By Kieran Waldron

Governments throughout the world rarely tell their populations what the individual can do to prevent a disease occurring in the first instance. While all the emphasis is put on building more hospitals, better equipped hospitals and reducing waiting lists, lowering the need for hospital space by preventing diseases largely gets ignored.

Cancer is a good example of a disease where its strike rate can be greatly reduced by the individual taking precautionary measures. The incidence of cancer can, in some cases, be reduced by more than 50 percent by taking simple preventative actions.

The first preventative measure that should be taken is adequate exposure to direct sunlight. The effect of direct sunlight on the skin produces vitamin D, which is vital to good health. While some vitamin D can be obtained from food sources, the individual is unlikely to get enough from sources other than the sun. The exposure for white people need only be 10-15 minutes a day 3 or 4 times a week. However, the further you live from the equator, the more exposure you need. It should be noted that people with dark skin pigmentation require 20 times the exposure stated above to create the same amount of vitamin D. Sufficient levels of vitamin D are crucial to calcium absorption in the intestines.

The individual can further reduce his/her susceptibility to this disease by the choice of foods eaten at meal times. Limit your intake of meat, butter, eggs and cheese. These animal fats increase your risk of developing certain types of cancer (breast, prostate, intestine and pancreas). Eat more fish and poultry instead.

Eating a lot of fresh fruit and vegetables (tomatoes, carrots, leeks, cabbage, broccoli and onions etc ) helps protect the body against cancer of the colon, stomach, rectum and lungs. These are also rich in vitamins A, B and C, all of which help to fight free radicals and thereby prevent cancer.

Eat wholegrain bread for its fiber content. Fiber improves intestinal functions and helps protect against colon cancer.