How What You Eat Affects Cancer Risk
NINA AGRAWAL
2026年1月28日
https://cn.nytimes.com/health/20260128/ ... risk/dual/
Over decades, a growing body of literature has shown clear links between what we eat and how likely we are to develop various cancers. In recent years, the research has moved away from the impact of individual “superfoods” and antioxidants to focus on how overall, long-term dietary habits affect risk.
过去数十年间，越来越多的研究文献揭示了饮食与多种癌症患病风险之间的明确关联。近年来，研究重点已从单一“超级食物”或抗氧化剂的影响转向长期整体饮食习惯如何影响患癌风险。
That’s not to say that any individual cancer diagnosis can be blamed on someone’s diet; cancer, after all, arises as a result of a large constellation of factors — and it occurs in people who make healthy choices.
这并非意指任何个体的癌症确诊可归咎于其饮食习惯；毕竟癌症的发生源于多重因素的交织作用——即便是坚持健康生活方式的人群亦可能患癌。
But on a population level, there are some trends in the data. Here’s what we know.
但从人群层面观察，数据确实呈现出某些规律。以下是当前已知的研究结论。
Prioritize plants.
优先选择植物性食物。
Eating patterns that emphasize whole grains, fresh fruits and vegetables, and lean or plant-based proteins have shown the most consistent association with a lower risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes and cancer. One reason may be that people who follow these eating patterns have lower levels of insulin and inflammation, said Fred Tabung, a cancer epidemiologist at The Ohio State University College of Medicine and Comprehensive Cancer Center who studies diet, metabolism and cancer.
以全谷物、新鲜水果和蔬菜，以及瘦肉或植物性蛋白为主的饮食模式与较低的心血管疾病、糖尿病和癌症风险之间存在最显著的相关性。研究饮食、新陈代谢与癌症关系的俄亥俄州立大学医学院及综合癌症中心的癌症流行病学家弗雷德·塔邦博士表示，其中一个原因可能在于，遵循这种饮食模式的人群胰岛素水平和炎症水平较低。
Chronically high levels of insulin and inflammation are key features of obesity and metabolic syndrome, which mediate cancer risk. High insulin and inflammation also promote unnecessary cell division, cell growth, DNA damage and the inhibition of cell death, which are all hallmarks of cancer, Dr. Tabung said.
长期处于较高水平的胰岛素和炎症状态是肥胖和代谢综合征的核心特征，这些正是增加癌症风险的重要因素。塔邦博士指出，高胰岛素和炎症会促进不必要的细胞分裂与生长，导致DNA损伤并抑制细胞死亡——这些都是癌症的典型特征。
Whole grains, fresh fruits and vegetables, and legumes and nuts contain lots of dietary fiber, which has been associated with lower cancer risk. This may be because fiber helps speed stool along the digestive tract, limiting exposure to carcinogens, and because it feeds microbes in the gut that help protect against inflammation, said Dr. Kimmie Ng, associate chief of the division of gastrointestinal oncology at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston.
全谷物、新鲜果蔬、豆类及坚果富含膳食纤维与较低的患癌风险相关。波士顿丹娜-法伯癌症研究所胃肠道肿瘤科副主任金米·吴博士指出，这可能是因为纤维有助于加速粪便在消化道中的移动，从而减少与致癌物的接触时间，同时，纤维还能滋养肠道中的微生物，帮助抵御炎症。
Dr. Tabung added that leafy, green vegetables like lettuce, kale, spinach and arugula, and dark yellow vegetables like carrots, yams and squash, when part of a broader dietary pattern, appeared to promote lower levels of insulin and inflammation.
塔邦博士补充说，若作为整体饮食模式的一部分，生菜、羽衣甘蓝、菠菜和芝麻菜等绿叶蔬菜，以及胡萝卜、山药和南瓜等深黄色蔬菜似乎有助于降低胰岛素和炎症水平。
Choose your meat carefully.
谨慎选择肉类。
The International Agency for Research on Cancer has labeled processed meat like bacon, salami and hot dogs as carcinogenic to humans. The agency has said red meat is “probably carcinogenic” due to limited but strong evidence. Research has shown that the type of iron in red meat, as well as the chemicals formed when red meat is cooked at high temperatures, for example during grilling and smoking, produce compounds involved in DNA damage. Nitrates and nitrites in processed meats have also been strongly associated with cancer.
国际癌症研究机构已将培根、萨拉米香肠和热狗等加工肉类列为对致癌物质。该机构表示，基于有限但强有力的证据，红肉“可能致癌”。研究表明，红肉中的铁元素类型，以及红肉在高温烹饪（如烧烤和熏制）过程中形成的化学物质会产生与DNA损伤相关的化合物。加工肉类中的硝酸盐和亚硝酸盐也与癌症高度相关。
Nutrition and cancer researchers recommend avoiding processed meats altogether, and limiting red meat to two to three servings per week. If you are going to grill, use an acidic marinade, like one that’s citrus- or vinegar-based, as that can help reduce the amount of carcinogens formed, said Carrie Daniel-MacDougall, a professor of epidemiology at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. Or instead eat fish, which may independently lower cancer risk, said Dr. Andrew Chan, a gastroenterologist at Mass General Brigham.
营养与癌症研究人员建议完全避免加工肉类，并将红肉限制在每周两到三份。得克萨斯大学MD安德森癌症中心的流行病学教授卡丽·丹尼尔-麦克杜格尔建议，如果打算烧烤，可使用酸性腌料（如柑橘或醋基腌料），这有助于减少致癌物的生成。麻省总医院布莱根卫生系统的胃肠病学家安德鲁·陈（音）博士则建议，可以改吃鱼类，鱼类本身可能有助于降低癌症风险。
Limit ultraprocessed foods.
限制超加工食品。
There is increasing evidence linking ultraprocessed foods, including sugar-sweetened beverages, to cancer. One reason might be that they tend to be high in sugar and calories, which can contribute to insulin resistance and obesity. But lab studies also suggest that chemicals in these foods alter the balance between “good” and “bad” gut microbes and damage the gut lining, promoting inflammation, Dr. Chan said.
越来越多的证据表明，包括含糖饮料在内的超加工食品与癌症有关。原因之一可能是这些食品往往含糖量和热量较高，可能导致胰岛素抵抗和肥胖。但陈博士表示，实验室研究也表明，这些食品中的化学物质会改变肠道内“有益”和“有害”微生物之间的平衡，并损伤肠道内壁，从而促进炎症。
A recent study of a large French cohort showed that several common preservatives increased the risk of all cancer, and particularly breast and prostate cancer. About a third of the preservatives that subjects consumed came from ultraprocessed foods, but they were also found in alcohol, dried or canned fruits and packaged vegetables.
最近一项针对法国大规模人群的研究显示，几种常见防腐剂会增加整体癌症风险，尤其是乳腺癌和前列腺癌。研究对象摄入的防腐剂约三分之一来自超加工食品，但它们也存在于酒精、干制或罐装水果以及包装蔬菜中。
You can limit your intake of preservatives by buying whole, fresh or frozen produce and prepared foods made only with ingredients you might find in a household kitchen, said Mathilde Touvier, director of the nutritional epidemiology research team at the French National Institute for Health and Medical Research.
法国国家健康与医学研究院营养流行病学研究团队主任玛蒂尔德·图维耶建议，可以通过购买完整的、新鲜或冷冻的农产品，以及仅使用家庭厨房常见配料制成的预制食品，来限制防腐剂的摄入。
Drink less, or not at all.
少喝酒，或完全不喝。
The risks of alcohol are greatest for heavy and binge drinkers, but even light drinking increases the risk of some cancers. “There’s no safe level for cancer risk,” said Giota Mitrou, executive director of research and policy for the American Institute for Cancer Research. “Less is better and avoiding is best,” she added.
酒精对大量饮酒者和酗酒者风险最高，但即使是少量饮酒，也会增加某些癌症的风险。“在致癌风险方面，没有所谓的安全饮酒量，”美国癌症研究所研究与政策执行主任吉奥塔·米特鲁说。“喝得越少越好，最好是避免饮酒。”
A recent study, for example, showed that consistent heavy alcohol intake and higher lifetime consumption (averaging 14 or more drinks per week) increased the risk of colorectal cancer; quitting appeared to lower the risk.
例如，最近的一项研究显示，长期大量摄入酒精及较高的终身饮酒量（平均每周14杯或以上）会增加结直肠癌的风险；而戒酒似乎可以降低这种风险。
Alcohol may cause cancer in a few ways, Dr. Mitrou said. The body breaks it down into acetaldehyde, which is toxic to cells. Alcohol increases levels of estrogen, which fuels some types of breast cancer. And it has been linked to oxidative stress — when the body produces too many unstable molecules that react with DNA — and may interfere with DNA repair.
米特鲁博士表示，酒精可能通过几种途径致癌。人体会把酒精分解成乙醛，这是一种具有细胞毒性的物质。酒精还会提高雌激素水平，而雌激素会助长某些类型的乳腺癌。此外，酒精还与氧化应激有关——也就是人体产生过多不稳定分子并与DNA发生反应——并且可能干扰DNA的修复过程。
If you do drink, avoid doing so on an empty stomach. Drinking without food may result in a higher exposure to carcinogens, Dr. Ng said.
如果确实需要饮酒，请避免空腹饮用。吴博士指出，在没有进食的情况下饮酒，可能会导致人体接触到更高水平的致癌物。
Consider coffee, tea and dairy.
可以考虑咖啡、茶和乳制品。
Dr. Tabung found that drinking up to three cups of coffee or tea per day was associated with lower levels of insulin resistance and inflammation. Coffee and tea are full of chemicals that help protect cells from damage, said Robin Ralston, a dietitian and nutritionist at The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center. She encourages drinking them — whether hot or cold, brewed at home or drunk from a bottle — as long as there isn’t added sugar.
塔邦博士研究发现，每天饮用不超过三杯咖啡或茶，与更低水平的胰岛素抵抗和炎症有关。俄亥俄州立大学综合癌症中心的营养师罗宾·拉尔斯顿表示，咖啡和茶富含有助于保护细胞免受损伤的化学物质。她鼓励大家饮用咖啡或茶——无论冷热、在家自制或瓶装——只要不添加糖即可。
Dairy, and the calcium in it, appears to lower colorectal cancer risk. As part of a broader healthy diet, full-fat dairy — which was recently endorsed in new federal dietary guidelines — was also associated with reduced inflammation and insulin resistance in some studies. Ms. Ralston recommended fermented dairy like plain yogurt, kefir and cheese because they can support gut health and have been associated with reduced inflammation in several studies.
乳制品及其所含的钙似乎能降低结直肠癌风险。作为整体健康饮食的一部分，全脂乳制品（最近在新的联邦膳食指南中得到认可）在一些研究中也与减轻炎症和胰岛素抵抗相关。拉尔斯顿推荐发酵乳制品，如原味酸奶、开菲尔和奶酪，因为它们有助于维持肠道健康，并在多项研究中与炎症降低相关。
Know the risks of obesity.
了解肥胖的风险。
The clearest link between diet and cancer is through obesity. A large body of evidence has linked obesity to more than a dozen cancers, including breast, colorectal, endometrial, gastric, kidney, liver and pancreatic cancers.
饮食与癌症之间最明确的关联是通过肥胖建立的。大量证据已将肥胖与十几种癌症联系起来，包括乳腺癌、结直肠癌、子宫内膜癌、胃癌、肾癌、肝癌和胰腺癌。
Obesity, of course, is not just the product of diet, but also physical activity, genetics and other factors, said Edward Giovannucci, a professor of nutrition and epidemiology at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. But to the extent that diet leads to excess body fat or body weight, that is likely “the biggest single impact of diet on cancer risk,” he said.
哈佛大学陈曾熙公共卫生学院营养与流行病学教授爱德华·乔万努奇指出，肥胖当然不仅仅是饮食的结果，还与身体活动、遗传以及其他因素有关。但就饮食导致体内脂肪或体重过量而言，这很可能是“饮食对癌症风险最大的单一影响”，他说。
Fat tissue increases estrogen, which is a driver for some kinds of breast and endometrial cancer. Fat that accumulates in the abdomen, called visceral fat, promotes inflammation and insulin resistance, Dr. Giovannucci said. Exercise — at least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity activity most days of the week — can increase insulin sensitivity and reduce inflammation, in addition to helping with weight loss.
脂肪组织会增加雌激素水平，而雌激素是某些类型乳腺癌和子宫内膜癌的驱动因素。乔万努奇博士说，堆积在腹部的脂肪被称为内脏脂肪，它会促进炎症和胰岛素抵抗。运动——每周大多数日子进行至少30分钟中等强度的活动——可以提高胰岛素敏感性、减少炎症，同时也有助于减重。
Some early research has suggested that GLP-1 drugs may also reduce cancer risk, but evidence is limited.
一些早期研究提示，GLP-1类药物可能也会降低癌症风险，但相关证据仍然有限。
Maintaining a healthy body weight and exercising to promote good metabolic health are “a big part of the battle,” Dr. Giovannucci said — and not only to lower cancer risk. “It overlaps a lot with diabetes, cardiovascular risks and dementia,” he said. “I think they’re all tied together.”
乔万努奇博士表示，保持健康的体重并通过运动促进良好的代谢健康，是“这场战斗中的重要一环”，而且不仅仅是为了降低癌症风险“。“它与糖尿病、心血管风险和失智有大量重叠，”他说，“我认为这些问题彼此都是相互关联的。”
Nina Agrawal是时报健康记者。
翻译：杜然