Cancer fighting foods article

cp418

Cancer fighting foods article

cp418

Cancer: Can food prevent cancer?

Last Updated: 12:01am BST 16/06/2008 'Anticancer: A New Way of Life' by Dr David Servan-Schreiber (Michael Joseph, £14.99) is available from Telegraph Books for £12.99 + £1.25 p&p. To order call 0870 428 4112 or go to books.telegraph.co.uk. A little of what you fancy... Red wineThe concentration of polyphenols - which combat carcinogens - is greater in wine than in grape juice. Pinot noir is particularly rich in resveratrol, a polyphenol that protects cells from ageing.Green teaEpigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), found in green tea, is a molecule that blocks the formation of the new blood vessels needed for tumour growth.BlueberriesThese contain anthocyanidins and proanthocyanidins, molecules that force cancer cells to self-destruct, a process known as apoptosis.Dark chocolateChocolate with more than 70 per cent cocoa is rich in antioxidants, proanthocyanidins and polyphenols, which slow the growth of cancer cells. Avoid milk chocolate, though.Pomegranate juiceUsed in ancient Persian medicine, pomegranates are now thought to halt the growth of prostate cancer. Drinking the juice daily slows the rate of spread by two thirds.SeaweedSeaweeds such as fucoidan and kombu, eaten in Asia, contain molecules that slow cancers of the breast, prostate, skin and colon cancer. Broccoli prevents pre-cancerous cells from developingCruciform vegetables such as broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower and bok choi all contain sulforaphane and Indole-3-carbinols (I3C), powerful anti-cancer molecules that can detoxify carcinogenic substances.Oranges stimulate detoxificationCitrus fruits contain flavonoids, which are anti-inflammatory and help the liver detoxify carcinogens. Flavonoids in tangerine skins help kill brain cancer cells and stop them from spreading. Citrus peel can be steeped in tea or hot water or grated over salads or cereal. Aubergines reduce the spread of cancer cellsA key source of terpenes, which act on tumours by blocking the enzymes cancer cells need to invade other tissues. Herbs such as rosemary, thyme, oregano, basil and mint are also rich in essential oils of the terpene family. Tofu blocks dangerous hormonesSoy isoflavones (found in tofu, tempeh, miso, mung beans and bean sprouts) are phytochemical molecules that battle cancer. They act like tamoxifen, a drug used to prevent breast-cancer relapses. There are far fewer breast cancer cases among Asian women who have eaten soy since adolescence. Turmeric uniquely powerful anti-inflammatoryThe principal spice in yellow curry, turmeric can inhibit cancer growth. In the lab, it combats cancers of the colon, liver, stomach, breast and ovary, plus leukaemia. Indians, who consume turmeric regularly, have one eighth as many lung cancers as Westerners.Mackerel helps stop the spread of cancer cellsA key source of essential fatty acids, such as Omega-3s, which reduce cancer cell growth in tumours (lung, breast, colon, prostate, kidney). Studies show that eating fish twice a week helps prevent cancer. Also rich in selenium, which stimulates immune cells.Tomatoes increase the body's capacity to attack tumour cellsVegetables and fruits rich in carotenoids - tomatoes, carrots, beetroot, squash and apricots - contain vitamin A and lycopene, which slows cancer growth and combats a type of brain tumour known as a glioma. Men who eat tomato sauce twice a week may be protected against prostate cancer.Garlic reduces carcinogenic effectsAn ancient medicine, garlic is part of the alliaceous family. Their sulphur compounds reduce the carcinogens of tobacco and over-grilled meat and fight cancers of the colon, breast, lung, kidney and prostate, and leukaemia. Also regulates blood sugar, which helps limit cancer cells.

Yes, says an American doctor who has come up with a holistic plan to beat the disease. But you need to change your lifestyle, too. Fiona Macdonald-Smith reports Here's your lunch. And indeed your supper - ideally for life. There are vegetables, some olive oil, garlic, herbs, spices and maybe some meat or eggs - but just enough for the flavour. It's not the most exciting-sounding dish but, according to a new book, it could save your life.   Red wine: Pinot noir is particularly rich in resveratrol, a polyphenol that protects cells from ageing Dr David Servan-Schreiber, author of Anticancer: A New Way of Life, calls it "the standard plate". It's part of a range of measures - what you eat, your environment and your mental attitude - that he has compiled from the latest scientific evidence to help you beat cancer. This is, says Servan-Schreiber, the book he wishes he had when he became ill. Fifteen years ago he was diagnosed with a brain tumour - and eight years ago, having thought he had beaten the cancer, he suffered a relapse. After further successful surgery and 11 months of chemotherapy, he asked his doctor what he could do to prevent relapses. "I was stunned when he said there was nothing - they would just evaluate me regularly so if the cancer came back they could catch it early. It left me feeling utterly powerless." A scientist himself - he is a clinical professor of psychiatry at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine - he proceeded to trawl through all the available medical literature. "I discovered that there's lots you can do." The core of Servan-Schreiber's book is the idea that you can build what he calls "an anti-cancer biology". Although everyone's body harbours defective cells, only in some of us will these go on to form tumours - in the rest of us, the body's defence mechanisms will kick in and protect us. He believes you need to strengthen your immune system's ability to fight cancer; reduce the inflammation that cancer needs to invade neighbouring tissues; and reduce the growth of new blood vessels that cancer needs to develop large tumours. The purpose of his book is to tell you what measures you can take to achieve this. advertisement Most important, says Servan-Schreiber, you need to protect yourself against imbalances in the environment; adjust your diet to cut back on foods that promote cancer (sugar, white flour, animal fats) and eat more foods that contain phytochemical components that fight it (green tea, turmeric, cruciferous vegetables); heal the psychological wounds that aid the chemical processes that cause cancer; and stimulate your immune system. As well as the more common-sense stuff, there are some unusual suggestions. Servan-Schreiber suggests wearing eau de toilette rather than perfume as it contains fewer potentially dangerous phthalates, which may be linked to cancer development; airing your clothes in the garden after having them dry-cleaned (to get rid of potentially carcinogenic ethylenes); even accepting your true identity, including unresolved matters surrounding your sexuality, as turbulent emotional states can inhibit the activation of immune-cell production. But Servan-Schreiber's arguments for a holistic approach to cancer are all credible and one wonders why, if this information is available, this is the first time it has all been brought together. "If you're telling people to eat differently, exercise and manage their stress levels, there's no patent, no one's making money, so there's no incentive," he says. He's not anti-conventional medicine, though. "It saved my life - it just doesn't help you prevent relapses. You need both approaches."

wallycat

I'm sorry to say, but that is how I ate BEFORE cancer.  If it is supposed to help prevent recurrence, why didn't it prevent getting it in the first place.  It's a crap shoot.

I'm still hoping that in my lifetime, there will be a true scientific answer.

mkl48

The post- menopausal women with ER+ BC is ost likely on an AI. Many of the foods on that list, wine, broccoli, garlic, some spices have been directly related to decreased efficacy of the AI by Edge. Where does the truth lie? Beth

Jacquio

Beth, who is Edge and what is AI? I've seen "Edge" referenced several times. Thanks,Jacqui

Anonymous

Edge is a "researcher" on NoSurrender's (Gina's) site.  An AI is Aromatase Inhibitors such as i.e. Arimidex, Aromasin and Femara.

Here's the link where you can read what Edge (Constantine) says.

http://www.websitetoolbox.com/mb/nosurrenderbreastcancer?forum=96951

(edited to correct link)

mkl48

Hi,

What is the research on eating high glucose foods> Many major centers do not seem to believe it influences outcome. Any of our reaearch stars bringing us up to date? Ruth

jmcghee1944

     I am becoming more interested in asian foods because of the lower incidence of cancer in some asian countries. My Vietnamese co-worker and friend told me that her sister was diagnosed with cervical cancer and had a large tumor in her womb. She was told by her western-trained doctors that the tumor was inoperable. Then a neighbor told her that she should go to see a "mountain doctor" (montenyard traditional village doctor). She did this and was given some secret liquid to drink by the mountain doctor. Within weeks her tumor disappeared and could not be detected when the western-trained doctors examined her again.

    I believe that some of the beneficial effect of the asian diet is probably related to the frequent use of seaweed (such as kelp) in meals which contains large amounts of iodine. I believe that the diet of most Americans is deficient in iodine because of the lower amounts of ocean fish and complete absence of seaweed. An internet search on iodine turned up the information that iodine is concentrated in the breasts, eyes and mucous membranes of the human body. Could it be that a lower level of iodine in the breasts sets us up for the triggering of cancer?

    Another difference factor in the asian diet is the use of fruits and vegetables that we never see in the typical American supermarket or produce market. My eyes were opened on this subject when I got a guided tour of a Korean supermarket and a Chinese supermarket by my Vietnamese friend. One vegetable that the people in Okinawa attribute their longer life expectancy to is the "bitter melon" which looks like a long, grooved surface cucumber. She tells me that the bitter melon has to be cooked for a long time to reduce its bitter taste, but Okinawans say this is their secret to long life. In any event, a look into asian produce and seaweed in the diet needs further study.

jmcghee1944

New cancer-killing method found in stem cells
Genetically engineered stem cells from bone marrow showed promise as a potential new way to deliver a cancer-killing protein to tumors, British researchers said on Tuesday.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/30832998/ns/health-cloning_and_stem_cells/from/ET