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Eat right, get enough exercise, and avoid smoking and alcohol are generally considered the top pieces of advice for staving off cancer.
But other research shows there may be less conventional methods to staying healthy.
As a record number of Americans are set to be diagnosed with cancer this year, and as cases in young people surge, DailyMail.com has revealed six unexpected habits that may keep you healthier longer.
Masturbate
A major review suggested that masturbating could lower the risk of prostate cancer, the most common form of the disease in American men (stock photo)
A little self love could go a long way, according to recent research.
A review published earlier this month combed through 11 studies on the effect of masturbation on the risk of prostate cancer, the most common form of the disease in American men.
Nearly 300,000 American men are diagnosed with the condition every year, and 35,000 die.
One study included in the review was 2017 research from Harvard Medical School. Men ages 46 to 81 were asked how many times they ejaculated per month in their twenties, forties and in the most recent year.
The team found men who climaxed 21 or more times a month had a 31 percent lower risk of prostate cancer than those who did so just four to seven times a month.
And another study in the mix found men who ejaculated at least four times a month through sex or masturbation had the lowest prostate cancer risk compared to those who did so less often.
It’s still unclear exactly how ejaculating may lower the risk of prostate cancer, but experts believe it could be due to increased blood flow to the prostate, a walnut-sized organ that is only found in men.
Located between the base of the penis and the rectum, the prostate produces fluid that mixes with sperm to help it travel and survive.
The extra blood flow from masturbating could deliver vital oxygen and nutrients that help remove waste products linked to cancer.
Additionally, ejaculating could help flush out harmful carcinogens that may build up in the semen.
Pair avocados and tomatoes
Combining avocados and tomatoes two could help the body absorb the disease-fighting antioxidant lycopene
Avocado toast has long been a scapegoat for millennials’ financial woes, but topping it with tomatoes could boost immune health and lower cancer risk.
Tomatoes contain essential vitamins and minerals like vitamin C, potassium, vitamin K, and folate, which help lower harmful inflammation, promote blood pressure control, and aid cell function.
Avocados, meanwhile, are rich in omega-3 fatty acids, which have been shown to reduce cholesterol and inflammation, as well as boost concentration and focus.
On their own, each food contains compounds that can reduce the risk of several forms of cancer, including colorectal and pancreatic cancers, but combining the two could help the body absorb the disease-fighting antioxidant lycopene.
Lycopene is a compound that gives tomatoes their bright red color and has been shown to protect your body from damage caused by free radicals, unstable molecules that accumulate, damaging cells and causing cancer cells to form.
It’s still unclear if this leads to certain forms of cancer over others.
However, the rich fatty acids in avocados improve lycopene’s bioavailability – the amount of compound the body can absorb and benefit from.
A review in The Journal of Nutrition found combining the two foods has been shown to lower prostate cancer risk in animals, though more concrete research is needed in humans.
Drink your tea lukewarm
Sipping on piping-hot tea could raise a person’s risk of esophageal cancer
Sipping a glass of green tea has a host of benefits, including killing cancer cells with plant compounds called polyphenols.
One 2018 review found polyphenols in green tea helped prevent UVB radiation, a primary risk factor for skin cancer.
However, drinking it piping hot could raise the risk of esophageal cancer, which kills 16,000 Americans every year and has just a one in five survival rate.
A 2018 study from researchers in China of more than 450,000 adults found those who said they drank ‘burning hot’ tea, smoked tobacco, and drank excessively had a five-fold increased risk of esophageal cancer, as the temperature could increase damage to the esophageal lining caused by smoking and drinking.
Additionally, researchers in Iran found people who drank beverages 140 degrees Fahrenheit (60 degrees Celsius) or hotter and consumed more than two large cups of the hot drinks per day had a 90 percent higher risk of esophageal cancer compared to those who drank less tea at cooler temperatures.
However, the team said more research is needed to pinpoint the exact reason as to why the hot temperatures are linked with an increased risk of esophageal cancer.
Switch to the day shift
Working the night shift leads to a disruption in the body’s natural circadian rhythm, which weakens the immune system (stock photo)
Research has long linked the graveyard shift to an array of health issues, from sleep disorders to diabetes to heart disease.
On top of those, working nights could raise cancer risk.
A study published earlier this month in the journal Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention analyzed data from almost 4million women to find the association between long-term night work and nearly a dozen forms of cancer.
The team found women working nights had an overall increased cancer risk of 19 percent.
When looking at individual cancers, they were 41 percent more likely to get skin cancer, 32 percent more likely to be diagnosed with breast cancer, and 18 percent more likely to develop gastrointestinal cancers like stomach or colorectal cancer.
And with every five years of late shift work, breast cancer risk increased by 3.3 percent.
Experts estimate that disruptions to circadian rhythm caused by shift work could be to blame, as it could weaken the immune system.
One study in the journal Cancer, for example, found sleeping less than six hours per night was associated with a greater risk of colorectal cancer.
Cut down on oral sex
Doctors have warned that HPV — the world’s most common STD — is the leading risk factor for throat cancer in men and women (stock photo)
While having more sex and masturbating might lower prostate cancer risk, oral sex specifically has been linked to an increase in esophageal cancer.
Researchers believe this could be because oral sex raises the likelihood of contracting human papillomavirus (HPV), a group of sexually transmitted viruses and known risk factors for certain forms of head and neck cancer.
In 2021, researchers from Johns Hopkins University interviewed more than 163 patients with HPV-related oropharyngeal cancer, a form of the disease that affects the middle part of the throat, and 345 healthy people.
All took detailed surveys on sexual behaviors and submitted blood samples to test for HPV antibodies.
The team found those with HPV-related cancer started having oral sex at an earlier age and with more partners than healthy patients.
Researchers also estimated the cancer patients were about 80 percent more likely than those without cancer to have ever performed oral sex on a partner.
The research only studied how oral sex was a risk factor for cancer and did not have any findings related to penetrative sex.
Getting an HPV vaccine and limiting your number of sexual partners can help mitigate this risk. The CDC recommends people get the HPV two- or three-vaccine series around 11 or 12 years old.
According to the National Cancer Institute, there will be about 71,000 cases of head and neck cancers in the US this year, along with 16,100 deaths.
Soak up the sun
Getting enough sunlight boosts vitamin D, an essential mineral for easing harmful inflammation
Exposure to sunlight and ultraviolet radiation is the main risk factor for developing skin cancer and melanoma.
However, soaking up the sun, the prime source of vitamin D, could lower your risk of other forms like breast and colorectal cancers.
Research in the Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology found getting at least 1,000 units of vitamin D every day could lower the risk of colorectal, breast, and prostate cancer by 30 to 50 percent.
Vitamin D helps reduce harmful inflammation and controls the growth of cells, including cancer cells.
Additionally, a 2019 study found people with higher vitamin D levels had reduced risks of colorectal and bladder cancers.
However, the American Cancer Society still recommends wearing sunscreen and staying in the shade on particularly sunny days.
The recommended daily vitamin D intake is about 600 international units (IU) per day for adults.
For vitamin D-rich foods, people should reach for salmon or eggs and can boost levels with over-the-counter supplements or vitamins.
