Eating the right foods can help you avoid the risk of cancer. According to the chief of the Nutritional Sciences Research Group of the National Cancer Institute choosing the right diet can help you avoid getting cancer.

"Most of the evidence around the world indicates that of all cancers, about 35 percent is related to dietary habits," Dr. John A. Milner told Newsmax Health. "That's really a significant percentage of cancers that are avoidable if you choose the right diet."

However choosing the right diet can be difficult considering that there are about 25,000 bioactive food components to choose from.

"Choosing the right type of diet is very complex, because there are potentially a lot of different foods that could offer benefits," Milner said.

A surefire method is by simply controlling the calories one eats. The minute you start seeing love handles, it's time to cut calories. Extra fat in the abdominal area is related to cancer risk, according to Milner.

A healthy diet that consists of a healthy balance of fruits and vegetables as well as more grains, like oats and barley will also reduce cancer risk. People who like spicy food also have an advantage because some "spices such as garlic can reduce your risk of some types of cancer," he says.

Taking supplements aren't a surefire method of avoiding cancer. Instead of stocking up on expensive vitamin and minerals supplement take the easier way and eat more vegetables and fruits.

"There really isn't strong evidence that supplements reduce the risk of cancer," he said. "But I think there is evidence that vitamin inadequacies increase the risk of cancer."

"Most of the evidence points to the use of a balanced diet rather than using supplements to circumvent a balanced diet."

Finally Milner advises that the key to a long and healthy cancer-free life is to avoid eating too many foods that are high in calories.

Still, he says, many natural substances are being investigated. "Some of the most noteworthy studies involve vitamin D, omega-3 fatty acids, and curcumin."

"I'm not sure there are really bad foods, but there are really bad diets," he says. "With diets, one size doesn't fit all."