There are more than 1.4 million cancer cases diagnosed every year across India – and according to the statistics, the number is just increasing. Doctors say while most of the cancers are caused by various factors that are not in your control, many are caused by your lifestyle and diet factors.

However, experts say there are many strategies that help reduce cancer risks and improve your overall health. And that is the reason many oncologists - doctors who treat cancer – themselves follow the suggestions.

A few of these tips you can also follow to stay away from cancer include:

According to studies – eating ultra-processed foods, those which are loaded with saturated fats and preservatives – is one of the main reasons for various cancers to spread and develop. And so, doctors recommend eating fresh and seasonal produce – which includes fruits and vegetables. These not only provide you with nutrition – vitamins, proteins, and other macro and micronutrients but also help in weight loss.

Doing regular physical activity either high or low-intensity exercises helps keep you fit – both physically and mentally.

According to doctors, regular exercise – at least 30-45 minutes every day—has many biological effects on the body, a few of which even have been proposed to explain associations with specific cancers, like lowering the levels of sex hormones like estrogen which reduce the risk of breast and colon cancer.

Being active also helps you maintain your weight – which is a major factor for cancer and other diseases. Workouts keep your immune system strong and reduce inflammation – one of the cancer markers.

Doctors recommend those who smoke to quit smoking and others to never start to considerably reduce any chances of cancer. According to studies, quitting smoking lowers the risk of developing at least 12 types of cancer, which include lung, bladder, esophageal, and cervical cancer.

Smoking increases inflammation, which causes cancer cells to thrive.

Doctors say cancer screening helps prevent this dreadful disease by finding changes in your body that would become cancer if left untreated. Cancer screening helps find cancer early before you have symptoms, when it is easier to treat.

According to studies, many cancers do not show any signs or symptoms in the initial stages so it is important to catch the disease before it spreads when it is easier to treat.

Be up-to-date on vaccinations

Protecting against certain viral infections can help protect against cancer.

According to experts, the human papillomavirus, or HPV – an extremely common sexually transmitted infection can lead to cervical cancer in women. The HPV vaccine is available to both boys and girls beginning 9 years onwards. It helps protect against 90 per cent of cancer caused by HPV.

Similarly, hepatitis B is a dangerous liver disease caused by the hepatitis B virus – for which a vaccine is available for all age groups to prevent the infection.

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