1. Filter your tap water
You'll reduce your exposure to known or suspected carcinogens and
hormone-disrupting chemicals. A new report from the President's Cancer
Panel on how to reduce exposure to carcinogens suggests that
home-filtered tap water is a safer bet than bottled water, whose quality
often is not higher—and in some cases is worse—than that of municipal
sources, according to a study by the Environmental Working Group.
(Consumer Reports' top picks for faucet-mounted filters: Culligan, Pur
Vertical, and the Brita OPFF-100.) Store water in stainless steel or
glass to avoid chemical contaminants such as BPA that can leach from
plastic bottles.
2. Stop topping your tank
So say the EPA and the President's Cancer Panel: Pumping one last
squirt of gas into your car after the nozzle clicks off can spill fuel
and foil the pump's vapor recovery system, designed to keep toxic
chemicals such as cancer-causing benzene out of the air, where they can
come in contact with your skin or get into your lungs.
3. Water Down Your Risks Drinking plenty of water and other liquids may reduce the
risk of bladder cancer by diluting the concentration of cancer-causing
agents in urine and helping to flush them through the bladder faster.
Drink at least 8 cups of liquid a day, suggests the American Cancer
Society.
4. Burn off this breast cancer risk factor
Moderate exercise such as brisk walking 2 hours a week cuts risk of
breast cancer 18%. Regular workouts may lower your risks by helping you
burn fat, which otherwise produces its own estrogen, a known contributor
to cancer.
5. Eat clean foods
The President's Cancer Panel recommends buying meat free of
antibiotics and added hormones, which are suspected of causing
endocrine problems, including cancer. The report also advises that you
purchase produce grown without pesticides or wash conventionally grown
food thoroughly to remove residues. (The foods with the most pesticides:
celery, peaches, strawberries, apples, and blueberries.) "At least 40
known carcinogens are found in pesticides and we should absolutely try
to reduce exposure," Sellers says.
