There is No Cure Yet,
Can Cancer Be Prevented?
hopeful news is cancer is a preventable disease. It
can be avoided through not smoking, eating healthful foods, and exercising regularly,
according to a sweeping study by Harvard School of Public Health. Researchers
at Harvard evaluated the entire body of research about cancer's causes and discovered
the largest contributing factors to cancer involve lifestyle choices. Nearly 70%
of all cancer deaths can be attributed to smoking, eating and drinking habits,
or a "sedentary lifestyle."
prevention plan: Eat whole foods including "5
(or more) fruits and vegetables a day," and eliminate or significantly reduce
animal protein, animal fats, hydrogenated fats, processed foods containing additives,
preservatives, or pesticides. Daily aerobic exercise and stretching increases
circulation and helps the body eliminate toxins stored in our tissues. For individuals
whose lifestyles have included smoking, excessive drinking, poor diets, and sedentariness,
extra efforts may need to be taken to restore the body to its fullest health.
However the benefits of lifestyle and dietary changes can begin today.
high in chlorophyll, vitamin A, vitamin E, selenium and vitamin C will significantly
increase elimination of toxins and free radicals known to cause cellular changes
that are the root of cancer and other degenerative diseases. Furthermore, the
addition of acidophilus and bifidus is associated with improved immune function
by rebalancing the natural intestinal bacteria. New research regarding an coenzyme
called CoQ10 may yield further important knowledge about how the body naturally
defends itself against cellular changes that eventually result in cancer.
years after the "war on cancer" was declared, there is no cure. But
cancer prevention and recovery strategies through diet, exercise, and spiritual
connection are rapidly becoming evident.
Part of the above info is taken
from an article in the Boston Globe, November 1996.
By Stephanie Tuxill and Luita D. Spangler
Concord Feminist Health Center. Published originally in their newsletter, the
Winter 1993 issue of WomenWise, and reprinted here with permission.
of the most recent health research, if taken and acted upon seriously, has the
potential to profoundly change the scope and direction of the current health care
system. Why? Because it points to an effective, primarily preventive, simple and
extremely inexpensive approach to such conditions as cancer,
AIDS, and atherosclerosis. This revolutionary new treatment? An abundance of fruits
and vegetables in the diet.
Recent studies by the Johns Hopkins School of
Hygiene and Public health and Harvard University have highlighted the important
role that antioxidant nutrients in fruits and vegetables play, not only in prolonging
the symptom-free latency period in HIV-infected individuals but also in slowing
down the process of aging and in preventing cancer.
This is all related
to the destructive power of "free radical" molecules: molecules missing
an electron, which react with , bind to, and destroy cellular compounds in our
bodies. Although free radicals may be environmental produced (from such things
as cigarette smoke, radiation, and pesticides), most free radicals are toxic oxygen
molecules actually produced by the body.
Just as oxygen binds with iron
to form rust, the molecules in our bodies can also be oxidized and, in a sense,
"rust." By reacting with lipids, proteins, and DNA, free radicals can
cause damage to the body's cellular structure. The body's natural defenses against
free radicals are called antioxidants. Antioxidants have the ability to neutralize
free radicals by "donating" an electron to them before they cause damage
to the cell structure. Most of this damage is repaired, but some is not, and if
the free radicals are not kept in check they can overwhelm the entire immune system.
Common examples of nutritional antioxidants include beta carotene (found in dark
green and orange vegetables like broccoli and carrots), vitamins A, C, and E,
Research has shown that one of the ways the HIV virus destroys
the immune system is by altering the body's ability to respond effectively to
oxygen free radicals. Studies of the blood of HIV-infected people show a decreased
level of antioxidants and a decreased ability to create more. Changes also occur
in the intestinal tract leading to less efficient absorption of nutritional antioxidants
People infected with the HIV virus who start out with high
levels of antioxidants in their diets, however, have a much longer mean survival
time than those who do not. In addition, several preliminary studies have indicated
that treating HIV-infected individuals with antioxidant supplements may improve
the immune system even after infection. Other studies on healthy people over the
age of 65 have demonstrated the effectiveness of antioxidant supplements in preventing
and weakening such infection-related illnesses as colds and the flu (Blumberg
This approach, however is contrary to the current traditions
of Western health care, which seek to treat and cure disease and its symptoms
only after disease actually begins. This "after-the-fact" approach is
elaborate, highly technical and extremely expensive. For example, current drugs
used to treat conditions such as cancer and AIDS are often highly toxic, sometimes
creating a need for additional medical intervention to treat the destructive effects
of the original treatment on the human body. AZT, the only drug used extensively
against AIDS, can cause serious liver damage, and almost all cancer chemotherapy
amounts to controlled poisoning of the body.
Telling people to eat more
fruits and vegetables fosters neither the high technology nor the high profit
margins of contemporary medical science, but it does seem to promote health. The
antioxidant vitamin C can be found in citrus fruits, strawberries, kale, and kiwi
fruit. Natural sources of vitamin E are nuts and vegetable oils, while green leafy
vegetables, yams, sweet potatoes, and carrots are excellent sources of vitamin
A. Some researchers suggest taking a vitamin E supplement to maximize its antioxidant
effect but caution against the possible toxic effects of too much vitamin A and
selenium, both of which should be sufficiently provided for in a healthy diet
(Blumberg and Chandra).
Dietary sources of destructive free radicals include
fried, barbecued, and char-broiled foods (that means mostly meat, folks). The
high temperatures associated with this sort of cooking can lead to the formation
of harmful chemicals associated with high levels of dietary oxygen free radicals:
Heterocyclic Aromatic Amines (or HAA's). Grilled meat tastes grilled because it
is coated with the smoke from sizzling fat; this smoke contains Polynuclear Aromatic
Hydrocarbons (PAH's) which are also high in destructive free radicals. Both HAA's
and PAH's have been identified as unquestionably carcinogenic (Tufts University
Diet & Nutrition Letter, Sept. 1993). Dietary free radicals are also
present in alcohol and coffee. Environmental free radicals are strongly associated
with environmental pollution.
What all this means is that if we stop destroying
the environment and eat more fruits and vegetables, we'll live longer, healthier
Baker, D.H. and R.J. Wood. "Cellular antioxidant status and human immunodeficiency
virus replication." Nutrition Reviews 50 (1992), 1: 15-18.
Jeffrey B. and Ranjit Chandra. "Pumping Immunity." Nutrition Action
Healthletter, April, 1993: 5-7.
Greenspan, Howard. "The Role of
Reactive Oxygen Species, Antioxidants, and Phyto pharmaceuticals in Human Immunodeficiency
Virus Activity." Medical Hypotheses 40 (1993) 2: 85-92.
Paul. "Nutrients may be an AIDS key." Concord Monitor. 11 Nov
Staal, Frank J.T. et.al. "Antioxidants Inhibit Stimulation
of HIV Transcription." AIDS Research and Human Retroviruses 40 (1993),
Stephanie Tuxill is a recent graduate from
Dartmouth College. Luita D. Spangler, who impatiently awaits the revolution, is
Reviews & Poetry Editor of WomenWise. Reprinted here with permission.
with more info:
Spontaneous Healing by Andrew Weil,
The Definitive Guide to Cancer by Karl Volkers
Feminist Women's Health Center