Eat at least five servings of fruit and vegetables a day: Many studies say vegetarians have less cancer than others.
This doesn't mean we should avoid meat - small amounts of lean meat can be part of a healthy diet. But it's probable that vegetarians' high intake of vegetables and fruit helps protect them from disease.
Eat tomato-based products daily: Men can help to lower their risk of prostate cancer by consuming tomato-based products regularly.
Use garlic, rosemary and turmeric to season food: Cut down on salt. A recent study found that men who ate garlic at least twice a week have 50 per cent lower risk of prostate cancer than men who never ate garlic. People who eat too much salt double their risk of stomach cancer.
Drink green tea: Green tea contains epigallocatechin-3-gallate which is thought to cut off the supply of blood to cancer cells.
Include soy-based foods in your diet before the menopause: Genistein, a major phytoestrogen in soy, is a weak oestrogen that can bind to oestrogen receptors on cells. This blocks human oestrogen's ability to bind to cells and promote breast tissue growth. However, in post-menopausal women, who have little of their own oestrogen, genistein could act like oestrogen and increase the risk of breast cancer in some women.
Drink alcohol in moderation: Your risk of cancer increases with the amount of alcohol you drink and the length of time you've been drinking too much.
Eat fibre-rich foods: wholegrain breakfast cereals and bread, oats, wild rice, beans, fruits and vegetables. Diets low in fibre intakes are linked with colon cancer. The more fibre people eat, the less risk they face.
Eat less saturates and more of the protective fats found in oily fish: Breast cancer has been linked with large intakes of saturated fats. People who eat oily fish such as salmon, sardines, tuna and trout twice a week have a significantly reduced risk of colon cancer.
Maintain a healthy weight: Being even slightly too heavy increases your risk of a range of cancers.