources out there to help people transition to a plant-based diet, says MicheleSimon, JD, MPH, Executive Director, Plant Based Foods Association, of the new diet. In addition to education, however, we need policy change to help ensure that people have access to healthy, plant-based foods.
Simon notes that while there is definitely a consumer shift toward a more plant-based way of eating, increasing the availability of plant-based foods and continuing to promotethem through policy change are also important factors infurthering these healthy living goals.
Related on Organic Authority12 Tips for Maintaining a Whole Food Plant-Based Diet in a House of Meat-Eaters Federal Report Finds Plant-Based Diet Is the Best for the Planet More than 400 Carcinogens Are Probably in Your Body Right Now, Says EWG Report
Emily Monaco is an American food and culture writer based in Paris. She loves uncovering the stories behind ingredients and exposing the face of our food system, so that consumers can make educated choices. Her work has been published in the Wall Street Journal, Vice Munchies, and Serious Eats.
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New Cancer Defense Diet Calculator Released by EWG - Organic Authority
