Informative Speech On Cancer

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Cancer is one of the most common chronic diseases in the United States and its prevalence is growing. It's estimated that 1 in 2 men and women will be diagnosed with cancer during their lifetime, and in 2010 alone more than 1.5 million new cases were diagnosed.
With numbers like these, you may feel cancer is just a fact of life and you're relatively helpless to influence your risk. While there are certainly risk factors you can't control, like family history or ethnic background, you should know that there are just as many -- if not more -- that you can... and one of the most potent is your diet.
"Scientific evidence suggests that about one-third of the 569,490 cancer deaths expected to occur in 2010 will be related to overweight or obesity, …show more content…

3. Broccoli Sprouts
You may have heard that cruciferous vegetables like broccoli are great for helping to fight cancer. This is true, but you can take it one step further by eating broccoli in its immature, or sprout, form.
Broccoli sprouts contain glucoraphanin, a precursor to sulforaphane -- a compound known to help your body eliminate cancer-causing compounds and fight free radicals, which can damage DNA, kill cells and potentially lead to cancer.
Sprouts are a particularly concentrated source of nutrients, and gram for gram they contain more potentially cancer-fighting compounds than mature broccoli. One study even found that eating slightly more than 100 grams of broccoli, radish, alfalfa and clover sprouts a day for 14 days was enough to provide a protective effect.
If you're new to sprouts, try adding them to salads and sandwiches for a tasty and ultra-healthy …show more content…

Cruciferous Veggies
As mentioned above, cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, kale, cabbage, and bok choy are also widely known for their cancer-fighting capabilities. Studies have linked the consumption of cruciferous veggies with a reduced risk of colon, lung, bladder, breast, prostate and other cancers.
The beneficial effects come, in part, from indole-3-carbinol and isothiocyanates. These glucosinolates are formed when the vegetables are chopped or chewed, and studies show they offer a protective effect against cancer.
Indole-3-carbinol may help deactivate an estrogen metabolite that promotes tumor growth, especially in breast cells, while increasing the level of a form of estrogen that may protect against cancer. This compound may also help stop the movement of cancer cells to other parts of your body.
Further, a study funded by the National Cancer Institute found that eating 1 to 2 cups of cruciferous vegetables a day resulted in a 22 percent drop in oxidative stress, which has been linked to a range of diseases including cancer, diabetes, Alzheimer's disease and rheumatoid arthritis.
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