World Cancer Day 2020: Add these food items in your diet to boost prevention efforts

February 4th is celebrated as World Cancer Day to spread awareness about this disease. This year's theme is- 'I am and I will'. This theme has been proposed for the next three years. 

The theme is selected to highlight the value of every individual to fight against cancer. The theme also asks people to take action to save the future. 

Many recent studies have shown the important role our diet plays in everyday health, and in the prevention of cancer. On the occasion of World Cancer Day on February 4 we have rounded up some of the key foods to include in your diet that could help ward off cancer, as well as promote general health and well-being.

Fiber-based food

According to a study, eating a high-fiber diet in early adulthood could lower the risk of breast cancer by 12 to 19% compared to those who don't eat dietary fiber at all.  To include fiber in the diet, one must eat plenty of fruit and vegetables. 

A 2015 American study also found that fiber can be beneficial, with the study's results suggesting that prostate cancer patients can improve their chances of survival by following a Mediterranean-style diet full of fruit, vegetables, and fiber.

White vegetables

According to a Chinese study, eating white vegetables like potatoes, asparagus, chard, celery, cauliflower, endive, and leek can reduce the risk of stomach cancer with 33%. Eating fruits can also reduce stomach cancer by 7%.

Coffee

You can start your morning without coffee? Well, here's some good news for all coffee addicts. A 2015 study of 1000 colon cancer patients found that coffee lovers who drank four or more cups of coffee a day were 42% less likely to have their cancer return than non-coffee drinkers and 34% less likely to die from cancer or any other cause. 

A 2015 Swedish study also found similar results, with breast cancer patients who drank between two and five cups of coffee per day half as likely to experience a return of the disease compared to those who drank no coffee or less than two cups.

Fish

Good fats found in foods such as oily fish could also be beneficial. Eating a portion of oily fish such as tuna, salmon, or sardines one to two times a week can reduce the risk of breast cancer.

And a 2013 study involving 4,577 prostate cancer patients found that those who changed their diet to include more good fats -- the type found in foods such as vegetables, nuts, and olive oil -- had a better survival rate than those whose diets remained unchanged.

Sugar 

And for what you should try to avoid, well sugar seems to play a part in many health problems, including cancer, with a study published only last month finding that high levels of sugar, typical in a modern Western diet, could be associated with increasing the risk and spread of breast cancer.