Health
Foods to eat, and not eat, to prevent cancer, according to a doctor and nutritionist
Disease prevention starts in the kitchen, according to one cancer doctor.
Andre Goy, M.D., chief physician of Hackensack Meridian Health’s John Theurer Cancer Center in New Jersey, blames a “reliance on convenience” for many Americans’ poor diets and increasing cancer rates.
The doctor estimates that more than half of all cancers are preventable with lifestyle changes — from quitting smoking and drinking, to eating a plant-based diet and exercising.
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In addition to practicing as a cancer doctor, Goy is also passionate about cooking. He’s worked as a chef in his family’s inn in the French Alps.
“It is a great pleasure to combine this into my practice of medicine and oncology,” he said.
Andre Goy, M.D., chief physician of Hackensack Meridian Health’s John Theurer Cancer Center in New Jersey, shares his nutrition tips for cancer prevention. He says disease prevention starts in the kitchen. (Hackensack Meridian Health/iStock)
Goy shared with Fox News Digital his tips for improving nutrition for overall wellness and reduced cancer risk.
Processed foods problem
Americans ate only an average of 8.2 meals at home each week — an historic low, according to a Gallup poll.
Statistics like this could contribute to the increase in cancer among young adults, according to Goy.
“The biggest problem in the American diet is a reliance on convenience rather than home cooking,” he told Fox News Digital. “As a result, we eat too many processed foods.”
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Eating ultra-processed foods that are high in calories and low in nutritional value can increase cancer risk by causing weight gain and obesity, the doctor noted — and the risk is heightened even further when combined with alcohol use and lack of exercise.
“The biggest problem in the American diet is a reliance on convenience rather than home cooking.”
“Obesity and poor diet induce microbiome dysbiosis, a decrease in microbial diversity that leads to chronic inflammation and leaky gut, increasing your cancer risk,” said Goy.
“Ultra-processed food refined with added sugar and white flour can negatively impact the balance of gut bacteria, leaving us more susceptible to the development of cancers.”
The most effective dietary approach to reducing cancer risk, according to a cancer doctor, is to adopt a plant-based diet focusing on fruits and vegetables rather than meats and processed foods. (iStock)
Many prepared and packaged foods lack key nutrients and have chemical preservatives that can increase the risk of developing cancer, he added.
The immune system is also affected by obesity and lack of exercise, which impact the body’s ability to fight off infection and disease, Goy noted.
Best foods to reduce cancer risk
The most effective dietary approach to reducing cancer risk, according to Goy, is to adopt a plant-based diet focusing on fruits and vegetables rather than meats and processed foods.
“A plant-based diet focuses on consuming mostly or exclusively plant-based foods with a focus on vegetables, fruits, legumes, whole grains, nuts and seeds,” he told Fox News Digital.
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Not all plant-based foods are equal, however — which is why the doctor recommends avoiding foods labeled “plant-based” that are not actually healthy, such as frozen meat substitutes that are high in sodium.
“Choose whole, unprocessed foods as much as possible,” he advised. “Focus on plant foods that are protein sources, such as quinoa, farro, black beans, buckwheat, chia seeds, hummus and peanut butter.”
“While there is no specific diet that can guarantee cancer prevention, a nutrient-rich diet may lower your risk.”
He’s encouraged many patients to consider a plant-based diet, Goy said.
“For example, a patient with lymphoma was feeling signs of lupus, such as fatigue, fogginess and achiness, with blood work suggesting inflammation,” he told Fox News Digital.
“After switching to a plant-based diet, this patient felt so much better that he was eventually able to stop seven of his medications over the next four to six months.”
Dr. Andre Goy examines a patient during a consultation at the John Theurer Cancer Center at Hackensack University Medical Center in New Jersey. (Hackensack Meridian Health)
Erin Palinski-Wade, a New Jersey-based dietitian and author of the book “Belly Fat Diet For Dummies,” agreed that a well-balanced diet rich in beneficial nutrients, such as fiber and antioxidants, may be protective against future cancers.
“While there is no specific diet that can guarantee cancer prevention, a nutrient-rich diet may lower your risk,” she told Fox News Digital.
Many prepared and packaged foods lack key nutrients and have chemical preservatives that can increase the risk of developing cancer, a doctor warned. (iStock)
To help lower cancer risk through dietary choices, Palinski-Wade recommends consuming more whole vegetables and fruits (seven servings per day or more); increasing your intake of foods rich in fiber such as beans, lentils, nuts and seeds; and reducing your intake of added sugars and processed, high-fat animal proteins.
“Simple, sustainable changes with a focus on more home-cooked, plant-based foods will have a huge return on investment.”
The dietitian also recommends aiming for at least 15 grams of fiber per every 1,000 calories consumed.
“High-fiber diets may help to protect against colorectal cancer and other common digestive system cancers,” she said.
Adding more plant-based proteins and reducing high-fat, processed animal meats while adding healthy fats may help to protect against a variety of cancers, according to Palinski-Wade.
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“Limit added sugar in the diet to less than 10% of total calories and focus instead on slow-digested carbohydrates, including whole grains and whole fruits and vegetables,” she advised.
“Maintaining a healthy body weight and incorporating consistent, moderate exercise can also play a large role in reducing the risk of disease.”
Dr. Andre Goy (pictured), said the most effective dietary approach to reducing cancer risk is to adopt a plant-based diet focusing on fruits and vegetables rather than meats and processed foods. (Hackensack Meridian Health)
Goy warned against getting too wrapped up in a “dieting culture.”
“Food should not be a religion,” he told Fox News Digital. “Rather than focusing on restrictions, which can become an obsession, try eating plant-based for three months, and see what it does for your health and energy levels.”
“Anything too restrictive isn’t sustainable,” the doctor went on.
“Simple, sustainable changes with a focus on more home-cooked, plant-based foods will have a huge return on investment in preventing cancer and increasing overall health.”
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A popular class of weight-loss drugs may prevent life-threatening cardiac complications by opening microscopic blood vessels that often remain blocked after a heart attack, according to a study published this week in Nature Communications.
The research, led by the University of Bristol and University College London, identified a biological brain-gut-heart signaling pathway.
This discovery appears to explain how GLP-1 drugs — which mimic glucagon-like peptide-1, a hormone that helps regulate blood sugar and appetite — protect heart tissue from a condition known as “no-reflow.”
“In nearly half of all heart attack patients, tiny blood vessels within the heart muscle remain narrowed, even after the main artery is cleared during emergency medical treatment,” Dr. Svetlana Mastitskaya, the study’s lead author and a senior lecturer at Bristol Medical School, said in a press release.
“This results in a complication known as ‘no-reflow,’ where blood is unable to reach certain parts of the heart tissue.”
In nearly half of all heart attack patients, tiny capillaries (blood vessels) remain narrowed even after the main blocked artery is cleared. (iStock)
This lack of blood flow increases the risk of heart failure and death within a year. GLP-1 medications could prevent this, according to the researchers.
How it works
When the GLP-1 hormone is released in the gut or administered as a drug, it sends a signal to the brain, which then sends a signal to the heart that switches on special potassium channels in tiny cells called pericytes.
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When these channels open, the pericytes relax, which allows the small blood vessels (capillaries) to widen and improve blood flow to the heart muscle, the researchers noted.
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The new study used animal models and cellular imaging to track how GLP-1 interacts with heart tissue. When the researchers removed the potassium channels, the drugs no longer protected the heart — confirming they play a key role.
The findings suggest that existing GLP-1 medications, already used for type 2 diabetes and obesity, could be repurposed as emergency treatments. (iStock)
The findings suggest that existing GLP-1 medications, already used for type 2 diabetes and obesity, could be repurposed as emergency treatments during or immediately after a heart attack to reduce tissue damage.
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The researchers noted several limitations, including that the study relied on animal models.
Clinical trials are necessary to determine whether the brain-gut-heart pathway operates with the same timing and efficacy in humans.
While the study highlights the drug’s immediate benefits during a heart attack, it des not establish whether long-term use of these drugs provides a pre-existing level of protection. (iStock)
Additionally, while the study highlights the drug’s immediate benefits during a heart attack, it does not establish whether long-term use of the medication provides a pre-existing level of protection.
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The research was primarily funded by the British Heart Foundation.
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Collagen supplements have exploded in popularity, touted as everything from an anti-aging miracle to a muscle recovery booster.
But a sweeping new review conducted by U.K. researchers suggests that while collagen may help improve skin elasticity and ease arthritis pain, it does little for athletic performance or wrinkle reduction.
Researchers from Anglia Ruskin University analyzed 16 systematic reviews and 113 randomized controlled trials involving nearly 8,000 participants worldwide, which they say is the most extensive evaluation of collagen’s health effects to date.
The review found consistent evidence that collagen supplementation improves skin elasticity and hydration over time and provides significant relief from osteoarthritis-related joint pain and stiffness, according to findings published in Aesthetic Surgery Journal Open Forum.
A large U.K. review found that collagen supplements may improve skin elasticity and hydration over time. (iStock)
The researchers, however, did not find meaningful improvements in post-exercise muscle recovery, soreness or tendon mechanical properties (strength, springiness and stretch resistance).
“Collagen is not a cure-all, but it does have credible benefits when used consistently over time, particularly for skin and osteoarthritis,” co-author Lee Smith, professor of public health at Anglia Ruskin University, said in a statement.
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“Our findings show clear benefits in key areas of healthy aging, while also dispelling some of the myths surrounding its use,” Smith added.
Collagen, the most abundant protein in the body, supports skin, bones, tendons, cartilage and connective tissue, according to experts. Natural collagen production begins to drop in early adulthood and declines more sharply with age.
The study found that collagen supplements may help reduce joint pain and stiffness in people with osteoarthritis. (iStock)
The review found that long-term collagen supplementation was linked to improved skin firmness and hydration, but did not help skin roughness — a proxy for visible wrinkles.
Benefits appear to accumulate gradually, suggesting that collagen should not be viewed as an “anti-wrinkle ‘quick fix,’ but as a foundational dermal support for individuals seeking holistic skin maintenance,” the researchers said.
“If we define anti-aging as a product or technique designed to prevent the appearance of getting older, then I believe our findings do support this claim for some parameters,” Smith told the BBC. “For example, an improvement in skin tone and moisture is associated with a more youthful-looking appearance.”
Collagen supplementation was linked to reduced pain and stiffness in people with osteoarthritis, with stronger benefits seen over longer periods of use, and showed modest improvements in muscle mass and tendon structure that may support healthy aging.
Collagen did not significantly improve skin roughness, a marker of visible wrinkles. (iStock)
However, it did not show meaningful results when used as a fast-acting sports performance supplement, and evidence for benefits related to cholesterol, blood sugar, blood pressure and oral health was mixed or inconclusive.
Dr. Daniel Ghiyam, a California-based physician and longevity specialist, said the findings align with what he sees in clinical practice.
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“Collagen is a targeted support tool, not a foundation of health or performance,” Ghiyam, who was not involved in the study, told Fox News Digital. “When marketed that way, it makes sense. When marketed as a cure-all, it doesn’t hold up to the data.”
The authors noted that while many previous collagen studies have received financial support from the supplement industry, the current review did not receive industry funding.
Experts say collagen supplements may offer modest benefits for skin hydration and joint comfort, but they are not a cure-all. (iStock)
The team called for more high-quality clinical trials examining long-term outcomes, optimal dosages and differences between collagen sources, such as marine, bovine and plant-based alternatives.
Among its limitations, the review could not determine whether certain forms of collagen work better than others or what the optimal regimen should be.
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While the review included randomized controlled trials, the quality of the studies varied, with newer research generally showing stronger results.
Experts say more data and studies are needed to build on the findings. They also noted that diet plays a crucial role in skin health.
Collagen supplements, often sold as powders or pills, may improve skin elasticity and ease joint pain, experts say. (iStock)
Dr. Erum Ilyas, a Pennsylvania-based dermatologist and chair of dermatology at Drexel University College of Medicine, noted that the review analyzed previously published meta-analyses rather than generating new primary data.
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“At this time, I have not seen sufficiently strong independent evidence to routinely recommend collagen supplements to my patients,” Ilyas, who was not involved in the review, told Fox News Digital.
“Although some studies show modest improvements in markers such as hydration and elasticity, there remains limited independent, biopsy-confirmed evidence demonstrating sustained increases in dermal collagen content,” she added.
Fox News Digital has reached out to the researchers for comment.
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