My wife has had 10 tumors removed from her breasts. The first two
and the last two (1 each breast each occurrence) were benign.
The six in between (four in the right breast, two in the left
breast) were malignant. Although the diagnosis of breast
cancer is a devastating experience, most women face up to and
cope well with it. In fact, studies show that many respond
with renewed vigour and enjoyment of life and stronger
interpersonal ties. But there is an inevitable period of
adjustment, usually improved by knowing as much as possible
about the disease.
My wife has been “free of cancer” for well over 8 years, but
at her last mammogram checkup, in Jan ‘05, they discovered a
growth they could not otherwise account for and wanted to do
another byopsy-type lump removal. This inevitably raises the
heady and frightening spectre of “cancer” once again. As I
began to write, this “ectomy” was still in our future, the
results and reactions were also “still in our future”.
We’ve been there, several times, but that didn’t make a
diagnosis of malignancy any easier, any less emotionally
stressful, even though the “period of adjustment” was
eased somewhat.
So after 8-9 years cancer free she was diagnosed in January,
2005 with another lump and it was removed in early April,
2005. Yes, it was malignant, but, in the doctor’s words, it
was a “friendly” tumor. Our “period of adjustment” has been much
easier this time around.
Cancer
is the second leading cause of death in North America (after
heart and other cardiovascular diseases) with lung cancer
heading the list, followed by bowel, breast, prostate,
pancreas and other malignancies. Cancer prevention is
therefore a top priority for health authorities. Of known
cancer causes, smoking tobacco accounts for about a third of
the cases and diet is blamed for another 30-70 per cent,
although the relationship between food and cancer is hazier
than for tobacco, and there are no pat answers.
In
general, cancer risks can be diminished by avoiding tobacco
use, protecting skin from ultraviolet rays, limiting alcohol
intake and - according to the latest evidence - by eating
enough fruit and vegetables. Recent results from many studies
link low intakes of fresh fruit and vegetables to high cancer
rates. Some researchers claim that inadequate intakes of fruit
and vegetables double the risks of cancer at many sites - as
well as markedly increasing risks of heart disease and
cataracts. Since only about 10 per cent of North Americans eat
the recommended amount of fruit and vegetables, there's ample
room for improvement in fighting cancer. (Very recent studies
suggest that anti-inflammatories, such as ASA/Aspirin and
other nonsteroidals may help to prevent some cancers.)
Diet-cancer links are complex to unravel
As
foods are complex mixtures and people make wide and varied
choices, it is hard to prove definite relationships between
food and cancer. Much of what is known about the dietary
causes of cancer comes from epidemiological studies (that
examine the distribution and risks for disease).
Epidemiological comparisons of cancer rates in different
countries and how they change offer clues. When people migrate
to a new country and mimic its lifestyle, they soon acquire
the same cancer rates as those in the adopted country. For
example, if Japanese people (who have low rates of breast and
colon cancer but high rates of stomach cancer) move to the
U.S., they acquire typical American cancer rates - high colon
and breast cancer rates, low risks of stomach cancer.
Studies
reveal a picture of the diet-cancer link in which some dietary
constituents may promote certain cancers - such as fat (mainly
from meat), excess energy (calorie) intake and heavy alcohol
consumption - while other components, especially antioxidants
in fruit and vegetables, may help to prevent cancer. Other
dietary constituents that may protect against certain cancers
include fatty acids in fish (the N-3 or omega-3 fatty acids)
and folic acid (a B vitamin). Large studies now underway
should tell us in a few years which dietary components promote
or combat tumour formation.
The protective anti-cancer effects of fruit and vegetables
Low
intakes of fruit and vegetables have been consistently linked
to high cancer rates in many countries around the world. Yet,
less than 10 per cent of North Americans eat the recommended
5-10 daily servings. The fruit and vegetables that appear most
protective against cancer are raw, dark green leafy vegetables
(such as spinach, kale and lettuce), cruciferous or
cabbage-family types (such as brussel sprouts, cabbage,
cauliflower, broccoli), and orange forms such as carrots,
squash, citrus and other fruits. Different plant foods may
protect against different cancers, for example:
* dark green vegetables may protect against lung cancer;
* cruciferous (cabbage family, including broccoli and
cauliflower) vegetables and carrots appear protective against
colon cancer;
* citrus and other fruits rich in vitamin C may lower risks of
mouth, larynx, stomach and esophageal tumours.
The
constituents in plant foods thought to ward off cancer include
antioxidants - such as vitamins C, E and carotenes (vitamin A
precursors) - and starches (which may protect against colon
cancer). Other plant compounds such as indoles, flavones,
phenols, coumarins, isothiocyanates, sterols and limonene may
also play an anti-cancer role. Together, the plant components
or phytochemicals that fight cancer have been dubbed chemopreventive
agents.
Note: See the book A Native Herbal Reference, published
by Healing Hand Network and available through organicgreens.us.
The possible chemopreventive role of antioxidants
The
cancer-combatting or chemopreventive effects of fruit and
vegetables are attributed by some experts to antioxidants such
as the carotenoids or vitamin-A precursors. Their action in
inhibiting cancer is ascribed mainly to the ability to combat
the oxidative hits that damage DNA and cell membranes. The
carotenoids are red, orange and yellow pigments found in fruit
and vegetables such as cantaloupe, tomatoes, corn, carrots and
peppers, as well as in green leafy vegetables such as spinach,
brussel sprouts and broccoli (where their orange/yellow colour
is masked by the green pigment, chlorophyll). Some carotenoids
are converted into active vitamin A (retinal) inside the body,
others not.
How about dietary supplements?
Since certain constituents in fruit and vegetables seem to
reduce cancer risks, it is reasonable to wonder whether one
should take supplements. While opinions vary, most nutritional
scientists do not encourage use of vitamin or other
supplements for cancer prevention. People can obtain all the
necessary vitamins, minerals and other essential nutrients
from a well balanced diet. There are no scientific grounds at
present to support the anti-cancer benefits of taking vitamin
or antioxidant supplements.
"Besides the risk of toxicity from vitamin megadoses, there is the
added danger,"notes one University of Toronto expert, "that people
whotake supplements may falsely believe they are eating well, yet
fail to achieve the health benefits of a balanced diet."
However,
in 1975 I was hired to take the place of a person who was on
“terminal leave” for a case of “terminal cancer” which
had spread to her brain. About four months after I was hired
she came back to work. We talked a lot about her treatment.
She had refused standard chemotherapy and was taking her
doctor’s (a holistic health practitioner) recommended
treatment including a specialized diet plus supplemental
vitamin therapy. But…she had added to it.
She was taking
mega-doses of all vitamins and many minerals, and taking them
four times a day. She was taking 2000 units of Vitamin C,
similar amounts of Vitamin E, and massive amounts of vitamins
A, B (all), D and all the major minerals, especially zinc and
selenium. As far as I know she is alive and well today but I
know for certain she was alive and well in August 1989, 14
years later, because I had a nice long visit with her. This
worked for her; that is not to say it will work for anyone
else. We are all chemically unique individuals and whatever we
do must be geared to our own particular body makeup and
individual needs.
In addition to the expense, those who take supplements may
neglect to eat the recommended quota of fruit and vegetables,
miss out on other valuable components and get less effective
health protection. The evidence for a cancer-protective effect
of individual supplements is far less convincing than that for
fresh fruit and vegetables as a whole. There is also concern
about the safety of antioxidant supplements. Although vitamins
C, E and beta-carotene have low toxicity, even when consumed
in doses above recommended daily amounts, a few studies
suggest that consuming large doses might not be safe.
Large studies now underway will clarify the action of individual
dietary components. The joint effect of the many varied compounds
in whole fruit and vegetables gives far greater protection
against cancer than any individual nutrient or supplement.
Finally, remember that diet is basically worthless if you are
not getting the proper nutrition from your diet. If the basic
nutrients from your diet are not being used to help heal your
body and maintain overall health, you are wasting your time,
effort, money and life. A healthy diet begins with proper and
full nutrition.
The place to
begin with your nutrition, the method to get the most benefit
out of the foods you eat, especially in our modern world with
foods rampant with antibiotics, poisoning of our lakes, rivers
and oceans (not to mention the land and air), is to make
liberal use of herbal dietary supplements. Essiac,
an herbal dietary supplement, has a great reputation and one
of the best information resources is at Essiac-info.org. Other
herbal food (nutritional) supplements, designed for particular
functional nourishment, are available. Two such are Native’s
Gift and Desert Promise. Additionally, there are digestive
aids such as organic
greens a necessary component of this modern day and age of
rampant pesticides, poisoning of our fresh water and oceans
and widespread use of antibiotics. The web site Organic
Greens dot Ca is a major resource of alternative, natural,
organic products.
I'll leave you with this thought. Isn't it better to live a
lifestyle that is designed to prevent the onset of disease,
including cancer, than to try to correct it after the fact?
Disclaimer: This article in no way should be taken as “medical
advice” on any product, condition or course of action, nor
does it constitute in any way “medical advice” endorsing
any specific product, specific result, nor any possible cure
for any condition or problem. This article is meant as a
source of information upon which you may base your decision as
to whether or not you should begin using any vitamin, mineral
and/or herbal supplement for better health, or begin using a
“greens” product as a dietary supplement.
If in doubt, or if you have questions, you should consult your
physician and, if possible, consult a second physician for a
possible different opinion. The author does not bear any
responsibility for your decisions nor for the outcome of your
actions based upon those decisions.
|
