Cancer-Preventing Benefits of the Traditional Asian Diet

Studies show that Asian populations have a lower incidence of chronic diseases, such as cancer, than their Western counterparts. One such study, by the National Cancer Institute, found that whites had a 65 percent higher rate of cancer mortality than Asian-Pacific Islanders from the years 1998 to 2002.

UCSF Cancer Resource Center nutritionist Sarah O'Brien, MS, RD, says diet and lifestyle are key factors in cancer prevention, with genetics playing a secondary role. O'Brien discussed a study that investigated the relationship between the westernization of culture across the globe and a parallel increase in cancer in Asian countries.

When determining which foods have cancer-preventing potential, O'Brien takes a big-picture approach and looks at dietary patterns of Asian populations over time.

Read more at Sharon Brock, UCSF Today