Beat Cancer Naturally

Cancer is the epidemic of the twenty-first century. Everywhere I turn I read news headlines about the commonplace nature of this frightening disease; hear people discussing a family member, friend or colleague that is battling the illness; witness fundraisers collecting donations for cancer research; and watch as support groups for victims or survivors of the disease proliferate. It is almost impossible to avoid the mention of the word. The problem has become so endemic that there is even a "cancer industry" that has reared its head in response to the problem. This explosion of all-things-cancer propelled me to inform readers about its prevention using natural means. After all, the best way to beat cancer naturally is to adopt a lifestyle to prevent it.

Let's debunk the big cancer myth: cancer is genetic. Not entirely true. While some people are more prone to develop cancer, there is more to the story. Significant amounts of research show that no one is genetically wired to develop cancer out-of-the blue. All of the so-called cancer genes are dormant at birth, and are switched on by lifestyle and/or environmental triggers. Sara Rosenthal, PhD elaborates on this issue in her recent book, Stopping Cancer at the Source (see review in the February 2003 edition of Health 'N Vitality, page 18). Rosenthal, a bioethicist and researcher with more than two dozen books to her credit, conducted research to back this claim as part of her work in the government-commissioned report, "The Report of the Ontario Task Force on the Primary Prevention of Cancer."

Says Rosenthal, "Indeed, we are all wired for hundreds of potential diseases and cancers, and some people may be more wired than others. In order to stop cancer at the source, we need to look at what's turning on those switches."

Rosenthal states that there is a recipe for stopping cancer at the source, namely prevention. She calls her recipe the "holy trinity:"

1. "Health enhancement. This entails eating well and staying physically active, as well as practicing proper hygiene and safe sex. It also means staying mentally and spiritually fit, which reduces stress and boosts the immune system. Choose health. As consumer demand goes up, more healthy products will become available at reasonable prices. This also includes healthy products for the earth and environment.

2. Risk avoidance. This means avoiding bad things, or known carcinogens, such as tobacco (see chart below), excessive alcohol or even low-nutrient foods, such as junk foods with empty calories and no nutrients. It also means finding out about local environmental conditions in your workplace or community and avoiding clear hazards where you can.

3. Risk reduction. This means lowering your exposure to something you can't help being exposed to, such as occupational toxins; or wearing protective masks or clothing; or choosing organic produce over pesticide-laden produce; or choosing clean water over contaminated water. Lobbying for better products, services, policies and by-laws are all part of risk reduction."

Nutritionally, there is a tremendous amount that can be done to prevent cancer. Research shows that eating foods high in certain nutrients and phytochemicals (plant chemicals) can help prevent cancer. Some of the main ones include: beta carotene, Vitamin B6, Vitamin C, Vitamin E, Selenium, Folic Acid, Calcium, Iodine, Magnesium, Zinc, and Essential Fatty Acids.

Beta carotene: This precursor of Vitamin A is found in most orange and green vegetables such as carrots, sweet potatoes, spinach, kale, and other leafy green vegetables. This amazing nutrient has been shown to protect the lungs against tobacco smoke and smog, thereby inhibiting lung cancer. Another study found that ex-smokers who ate green and yellow vegetables high in beta carotene daily decreased their risk of stomach and lung cancer.

Vitamin B6: This B-Vitamin is essential to maintain a healthy immune system and helps protect the respiratory tract from pollution and infection. In studies it has helped with cervical cancer prevention. Vitamin B-6 is found in carrots, apples, organ meats, bananas, leafy green vegetables, and sweet potatoes.

Vitamin C: One of the most well-researched nutrients, Vitamin C has shown great promise in the fight against cancer, both in prevention and disease-management. Consider a recent study in which forty patients with cancer of the breast, ovary, uterus, or cervix received large doses of ascorbic acid (Vitamin C) and other vitamins. Another sixty-one patients with other kinds of cancer followed the same regime, while thirty-one patients received no vitamin supplements and served as the control group. The control group lived an average of 5.7 months. Of the others 80 percent of the patients with cancer of the breast, ovary, uterus, or cervix had a mean survival time of 122 months; patients with other forms of cancer lived an average of 72 months. That translates into a length of life 13 to 21 times longer in those who used vitamin therapy.

Vitamin E: In addition to protecting against bowel cancer, Vitamin E works as a powerful antioxidant that reduces the damage caused by ozone and pollutants on the cells. It is found in eggs, wheat germ, liver, unrefined vegetable oils (found in health food stores), and dark green vegetables.

Selenium: This mineral helps the body manufacture glutathione, an enzyme required for proper detoxification of the body. In research, low dietary levels of selenium have been correlated with higher cancer incidence. Supplementation with selenium is a valuable cancer prevention tool.

Folic Acid: In studies, folic acid helps protect against cervical cancer and is necessary for the proper formation of the body's own genetic material - DNA and RNA. It is found in beets, cabbage, dark green leafy vegetables, eggs, citrus fruits, and most types of fish.

Calcium: A proven protector against colon cancer , this mineral is integral for maintaining the health of bones and teeth, blood clotting, and cellular metabolism. It can be found in most nuts and seeds, carrot juice, dark green vegetables, salmon and sardines.
Iodine: This mineral is found in sea vegetables like kelp, dulse, and Celtic sea salt. It helps protect the body from breast cancer and is required for energy and the growth and repair of healthy tissues in the body .
Magnesium: This mineral protects against cancer in general and maintains the pH balance of the blood as well as formation of RNA and

DNA . It is found in nuts, fish, brown rice, whole grains, and green vegetables.

Zinc: A powerful protective agent against prostate cancer, this mineral is also necessary for the formation of RNA and DNA and a healthy immune system . It is found in pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, seafood, whole grains, soybeans, and onions.

Omega-3 Fatty Acids: Critical to the proper functioning of every cell in the body, Omega-3 Fatty Acids are a worthwhile addition to a cancer prevention program. They can be found in fatty, cold-water fish such as salmon, mackerel, sardines, haddock, and cod, and in flax oil and evening primrose oil.

Garlic: This flavourful addition to food has also proven effective in the prevention of cancer .

Another form of nutritional therapy has shown great promise in the field of cancer prevention and management: juice therapy. Dr. Max Gerson, one of the pioneers of juice therapy for use with cancer, developed a program which he called Gerson Therapy®. Gerson presented his astounding research to the American Senate back in July, 1946. His daughter, Charlotte Gerson, along with popular medical journalist Morton Walker wrote about the program in their recent book, The Gerson Therapy®: The Amazing Nutritional Program for Cancer and Other Illnesses.

They state: "oncologists informed about nutrition estimate that diets filled with fruits and vegetables instead of fats and animal proteins-along with taking greater amounts of exercise, more stringent weight control, and avoidance of cigarette smoke-could reduce cancer incidence by up to 40 percent. This program would amount to nearly 4 million fewer worldwide cases of malignancies per year." By other estimates these figures are considered conservative.

The Gerson Therapy is an extensive one that, in part, includes thirteen cups of fresh, raw vegetable juices taken on the hour and a saltless, vegetarian diet. Coffee enemas are used several times per day at four-hour intervals to alleviate the toxin load felt by the liver as toxins are flushed from the body's tissues and into the bloodstream. (The liver filters the entire volume of blood every five minutes so lessening its already burdensome load is a critical factor in maintaining optimum health.)

It is essential to maintain liver health in the prevention of cancer. A number of nutrients help in this capacity. Some of the herbs that are commonly recommended by herbalists to promote liver health include: Dandelion, St. Mary's Thistle, Globe Artichoke, Slippery Elm, Peppermint Leaf, Alfalfa, and Milk Thistle extract (Silymarin).
Juices such as carrot, beet, broccoli, and other orange and green leafy vegetables are high in beta carotene, other vitamins and minerals, enzymes, and chlorophyll which help with improve liver health and cancer prevention.

As far back as 1941 the benefits of chlorophyll (responsible for the green colour in plants) was well-documented. Reader's Digest published an article called "The Green Magic of Chlorophyll" citing original research from Dr. Banjamin Gurskin, then director of experimental pathology at Temple University who originally published his work in the American Journal of Surgery. He revealed more than one thousand cases in which various disorders were treated with chlorophyll. He wrote: "it is interesting to note that there is not a single case recorded in which
either improvement or cure has not taken place."

Cleansing the body of toxins is integral to the prevention of disease, including cancer. There are many ways to detoxify the body ranging from water fasting (which I do not advocate), juice fasting, high raw foods diets, and many others. I will explore this topic in greater detail in the June edition of Health 'N Vitality.
The above suggestions are just a sampling of the countless cancer preventative measures available-the sum of which would fill the pages of many books.

With the wonderful tools of healthy eating, healthy lifestyle, and natural herbs and remedies, cancer does not have to be inevitable. There is much we can do in the fight against this tragic disease. We need not fear cancer, nor become victims to it.

Summary:
Health enhancement - eating well, staying physically active, practicing proper hygiene and safe sex.

Risk avoidance - avoiding known carcinogens, such as tobacco, excessive alcohol, low-nutrient foods, such as junk foods

Risk reduction - lower your exposure to environmental toxins, choose organic produce and pure water.

High-Quality Supplements: Vitamin B6, Vitamin C, Vitamin E, Selenium,
Folic Acid
Calcium, Iodine
Dietary Additions: Garlic, Omega-3 Fatty Acids, plenty of fresh, raw vegetables and juices.
Gerson Therapy
Juice Therapy
Liver Cleansing Herbs

Carcinogens in Tobacco:
The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) classifies the 43 carcinogenic (cancer-causing) agents found in tobacco smoke as follows:
Group 1A - Carcinogenic to Humans
Tobacco Smoke
Tobacco Products, Smokeless
4-Aminobuphenyl
Benzene
Cadmium
Chromium
2-Naphthylamine
Nickel
Polonium
Polonium-210 (Radon)
Vinyl Chloride
Group 2A - Probably Carcinogenic to Humans
Acrylonitrile
Benzo[a]anthracene
Benzo[a]pyrene
1,3-Butadine
Dibenz[a,h]anthracene
Formaldehyde
N-Nitrosodiethylamine
N-Nitrosodimethlamine
Group 2B - Possibly Carcinogenic to Humans
Acetaldehyde
Benzo[b]fluoranthene
Benzo[j]fluoranthene
Benzo[k]fluoranthene
Dibenz[a,h]-acridine
7H-Dibenz[c,g]carbazole
Dibenzo[a,l]pyrene
1,1-Dimethylhydrazine
Hydrazine
Indeno-2,3-cd]pyrene
Lead
5-Methylchrysene
4-(Methylnitrosamine)-2-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanene (NNK)
2-Nitropropane
N-Nitrosodiethanolamine
N-Nitrosomethylethylamine
N-Nitrosomorpholine
N-Nitrosopyrrolidine
Quinoline
Ortho-Toluidine
Urethane (Ethyl Carbamate)
Group 3 - Unclassified
Chrysene
Crotonaldehyde
N-Nitrosoanabasine (NAB)
N-Nitrosoanatabine (NAT)

Source: Rosenthal, PhD, M. Sara. Stopping Cancer at the Source. Sarahealth Guides: Toronto: 2001, pp.32-3