Korean's leading cause of death: cancer... 'This food' is deadly.

I occasionally eat hamburgers 🍔 and pizza 🍕 with us😁

A study has shown that eating less fast food such as hamburgers and pizza can significantly help reduce mortality rates among cancer survivors.

According to the latest issue of the international journal Nutrients on the 11th, a research team from Seoul National University College of Medicine (Shin Aeseon, Kang Daehui, Won Donghyun Professors) conducted a study on 139,267 individuals aged 40 to 69 who participated in an urban cohort study from 2004 to 2013, with an average follow-up period of 10.1 years, and obtained these results. In this study, 5,585 cancer survivors had survived for more than five years.

The research team classified study participants into high, medium, and low groups based on how well they adhered to the "10 Recommendations for Cancer Prevention" advised by the World Cancer Research Fund (WCRF) and the American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR) in real life. They analyzed the impact of each group's adherence on mortality rates. As a result, the high group showed a 34% lower mortality rate compared to the low group.

In the intermediate group, the mortality rate is 25% lower compared to the low group. An analysis of cancer prevention recommendations showed that limiting fast food intake and maintaining physical activity have a particularly significant impact on reducing mortality among cancer survivors. Additionally, the group that limited fast food consumption after being diagnosed with cancer had a 22% lower mortality rate than the group that did not.

The research team explained that limiting fast food intake is believed to help prevent high blood sugar load, inflammation, tumor growth, and metastasis associated with processed foods. Professor Shin stated, "The correlation between adherence to cancer prevention guidelines and mortality was most prominent in the group that survived more than five years after cancer treatment. Even after cancer treatment, guidelines should be followed."

In terms of physical activity, the group engaging in moderate to vigorous exercise for at least 150 minutes per week showed a 23% lower mortality rate compared to the group that hardly exercised. WCRF and AICR recommended reducing not only fast food but also sugar-sweetened beverages and alcohol consumption. Conversely, consuming a diet rich in whole grains, vegetables, fruits, and beans, and maintaining a healthy weight are beneficial.

Reporter Kim Jin-wook (reality@kmib.co.kr)