Healthy diet and lifestyle and their importance in the prevention of cancer

Background A healthy lifestyle and a healthy diet are good protection against noncommunicable diseases and their consequences. These include obesity and metabolic syndrome as well as cancer. Results If one adheres to the basic recommendations of the professional societies (e.g. German Society for Nutrition), a healthy diet is nothing more and nothing less than a balanced mixed diet. It is thanks to the WCRF (World Cancer Research Fund) that the almost unmanageable amount of scientific data has been sorted out and that a relationship between nutrition, including the judgment of individual foods, and cancer risk could be established. In the process, it turned out that there is only solid evidence of such a connection in the case of colorectal tumours and that everything else is only probable or evident to a limited extent. Avoidance of obesity, regular exercise and a balanced diet are the factors most likely to prevent cancer. Conclusions Knowledge of the pathomechanisms of obesity and metabolic syndrome that promote cancer also allows us to assess where targeted action is needed. The same applies to the effect of individual foods, such as meat and meat products. Last but not least, it must be taken into account that the risk can also vary due to metabolic specificities and genetic polymorphisms.