Anyone reading this book has to be big-hearted, but let’s not overdo it! Enlargement of the heart (cardiomegaly, cardiac hypertrophy) can be caused by high blood pressure (hypertension) as the heart works harder. Unfortunately, the condition can result in fainting under dangerous circumstances, such as going down steps, and ultimately heart attack.
Heartbeat arrhythmia may worsen due to corrosive blood. (Please see “Acid-alkali balance”.) Stimulant herbs (ephedra, yerba maté), Ginko biloba, caffeine, alcohol, tobacco, legal medications and illegal drugs can trigger arrhythmias. Fluctuations in blood sugar affect rhythm. (Please see “Helping hypoglycemia and diabetes”.) Magnesium and potassium, as well as Omega-3s, may help prevent arrhythmias. (Please see “Outstanding Omegas”.)
The following herbs may provoke hypertension: Caffeine, Aniseed, Capsicum, Parsley, Blue Cohosh, Vervain, Chaste Berry, Bayberry, Licorice, Ginger, Ginseng, Ephedra, Pau d'Arco, Coltsfoot, Gentian, Cola alkaloids (Caffeine), Broom alkaloids, Calamus amines, Guarana (www.itmonline.org/arts/hypertension.htm).
Not only hypertension and enlargement of the heart, but all cardiovascular disorders are worsened by NaCl. (Please see “Salting the wound”.) One could reduce or eliminate added NaCl from one’s diet, as well as stimulants (coffee, tea, anything caffeinated), tobacco and alcohol. Canned and restaurant foods are often loaded with salt. Preservatives, artificial sweeteners (saccharin), MSG, and meat tenderizers also worsen cardiovascular disorders.
Homocysteine is an amino acid that tends to oxidize LDL ["bad" cholesterol], increasing the likelihood that LDL will get deposited as plaque, worsening atherosclerosis. Homocysteine is produced during the metabolism of methionine, which is 2 to 3 times more prevalent in animal products than plant foods. Both vitamin B12 and folic acid are needed to break down homocysteine.
To reduce inflammation and risk of forming plaque, one could eat more alkali-forming foods. (Please see “Acid-alkali balance”.)
Statin pharmaceuticals lower cholesterol by reducing the liver’s ability to produce cholesterol, possibly damaging the liver.
A high fat diet causes fats to linger in the blood, coating cells, making them stick together, increasing hypertension and the risk of cardiovascular disorders.
Avoiding animal fats and fried foods, spicy foods, but increasing garlic and onions can help reduce cholesterol. Fiber, fresh fruits and veggies are beneficial. Omega-3s help prevent atherosclerosis. (Please see “Outstanding Omegas”.) AGEs (advanced glycation end products) are formed when starches get cooked at high temperatures (for example potato chips). AGEs interconnect proteins within cells and connective tissues, stiffening them, aging blood vessels and accelerating aging throughout the body.
Alcohol may have anti-clotting effects (“Drink to Your Health?” Scientific American Feb.2003), but so might aspirin. Omega-3fatty acids, especially DHA, can also reduce likelihood of clot formation.
Alcohol may raise HDL, but so does exercise. Alcoholcan lead to atrial fibrillation. The phytonutrients in red wine can be consumed via red grape juice (www.DrFuhrman.com).
ECGs (electrocardiograms) miss 40% of heart disorder cases. Combined with a CKG (cardiokymography), 10% get missed.
Dr. Fuhrman has demonstrated that improvements in diet such as those described in his book (Eat to Live by Joel Fuhrman, MD www.DrFuhrman.com) and in this book can lower cholesterol.
When healing cardiovascular or renal (kidney) disorders, supplementing L-carnitine and CoQ10 may prove beneficial (L-carnitine and the Heart by Stephen T. Sinatra MD, Keats Publishing 1999 ISBN 0-658-01163-4). Emulsified CoQ10 may get absorbed better than plain.
The dietary information in “Back Sore?” also applies to cardiovascular disorders. An excellent section with many very worthwhile tips regarding most cardiovascular disorders can be found in Balch (Prescription for Nutritional Healing by Phyllis A. Balch MD, ISBN 1-58333-077-1, available at many large health stores).
Dealing with cancer
Abstract: This chapter is long, so here are key points. 1) Because many tumors fool the body as described below, it is reasonable to eliminate a tumor and to reduce risk of metastasis by conventional medical means. It is also worth considering the following complimentary steps. 2) It is remarkable that an improvement in diet could support prevention and reduce risk of metastasis. Improvements in diet can be motivated by viewing the online video of the author’s slideshow regarding diet and cancer or by reading the transcript of the presentation (both available free from SlidesHealthPresentation). 3) The body supported by diet may well attack stray cancer cells to reduce risk of metastasis, but may not attack competent tumors. Such tumors can fool the immune system into treating the tumor as self, avoiding attack, and fool the body into forming arteries to supply nutrients (“Cancer Clues from Embryonic Development, Rethinking cancer by seeing tumors as a cellular pregnancy,” Christine Soares, May 2009 Scientific American Magazine). Improving diet could reduce risk of metastasis by stray cancer cells, but once competent tumors have formed, they need to be killed by conventional medical means (chemo, radiotherapy or surgery), possibly in combination with alternatives (centrehealing.com). 4) If one is experiencing nausea from chemotherapy treatments, try ginger tea which could improve both nausea and digestion. Ginger tea is best made from boiling finely chopped fresh ginger for 20 minutes... With stomach or esophageal cancer, excessive weight loss may become a problem unless the food is chewed into a paste, or blended in a food processor until smooth, so that fibers don't delay food’s passage from the stomach. Bulky pieces of fibers take longer to pass through. If weight loss does become a problem, use a food processor, and still “mouth” the food to expose it to salivary enzymes that help digest it. 5) Enough research has been conducted on the benefits of broccoli to make it a firm recommendation in the battle against cancer. Money would be well spent on fresh broccoli, daily blending say half of a raw head of it or chewing it extremely thoroughly into a smooth paste in order to break apart the cell walls. After all, the stomach has no teeth. At least one more head of broccoli could be steamed and also chewed thoroughly. Ideally some of the broccoli would get eaten at every meal. Kale could substitute for some of the broccoli. 6) Minimize or eliminate animal-based foods, instead eating legumes, grains, colorful veggies, and walnuts. Ideally legumes and walnuts are soaked overnight or for a day, rinsing the brown water off before boiling. 7) Beware of eating too much oil; eat walnuts instead. 8) Use zero milk products; one can get plenty of calcium from legumes and broccoli. 9) Considering cancer’s craving for sugar, refined grains and sugar could be eliminated. 10) Drink zero alcohol when battling cancer. 11) Supplementing Echinacea may stimulate the activity of the macrophages that kill cancer cells. Echinacea has been used in China for centuries. So that the body remains sensitive to the Echinacea, occasional breaks are taken from usage when supplementing it for long periods. 12) Vitamin D is needed to help cancer cells die naturally. Boost D levels with safe amounts of sun exposure, for pale skin say 5 minutes for each of four sides of the rotating body per day. The sun needs to be high for the body to make D. Or supplement say 1200 IU of D spread over each day. During chemotherapy the oncologist may prohibit supplements of D because it disrupts the cell cycle and uptake of the chemo. 13) The polyphenols in green tea are extremely potent antioxidants. Black tea contains only one sixth the polyphenols of green tea. 14) Supplementing vitamin B-complex may help support an even mood in the face of challenges, in addition to meditation and exercise. 15) Avoid supplementing progesterone or estrogen.
Learning the contributors to cancer is about self-empowerment, taking responsibility for supporting one’s healing, becoming a survivor, not about blaming.
Pesticides have been found in higher levels in cancer patients (Dr. Gaynor’s Cancer Prevention Program, by Mitchell L. Gaynor, MD, ISBN 1-57566-526-3, pgs 11,12). Pesticides as well as ubiquitous artificial, carcinogenic poisons such as PCBs get concentrated in allanimal products, because animals are at the high end of the food chain. Since PCBs are slightly volatile and therefore evaporate then return to the surface in precipitation, they’ve been found world-wide in every biological species sampled, in all the waters, and on all the soils. PCBs and many such carcinogenic poisons are fat-soluble and get stored in animals’ fat. Eating animal products that always contain concentrated carcinogenic poisons, thereby further concentrating them in our bodies, increases risk of many disorders, including cancer. (Please see “Toxins: buyer be very wary” in this book.)
Foods made from produce with high surface area may get exposed to more pesticides than low surface area foods. For a listing of riskier conventional plant foods, please see “Toxins: buyer be very wary”.
All animal products contain cholesterol. The higher one’s cholesterol, the greater one’s risk of cancer. No cholesterol is found in plant foods.
Milk from any species is contaminated with the carcinogenic poisons mentioned above, which get concentrated 10 to 1 in cheese. Contrary to the advertisements from the Dairy Council funded to the tune of $100 million a year, the top four dairy countries suffer the highest rates of hip fractures and breast cancer. These correlations for dairy consumption with osteoporosis and breast cancer continue over 150 countries, with the lower consumption of dairy linked with fewer fractures and breast cancer.
A study of 20,000 male doctors found that dairy correlated with prostate cancer. The naturallyabundant growth hormones in dairy products may get metabolized in people to a form that can accelerate growth of anycancer cells. (This form is insulin-like growth factor IGF-1.)
The risk of breastcancer increases with one’s level of estrogen. High levels of dietary fat can result in fat coating cells, inhibiting the excretion of estrogen as well as toxins. High levels of dietary fat can also cause menstruation to begin as much as four years earlier and end four years later, extending the length of time during which one is exposed to higher levels of estrogen and a higher level of risk of breast cancer due to the cumulative effects of high levels of dietary fat over many years.
For the purposes of this discussion, “too much” body fat for optimal health might be defined very roughly as more fat around the belly button (abdominal fat) than a hand can easily grasp while sitting. Perhaps this guideline seems strict, but “too much” fat increases risk of acid reflux, which can irritate the esophagus and increase risk of cancer of the esophagus.
Unfortunately, “too much” body fat increases estrogen, increasing risk of hormone-stimulated cancers of the female reproductive system. About 23,000 cases of ovarian cancer get diagnosed annually; 14,000 die. Those who eat an egg several times per week are about 3 times more likely to contract this cancer than vegan women. Dairy products also greatly increase risk. The hormonesnaturally present in dairy and eggs may cause greatly increased risk of cancer of the reproductive organs of both genders. Dairy hormonessurvive pasteurization and digestive acids by hiding in the tiny globules of fat produced by homogenization. Hormones get concentrated 10 to 1 in cheese over milk and get protected within the fat in cheese. The hormones stimulate the growth of cancer cells, especially of the reproductive organs where hormones naturally congregate.
Although excessive body fat stimulates estrogen production, some doctors recommend that people with cancer not lose weight out of concern about the possible release of stored estrogen from fat. This point is controversial. Some researchers opine that fat does not store significant amounts of estrogen, instead releasing most of it to the blood after it’s been biosynthesized in the fat. Unfortunately, fat cells also concentrate and store toxins long term, upping the odds that a cancerous mutation will eventually occur. In balance, one might conclude that reducing excessive body fat may have an overall benefit when considering both fighting off and reducing risk of cancer.
Carcinogenic and highly toxic dioxins are soluble in fat. The combination of food that contains fat and preparing the food at high intensity in the microwave and in plastic containers causes the release of dioxins into the food and ultimately into the cells of the body. Freezing plastic water bottles releases dioxins from the plastic. Dioxins leach into plastic storage containers, especially foam. Dioxins accumulate in fatty tissues, such as in the breasts, increasing risk of breast cancer. Microwaves in general tend to denature organic molecules, especially fats, making them toxic. Using a microwave oven to warm anything beyond mildly lukewarm may not be worth the risk. Plastic wrap drips poisonous toxins into food as it gets zapped.
A high level of sugar in the blood may promote cancer. Sugar competes with vitamin C for uptake into white blood cells, impeding the immune system’s ability to fight infections and cancer. “PET” (positron emission tomography) scans work by tagging sugar with radioactive factors. Cancerous cells greedily absorb the sugar, one of their favorite foods, then glow when scanned for positron emissions (www.cancerrd.com/FAQs/FAQ7.htm, www.newstarget.com/001812.html). Considering cancer’s craving for sweets, intake of not only refined grains and sugar might be reduced, but also even sweet juices made from fruits and carrots.
Sea vegetables might well impart cancer-fighting properties (http://members.shaw.ca/duncancrow/fucoidans-references.html). To eat a significant quantity, it’s best soaked for a few minutes in a tall glass, rinsed into a strainer, pressed and drained twice to wash away most of the inorganic iodine and chloride.
High intake of NaCl salt causes cell proliferation in the stomach, with resultant increased risk of cancer (Dr. Gaynor’s Cancer Prevention Program, by Mitchell L. Gaynor, MD, ISBN 1-57566-526-3, pg 205). (Please see “Salting the wound”.)
Red dye 3, a common food colorant, has been shown to increase the proliferation of cancer cells. Yellow dye 14 used in processed food contains a sunlight-activated pesticide.
The dairy protein casein very likely increases human biosynthesis of cancer-stimulating growth hormones, as could all high protein animal products. The reason may be excessive L-lysine in a diet high in casein and other animal products, also in nutritional yeast. The percentage of L-lysine is less in plant-based foods. (Please see “Dairy dubious for health”.) Casein suppresses the immune system (page 32, Becoming Vegan by Brenda Davis ISBN 1-57067-103-6 www.vrg.org).
The hormone in the birth control pill as well as the bisphosphonates in Fosamax (alendronate, Actonel risedronate) have side effects that include increased risk of breast cancer.
Taking DHEA or growth hormone supplements may increase risk of cancer or worsen existing cancers.
In any stage of the development of cancer plant phytonutrients can play a beneficial role. Phytonutrients: a) detoxify and deactivate cancer-causing agents (carcinogens), b) stimulate cellular mechanisms to repair damaged DNA, c) impededuplication of cells with DNA damage, d) protect DNA from further disruption, e) inhibit the spread of cancerous cells (pg.59 Eat to Live by Joel Fuhrman, MD www.DrFuhrman.com). Excess protein binds to phytonutrients, reducing their absorption and their protective effect against cancer.
The National Cancer Institute has found that 80% of cancers are due to known factors that are within one’s control such as diet and smoking. Most nutritional studies agree that the majority of cancers can be prevented by dietary means.
Study participants who practiced vegetarianism for over 20 years suffered 75% fewer deaths due to cancer (pg.81 Eat to Live by Joel Fuhrman, MD www.DrFuhrman.com). White blood cells from vegetarians have been shown to have more than double the ability to kill cancer cells, compared with white blood cells from consumers of animal products (“Natural killer cells, vitamins, and other blood components of vegetarian and omnivorous men” by M.G. Malter, Nutr.Cancer 12 1989:271-8). (Please see “Reversing advanced clinical disorders”.)
While fruits and vegetables are excellent sources of nutrients, the consumption of vegetables is more helpful in reducing cancer because they contain much higher amounts of cancer-protective compounds—especially green vegetables. Although any greens could prove beneficial, raw broccoli contains more cancer-preventing phytonutrients than most veggies. Sulforaphane has been shown to induce the body's natural cancer protection resources and help reduce the risk of malignancy. Broccoli is the best source of glucoraphanin, the precursor to sulforaphane. If one can’t eat much raw broccoli, how about lots of steamed, with very little fatty sauce if any? Or how about blending the raw broccoli with water to release all the nutrients that might not get accessed due to the tough cell walls? The blend tastes better than it might sound, even without seasoning. [Johnston N. Sulforaphane halts breast cancer cell growth. Drug Discov Today 2004;9(21): 908. Rose P, Huang Q, Ong CN, Whiteman M. Broccoli and watercress suppress matrix metalloproteinase-9 activity and invasiveness of human MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells. Toxicol Appl Pharmacol 2005;S0041-008X.]
Supplementing Echinacea more than doubled the activity of the macrophages that kill cancer cells. Echinacea has been used in China for centuries. Normally breaks are taken from usage when supplementing Echinacea for long periods (Dr. Gaynor’s Cancer Prevention Program, by Mitchell L. Gaynor, MD, ISBN 1-57566-526-3, pg 120).
People older than 40 may begin making less of the enzyme CoQ10, which is normally so ubiquitous in the body that it is also called “ubiquinone.” CoQ10 acts as a catalyst in cells’ mitochodria, critical to cellular energy supply. Studies have shown that some cancer patients have experienced partial to complete tumor remission supplementing CoQ10. Emulsified CoQ10 may be as much as three times more absorbable than the classic form. However, CoQ10 may reduce the effectiveness of anticoagulant blood thinners such as Warfarin (Coumadin) (Dr. Gaynor’s Cancer Prevention Program, by Mitchell L. Gaynor, MD, ISBN 1-57566-526-3, pg 63).
Pathogenic bacteria rot undigested animal products in the digestive tract in the same way that animal products rot during storage in and out of the refrigerator. Such bacteria have been shown to suppress a key means that the body uses to protect itself against cancer, a means called programmed cell death (PCD). When a cell mutates it often destroys itself through PCD even before phagocytes from a healthy immune system destroy the mutated cell. Mutated cells can form cancerous tumors. Pathogenic bacteria suppress PCD so that the bacteria can use the cell to transfer molecules such as nutrients to the bacteria, instead of the infected cell destroying itself. This capability of suppression of PCD is one way that pathogenic bacteria increase the risk of cancer in the digestive tract.
A possibly counterproductive “therapy” for colorectal cancer recommended by questionable practitioners is a daily coffee enema. If inflammation develops, the blame is given to poisons that the coffee is supposedly drawing out of the tissues. However, enemas wash out the good bacteria, allowing pathogens to dominate the colon, promoting cancer as seen in the prior paragraph. In addition, pathogens can cause inflammation.
Cancer thrives with high insulin. Animal protein in general causes higher secretions of insulin. Consumption of animal protein has been linked to increased risk of breast and colon cancers (World Rev. Nutr. Diet 66:3446-61 1991; Mooove over Milk by Vicki B. Griffin ISBN 1-891041-00-2). (Please see “Helping hypoglycemia and diabetes”.) Exercise helps moderate insulin levels.
An excess of fat in the diet coats cells, inhibiting oxygen transport into cells, including red blood cells, lowering the oxygen throughout the body. Cancer thrives in anaerobic fluids with low oxygen content.
Hippocrates Health Institute recommends avoiding nutritional yeast while healing cancer (www.hippocratesinst.com). I do continue to eat yeast, although I might reconsider if faced with the challenge of healing cancer. Contrary to the recommendation by Hippocrates, supplementation with selenium-enriched brewer's yeast (delivering 200 micrograms of selenium a day) over a period of several years has been associated with significant reduction in the incidence of lung, colorectal, prostate and total cancer, as well as a reduction in total cancer mortality (http://www.gettingwell.com/drug_info/nmdrugprofiles/nutsupdrugs/bre_0043.shtml). Selenium's antioxidant activity may account in part for its possible anti-carcinogenic activity. It’s possible that the organically bound selenium compounds present in selenium-enriched brewer's yeast are more effective than the inorganic mineral supplements on the market. (Please see “Nutritional Yeast”.)
Selenium can reduce risk of prostate cancer, as can raw garlic, shallots, scallions, or onions, and the lycopene in red vegetables. Cancer-fighting lycopene in tomatoes may be better absorbed from cooked tomatoes due to thorough shredding of the cell walls, allowing full access to the nutritional contents. Multivitamins that are not whole food multivitamins may contain high doses of vitamin A or isolated beta-carotene. Isolated carotene may interfere with absorption of carotenoids such as lutein and lycopene in whole foods, possibly increasing risk of cancer by reducing the benefits of whole foods.
A diet high in animal products can force one’s body slightly toward the acidotic. One’s immune system is inhibited when slightly toward the acidotic, but becomes more robust when slightly more alkaline. (Please see “Acid-alkali balance”.)
Glycoprotein-rich extracts of chlorella nutritional algae have been found to have antitumor activity against induced metastasis in mice. The antitumor activity is thought to be mediated by the glycoproteins enhancing the immune system, specifically increasing the activity and migration of T cells to the tumor sites. (Please see “Super nutritional algae”.)
The polyphenols in green tea are extremely potent antioxidants that may act especially effectively as a cancer preventative (Dr. Gaynor’s Cancer Prevention Program, by Mitchell L. Gaynor, MD, ISBN 1-57566-526-3, pg 232). Black tea contains only one sixth the polyphenols of green tea. Dairy milk inhibits absorption of polyphenols.
A high intake of Omega-6 over Omega-3 can result in inflammation and increase risk of cancer, as do the artificial transfats. Extremely low levels of the beneficial long chain Omega-3DHA have been found in persons with degenerative disorders, including cancer. With sufficient Omega-3 in the diet, the body can make DHA. If challenged with cancer, I’d supplement 200 mg of DHA twice a day. DHA is available as a vegan supplement from health stores or sold from the site www.DrFuhrman.com.
Flaxseeds provide a source of Omega-3. Ground flaxseeds may make much better cancer-fighters than the oil, in part due to their lignan content. The oil alone may actually increase the rate of growth of prostate cancer cells, at least in tissue cultures in the lab, according to some studies. Critiques of the studies have been written, defending flax (www.barleans.com/literature/flax/53-dumping-on-omega3s.html and www.udoerasmus.com/articles/udo/flax_prostate.htm). Since polyunsaturated fatty acids oxidize and get rancid rapidly at room temperature, and even faster in the warmer temperatures of cell incubators, I’m wondering if the effect of flaxseed oil on the cancerous cells was due to the oil being rancid, deformed and denatured. In any case, it’s preferable to get the fibers and lignans in flaxseeds rather than the oil alone. When eating flaxseed I grind it myself and refrigerate to insure freshness. (Please see “Outstanding Omegas” in this book.)
Hard fibers such as wheat bran irritate and inflame the colon, possibly leading to polyps and cancer. (Please see “Consuming constipation”.)
Nitrites are used to preserve several varieties of deli meat, ham and hotdogs against bacteria that cause botulism. Nitrites form carcinogenic nitrosamines during digestion.
AGEs (advanced glycation end products) are formed when starches get cooked at high temperatures. AGEs interconnect proteins within cells and connective tissues, stiffening them, aging blood vessels and accelerating aging throughout the body. Cooking starches without water forms carcinogenic acrylamides (as for example in potato chips).
Saccarine may increase risk of cancer.
The mercury compounds in fish have been linked to cancer.
Excessive exposure to chlorine can cause short and long term medical problems, including liver cancer. (Please see “Swimmers’ asthma from chlorine”.)
Smokingsuppresses one’s immune system, needed to destroy pre-cancerous and cancerous cells. A robust immune system can help improve health when confronting almost any degenerative disorder, including cancer. People who smoke and drink increase risk of cancer 14 times over that of people who do neither.
Alcohol can increase risk of many types of cancer, especially those of the esophagus, liver, and breast. Almost all types of alcoholic drinks contain carcinogens formed during the processing of the liquor. Alcohol breaks down to carcinogenic acetaldehyde, with a chemical formula close to carcinogenic formaldehyde, before eventually being broken down further. Further breakdown starts with the vitamin B1 (thiamin). In addition, alcohol limits the formation and/or usage by the body of many vitamins, weakens the immune system, irritates, poisons, and weakens most types of cells. Especially hard hit are the tissues that alcohol touches first, the mucous membranes covering the mouth and throat. Two alcoholic drinks per day increased risk of pre-malignancies by 85% (Dr. Gaynor’s Cancer Prevention Program, by Mitchell L. Gaynor, MD, ISBN 1-57566-526-3, pg 192). Alcoholdestroys folic acid.
Vitamin D is needed to help cancer cells die naturally. Boost vitamin D levels with safe amounts of sun exposure, say 20 minutes per day. The sun needs to be high for the body to make D. Alternatively, supplement 1200 IU of D daily for example.
The B vitamin folic acid, found in greens and many other veggies, is necessary for the repair of DNA after damage by a carcinogen. Low levels of folic acid have been associated with increased risk for cancer of the cervix, colon, rectum, lung, esophagus, and brain.
Supplementing B-complex may help support an even mood in the face of challenges, in addition to meditation.
Chewy mushrooms such as shiitake and maitake not only make great substitutes for meat, but also help fight cancer. All mushrooms (fungi) contain carcinogenic hydrazines that cooking destroys.
Most beans, not only soy, contain plant isoflavones, helping protect against breast and prostate cancers (www.DrFuhrman.com) in small amounts. However, soy does contain more isoflavones than most beans (www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/foodcomp/Data/isoflav/isfl_tbl.pdf).
Since a cancer prevention diet, like a heart-healthy diet, minimizes saturated fats, substituting soy for animal products may increase the effectiveness of such diets (Consumer Reports July 2004 pg 29).
Arguments against consuming a substantial amount of soy per day include possible toxicity to the endocrine and reproductive systems. Hypothyroidism has been reported in infants fed soy formula. Soy may have similar effects on adults (www.westonaprice.org/soy/isoflavones.html).
However, soy phytoestrogen may occupy receptor sites for human estrogen, diminishing some of the carcinogenic effect of human estrogen. Not much is known about the effects of consuming large amounts of phytoestrogen, so only modest portions are advisable, containing less than 25 grams of soy protein per day (www.nutrilite.com/english/Public/Research/NutritionNews/WomensHealth/doc2088r.asp).
Infection may account for a substantial fraction of cancers (another reason for boosting the immune system with greens and veggies). For example, human T-cell lymphoma virus 1 (HTLV-1) can cause non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. HTLV-2 can cause leukemia (Dr. Gaynor’s Cancer Prevention Program, by Mitchell L. Gaynor, MD, ISBN 1-57566-526-3, pg 28). Some viruses, like HIV, may be fragile and vulnerable outside of tissues, lymph fluid and blood, so fragile that they are not highly contagious. HIV may be transferable only by direct means, such as blood to blood, contaminated needles, transfusions, or breast milk. Since HTLV is related to HIV, perhaps HTLV is such a fragile virus.
Nearly 100% of chickens contain microbes of the type Progenitor Cryptocides, which Virginia Livingston MD proposed could increase risk of cancer in people as well as poultry. (Please see “Curing the common cold and other acute infections, flu”, and “What viruses like to eat”.)
Carcinogenic radon gas seeps into a basement through a dirt floor, or through cracks in concrete. This seepage becomes a concern throughout the house during the shut-in months of winter. One can check whether one’s basement and house are within federal guidelines using Safety Siren Radon Gas Detector model HS80002 by Family Safety Products of Roswell GA.
Pharmaceuticals or health food? Possibly both, because it would be reasonable to follow a doctor’s prescription for conventional treatment while improving diet and exercise. Certainly if I were faced with the challenge of healing cancer, I’d consider seriously the options of mainstream chemotherapy and radiotherapy. However, both of these mainstream options often destroy healthy tissue and weaken the immune system, as well as killing beneficial intestinal bacteria. Due to the problems associated with the side effects of mainstream therapies, if the cancer was not yet metastasizing I suspect that I’d choose instead to give a high priority to visiting one of the natural health spas listed in “Reversing advanced clinical disorders”. The very first step I’d take would be to change my diet to make sure my body was a little more alkaline to weaken the cancer cells and support my immune system. (Please see “Acid-alkali balance”.) Nevertheless, a reasonable course of action would also be to undergo conventional treatment, then visit the natural health spa to detoxify and minimize side effects of the conventional treatment. In this paragraph I’ve discussed pros and cons of conventional treatment. Because there are no guarantees with either conventional treatment or alternatives, deciding on treatment is indeed a tough choice.
If one does undergo chemotherapy, it may prove important to supplement probiotic bacteria. (Please see “Powerful probiotics, vegan cheese”.) Nausea can be ameliorated by drinking ginger tea. Ginger tea is best made from boiling finely chopped fresh ginger. Boiling it probably causes the volatile acid-forming molecules to evaporate, leaving a more alkaline fluid. However if the ginger is in a bag, it can be placed into boiling water for say 10 minutes. For those with extreme nausea, the tea can be concentrated by placing several bags into the boiling water. If sweetener is desired, a drop of stevia may be sufficient, instead of sugar or honey.
Supplementing the amino acid L-carnitine may protect heart cells against the toxic side effects of doxorubicin, a medication used to treat cancer (www.ivillagehealth.com/library/onemed/content/0,,241012_248570,00.html).
Taking antioxidant supplements such as vitamin E during chemotherapy or radiation treatment may protect not only healthy cells, but also the cancerous cells that the treatment is intended to destroy. Therefore it may be wise to drop such supplements during treatment.
Taking a biopsy is a major step: The body protects itself from having the cancer spread by building a wall around the cancer, forming a tumor. By penetrating that wall the biopsy can start the spread of the cancer from behind the wall. The cells can leak out of the hole left by even a tiny needle, then enter the blood stream. A formerly slowly growing cancer with possibly no metastasis, during a biopsy can become a cancer which might be spreading throughout the body, calling for immediate treatment. Before the biopsy it was a suspicious mass. There was still a little time to learn about the consequences and complements or alternatives to chemotherapy, radiation and surgery. After the biopsy, there’s no longer time to learn before medical treatment. Surgical removal of a tumor can mechanically spreadcancer cells.
Screening for cancer is controversial in cases when it is not yet known if the test actually saves lives. The controversy arises when it is not clear if the benefits of screening outweigh the risks of follow-up diagnostic tests and cancer treatments. For example: when screening for prostate cancer, the PSA test may detect small or slowly growing cancers that would not become life threatening, but once detected will lead to treatment. This situation, called overdiagnosis, puts men at risk for complications from unnecessary treatment such as surgery or radiation. Follow up procedures used to diagnose prostate cancer (prostate biopsy) may cause side effects, including bleeding and infection. Prostate cancer treatment may cause incontinence (inability to control urine flow) and erectile dysfunction (erections inadequate for intercourse). Similarly, for breast cancer, there have recently been criticisms that breast screening programs in some countries cause more problems than they solve. This is because screening of women in the general population results in a large number of women with false positive results that require extensive follow-up investigations to exclude the possibility of cancer. Therefore it takes a high number of investigations with possible side effects to catch a single case of malignant breast cancer early.
Dr. Fuhrman doubts that mammograms reduce the breast cancer death rate, since such claims of reductions may be based on faulty studies (Dr. Fuhrman’s Healthy Times May 2004, www.DrFuhrman.com). Also, patients overall only appear to live longer because the disease gets diagnosed earlier. He’s concerned about the unnecessary surgeries occasioned by early detection of growths that the body would have possibly reabsorbed on its own, as well as concerned about the radiation dosage accumulated via annual mammograms. That dosage may account for 2% to 4% of annual breast cancer deaths.
Please also see www.cancerproject.org www.breastcancer.org, and the DVD Stopping Cancer before It Starts by Michael Greger MD (www.DrGreger.org). A summary of the latter is in the appendix of this book. A useful reference in addition to the books listed in “Tricks to transitioning one’s diet” is Raw Food Treatment of Cancer by Kristine Nolfi, M.D. (ISBN 1-57258-057-7). An excellent section on cancer with many very worthwhile tips can be found in Balch (Prescription for Nutritional Healing by Phyllis A. Balch MD, ISBN 1-58333-077-1, available at many large health stores). A useful website is maintained by a Registered Dietician who survived cancer (A Dietitian's Cancer Story by Diana Dyer www.cancerrd.com).
“Vitamin B17”, or laetrile, is not a vitamin, not an essential nutrient. Laetrile yields toxic hydrocyanic acid after assimilation. Several studies support the hypothesis that laetrile helps the body fight cancer. However, the results have not proven reliably reproducible by other researchers. This irreproducibility throws the original results into doubt. In the lab, high concentrations of extracted laetrile cause hemagglutination and inhibit the oxidation process in protoplasm. Therefore, side effects may ensue if laetrile is consumed in high dosages. [The following reference claims that laetrile from apricot kernels is protective against cancer, which may well be false: Cancer - Why we're still dying to know the truth by Philip Day.]
Avoid frying or charbroiling foods.
If all else fails: Studies show that a doctor does not shorten the life of the cancer patient when he chooses to provide minimalist palliative care for pain relief, instead of intensive and invasive care using pumps to sustain circulation, or a respirator to ventilate the lungs (from the article "Dying Words” on www.jeromegroopman.com/articles.html).
