Cancer
by author Joey Shulman, DC, RNCP

Do eat fibre. Research has demonstrated that diets high in insoluble fibre have been shown to decrease the rate of breast cancer. To boost the levels of insoluble fibre in your diet, switch from processed refined flours (white bread, pastries, cookies, white pasta, etc.) to whole grain items such as whole grain breads and breads labelled 100-percent whole wheat. Refined flours that are a no-no typically have the words “enriched” or “unbleached” flour, “durum wheat,” or “semolina” on the label. (These are all milled to remove the germ and bran; hence fibre and nutritional values are lower.)

Do eat fish–and supplement with fish oils. Eating fish and foods high in omega-3 fatty acids has been shown to lower the risk of throat, stomach, colon, rectum, lung, and breast cancers. I highly recommend supplementing with 2 to 3 grams of high quality, distilled fish oil, daily. Also, minimize the amount of saturated fat in your diet as research has linked this with an increase in a number of cancers.

“Don’ts”

Don’t smoke. According to Dr. Majid Ezzati, lead researcher of the Harvard study examining the nine risk factors that can lead to cancer, smoking was the most important, responsible for 21 percent of all cancer deaths worldwide. Tobacco accounts for more than 168,000 cancer deaths per year.

Don’t stress. Whether due to financial, personal, or vocational stress, a majority of people are living in a mild to moderate state of chronic stress. Unfortunately, stress triggers the release of a hormone called cortisol. Elevated cortisol levels cause fat to be deposited in the abdominal area. Not only is this a risk factor strongly correlated with heart attacks and strokes, but also an increase in body weight and body mass index (BMI) is a risk factor for developing cancer.

Don’t drink too much alcohol. Drinking excessively has been correlated with mouth, throat, breast, esophagus, liver, colon, and rectum cancers. Alcohol damages cells. It is this cell damage that causes cancer. Alcohol depletes vitamin A and selenium, which may have a general protective effect against cancer. Alcohol also decreases the body’s ability to fight off cancer by compromising the immune system, and irritating the lining of internal organs. If you do imbibe, limit yourself to no more than four alcohol-containing drinks per week and try to select red wine for its antioxidant benefits.

Don’t eat too much meat. Vegetarians appear to have significantly lower cancer rates in comparison to meat eaters. This may be due to vegetarians’ higher consumption of fruits and vegetables, or it may be linked to the inflammatory fats and hormones in meat that can lead to cancerous states. In any case, a reduction of meat and a switch to fish, eggs, and a moderate amount of high-quality soy products appears to have beneficial effects.

Don’t eat nitrate meats. Meats such as cold cuts, bologna, and hot dogs contain nitrates, a chemical that preserves the meat’s pinky colour. Unfortunately, nitrates combine with stomach acid, which creates a cancer-causing substance called nitrosamine. Inquire at your local butcher about purchasing nitrate-free cold cuts. Even better, switch to healthier proteins such as fish, eggs, and low-fat dairy products.

Estimates from the Canadian Cancer Society for the Year 2005

(based on projections from the Centre for Chronic Disease Prevention and Control)

• An estimated 149,000 new cases of cancer and 69,500 deaths would occur.
• On average, 2,865 Canadians would be diagnosed with cancer every week.
• On average, 1,337 Canadians would die of cancer every week.
• An estimated 72,800 Canadian women would be diagnosed with cancer and an estimated 32,800 women will die of it.
• An estimated 76,200 Canadian men would be diagnosed with cancer, and an estimated 36,700 men will die of it.
• Breast cancer is the most common cancer among Canadian women. In 2005, an estimated 21,600 women were diagnosed with breast cancer and 5,300 would die of it.
• Prostate cancer is the most common cancer among Canadian men. In 2005, an estimated 20,500 men were diagnosed with prostate cancer and 4,300 would die of it.

Scientific Breakthrough

In 2001 experts at Harvard University linked more than one third of the seven million cancer deaths worldwide to nine potentially modifiable risk factors:

1. obesity
2. low fruit and vegetable intake
3. lack of exercise
4. smoking
5. alcohol
6. unsafe sex
7. urban air pollution
8. indoor smoke from household use of coal
9. contaminated injections

Joey Shulman, DC, RNCP, is author of Winning the Food Fight (Wiley, 2003) and The Natural Makeover Diet (Wiley, 2005). For more information, visit www.drjoey.com.

Source: alive #282, April 2006