Foods that affect your risk of cancer

Health experts used to think that a diet high in fiber would help prevent colon cancer, since rates of that cancer are lower in countries where fiber consumption is high. But scientific studies aiming to prove such a link have not been able to do so. Trials that randomly assigned some people to a high-fiber diet and others to a low-fiber diet found that people in both groups developed pre-cancerous colon polyps at essentially the same rate, according to the Harvard School of Public Health.  (Ricardo DeAratanha / Los Angeles Times)

A high-fat diet appears to be a risk factor for colon and lung cancer, according to the National Cancer Institute. In post-menopausal women, eating fatty foods is also linked with an increased risk of breast cancer. No more than 10% of calories should come from saturated fats, and consumption of trans fats should be as low as possible, the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans advise.   (Carlos Osorio / Associated Press)

Women who consume more than one drink a day and men who consume more than two drinks per day are at increased risk for various types of cancer, including those of the liver, larynx, mouth, esophagus and pharynx, the National Cancer Institute says. In women, this level of drinking also raises the risk of breast cancer. The younger a person is when he or she becomes a heavy drinker, the greater their cancer risk, the Natonal Cancer Institute says.  (Ricardo DeAratanha / Los Angeles Times)