Healthy eating, as part of a healthy lifestyle, can help lower your risk of getting certain chronic medical conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, osteoporosis and certain types of cancers. Learn more about how healthy eating can help with these conditions, as well as help to prevent anemia, neural tube defects and gallbladder disease.
Featured Topics
Anemia
Iron deficiency anemia means that your body doesn’t have enough iron. Iron is important because it carries oxygen to all parts of your body. To check if the foods you eat contain enough iron, click on the links below:
Vitamin B12 deficiency anemia means that your body doesn’t have enough vitamin B12. You need vitamin B12 to make red blood cells, which carry oxygen throughout your body. To see if you eat enough B12, click on the link below:
Cancer
Maintaining a healthy weight is an important way to protect against cancer. For more on this and other healthy eating information to help you lower your risk of cancer, click on the links below:
- Cancer Prevention Eating Guidelines
- Healthy Eating Guidelines for Cancer Prevention: Breast Cancer
- Healthy Eating Guidelines for Cancer Prevention: Prostate Cancer
- Plant-based Diet Guidelines
Gallbladder
Maintaining a healthy diet and getting regular exercise may help decrease your chance of getting gallbladder disease. To learn more about preventing gallbladder disease, click on the link below.
Neural Tube Defects
Neural tube defects are a group of birth defects. Spina bifida is the most common. Women who eat enough folic acid are less likely to have a baby with neural tube defects. For more information on how to get enough folic acid in your diet, click on the link below.
Osteoporosis
Low bone mass (bone mineral density) and breakdown of bone tissue are signs of osteoporosis. Someone with osteoporosis is more like to fracture their bones. These fractures are usually in the wrist, hip, spine or shoulder. Eating enough calcium and vitamin D is a way you can help keep your bones strong. For more information on getting enough calcium and vitamin D, click on the link below.
Useful Websites
Canadian Cancer Society
The Canadian Cancer Society is a national community-based organization. This website provides information about prevention and treatment of cancer including nutrition, research, and support and services.
BC Women’s Hospital & Health Centre – Nutrition for Healthy Bones
BC Women's Hospital & Health Centre is an agency of the Provincial Health Services Authority (PHSA) and is dedicated to the health of women, newborns, and families. This resource on nutrition for healthy bones provides information on how much calcium and vitamin D you need to eat, and how to check if you are getting enough.
Osteoporosis Canada – Nutrition
Osteoporosis Canada aims to educate, empower, and support individuals and communities in the prevention and treatment of osteoporosis. This resource provides information about calcium and vitamin D and their role in bone health.
