By:  Fadwa W. Abdulqahar

Food Science Dept./College of Agriculture/ University of Anbar

There are many studies that have tried to determine the ability of certain foods to increase or decrease the risk of cancer. Unfortunately, the results have been conflicting, so it is difficult to confirm the effect of foods or nutritional supplements on cancer. One of the most important problems facing such studies is that patients who eat certain foods and have lower rates of certain cancers, it is difficult to know how different they are in terms of other risk factors for cancer as well (such as environmental factors, genetics, daily habits, smoking, etc.). Although there are many controlled clinical trials conducted by physicians in which they administered beneficial foods or nutritional supplements at random to some patients, they did not show sufficient evidence. Therefore, many studies are still in progress.

Cancer prevention through nutrition:

Improper nutrition causes an increase in the spread of some types of cancer globally, as it was found that an increase in the incidence of digestive cancer may result from eating certain types of food. It was found that 30% of cancer cases are caused by food, and the rest are attributed to genetic, environmental and other factors. Food also affects the increase or speed of the spread of cancer cells, or vice versa. It was also found that cancer resulting from malnutrition of patients, makes them need a special diet during illness.

Cancers of the digestive system:

Cancer of the digestive system often results from the presence of carcinogens in food, especially when that food remains in some areas for a relatively long period, which makes food carcinogens in contact with them for a longer period. Among those areas; the esophagus, the area where the stomach and duodenum connect, and the area where the small intestine connects to the colon. After these factors are absorbed by the intestines, they move to the liver, kidneys, and bladder, so those organs may also develop cancer due to the