|
Prevention of Cancer
An effective program for avoiding cancer in the
first place entails diet and nutrition, lifestyle
modification, and chemoprevention.
Diet and Nutrition
Thinking has changed since 1949, when the
American Medical Association stated, "There is no
scientific evidence that food or other nutritional
essentials are of any specific value in the control
of cancer." Diet, lifestyle, and nutrition have
actually been shown to play an important role in
determining cancer risk. For instance, research
indicates that populations that consume large
quantities of plant-derived foods have a lower
incidence of several types of cancer. In 1991, the
National Cancer Institute incorporated these
findings into the 5 a Day for Better Health
Program. It recommended five daily servings of
fruits and vegetables as part of a low-fat,
high-fiber diet. Despite widespread promotion of
this program over the past decade, fewer than one
in five American children and fewer than one in
four adults eat five portions of produce a day, a
statistic that hasn't changed in 10 years. Ray
& Terry's Longevity Program regards the 5 a Day
program as a good start, but we recommend our
5-to-10-a-Day program, encouraging five to seven
servings of vegetables and zero to three servings
of fruit daily. See Pay & Terry's Food Pyramid
on page 106. Emphasis should be on
low-glycemic-load (low-starch) vegetables --
typically, green vegetables as opposed to
higher-carbohydrate root vegetables. Fruit is
beneficial, but caution is needed -- while it's
almost impossible to eat too many low-starch
vegetables, you can eat too much fruit and consume
excessive sugar.
Some people feet that by taking nutritional
supplements, they can compensate for a diet
insufficient in plant-based foods. While
supplements are clearly of proven value, taken
alone they do not offer sufficient protection
against cancer. A diet rich in naturally occurring
nutrients, as found in fruits and vegetables, is
needed for optimal cancer prevention. Our dietary
recommendations include:
Drink vegetable juice. Start your day
right with an 8-to-12-ounce glass of freshly
squeezed vegetable juice as part of, or instead of,
breakfast: juice some cucumber, broccoli, kale,
cabbage, a carrot (for flavor, but not more than
one, to avoid excess sugar), and other green
vegetables you find in your refrigerator. This can
provide almost half of your 5-to-10-a-Day
requirements even before you leave your house in
the morning. We also re-emphasize the importance of
eating organic produce whenever possible to
minimize exposure to pesticides and other
carcinogenic chemical residues.
Eat a Mediterranean diet. The
Mediterranean diet, which is low in red meat and
emphasizes whole grains, fish, and fresh fruits and
vegetables, has been associated with reduced cancer
risk. Digestive-tract cancers (mouth, esophagus,
stomach, and colon) and cancers of the lung and
prostate are lower. In a recent study of more than
22,000 Greeks, those who followed the Mediterranean
diet had a 24 percent decrease in total incidence
of cancer, compared with individuals who did not
eat this way. The Mediterranean diet includes
generous amounts of extra virgin olive oil, which
protects against several types of cancer -- colon,
breast, and skin -- as well as coronary heart
disease. The Mediterranean diet also calls for
large portions of fresh tomatoes and tomato sauces.
Cooked tomatoes, along with most other red fruits
and vegetables, are rich in the bioflavonoid
lycopene, which has been associated with a lower
risk of prostate cancer.
Avoid the white Satan -- sugar. Because
cancer cells consume sugar so avidly, the PET scan
used by doctors to locate cancer in the body
involves giving patients radioactive glucose (or
sugar), which is concentrated in areas harboring
malignancies and shows up as hot spots on the scan.
The 1931 Nobel laureate Otto Warburg demonstrated
that cancer cells have a fundamentally different
metabolism than normal cells and utilize sugar as
their predominant food for growth. You can inhibit
cancer formation by avoiding dietary sources of
simple sugar as well as foods with a high glycemic
load, which are rapidly converted to sugar in the
body.
A direct relationship between sugar consumption
and pancreatic cancer was seen in women who
participated in the Nurses' Health Study. The
Women's Health Study, published by researchers at
UCLA in 2004, found that a high-glycemic-load diet
significantly increased risk of colorectal cancer.
When coupled with excess weight and a sedentary
lifestyle, women in this study who consumed excess
sugar had more than three times the average risk of
developing cancer of the pancreas. Avoid "the white
Satan" whenever and wherever possible.
Lifestyle Modification
Exercise. Exercise has been associated
with a lower incidence of cancer, while a sedentary
lifestyle increases cancer risk. We are in favor of
the following American Cancer Society
recommendations:
- Adults should engage in moderate (or even
more vigorous) activity for a minimum of 150
minutes a week. This can be done as three
50-minute sessions, multiple 10-minute sessions,
or any combination to total two and a half hours
a week.
- Children and adolescents should engage in at
least 60 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous
physical activity almost every day.
It is often good to perform your exercise in the
great outdoors. Sunlight exposure is itself
protective against many types of cancer. UVB
(ultraviolet B) radiation found in sunlight is
associated with reduced risk of cancer of the
breast, colon, ovary, prostate, and lymphoma. Lower
mortality rates are seen with higher amounts of UVB
exposure for cancers of the bladder, esophagus,
kidney, lung, pancreas, rectum, and stomach.
Sunscreen interferes with absorption of UVB
radiation, so we disagree with conventional
recommendations that people should use sunscreen
whenever they're outside. Unless you're someone who
sunburns easily, such as people with very fair
complexions and redheads, we recommend you use
don't use sunscreen all the time. Instead, apply it
primarily when risk of sun damage is high: during
midday in summer, at high altitudes, or during any
prolonged exposure to intense sunlight, such as
when boating or skiing on a bright day.
Better yet, cover up exposed skin with clothing
or avoid midday direct sun exposure if possible.
Regular exposure of skin to non-burning sunlight is
itself cancer-protective. Increased consumption of
fish and the omega-3 fatty acids EPA and DHA (along
with decreased consumption of omega-6 fatty acids
such as from corn oil and safflower oil) can be
very protective against melanoma, the most
dangerous form of skin cancer, which has been
associated with excessive sun exposure.
Avoid pesticides. Exposure to
agricultural chemicals has been linked to numerous
cancers. Agricultural workers are at higher risk of
cancers of the stomach (40 percent increased risk),
rectum (50 percent), larynx (40 percent), and
prostate (40 percent). The increased risk of
prostate cancer was specifically related to
application of pesticides (70 percent increased
risk). Again, we stress the importance of eating
organically grown foods whenever possible.
Lose excess body weight. Being overweight
or obese is an independent risk factor for several
types of cancer, a fact that is not widely known. A
survey conducted by the American Cancer Society in
2002 revealed that only 1 percent of the American
public realizes that maintaining a healthy weight
reduces cancer risk. Yet according to the Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention, as of the year
2000, 64 percent of American adults were overweight
and about 30 percent were obese. A recent study
published in the New England Journal of Medicine
prospectively followed more than 900,000 American
adults to assess the relationship between weight
and cancer risk. This study showed that being
overweight or obese accounted for 20 percent of
cancer deaths in women and 14 percent in men.
Obesity was specifically linked to cancers of the
liver, pancreas, prostate, and cervix, non-Hodgkin
lymphoma, and multiple myeloma.
Avoid tobacco. It has been more than 40
years since the first report of the Surgeon
General's Advisory Committee on Smoking and Health
was released on January 11, 1964. Thanks to
widespread dissemination of information linking
smoking to multiple health risks, including cancer,
emphysema, and heart disease, the percentage of
Americans who smoke has decreased significantly.
This downward trend is most prominent among
American men: 52 percent smoked in 1965, but only
28 percent smoke currently. Thirty-four percent of
American women smoked in 1965, while 22 percent do
today. Unfortunately, smoking rates in the United
States have remained flat for several years, with
little decrease since 1990.
The list of illnesses linked to cigarette
smoking reads like the little black book of the
Angel of Death. Cigarette smoke increases risk of
cancer of all the tissues tobacco smoke touches on
its way into the body (lung, mouth, throat, and
larynx), on its way out of the body (kidney and
bladder), and some places in between (cervix and
pancreas). Cardiovascular diseases, including heart
attack, sudden cardiac death, and stroke, are
increased dramatically in individuals who smoke.
Lung problems such as emphysema, asthma, chronic
bronchitis, and COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary
disease) are all much higher among smokers. And
this is only a partial list!
Smoking cessation is a fundamental part of any
cancer-prevention program. There are a number of
medications and therapies now available to help
smokers kick the habit. If you still smoke, we
strongly advise that you implement a
smoking-cessation program immediately.
Chemoprevention
"Chemoprevention" refers to the use of natural
or synthetic substances to reduce the risk of
cancer. A number of naturally occurring nutrients
are chemoprotective, including vitamins, minerals,
herbs, antioxidants, and hormones. While
insufficient to prevent cancer by themselves, the
following natural chemoprotective agents are a
valuable part of a comprehensive cancer-prevention
program. Other chemoprotective agents are discussed
in chapter 21, "Aggressive Supplementation."
Vitamin C. Linus Pauling, the only
scientist ever to receive two unshared Nobel
prizes, was so impressed with the ability of
vitamin C to both prevent and treat cancer that he
coauthored a book on the subject. Vitamin C,
particularly when combined with the mineral
selenium, can induce cells that are "on the way" to
becoming cancerous to turn back from "the dark
side" and remain benign. Estimates of optimal doses
of vitamin C vary between 1 and 10 grams per day.
Our program recommends that most adults take 2
grams (2,000 milligrams) of vitamin C daily for
chemoprevention.
Selenium. There are four well-known
antioxidant "ACES": three are vitamins (A, C, and
E), one is a mineral (selenium). Selenium is the
mineral cofactor that activates the powerful
antioxidant enzyme GSH-Px (glutathione peroxidase).
In the Nutritional Prevention of Cancer trial,
selenium supplementation reduced the total
incidence of cancer, particularly cancer of the
prostate. We recommend a chemopreventive dose of
400 to 600 micrograms of selenium daily.
Coenzyrne Q10. Coenzyme Q10 is critically
involved in energy generation within the
mitochondria of the cell. Malignant tissues in the
body create increased levels of free radicals.
Antioxidant enzymes are under increased stress when
attempting to control the free-radical damage found
in cancerous tumors. The metabolic needs of these
protective enzymes increase dramatically, and
coenzyme Q10 is vital in helping to provide them
with the energy needed to fight cancer.
Breast tumors have dramatically decreased levels
of coenzyme Q10 as a result of free-radical stress,
and breast-cancer patients are typically given
large doses of supplemental coenzyme Q10 by
nutritional physicians. Coenzyme Q10 has numerous
other protective effects in the body, including
lowering blood pressure and protecting the heart.
We recommend that healthy adults take from 60 to
200 micrograms of coenzyme Q10 a day.
Curcumin. This herb, derived from
turmeric (a common spice), has been used in
Ayurvedic and Chinese medicine for centuries.
Curcumin has powerful anti-inflammatory properties
and arrests the growth of cancer cells at the G2
stage of their cell division. Combining curcumin
with ECGC (epigaRocatechin-3-gallate) from green
tea provides synergistic cancer prevention.
Curcumin fights growth of cancer cells in at
least a dozen separate ways. It blocks
estrogen-mimicking chemicals like pesticides from
causing excessive stimulation of hormonally
sensitive tissues such as those in the breast and
prostate. In this way, it works in harmony with
other phytonutrients that have similar actions,
such as soy isoflavones and cruciferous
vegetables.
Curcumin is used as a natural anti-inflammatory
to treat patients with inflammatory conditions such
as arthritis. It blocks the COX (cyclooxygenase)
enzyme, which creates inflammation in the body. It
is well known that colon cancer has a significant
inflammatory component and that patients who take
COX inhibitors such as aspirin have a reduced
incidence of colon cancer. Studies have shown that
taking curcumin can also help prevent colon
cancer.
We encourage the regular use of the spice
turmeric, which contains curcumin, in food
preparation, as well as taking 900 milligrams of
supplemental curcumin a day for cancer
prevention.
Melatonin. Many people know that
melatonin can help with sleep. A few people also
know that it is a powerful anti-aging hormone.
Fewer yet are aware of the fact that melatonin has
an important role as a cancer-protective agent. One
paper reviewed 27 studies on the use of melatonin
as a cancer preventive or treatment. The authors
concluded that "melatonin could indeed be
considered a physiological anticancer
substance."
Many studies have centered on the use of
melatonin in the prevention and treatment of breast
cancer. Melatonin can directly inhibit the growth
of breast-cancer cells. It also has important
antioxidant and immunostimulatory effects. We
recommend taking 0.1 to 3 milligrams of this
naturally occurring chemopreventive agent daily, at
bedtime.
Folic acid. As discussed in chapter 13,
folic acid is intimately involved in numerous
methylation reactions. These include synthesis of
DNA, turning genes within the cell on or off, and
detoxification of chemical toxins. Abnormalities in
all of these reactions have been linked to the risk
of malignancy. Recently, folic acid deficiency has
been implicated as a risk factor for developing
cancer. In a review article of 34 studies on the
connection between folic acid and cancer, a direct
link was found between low folic acid levels and
cancers of the colon and breast.
Folic acid, which is important for both heart
health and cancer protection, is one of the few
nutrients that works better when taken as a
separate supplement than as part of food. A minimum
of 800 micrograms per day is recommended, but
depending on other factors (such as homocysteine
level), this can be raised to 5,000 to 10,000
micrograms or more.
EPA/DHA. The cardiac benefits of the
essential fatty acid derivatives EPA
(eicosapentaneoic acid) and DRA (docosahexaneoic
acid) are well known, but these "fish oils" also
play important roles as naturally occurring
chemoprotective agents. Like curcumin, fish oils
possess an anti-inflammatory action that is the
basis of the cancer-protective effect. As discussed
in chapter 12, EPA and DHA are naturally occurring
COX-2 inhibitors. COX-2 is an enzyme that increases
levels of inflammatory chemicals in the body such
as PG E2 (prostaglandin E2) and is found in high
levels in precancerous and cancerous tissues.
Increased levels of both COX-2 and PG E2 have been
found in cancers associated with inflammation, such
as breast and colon cancer. Consumption of
cold-water fish, which is rich in EPA and DHA, as
well as EPA/DHA supplementation, is
anti-inflammatory, cardioprotective, and
chemoprotective.
We recommend a minimum of 1,000-3,000 milligrams
of EPA and 700-2,000 milligrams of DHA daily.
Beta-carotene (a special case). Not all
vitamins are cancer-protective -- at least, not for
all people. In particular, the Finnish
Alpha-Tocopherol, Beta Carotene (ATBC) Cancer
Prevention Study showed that supplementation with
beta-carotene actually increased the incidence of
lung cancer when taken in supplement form by
cigarette smokers. Several other studies have
confirmed this association, so we recommend that
people at increased risk of lung cancer (such as
smokers or workers exposed to asbestos) not take
supplemental beta-carotene. Here's the solution for
anyone seriously concerned about cancer prevention:
if you smoke, stop. Stop today, right now. But if
for whatever reason you are unable to quit, don't
take supplemental beta-carotene.
Between early-detection tests and preventive and
treatment strategies, it is likely that the death
rate from cancer will soon begin to plummet and, in
the near future, cancer will no longer be the
gruesome killer that it is today.
Secrets of Soy and the Japanese Diet
Besides possessing a lower incidence of heart
disease and menopausal symptoms, the Japanese also
appear to have less cancer. This is due in part to
their greater consumption of soybean-based foods
such as soy milk, tofu, and soybeans. The soy
isoflavones genistein and daidzein have
cancer-protective properties, particularly against
hormonally sensitive cancers, such as prostate
cancer in men and breast cancer in women. The
typical Japanese diet is also low in meat and high
in seafood. Fish contains significant
concentrations of the important cancer-fighting
fatty acids EPA and DHA. Another cancer preventive
typically consumed at almost every Japanese meal is
green tea, which contains a powerful anticancer
agent known as EGCG (epigallocatechin-3-gailate).
Drinking several cups of green tea every day is
highly recommended.
©2004 Ray Kurzweil
and Terry Grossman,
M.D.
Source: Ray Kurzweil and Terry
Grossman, M.D. Authors of Fantastic
Voyage: Live Long Enough to Live
Forever
Ray
Kurzweil is one of the world's leading inventors,
thinkers, and futurists. Called "the restless
genius" by the Wall Street Journal and "the
ultimate thinking machine" by Forbes magazine.
Kurzweil's ideas on the future have been touted by
his many fans , who range from Bill Gates to Bill
Clinton. Time magazine writes, "Kurzweil's eclectic
career and propensity of combining science with
practical -- often humanitarian -- applications
have inspired comparisons with Thomas Edison." A
recipient of the National Medal of Technology and
an inductee in the National Inventors Hall of Fame,
among many other honors, he is the author of three
previous books: The Age of Spiritual Machines, The
10% Solution for a Healthy Life, and The Age of
Intelligent Machines.
Terry
Grossman, M.D., is the founder and medical director
of Frontier Medical Institute in Denver, Colorado,
a leading longevity clinic. certified in anti-aging
medicine, he lectures internationally on longevity
and anti-aging strategies. In the words of Arline
Brecher, coauthor of Forty Something Forever, "I've
met good writers and good doctors, but seldom are
they one and the same. Dr. Terry Grossman breaks
the mold and sets a new standard for physicians."
He is the author of The Baby Boomer's Guide to
Living Forever.
Contact
Us |
Disclaimer
| Privacy
Statement
Menstuff®
Directory
Menstuff® is a registered trademark of Gordon
Clay
©1996-2023, Gordon Clay
|
