Posted on 03 Mar, 2011 -
The Big C
What we can do to lessen our chances of developing cancer
An anti-cancer way of life
A celebratory view of our amazing bodies
Dear Reader,
I know that ‘cancer’ is hardly the kind of upbeat message you have come to expect of me. But then illness and death are as much a part of life as snowdrops and lavender… so why not talk about them?
The message in this email is also meant to be a positive one. And it might perhaps even prolong your life.
There are no hard and fast rules about who will or who won’t get cancer - or who will survive it. You can do everything ‘right’ and get it. And you can go everything ‘wrong’ and avoid it. There are, however, a lot of things you can do to significantly reduce your chances of developing cancer - and fighting it if you do so.
Many studies have shown that cancer mortality can be reduced by between 40% and 60% by adopting a healthy lifestyle. In 2007, in fact, the World Cancer Research Fund synthesized several thousand studies and concluded that at least 40% of cancers can be prevented by simple changes in nutrition and physical activity.
So what is cancer? And how does our body normally stop it from developing?
According to the National Cancer Institute:
“The genetic material (DNA) of a cell can become damaged or changed, producing mutations that affect normal cell growth and division. When this happens, cells do not die when they should and new cells form when the body does not need them. The extra cells may form a mass of tissue called a tumour.”
Most of the time, our bodies’ immune systems step in and keep defective cells in check. Our body is designed to fight the process of tumour development and may be busy fighting pre-cancerous micro-tumours at any time.
NK (short for Natural Killer!) cells are particularly strong anti-cancer agents of the immune system that constantly patrol our bodies in search of bacteria, viruses or new cancer cells. When they detect and reach a baddie, they fire it with their lethal chemical weapons.
The vocabulary of illness, wellness and life
Such amazing stories of our immune system at work - and the different lifestyle and psychological factors that influence it - have always fascinated me.
I have also developed a weird fascination with the closeness of the words ‘ontology’ (the philosophical study of the nature of being or existence) and ‘oncology’ (the scientific study of tumours). The closeness is coincidental but there is still something about it that haunts me slightly.
In the case of the Natural Killer cells of our immune system, for example, it would seem that the secret inner workings of our bodies at a cellular level are as determined to prolong our amazing existence as the philosophers of ontology are determined to define what the secret inner workings of our existence really means…
What can we do to help our body keep it in check?
But I have come off my track…
Over the past few weeks I have been reading a fascinating book called ‘Anti Cancer - A New Way of Life’ by Dr David Servan-Schreiber - all about the things we can do to “help boost our body’s natural capacity for protection” against its many diseases.
Rather than just give you a list of things you should or shouldn’t do… or eat or drink… it shows you the science behind why certain things can help or hinder the immune system’s ability to prevent and fight off cancer.
Inflammation, for example, can be linked both to the initial cause of some cancers and is also instrumental for its spread and survival. To prevent and inhibit the growth of cancer, therefore, it is important to reduce the overproduction of inflammatory substances in the body.
Reasons why richer countries have higher rates of cancer
Cancer is sometimes called a rich person’s disease because there are simply a lot more cases in the West than in poorer nations. This is believed (by some not all) to be caused significantly by the high levels of bleached flour and refined sugars and also by the agricultural methods that have created an unhealthy unbalance of omega-3 and omega-6 in our diets.
“the amounts of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids in our food depend on what the cows and chickens we eat have consumed in their feed. If they eat grass, then the meat, milks and eggs they provide are perfectly balanced in omega-3s and omega-6s (a balance close to 1/1). If they eat corn and soy, the resulting imbalance in our bodies is as much as 1/15, even 1/40.”
Molecules in foods that can help prevent the spread of cancer
“The growth and spread of cancer cells relies to a large extent on a single pro-inflammatory factor secreted by the tumour cells… referred as Nuclear Factor-kappa B.” A major key of cancer prevention is therefore the inhibition of NF-kappa B and a lot of conventional treatment works in this manner.
Fortunately, there are also a lot of powerful molecules in food known to act in this way - including catechines found in green tea and resveratrol found in red wine.
In fact, there are now a whole list of foods that have been found to act as medicines in the fight against cancer.
Olives, for example, “contain an abundance of antioxidants such as acteosides, hydroxytyrosol, tyrosol and phenylpropionic acids. The direct effect of such molecules is to limit the initial development of cancer. Particularly when it is virgin, olive oil also contains secoiridoids and lignans, both known antioxidants that have been linked with slower progression of cancer.”
Soy is another powerful food because it contains powerful phytochemical molecules that work against the mechanisms essential to the survival and spread of cancer.
Turmeric is an amazingly powerful cancer-fighting spice. In the laboratory, curcumin (a molecule found in turmeric) inhibits growth in large numbers of cancers and inhibits mechanisms such as angiogenesis that cancers need to grow.
I cannot possibly reduce the contents of this great book to the few pages that I have here so I am going to do my best to summarise some of the key instructions for dietary factors that I have come away with from it (without getting too over-the-top obsessed...):
Don’t eat too much sugar or white flour. Opt for brown bread and pasta more of the time (if you’re not already of course). Brown or basmati rice instead of white.
Don’t eat too much red meat and limit processed pork products.
Look for meat and animal (dairy and eggs) products where the animals have been fed on grass or linseed. Some may even specify that they are rich in omega-3s.
Drink green tea. The more the better. Steep for at least 5 to 8 minutes before drinking to release the catechins but drink within the hour.
Eat fish at least twice a week.
Flavour your foods with ginger, garlic and turmeric. You must add black pepper when eating turmeric to activate its medicinal qualities. Other herbs are great too including in particular rosemary and also parsley, celery, thyme, oregano, basil and mint.
Eat more soy. Soya milk is good as well as tofu, tempeh and miso.
Eat more vegetables! And especialy cabbages, broccoli, sprouts and cauliflower. You should, however, stir fry or steam these instead of boiling to avoid losing the good elements.
But then pretty much all vegetables are good so the more the merrier. Tomatoes should be cooked to release their powerful nutrients and tinned tomatoes are fine.
Eat lots of fruit. Try to get a good range as they all have different properties: berries for polyphenols, for example and citrus fruit for anti-inflammatory flavanoids. Plums are also brilliant - and peaches and nectarines are pretty good too.
Use olive oil or canola oil and avoid hydrogenated vegetable fats.
A few squares of dark chocolate (more than 70% cocoa) is not only a healthy alternative to a more sugary dessert but also a great source of antioxidants and polythenols.
Doing all of the above religiously will not make you immune from cancer, unfortunately. It can, however, improve your chances.
“Changes in lifestyle cannot, by definition, be patented, thus they do not become medications, thus they do not require prescriptions. This means that most physicians don’t consider them within their realm, so it is up to each of us to make them our own.”
Dr Servan-Schreiber’s excellent book also contains some interesting chapters on the ‘anti-cancer mind’ including discussions on emotions and stress relating to cancer. I did not feel comfortable with discussing this area myself but for anyone who’s interested in the subject it is there…
Best wishes to all
