A study found that the more of the nine dietary and lifestyle recommendations post-menopausal women followed, the lower their risk was for developing cancer.

On the contrary, a study showed that women who adhered to only one or none of the nine dietary recommendations were faced with a 35 percent greater risk of developing some form of cancer, compared to 42 percent of the women who followed the minimum of six of the nine recommendations.

Components of the Study

• Participants included 29,564 women between the ages of 55 and 69

• Participants were primarily residents of Iowa

• The women were followed for a period of 13 years

• The impact of dietary choices were assessed and compared to the death rate from cancer

• Whether or not the women smoked was also taken into consideration

Researchers stated that the study results implied that older woman could significantly reduce their risk of developing cancer by following specific healthy lifestyle factors such as not smoking, maintaining a healthy body weight, engaging in daily exercise and eating a nutritious diet.

The Nine Recommendations by the American Institute for Cancer Research

1. Maintaining a body mass index (BMI) from 18.5 to 24.9. The National Institutes of Health has a good BMI calculator.

2. Putting on no more than 11 pounds after turning 18 years old

3. Maintaining a consistent exercise regimen consisting of challenging cardiovascular activity

4. Consuming at least five servings of fruit and vegetables a day

5. Complex carbohydrate intake of around 14 ounces daily

6. Restricting alcohol intake to one drink per day

7. Reducing red meat consumption to under 80 grams a day

8. Daily fat consumption shouldn't exceed more than 30 percent of total caloric intake

9. Sodium restricted to less than 2,400 milligrams per day

Based on the results of the study researchers estimated that 31 percent of cancer cases and deaths from cancer could have been delayed or prevented altogether among this population.

Cancer Statistics

• Around one out of every three women in the United States will be afflicted with some kind of cancer during the course of her life

• Approximately 658,000 women were diagnosed with forms of cancer other than non-melanoma cancer in 2003

• Cancer ranked as the second leading cause of death of women in the year 2000

• Cancer is the leading cause of death in the age bracket of women 40 and 79 years

Science Daily July 7, 2004