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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For women over 60, muscle strength plays a critical role in longevity, a new study confirms.
Researchers at the University at Buffalo, New York, followed more than 5,000 women between the ages of 63 and 99, finding that those with greater muscle strength had a significantly lower risk of death over an eight-year period.
The findings were published in JAMA Network Open.
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Muscle function was measured using grip strength and how quickly participants could complete five unassisted sit-to-stand chair raises.
These are two tests commonly used in clinical settings to evaluate muscle function in older adults, the researchers noted.
A recent study shows that stronger muscle strength in women over 60 is linked to a lower risk of death over eight years. (iStock)
“In a community cohort of ambulatory older women, muscular strength was associated with significantly lower mortality rates, even when we accounted for usual physical activity and sedentary time measured using a wearable monitor, gait speed and blood C-reactive protein levels,” study lead author Michael LaMonte, research professor of epidemiology and environmental health at the University at Buffalo, told Fox News Digital.
“Movement is the key — just move more and sit less.”
Many earlier studies did not include those objective measurements, making it difficult to determine whether muscle strength itself was linked to longevity, according to LaMonte. “Our study was able to better isolate the association between strength and death in later life,” he added.
Even for women who don’t get the recommended amount of aerobic physical activity, which is at least 150 minutes per week, muscle strength remained important for longevity, the researchers found.
Women with greater muscle strength were more likely to live longer, even if they did not meet the recommended amount of aerobic exercise. (iStock)
“The findings of lower mortality in those who had higher strength but were not meeting current national guidelines on aerobic activity were somewhat intriguing,” LaMonte said.
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Federal guidelines recommend strengthening activities one to two days per week, targeting major muscle groups.
Resistance training does not have to require a gym membership, LaMonte noted. These exercises can be performed using free weights, resistance bands, bodyweight movements or even household items, such as soup cans.
Experts recommend working major muscle groups one or two days a week using weights, bands or bodyweight exercises. (iStock)
“Movement is the key — just move more and sit less,” he said. “When we can no longer get out of the chair and move around, we are in trouble.”
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LaMonte acknowledged several limitations of the study. The researchers assessed muscle strength in older age but did not explore how earlier levels in adulthood might influence long-term health outcomes.
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“We were not able to understand how strength and mortality relate in younger ages,” he said, noting that future research should explore whether building strength earlier could have an even greater impact on longevity.
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Compounds found in cannabis could provide a new roadmap for treating the world’s most common chronic liver disorder, according to a study released by the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.
The research, published in the British Journal of Pharmacology, found that cannabidiol (CBD) and cannabigerol (CBG) significantly reduced liver fat and improved metabolic health in experimental models.
CBD is the more widely studied non-intoxicating cannabinoid, while CBG is a less common “precursor” cannabinoid from which CBD is formed.
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Unlike THC, the primary psychoactive component in cannabis, these compounds do not produce a “high,” making them viable candidates for long-term medical treatment, the study suggests.
Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) currently affects approximately one-third of the global adult population, according to health data.
Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) currently affects approximately one-third of the global adult population. (iStock)
The condition, which is closely linked to obesity and insulin resistance, has few approved pharmaceutical treatments, the researchers said, leaving patients to rely largely on lifestyle changes that can be difficult to maintain.
“Our findings identify a new mechanism by which CBD and CBG enhance hepatic energy and lysosomal function,” said lead study author Joseph Tam, director of the Multidisciplinary Center for Cannabinoid Research at Hebrew University, in a press release.
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The study highlights a process called “metabolic remodeling,” in which the cannabis compounds created a “backup battery” for the liver by increasing levels of phosphocreatine, a high-energy molecule stored in muscle cells.
This energy reserve helps the organ function under the stress of a high-fat diet, which was an unexpected discovery, the team noted.
Researchers focused on CBD and CBG, two non-psychoactive compounds that offer therapeutic benefits without the “high” associated with THC. (iStock)
The researchers also found that CBD and CBG restored the activity of “cellular cleaning crews” known as cathepsins, enzymes that work within the cell’s recycling centers to break down harmful fats and waste.
With this process, the liver was better able to clear out dangerous lipids, including triglycerides and ceramides, which are known to trigger inflammation, the study showed.
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While both compounds were effective, CBG showed more robust results in certain areas, such as reducing total body fat mass, lowering “bad” LDL cholesterol and improving insulin sensitivity.
Researchers say this study opens a new path for using plant-based compounds to treat metabolic diseases by focusing on how cells manage energy and waste.
The discovery of a phosphocreatine “backup battery” in the liver marks a significant shift in how scientists understand the organ’s ability to survive high-fat diets. (iStock)
Limitations and caveats
Despite the promising results, the research team cautioned that the study was conducted in a controlled experimental environment. Further clinical trials are necessary to determine the proper application for human patients.
Other recent studies have pointed to potential issues with using cannabis as a medical tool.
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A major analysis published in JAMA examined more than 2,500 scientific papers from the last 15 years, including other reviews, clinical trials and guidelines focused on medical marijuana.
The 2025 review highlighted significant gaps between public perception and scientific evidence regarding cannabis’ effectiveness for most medical conditions.
Other recent studies have pointed to issues with the efficacy of cannabis as a medical tool. (iStock)
The researchers concluded that there are very few conditions for which cannabinoid therapies have clear, well-established benefits backed by high-quality clinical data.
“Whenever a substance is widely used, there is likely to be a very wide set of outcomes,” Alex Dimitriu, MD, who is double board-certified in psychiatry and sleep medicine and founder of Menlo Park Psychiatry & Sleep Medicine, previously told Fox News Digital. “This study points to the reality that this widely used substance is not a panacea.”
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The strongest evidence supports FDA-approved cannabinoid medications for treating specific conditions, including HIV/AIDS-related appetite loss, chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting, and certain severe pediatric seizure disorders, according to the review.
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Anyone interested in using marijuana for medical purposes should speak to a healthcare provider to discuss potential risks and benefits.
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While cannabis has recently come under fire for potential negative health risks, a recent study suggests that its use could increase brain volume and cognitive fitness.
Researchers at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus analyzed cannabis usage, brain scans and cognitive test results for more than 26,000 adults between the ages of 40 and 77, using data from the UK biobank.
The study found that cannabis users — particularly those who reported moderate lifetime usage — showed larger volumes in several brain regions.
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“Compared to individuals with no history of cannabis use, those who reported using cannabis showed larger volumes in several brain regions characterized by a high density of cannabinoid (CB1) receptors — regions involved in processes such as memory, information processing and emotion regulation,” lead study author Anika Guha, Ph.D., a researcher at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, told Fox News Digital.
A recent study suggests that cannabis use could increase brain volume and cognitive fitness. (iStock)
The cannabis users also scored better on cognitive tests that measured learning, processing speed and executive function.
This outcome differs from many previous studies, which have focused on short-term cognitive impairment during or shortly after cannabis use, the researcher pointed out.
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“These findings suggest that the relationship between cannabis and the brain may differ across the lifespan, and that moderate use in mid-to-later adulthood may be associated with positive brain health outcomes,” Guha said.
Not all areas of the brain showed positive effects among cannabis users. The posterior cingulate, which is involved in self-reflection and memory, had lower volume with higher marijuana use.
“The takeaway is not that people should start using more cannabis based on these findings alone.”
As cannabis has been rising in popularity among all ages, this type of study is important for understanding its long-term effects and the pros and cons of use, according to Matt Glowiak, Ph.D., chief addiction specialist with Recovered, an organization that provides information and resources for mental health and addiction treatment.
The drug’s effects likely depend on factors such as age, dose, frequency, product composition and individual vulnerability. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner, File)
“Given the connection between cannabis use and larger brain volume, it is believed that it may help [older] individuals retain cognitive function that might otherwise naturally decline,” Chicago-based Glowiak, who was not involved in the study, told Fox News Digital.
“This is a huge benefit, but one we need to explore a bit further, ahead of encouraging those who would otherwise not consider integrating cannabis into their healthcare regimen.”
Limitations and caveats
As the study was observational in nature, it could not prove that cannabis use improves brain health — instead, it only showed an association, according to Dr. Marc Siegel, Fox News senior medical analyst, who was not involved in the study.
“The preponderance of previous evidence does not line up with improved cognitive function from chronic cannabis use,” Siegel told Fox News Digital. “This study is an outlier, and though it cannot be ignored, it is not justification for use.”
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The study also relied on the UK Biobank, which offers a “large and rich dataset,” Guha said — but it is limited to the questions that were originally posed to the participants.
“In particular, we have only a broad measure of how many times someone has used cannabis over their lifetime,” she said. “We do not have access to details about how they used cannabis, such as whether they smoked or used edibles, the type or potency of cannabis, or when in their life they used most heavily.”
Cannabis users scored better in learning, processing speed and executive function. (iStock)
“Those details likely matter a great deal for understanding how cannabis affects the aging brain.”
Given these limitations, Guha suggests that the findings should be seen as an early indicator that cannabis use may be related to brain aging, “and as a starting point for more targeted research that can tease apart these relationships.”
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“The takeaway is not that people should start using more cannabis based on these findings alone,” she emphasized. “While cannabis may have potential benefits in some contexts, a substantial body of research also documents important risks, underscoring that cannabis is neither completely beneficial nor completely harmful.”
The drug’s effects likely depend on factors such as age, dose, frequency, product composition and individual vulnerability, according to Guha.
“Given the widespread use and legalization of cannabis, it would be great to know that it is net-positive for brain health — however, this feels too good to be true, and too early to claim,” one expert said. (AP)
“As with any substance, individuals should consult with a healthcare provider before initiating use, particularly if they have a history of mental health concerns, as THC (the primary psychoactive component of cannabis) can exacerbate symptoms such as psychosis in vulnerable individuals,” she added.
Dr. Alex Dimitriu, who is double board-certified in psychiatry and sleep medicine and the founder of Menlo Park Psychiatry & Sleep Medicine, reiterated that this study is an “outlier,” as most previous research has shown “detrimental effects” from cannabis use.
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“Given the widespread use and legalization of cannabis, it would be great to know that it is net-positive for brain health — however, this feels too good to be true, and too early to claim,” he said. “I would advise proceeding with caution and moderation.”
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Dimitriu agreed that more large-scale studies and review papers are needed to get a “clearer picture.”
“What this cannabis study shows is that there may be conflicting information, which warrants more investigation.”
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