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Are These Cancer-Preventing Habits A Part Of Your Routine? (Because They Should Be)

Author:

Morgan Chamberlain

September 19, 2024

Former mbg Supplement Editor

By Morgan Chamberlain

Former mbg Supplement Editor

Morgan Chamberlain is mindbodygreen's former supplement editor. She graduated from Syracuse University with a Bachelor of Science degree in magazine journalism and a minor in nutrition.

Image by Jayme Burrows / Stocksy

September 19, 2024

A certain amount of cancer risk has to do with your DNA, but epigenetics (i.e., lifestyle choices and environment) also plays a significant role.

Here, we’ve identified three little-known habits that have been associated with a decreased risk of cancer. Try incorporating them into your everyday wellness routine to ensure your body can operate at its best for years to come.

Utilize targeted nutrients

Evidence shows that many vitamins and antioxidants have been associated with reduced cancer risk, including:

Make sure you’re consuming plenty of these nutrients from whole foods and supplementing with single-ingredient or multivitamin formulas, when necessary. Adding a comprehensive multi that delivers all of these vitamins and antioxidants is an easy and simple way to support whole-body health and promote longevity.

(Need help with your search? You can find mindbodygreen’s absolute favorite multivitamins here, all backed by a nutrition Ph.D.)

Optimize your sleep health

We’re very passionate about sleep health, and simply put, Americans aren’t optimizing the quality or duration of their sleep. Over time, suboptimal sleep can lead to cardiovascular health problems, immune dysfunction, and yes—even cancer.

In a 2021 longitudinal study published in the journal Sleep, older adults with poor sleep quality were almost 60% more likely to develop cancer 1 than those with good sleep quality, regardless of whether or not they had a family history of cancer. (Just another reason to prioritize quality sleep!)

Pack your plate with fiber

Sure, you’ve heard that antioxidant-rich berries can help reduce your cancer risk, but have you heard that fiber can also help in a big way?

According to a 2018 review of meta-analyses from the Journal of Chiropractic Medicine, consuming a high-fiber diet may decrease your likelihood of developing certain cancers 2—particularly, colorectal and breast cancer.

To increase your intake of dietary fiber (hint: men need at least 38 grams per day while women need at least 25 grams), be sure to add plenty of these high-fiber foods to every meal of the day:

Fruits
Vegetables
Whole grains
Legumes
Nuts
Seeds

If you’re still struggling to meet your fiber goals, consider a high-potency fiber powder to further bolster your daily intake (these are mindbodygreen’s top picks).

The takeaway

We’ve all had a family member impacted by cancer and want to help protect ourselves (and our loved ones) as much as we possibly can. In addition to regularly participating in physical activity and maintaining a well-balanced diet, consider adding these helpful habits to your well-being routine.