How to prevent cancer with nutrition? Which foods to eat and which to avoid? Interview with Dr. Romina Cervigni, a nutritional biologist and Scientific Director of Fondazione Valter Longo Onlus
Preventing cancer with food is possible. By following some simple precautions, you can enjoy the benefits of a diet with anticancer and anti-aging effects, avoid malnutrition, enjoy what you eat, and follow a healthy diet for the rest of your life.
It is about eating more but limiting yourself to a certain number of ingredients that you like, and that not only allow you to maintain a normal weight, honor tradition and nutritechnology, but are also based on clinical trials, epidemiological studies, centenarians, juventology, and longevity studies.
Fasting Cancer
In his new book “Fasting Cancer” (Il cancro a digiuno), Valter Longo, an internationally renowned biogerontologist, used the results of thirty years of clinical research to demonstrate the efficacy of the fasting-mimicking diet and the Longevity Diet in reducing risk factors for cancer and other age-related diseases, and reinforcing traditional anti-cancer therapies.
The Role of Fasting and Fasting-mimicking Diet in Cancer Prevention
What benefits can fasting have on our health, and consequently on cancer prevention? When and how much to fast? Why follow the fasting-mimicking diet? Dr. Longo responds to these questions in his new book.
“The ideal period for fasting to prevent certain diseases, in the absence of specific situations and family history, is 12 hours between dinner and breakfast the following day. An interesting clinical study performed via a mobile phone application observed how eating over a period of 15 hours or more can have negative impact on weight, sleep, and energy levels. When food consumption was limited to a time frame of less than 11 hours, positive effects were observed on weight, sleep, and energy levels. In addition to 12-13 hours of fasting per day, periodic cycles of the fasting-mimicking diet should be considered. The fasting-mimicking diet lasts 5 days and is low in calories, proteins, and sugars, but high in fats of plant origin, and has shown to be effective in reducing risk factors for cancer markers, including IGF-1, insulin, leptin, glucose, as well as abdominal fat and waist circumference.”
Be careful not to overdo it, however, the hours of fasting should not be few, but not too many:
“In an experiment that lasted 16 weeks, people who abstained from food for 14 hours a day (and then ate for 10-11 hours a day) achieved a reduction in body weight, which they maintained even after a year. Those who follow this dietary pattern also report feeling more energetic, particularly in the morning, feeling less hungry at bedtime, and sleeping better. However, if we monitor people who fast daily for 16 hours or more and consume food within an 8 hour window or less, we begin to see problems, especially among those who skip breakfast. Among the negative effects reported by those who skip breakfast are weight and cholesterol gain, high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease, and higher mortality. Long periods of fasting also increase the risk of gallbladder stone formation: those who fast for 16 hours per day are twice more likely to develop gallbladder stones compared to those who fast for 10 hours per day. Taking this into consideration, my recommendations, as described in the book The Longevity Diet, are to eat within an 11–12-hour window and fast for 12-13 hours a day. I have never read a study that has highlighted the negative consequences of fasting 12 hours a day, and this suggests that, even if it causes problems, it rarely happens. “
If we refer specifically to cancer, the expert says that
“Overnight fasting improves blood glucose regulation and sleep, two factors that potentially reduce the risk of recurrence, or of the recurrence of the cancer. A study that took place between 1995 and 2007 that analyzed a sample of women who participated in the Women’s Healthy Eating and Living prospective study, found that a short overnight fast of <13 hours per night was associated with a greater risk of breast cancer recurrence (36%), compared to a fast of >13 hours per night.
In the case of women with a family history of breast cancer or already affected by breast cancer, it may be important to extend the overnight fast to 13-14 hours. Therefore, adopting a daily fasting period of 12-14 hours is a simple and feasible way to potentially reduce breast cancer recurrence. The phenomenon could be based in part on the ability to adopt periods of daily fasting to lower blood glucose and insulin levels, but probably also to reduce IGF-1 and other growth factors. Additionally, it could also reduce the risk of getting type 2 diabetes and suffering from cardiovascular diseases.”
To know more:
The Role of The Longevity Diet in Cancer Prevention
Cancer is one of the diseases most correlated to age, as it depends on a series of factors influenced by the aging process, such as DNA damage, inflammation, and weakening of the immune system.
Cancer prevention is therefore also linked to the possibility of delaying the aging process and activating anti-aging strategies.
In his new book, prof. Longo remembers that “The Longevity Diet is based on the ‘5 Pillars of Longevity’: different fields of science and medicine that ensure that dietary recommendations have deep roots and a high probability of prolonging healthy longevity. The aim is to move from a point of view that is limited to a single study or a single field of research, such as that of epidemiological studies, to formulate recommendations based on all five pillars and which are likely to change substantially in the coming decades “.
Therefore, based on decades of research, experts say that preventing cancer with nutrition can be done with a diet that consists of low but sufficient protein content:
“We know that growth genes such as IGF-1, and S6K-TOR are implicated in cell proliferation and in age-related diseases, including cancer. We also know that we can activate them with the intake of proteins or certain amino acids. It is therefore not surprising that a low but sufficient protein intake increases the lifespan of mice. Low protein intake can also decrease the growth and survival of some cancers, for example, melanoma, and breast cancer in mice, once the tumor has stabilized. In adults, protein intake should be limited to 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram (0.36 grams per pound) of ideal body weight. This means that if a person is overweight or obese, the weight used to measure adequate protein intake should be between the actual weight and the ideal weight. Any changes should be suggested by the doctor and/or nutritionist according to age, nutritional status, physical activity, and other physiological and clinical parameters. In our epidemiological study we have shown that people who eat a low-protein diet (less than 10% of daily calories) are 4 times less likely to develop cancer than those who eat a high-protein diet (more than 20% of daily calories). Interestingly, this only proved true for people up to and including 65, who had been followed for many years after the first interview, but not for those over sixty-six. In other words, an 80-year-old on a low-protein diet did not have the same benefits seen in adults on a low-protein diet. This does not mean that an 80-year-old should consume a high-protein diet, but that a moderate intake and probably a wider range of protein sources (legumes, seeds, nuts, fish, eggs, yogurt etc.) could be more suitable.”
It is also important to keep blood glucose levels low, but not too low:
“Sugars have taken the place of fats and have become the most demonized nutrients. As in the case of proteins, sugars and carbohydrates should not be subjected to fierce criticism, as it is their excess that can have negative consequences. Additionally, the excess of refined and starchy carbohydrates such as pasta, rice, bread, and potatoes, should be limited, but not avoided, so that requirements for these are met without causing high insulin levels or promoting fat storage and insulin resistance (which in turn causes a further rise in blood sugar and further fat storage).
Many of these refined carbohydrates, such as potatoes and bread, induce an immediate release of blood sugar, similar to table sugar. In addition to causing weight gain and reducing insulin functionality, high blood sugar levels can accelerate the aging process, acting both directly on cellular targets and through insulin activity “.
Finally, now let’s talk about fat:
“In the period following the demonization of fat, where everyone tended to consume ‘fat-free’ or ‘low-fat’ foods, we have seen an unprecedented increase in overweight and obesity. In recent decades, however, the war on fats has been replaced by the war on carbohydrates which has also been accompanied by weight gain in many countries. In the United States nearly three out of four people are overweight or obese. At first, a large part of the world population adopted a low-fat, high-carbohydrate diet, and accumulated a lot of fat, then switched to a low-carbohydrate, high-protein, and high-fat diet, reaching record levels of overweight and obesity. Therefore, the solution that allows you to have the maximum impact on the incidence of cancer cannot be summed up in two words as “low fat” or “low carb”, as many journalists would like you to believe. Instead, it is a relatively simple solution, which includes a good intake of healthy fats (nuts, olive oil, salmon, etc.), low but sufficient proteins (see above), a relatively high carbohydrate diet (about 60% of daily calories) coming mainly from vegetables and legumes but also from pasta, bread, rice, and potatoes, but in moderation. In the clinics of my foundation in Milan and Los Angeles we don’t just make people aware of the ideal diet and give them recommendations for a healthy lifestyle, but we also take into account the feasibility of all of this, and how likely people may actually be able to follow our directions. Banning starchy foods and refined carbohydrates like rice and pasta altogether, or completely replacing them with their whole-grain alternatives could possibly have more beneficial effects than limiting them, but for the vast majority of people a diet without these ingredients would be very difficult to follow, and very easy to give up. The best thing, therefore, is 1) to reduce the consumption of foods with limited nutrients that quickly release blood sugars such as potatoes, rice, bread, to keep blood glucose, insulin, weight, and waist circumference within ideal limits and to minimize the risk of cancer and other pathologies; 2) allow people to consume enough of these highly starchy foods to still enjoy the food and be able to follow variations of the Longevity Diet for life. Additionally, our nutritionists also try to understand what people like and provide them with personalized diets to change their eating habits as little as possible “.
How oo Prevent Cancer with Food: What to Eat for Breakfast, Lunch And Dinner?
Having a healthy and balanced diet, allows for “a 360-degree turn, in terms of disease prevention: the Longevity Diet fits into this perspective because it prolongs youth, prevents aging, and therefore related diseases, including diabetes and cancer,” explains Dr. Romina Inès Cervigni, nutritional biologist and Scientific Director of Fondazione Valter Longo Onlus, to MeteoWeb. “Aging is a risk factor for many diseases, including cancers”.
A balanced diet means eating well and “avoiding excesses or deficiencies,” recalls the expert. Among foods that are often consumed in excess, it is important to pay attention to “proteins and sugars, because they are able to activate intracellular mechanisms for aging: they activate the TOR and PKA genes that speed up the aging process”.
In this context, it is also essential to “maintain adequate body weight, as excess fat is a risk factor for various diseases, including cancer”.
As for the deficiencies, “malnutrition weakens the immune system, who protects us from attacks of various kinds, including cancer. In the early stages of cancer development, the role of the immune system is to protect us: if we are weak and fragile it cannot attack the first cells that give life to the tumor “.
All of this simply means that “we have to eat precisely the right quantities and combinations,” says the nutritionist.
For example, regarding sugars, “Think of fruit, which is rich in vitamins and fiber, but is still a source of sugars. Biscuits, jams, honey should be consumed in small quantities, and according to the WHO they should not exceed 10% of the total calories consumed. Even better if it does not exceed 5% “.
Returning to the example of fruit, “if it is consumed alone, as is often the case, it can be rapidly absorbed and cause a rise in blood sugar followed by a hypoglycemic drop, giving us the feeling of hunger that leads us to eat other sugars “. This vicious circle “gives rise to mechanisms of lipogenesis, increases abdominal fat, and risk factors for many diseases, including tumors.”
A “trick” to break this vicious cycle is to “combine sugars with healthy fats or proteins or fibers, or all three. Fats, proteins and fibers disturb the absorption of sugars, cushion the hyperglycemic peak first and then the hypoglycemic peak, the increase in blood sugar occurs gradually, and the harmful mechanisms disappear “.
Instead of “eating only one fruit, it would be better to combine nuts, or a piece of dark chocolate”. Or again, for example, “you can combine oil with carbohydrates, such as a slice of bread”.
Regarding proteins, “many think that it is only animal proteins that should not be consumed in excess, which is partly true, because they have saturated fats and perhaps derive from intensive farming and may contain antibiotics and hormones,” but it should be noted that ” even plant proteins can activate certain mechanisms, so these also are included in the calculation. Legumes are beneficial and contain fiber, vitamins, and minerals, but their protein content also ends up in the calculation “. In fact, remember that in adults, protein intake should be limited to 0.8 grams of protein per kg of ideal body weight (or 0.36 grams per pound).
Animal proteins, however, “not only have negative consequences: if we consider fatty fish, it also contains Vitamin D and Omega-3, which have anti-inflammatory functions,” emphasizes Dr. Cervigni.
Finally, some useful advice on meals. The expert begins by debunking a myth: “Carbohydrates are easier to digest than proteins, if consumed at dinner they allow us to go to sleep without being weighed down by a meal”. In addition, 12 hours should elapse between the last bite of dinner and the first bite the next morning: overnight fasting has truly beneficial effects on health. “For patients who have won the battle against cancer, we recommend an overnight fast of 13-14 hours, because this time frame has been associated with a lower risk of relapse,” says the expert.
After a light dinner, “breakfast can be richer the next day: you can consume a source of complex carbohydrates, bread, Italian rusks, unsweetened cereals, healthy fats, such as walnuts, hazelnuts, 100% dried nut butters, a fruit, jam, or orange juice “. The light dinner also allows, if desired, “to be able to consume proteins for breakfast, perhaps plant-based yogurt, or a savory breakfast with hummus”.
Still considering a light dinner, perhaps with a plate of pasta, a first course with legumes, more vegetables and oil, “lunch can consist of a second course, fish, and vegetables, and few carbohydrates, like a little bread. You can consume something like poke, a bowl of rice with a source of protein, such as chickpeas, salmon, or vegetables. Cold cuts, which have been classified as carcinogenic by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) should be avoided. Likewise, if you opt for salmon, it must not be smoked “. Other lunch options can be “chickpea hummus, mackerel, vegetables, avocado”.
Dairy products “should be consumed moderately, and in fact be limited as much as possible, due to the presence of growth hormones, if we are still considering cancer prevention.”
Finally, another factor that can’t be forgotten in the prevention of diseases and overall wellbeing: “Physical activity is part of disease prevention. We recommend both aerobic exercise, such as a fast walk, taking the stairs instead of the elevator, and anaerobic exercise, such as pilates, weight lifting, even very light ones, “concludes the expert.
Who is Romina Inès Cervigni, nutritional biologist
Romina Inès Cervigni, nutritional biologist, Scientific Director of Fondazione Valter Longo Onlus, has a PhD from the Open University in the United Kingdom in the field of oncology, with a particular focus on cell biology research. She also collaborated as a postdoctoral researcher with the National Research Committee (CNR) of Naples and with the VitaSalute San Raffaele University of Milan, working in the field of neurodegenerative diseases.
She received a second levels Master’s Degree at the Polytechnic University of Marche in Nutrition and Dietetics, and completed her training by integrating drug therapies for various diseases through food therapy. She has worked for the Fondazione Valter Longo Onlus since the beginning and assists patients with various diseases from all over the world.
What is the Fondazione Valter Longo Onlus? Its mission is to optimize longevity and offer everyone the opportunity for a longer and healthier life. This is the mantra that inspired Valter Longo, an internationally renowned scientist and biogerontologist, to create the Fondazione Valter Longo Onlus, which works to prevent and treat serious diseases and allow everyone, children and adults, even those in poverty, to live long and healthy lives. The Foundation is dedicated to promoting healthy longevity through food education in schools and support for at-risk individuals those in difficulty, to prevent and treat serious diseases.
It is Foundation focused on creativity, but also on the multidisciplinary approach seen in a university setting. A unique approach, which combines molecular biology, dietetics, and medicine to inform, assist, and treat more and more people, from childhood to old age, and accompany them towards a healthy longevity. In particular, the work of the Foundation focuses on the link between nutrients and longevity genes to live healthier and longer lives and create what can be defined as “planned longevity”.
The mission of the Foundation is to slow down and fight the onset of important age-related and non-communicable diseases, such as cancers, diabetes, obesity, cardiovascular diseases, autoimmune diseases, such as Crohn’s disease and multiple sclerosis, and neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s, and promote nutrition education and the growing awareness of a balanced lifestyle and healthy eating habits.
“Not everyone is aware that nutrition is one of the most powerful natural drugs available to us, both to prevent and treat diseases”, Valter Longo points out. This is why the work of Fondazione Valter Longo Onlus focuses on finding the link between nutrients and longevity genes to live healthier and longer lives. A real evolved biological strategy to be able to influence longevity and health through protection and regeneration strategies, such as diet and fasting.
The Fondazione Valter Longo Onlus intends to educate, train, and collaborate with a team of 10 thousand nutritionists to transform them into real ambassadors of healthy longevity and make a concrete contribution to the health of children and adults alike.
