You Can

Prevent

Cancer

 

 

 

Everything you should know about cancer and how to prevent it

 

 

 

 

 

 

The International Cancer Prevention Institute

 

 

 

 

Disclaimer

The nutritional information and other recommendations in this book are not a substitute for professional medical advice. The information presented in this book is based on the results of medical research and scientific studies and includes conclusions that can be inferred from them. No assurances can be made as to the efficacy of the recommendations. The recommendations are made for the average person, but certain individuals might have conditions that could make the recommendations inappropriate for them. For this reason, people should consult with a qualified medical professional before applying any of the information contained in this book.

 

Preface

 

The International Cancer Prevention Institute (“ICPI”), also referred to as “the Institute” throughout this book, has the mission of contributing to the efforts to rid the world of cancer. We believe that the first step to eliminating this deadly disease is preventing it from occurring in the first place. What we mean by “preventing cancer” throughout the book is that the odds of developing cancer are reduced significantly. Most people are not aware that it can pretty much be prevented today, which is the reason we decided to write this book.

Throughout the history of the study of cancer, its causes and its remedies, many of the findings have common threads running through them. Research results continue to reinforce each other. Some the latest results support findings from research that was done decades ago. Although the most important breakthroughs have taken place in the last twenty years, most people and even much of the scientific and medical community have not even noticed. It is these breakthroughs that form the foundation of this book.

There is a world of knowledge out there about things one can do or eat to help prevent cancer, but most people don’t know about them. Why don’t they know about them? Because cancer is a negative, scary topic. Most of us probably want to be as far away from it as possible. Few people will take the time to read and learn about it because deep down inside we don’t want to get it and therefore unconsciously have no need for information about it. Most of us will not worry about cancer until we get it or someone we love does. However, if you take the time to understand it and make certain lifestyle and dietary changes, you probably won’t ever have to worry about it.

This book is not about curing cancer, because we know that today there is no cure. It is not about treating it either, although this topic is briefly covered in Chapter 3. This book is about the steps that everyone can take, starting today, to reduce their chances of getting cancer in general and certain cancers in particular. There is no magic bullet or foolproof way of completely eliminating the risk, but there are many things you can do, and in particular many natural foods and supplements that you can take, in order to reduce the risk significantly or almost eliminate it. This book is more about the things that one should do, rather than the things that one should avoid, in order to prevent the disease.

Some people that follow all the recommendations of this book might still get cancer at some point in their life because this is not an exact science. We are really only scratching the surface of this complex disease, but the research results show that you can in fact reduce your risk significantly (which is what we call prevention). In addition to the external factors affecting or preventing cancer, the genetic make-up of a person has some influence on his or her likelihood of developing the disease. This means that some people today are destined to get cancer. Notwithstanding, research results suggest that many people that were meant to get it can avoid it if they follow our recommendations. In addition, many that might have a greater-than-average chance of developing it because of environmental factors will be able to beat it to the punch by taking proactive steps today, namely eating the right foods and having proper habits.

Cancer research continues to push forward, and research results are published on a daily basis. However, most of the results are published in medical journals and other periodicals that are not readily accessible to the general population. If you are lucky, you get to read about some new discovery in a small article in a magazine or on the Internet. This book is meant to be a manual to help guide you to a cancer-free life. It is a short-yet-complete account of the results of research studies that have practical applications for the prevention of cancer, and it includes easy-to-implement recommendations.

We wrote the book for the average person that has no medical training. We use layman terms as much as we can and make analogies to things that most people should understand. Besides prevention, we cover the basics of some topics related to cancer to give the reader a general overview of the disease. We purposefully skip some topics that a technical, thorough cancer book would include. In order to make it as short as possible and easier to understand, we neglect some burdensome details that some experts might consider important.

We also simplify many of the cancer processes without explaining every step so as not to confuse or bore you with the details. You do not need every detail in order to learn how to protect yourself. We feel that once people understand the basics, they will no longer be afraid and will be willing to face it straight on.

Don’t wait until you or someone you love gets cancer. Act now. Take a few easy steps today to avoid this deadly disease. Spread the word among your friends and loved ones. If self-preservation is an instinct that you possess, you should pay close attention to the recommendations in this book and follow as many of them as you can.

Introduction

 

The American Cancer Society estimates that in 2003 there will be approximately 1,334,000 new cases of cancer diagnosed in the United States and that 556,000 Americans will die from some form of cancer. Roughly one quarter of all deaths in the United States can be attributed to cancer. It is the second leading cause of death in the Western world (after heart disease), and in the United States it has become the leading cause of death for people under the age of 85. It is expected to become the overall leading cause of death in Canada by 2010 and in the US by 2018. With the exception of stomach, rectal, cervical and uterine cancers, incidence for all cancers has been on the rise for more than 50 years.

Due to the declining death rates from cardiovascular and cerebrovascular disease, cancer will probably become the leading cause of death in the Western world. From a disease that killed a relatively small percentage of the population less than two centuries ago, it has grown over the years to become what many consider the largest health problem in the world. Today, roughly one out of every two men and one out of every three women will develop cancer during their life. If it continues to increase the way it has over the last half century, it won’t be too long before most people are expected to develop some form of it in their lifetime. But it doesn’t have to be this way; we can change this scary trend if we want to.

Cancer is a complex disease that develops due to a combination of several factors that include your genetic makeup, age, diet, physical activity and exposure to carcinogens over time. We address most of these throughout the book, but our focus is primarily on the one factor that we have the most control over: diet. Diet also happens to be the factor that most affects whether you develop cancer or not. It might come as a big surprise to most readers, but it really can be prevented by eating the right things and having other good habits. The American Cancer Society, which is extremely conservative, estimates that at least half of all cancer deaths can be prevented. We believe that this number can go as high as 90 percent.

Part of the Institute’s philosophy is that cancer is an immunodeficiency disease as opposed to local or organ-specific disease. The general idea is that if the body is maintained well by providing it the right nutrients in the proper amounts, then the body’s immune system will generally be able to prevent the development of cancer and usually reverse it if it actually starts. Laboratory experiments and human and animal trials have found that many natural substances can prevent cells from mutating or that can revert them back to normal if they do mutate. In addition, many compounds have been found to help the immune system to distinguish cancerous cells from normal cells so that it can attack and destroy only the cancerous ones.

It can be argued that we all get cancer all the time. What happens is that almost as soon as a cell starts on the path of becoming cancerous, or just as soon as it does become, the body’s immune system kills it or converts it into a normal cell. Your body comes into contact with all kinds of toxins every day, and cancer is the result of the accumulated damage they have caused it over time. It does not happen overnight; it takes years to develop. It occurs when the body’s interaction with carcinogens goes unchecked by the immune system or by certain substances that occur naturally in our food. However, we believe that your immune system will win this battle even if you come into contact with a significant amount of carcinogens, so long as you get your fair share of cancer preventers (as we call them).

Cancer is more prevalent today because we have turned our environment against us. Most of the carcinogens that we come into contact with every day were created and released into our environment by man. These include chemicals in our water, air, soil and in products we consume. In order to cope with an ever-increasing world population, we have had to find ways to reap more food from the same surface area. We have to inject animals with hormones, and we have to grow our crops by spraying them with pesticides and give them chemical fertilizers. We have to grow our crops without crop rotation, which leads to them being depleted of essential minerals. Our grains are processed by bleaching and refining them, and much of the fish we eat is contaminated with heavy metals such as mercury from our increasingly polluted oceans. Most of these “extras” on our food are carcinogenic, and the lack of certain minerals and vitamins weakens our immune systems so we are unable to fight these carcinogens.

Originally, fruits, vegetables and certain animals had all the nutrients we needed to prevent cancer. We got to where we are because we evolved into a species that was able to protect itself from cancer and other diseases with the nutrients found in foods that had existed on Earth for millions of years. Our bodies would take what they needed from these foods, and all was well. Unfortunately, the artificial means that are being used to increase food production have led to a loss in the nutritive value that our ancestors received from their food. It no longer has as many of the protective compounds it once did. The processing that most food goes through in developed countries strips out many of the substances that our immune system needs and adds others that are harmful to our health.

Even if today’s foods had all the nutrients they were meant to have (and organic food* just might), they would probably still not be enough. Our bodies developed through evolution to be able to survive and to defend themselves from carcinogens through the cancer preventers found in our food. The problem is that as technology has advanced in order to improve our standard of living, the world has become ever more polluted and has surrounded us with mutagenic substances everywhere. As we evolved, our bodies were never expected to come into contact with so many carcinogens.

If our technological advancements had been much slower, including our medical advances and our carcinogen production, what would have happened is that the process of natural selection would have ensured that only those with genetic mutations that protected them from cancer would have survived and passed along their genes. This would have left the world with a human population that was able to resist the most prevalent carcinogens using the nutrients found in the food supply. However, what has happened is that our rate of carcinogen production has been much faster than our rate of beneficial mutations, and this is the reason that we have more cancer than ever. Every year more and more chemicals are created and more and more of them get into our environment. We can only expect cancer incidence to continue increasing unless we decide to preemptively stop it.

You have two choices in reducing your likelihood of developing cancer. The first is to avoid cancer-causing agents in your food, personal care products and your general environment. The second is to eat the foods and take the supplements that are known to prevent it, as well as making the lifestyle changes that are known to reduce the risk of developing it. The first choice is the more difficult one to implement, among other things because we don’t know of all the substances that cause cancer. In addition, many of the known carcinogens are in our environment – we breath them, eat them, drink them and come into contact with them every day without noticing. The only way you could avoid cancer-causing agents altogether would be to leave civilization and move to a mountain in the middle of nowhere, where you would grow your own crops and raise your own animals. This, however, is not a practical alternative for most of us. Additionally, this does not protect you from your own genes, which may predispose you to certain cancers.

The second choice is to counter-attack these carcinogens that you cannot avoid anyway. But how do you counter-attack them? They say “the best defense is a good offense”, a saying that most certainly applies to cancer prevention. It is much easier than anyone would think. There are many plants, herbs, fruits and vegetables that have been shown to prevent and sometimes help heal certain cancers or cancer in general. Consuming these foods, and supplements that are derived from them, is how you counter-attack – call it a “preemptive strike”. We know that many of the substances that certainly cause cancer don’t cause it in everyone that is exposed to them. This is why millions of people smoke every day and don’t ever get it. They are probably consuming the substances that prevent it and therefore counteract the negative effects of their cancer-causing habits.

The US government declared war against cancer several decades ago, but has not managed to make even a dent in it. It has no enemy casualties or even prisoners of war to show for it. All we have is millions of our own casualties, and they keep mounting every day. This is probably part of the reason that Linus Pauling, the two-time Nobel Peace Prize winner, correctly claimed that the “war on cancer is largely a fraud”. Part of the reason that we are still losing this war is that the approach has been all wrong. What the government and most institutions involved in cancer research have done is to look for a cure. What they haven’t realized is that “the cure” is within all of us. They have been busy trying to figure out how to cure it instead of what prevents it. If you can prevent it, then you don’t have to cure it. Trust us when we tell you that it is much easier to prevent it than to cure it – don’t let yourself get it.

Add to the wrong approach the fact that politicians are financed by large pharmaceutical companies and you realize that there is no way we could have already won the war on cancer. These companies have no interest in a natural way to prevent or cure cancer because products from nature cannot be patented and sold at high profits. So they lobby the government to make sure that cancer-fighting foods and natural supplements cannot be promoted by manufacturers as cancer-preventing substances. Whenever research results show that some natural mineral, vitamin, phytochemical, or other substance prevents cancer, the FDA and other government organizations always say that the claim cannot be made on the product because “further research is required”. They will say this forever because it is in the best interests of the large drug companies. Meanwhile, they have no problems giving fast-track approval to many drugs that often have severe side-effects.

It turns out that most of the foods that your grandmother and her grandmother have been recommending over time are generally the right ones to eat. However, it also turns out that even if you ate all the right foods you probably still would not be fully protected from cancer because you generally cannot eat enough of them to get enough “good stuff” into your system to fight all the “bad stuff” that you come into contact with every day. For this reason, we need supplements of the cancer preventers that come in these foods, namely vitamins, minerals and phytochemicals. In this book we lay out a program that includes the natural foods and supplements that you need to effectively prevent this deadly disease. Until that vaccine is found, make sure you get enough of the substances described in this book in order to protect yourself from it. Getting enough of these is as close as you can get today to a cancer vaccine.

This book is broken down into three major sections. The first is about the basics of cancer. It explains what it is, its causes, how it can be diagnosed and how it is usually treated. Section II discusses the different substances (vitamins, minerals and phytochemicals) and foods that have been found to prevent cancer and provides empirical evidence for their effectiveness. The third section gives specific recommendations for the doses and amounts of the substances and foods that you need to consume to be protected. Exercise and diet in general are discussed in Sections II and III of the book as well.

You will notice in the Recommendations section that we recommend certain brands of certain products. The companies that own these brands are sponsors of the book and the Institute. The reason that we invited them to sponsor us is that their products genuinely have preventive properties, and we feel that it is important to help people choose the products that can help them the most.

 

Section I: Cancer Basics

 

 

Chapter 1 – The Cancer Process

 

 

What is cancer?

 

Cancer is a chronic disease, which means that it will not go away without outside interference. In its simplest form, it is the uncontrolled division of cells that have no function in the body. All normal cells in our body have a function and have a limited lifespan. This function is attained by a process called differentiation, in which cells are “assigned a job” and develop in such a way and with certain characteristics that allow them to perform their job very well. For example, blood cells have the function of carrying oxygen to other cells throughout the body.

A cell that becomes cancerous loses differentiation, that is, it no longer has a function and becomes “undifferentiated”. It also gains immortality as it does not eventually die like normal cells. Since it has nothing better to do, the original cancer cell begins to divide and divide, passing on this new genetic code to its offspring, until a mass of abnormal cells forms. At this point, we may or may not have cancer. If this mass of cells does not divide and grow uncontrollably, it is not cancer – it could very well be a benign tumor. Something happens to these cells that causes them to progress, to begin dividing uncontrollably. The resulting large mass of cells that don’t die is what we commonly refer to as cancer. It is a malignant tumor. The mass of cells will grow and invade an organ and, if unchecked, will probably metastasize (spread to other parts of the body).

The problem with these growing cancer masses is that the tumor cells consume nutrients and energy. As a tumor grows, it creates blood vessels to feed itself. Since it grows very quickly, it needs abnormal amounts of nutrients and consumes huge quantities of energy, so it winds up starving to death the organ it is growing on. You will eventually die from organ failure or other diseases that can develop because of a thoroughly weakened immune system. Figure 1 is a simple diagram that describes the cancer process.

 

Figure 1:  The Cancer Process

 

 

In order for a cell to become cancerous, a mutation must first occur to its DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid, its genetic material). All cancers begin with the mutation of a single cell. This actually happens all the time in our bodies, but cells whose DNA has been altered are usually killed by cells in our immune system or are converted back to normal cells. When our immune system cannot handle the mutation (usually because of a lack of nutrients), the result is an abnormal cell that will divide and probably form a tumor. If the right changes occurred to the cell, it might become a malignant tumor right away, in other words cancer. If it did not become a malignant tumor, something else must happen to these cells, probably a specific additional mutation to the DNA, in order for the cells to become cancerous.

The next question on your mind is probably how these mutations to our DNA occur. Many “things” have been found to cause mutations, and these things have been labeled “mutagens”. Mutagens that lead to cancer are called carcinogens. All carcinogens are mutagens since by definition you need a mutation to get cancer, yet not all mutagens are carcinogens because a mutation does not necessarily lead to cancer. Some mutations may lead to a benign tumor, to no tumor at all, or can actually be beneficial.

 

Carcinogens and mutagens

 

As mentioned above, mutagens are things that cause mutations to a cell’s DNA, and a mutation is required for cancer to start. Needless to say, mutagens should be avoided as much as possible because if your cells don’t mutate, you can’t get cancer. There really are two categories of carcinogens: carcinogens and procarcinogens. Carcinogens directly cause mutations, while procarcinogens need an agent for them to be able to cause a mutation. For the sake of simplicity, we use the term carcinogen to refer to both categories throughout the book. Mutagens can be classified into three categories: physical, chemical and biological.

 

Physical mutagens include ionizing radiation (typically from X-rays, radon gas and cosmic rays), ultraviolet radiation (typically from the sun’s rays) and mineral fibers, namely asbestos.

 

Ionizing radiation

• X-rays are one of the strongest mutagens out there. The dose required to induce cancer is rather high, but it is also cumulative. This means that the more X-rays you get throughout your life, the more your cancer risk increases. It seems that repeated low levels of radiation are more dangerous than a single large dose. You should avoid any unnecessary X-rays.
• Cosmic rays, also known as gamma rays, are all around us and there is nothing we can do to avoid them. They are, however, stronger at higher altitudes, so if you live at a high altitude above sea level you should be aware that you have greater exposure.
• Radon gas results from the natural breakdown of uranium. It can creep into your home if you live near uranium mines. You can buy a radon detection kit at most hardware stores if you want to test your home. Should you find elevated levels of radon, you should contact your local Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) office.

 

Ultraviolet (UV) radiation

• UV light is the part of sunlight’s spectrum that burns our skin. As we all know, exposure to the sun’s rays is a major cause of skin cancer. Most of your skin cancer risk is determined by the amount of sunlight exposure you receive as a child and adolescent, and especially by the number and severity of sunburns you received. This does not mean that after you reach the age of eighteen you should start sun tanning as much as you want. You should really avoid the sun’s rays as much as you can during your entire life, and if you must be in the sun you should definitely wear sunscreen with an SPF of 30 or greater. Children should always use a sunblock with an SPF of 30 or greater.

 

Asbestos

• Asbestos is found in some building materials such as insulation and roofing. These tiny fibers can become airborne very easily and get into your lungs. Once in your lungs, they can cause genetic mutations to your cells that often lead to lung cancer.

 

Chemical mutagens are just what they sound like: chemicals that can cause genetic mutations. Most carcinogens are probably of this nature and they include, but are not limited to, the following:

 

• Benzopyrene – found in cigarette smoke and tar
• Iron – excessive iron consumption in people with high transferring saturation (iron stores) increases cancer risk significantly
• Nitrosamines – found in cigarette smoke and certain foods (see nitrites below also)
• Heavy metals such as lead, mercury and cadmium
• Nitrites – a food additive (found in cold-cuts and other cured meats among other things) that turns into carcinogenic nitrosamines in the stomach
• PCBs – found in some packaging materials
• Hormones given to cattle that we take in through their meat and milk
• Pesticides and insecticides such as DDT
• Aflatoxin – a chemical sometimes found  in moldy corn and peanuts.

 

Biological mutagens include viruses and bacteria. The best-known ones are the human papilloma virus (HPV), the Epstein-Barr virus, Hepatitis B and C viruses, and Helicobacter pylori (a bacteria).

 

• HPV often leads to cervical cancer.
• Hepatitis B and C viruses have been linked to liver cancer.
• Epstein-Barr virus can lead to certain lymphomas (cancers of white blood cells).
• Helicobacter pylori is associated with stomach cancer.

 

Free radicals

 

Free radicals (or oxidants) are highly reactive forms of oxygen or nitrogen that are produced by the body’s metabolism, environmental factors, inflammation and sometimes by infection. Molecules are made up of atoms held together by chemical bonds. Each chemical bond consists of a pair of electrons. When a bond is broken, two molecular fragments (or atoms) are left over, each of which contains one unpaired electron. These atoms are highly charged and highly unstable because of the unpaired electron. These charged, highly unstable, and very reactive particles are known as free radicals.

Free radicals usually exist only for a small fraction of a second and spend their short lives racing around looking for molecules to combine or react with. These reactions are called oxidation, a process that is very similar to the formation of rust on metal. When a free radical combines with a molecule, it can damage the molecule and consequently the cell it belongs to. The damage can occur to cell membranes, proteins, lipids (fats), or to the cell’s DNA. It is this damage to the cell’s DNA that eventually leads to cancer. It is also believed that free radicals cause damage to cells that results in what we know as aging.

The body has about 1 trillion cells, and each cell is estimated to receive around 10,000 free radical hits each day. Part of the reason there are so many oxidative reactions is that each reaction causes a chain reaction. Thus, one free radical potentially leads to the creation of hundreds of thousands of others. The good news is that we have an antioxidant defense system that protects us from this barrage of cellular attacks. Antioxidants react with free radicals and end the chain reactions that could lead to cellular damage. If we did not have a good defense mechanism, our body would break down very quickly.

It is important to note that most of the mutagens mentioned in this section, such as ionizing radiation, heavy metals, cigarette smoke, alcohol, fat (see below for alcohol and fat), iron and other chemicals, generate free radicals. Free radicals are also produced as a result of exercise. However, regular exercise enhances the antioxidant defense system and therefore protects the body against damage that would otherwise be caused by these free radicals.

 

 

Other risk factors – Lifestyle

 

Although carcinogens must cause a genetic mutation to a cell in order to kick-start the development of cancer, there are several other factors that can lead to the disease. Some of these factors are not carcinogens by definition, but they definitely do their part in carcinogenesis (the development of cancer).

 

Smoking is the leading cause of cancer. The American Cancer Society estimates that over 180,000 people will die from tobacco-related cancer in 2003. This is around one third of all cancer deaths. Besides generating certain cancer-causing chemicals in the smoke you inhale, it also causes different kinds of cellular oxidation including damage to cells’ DNA. Smoking also reduces plasma levels of folic acid, which can debilitate the immune system and lead to cancer. Any way you look at it, the statistics speak for themselves – if you smoke, you have a much higher risk than if you do not. Although most people don’t know it, smoking increases the risks of other cancers besides that of the lung, such as pancreatic, cervical, stomach and kidney cancers as well as myeloid leukaemia. Any amount of smoking increases your cancer risk dramatically. Significant second-hand smoke exposure can double the lung cancer risk for a non-smoker.

 

Diet is probably the most important risk factor. Diets high in fat are associated with increased cancer risk, especially of the prostate, colon, rectum and breast. In women, a high fat diet raises estrogen levels in the body, and high estrogen has been found to increase breast cancer risk. Diets low in fiber are associated with higher colon cancer risk (as well as other cancers). Diets high in sugar and simple carbohydrates are conducive to cancer. Diets high in antioxidants are associated with significantly reduced levels of cancer in general. There are many other dietary factors that influence your odds of developing cancer. We don’t go into detail here because diet, and its relation to cancer risk, is what this book is mostly about and we talk about it extensively further on.

 

Excessive alcohol consumption has also been linked to increased cancer risk, especially of the liver, mouth, esophagus, stomach, colon, rectum, lung and breast. Those who drink and smoke have an even higher risk than the sum of the risks of either just smoking or just drinking excessively. Anything more than an average of two drinks per day is considered excessive.

 

Obesity is a cancer magnet. If you are overweight, and especially if you are obese, you run a much higher risk of cancer than “normal weight” people. If your excess body fat is centered around your abdominal area, you run an even higher risk. Researchers have found that up to 20 percent of male cancer deaths and 14 percent of female cancer deaths can be attributed to obesity. Excessive sugar and other simple carbohydrates lead to obesity.

 

Exercise is known to reduce cancer risk, so if you are one of those people that does not get exercise on a regular basis, you have a higher risk. The exact reasons that exercise reduces risk are unknown, but the statistics clearly demonstrate this. Aerobic exercise seems to be better than anaerobic exercise. One of the reasons exercise helps prevent cancer is that it usually keeps you from becoming obese, although it is believed there are other reasons.

 

Age of first period

 

It has been found that the earlier a woman gets her first period, the greater her risk is for cancers of the breast and cervix. A woman that had her period before the age of twelve is at significantly higher risk because she will have had higher estrogen levels in her body for a longer period of time. Higher estrogen levels have been associated with increased cancer risk for women.

 

Use of oral contraceptives and Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT)

 

As mentioned above, higher estrogen levels can lead to cancer in women. Taking estrogen in the form of contraceptives or HRT raises the estrogen levels circulating through women’s bodies, and this raises cancer risk, especially of the reproductive organs. See Appendix III for other risk factors for women.

 

In the introduction of the book we say that cancer is an immunodeficiency disease, yet we’ve been telling you above that it has other causes. This is not a contradiction, since it is a weak, undernourished immune system that allows these carcinogens that we come into contact with every day, or other conditions that we experience, to cause cancer. An immune system that is fortified by the proper amounts of the right nutrients will usually impede a cell’s DNA from mutating or will kill the cell if its DNA changes.

 

 

Chapter 2 – Genetics

 

 

 

Our genetic material determines much of what is to happen to each of us. It determines our size, general appearance, intelligence, strength, personality and, yes, our predisposition to certain diseases. Doctors often ask you if there has ever been cancer in your family. They do this to “gauge” your risk of developing the disease, especially for the kind of cancer that your family member had. This is the main reason that the general population believes that cancer risk is inherited.

The truth of the matter is that although our genetic makeup affects the risks of developing different kinds of cancer, most of the variation in cancer risk among different people and populations is due to factors that are not inherited. No more than five percent of cancers can be attributed to people’s genetic material. We believe that inherited genes have been overly associated with cancer. What has been observed is that someone in a family will develop the same cancer as another family member. However, linking it strictly to the genes they have in common is not necessarily the right conclusion. We believe that cancer risk is more related to inherited behavior. Yes, behavior, which is “inherited” from one family member to another by education and imitation. Our theory is that the genetic link to cancer is more due to the fact that we eat what our parents ate and that our habits are similar to those of our parents and other relatives. So there is in fact a cancer link among relatives, but it is a behavioral link more than a genetic one.

The strongest evidence there is in support of cancer risk not being linked to people’s genes comes from the study of Japanese immigrants. Cancer rates in Japan are much lower than in most other countries, especially the United States. Japanese people also develop different kinds of cancer than Americans. However, it has been demonstrated that when Japanese people move to the United States, their cancer patterns become very similar to those of Americans. The first generation to move to the US already starts to change its cancer patterns slightly. However, the next generation of Japanese-Americans (children of Japanese parents born in the US), who begin adopting American diet patterns, develop cancer profiles similar to those of Americans. The next generation, even if all the parents and grandparents are of Japanese descent, typically have American cancer rates. This clearly demonstrates that it is the environment, and in particular the diet that people follow, that determines the probability of developing cancer and the kind of cancer that one is likely to develop. If cancer was genetic, people with Japanese genes living in the US would have cancer profiles similar to Japanese people living in Japan.

This is not to say that there aren’t faulty, cancer-promoting genes. Sure there are. Many have been clearly identified. But guess what … research has shown that even if you are one of the unlucky ones that inherited or developed a “bad” gene you have not necessarily been sentenced to a life with cancer. Many people that have cancer genes never develop the disease, and it’s not just because of random luck. It is more than likely because they get their fair share of cancer preventers in their diet and have other cancer-preventing habits.

Sure, some people’s genetic predisposition to developing cancer might be so strong that even eating all the right foods and taking all the right supplements in the proper amounts will not prevent it. However, we believe that these cases are few and far between. That is why we do not profess to have all the answers or to guarantee cancer prevention. This is one of the things the Institute, along with others, are trying to solve: how to completely eliminate the possibility of developing the disease, even if your genes say that you should get it.

Given that some people’s genes have cancer written all over them, it would be great if these people knew that they have a higher probability than others of developing it. By knowing this, besides following cancer prevention strategies, people could get tests and exams on a regular basis to detect it early in case it develops. The problem is that it is very difficult to know if you have defective, high-risk genes. Tests are complicated and expensive and are not much of an option for most of us. For all you know, you have a high-risk gene, but you’ll probably never know until it is too late. So the only real alternative is to defend yourself as if you had faulty genes and never have to worry about whether you do or do not.

 

Chapter 3 – Symptoms, Detection and Treatment

 

 

Symptoms

 

It is a terrifying experience for most people when they find out they have cancer; however, it is much better to know about it sooner than later. The sooner it is detected, the more effectively it can be treated. Following is the list of general symptoms from the American Cancer Society.

 

• Unexplained weight loss
• Fever
• Fatigue
• Pain
• Unusual bleeding or discharge
• A sore that does not heal
• Thickening or lump in breast or elsewhere
• Change in bowel or bladder habits
• Indigestion or difficulty swallowing
• Definite change in a wart or mole
• Nagging cough or hoarseness

 

Specific symptoms for different types of cancer are listed in Appendix II.

If any one of these warning signs manifests itself, you should bring it to your physician’s attention.

 

 

Early detection

 

If you aren’t able to prevent cancer from developing (which you should be able to do with a good cancer prevention program), the next best thing is to detect it as soon as possible. Unfortunately, quite often by the time it is detected, it is too late. Many people are under the mistaken idea that detection is the closest thing there is to prevention. Detection is just that, detection. Prevention, on the other hand, ensures that cancer is not “detected” when tests are done to you – because you don’t have it!

There are many exams that people should undergo on a regular basis in order to make sure they do not have cancer or that they do not have precancerous conditions that can lead to it. We list some of the basic exams that everyone should undergo depending on their age.

 

 

 

Women

 

 

Men

*     It is controversial whether it provides more potential harm than good.

**   If you have many moles or birthmarks, you should check them to see if any changes have occurred to any of them. One way to do this is to take pictures of them and compare the pictures to the current state of the moles.

*** Performed by a dermatologist – consists of looking at your moles to see if any of them look potentially dangerous. Recommended for fair-skinned people that have many moles and for individuals that received much sun exposure in their younger years. If you have few moles, and you are willing to check them every 6 months to a year, you probably do not need the clinical mole exam every year.

 

There is another test for those that are a little paranoid. If you want to be really sure, there is a test known as the AMAS test (Anti-Malignan Antibody Serum) that measures the amount of an antibody your body produces when cancer cells are present. The test is up to 95 percent accurate, which makes it much better at detecting it than any other test. It boasts detecting cancer up to 19 months earlier than any other screening method. This test is only good in the early stages because once the cancer is more advanced, your immune system has either become used to the malignan or has been compromised by the disease. However, if the cancer is advanced, you would probably have other symptoms and there would be other tests that could confirm it, at which point the AMAS test would be redundant anyway.

The greatest drawback of the AMAS test is that it cannot tell where the cancer cells are, so even if you know that you have it, your doctors might not be able to do much about it. There is also the chance of getting a false-positive result. This means that the test provides a positive (you have cancer) result when you in fact do not. If you have a false positive, which could happen, you will think that you have the disease. If it is in its earliest stage, your doctor might not be able to find it, so you might not know for a while whether you really have it or just had a false positive. If the test results tell you that you have cancer when you in fact do not, the mental anguish you go through could be very emotionally harmful. So think about it before choosing to go for the test. Before making a decision, do some research on the Internet on AMAS.

 

 

 

Cancer treatments

 

The most common methods for treating cancer are chemotherapy, radiation, and surgery. Other methods include heat therapy, immunotherapy and gene therapy. Alternative methods mostly involve homeopathic medicine that includes vegetables, fruits, other plants and different supplements and substances that come from natural sources. Although we believe that many nutrients from the plant kingdom prevent it and also help in its treatment once it has set in, cancer can rarely be “cured” or be put permanently into remission once it has actually developed. Even with the latest technology, it can usually only be put into remission for years, after which it usually returns and eventually kills the patient.

The trick to curing or healing cancer (or putting it into remission), once it has developed, is to find a way to kill the cancerous cells without damaging the tissues surrounding them. This is the great dilemma. Chemotherapy and radiation kill cancer cells, but they also kill cells of healthy tissue. Both of these treatments also have great potential for creating new cancers (by mutating normal cells’ DNA) that will surface in the future. Surgery can avoid killing healthy cells, but it is difficult to remove all the cancerous cells, so even after surgery there is still a good chance that the cancer will grow again. In addition, surgery cuts through cancerous tissues and cells, meaning that the contents of cells or loose cells themselves can travel to other parts of the body and set it off again. For these reasons, we say that the only real cure is to never develop it in the first place.

Heat therapy involves raising the patient’s body temperature to around 42-43˚C (107.6-109.4˚F). Whereas it occasionally provides temporary relief to some patients, it has generally not been successful. Immunotherapy boosts the body’s immune system in order to recognize and kill cancer cells. Certain cells are removed from the body and mixed with tumor cells in the laboratory. They are then reintroduced into the patient’s body so that they alert the T-cells (the cells that kill cancer cells and other foreign invaders) as to the location of the cancer cells. The T-cells can then attack and destroy the cancer cells. This has been shown to help stall certain cancers and is the treatment method with the most future. Gene therapy uses viruses to deliver genes to cancer cells’ DNA that either turn the cells non-cancerous, make them responsive to certain cancer drugs, or make them suicidal. It has not met with much success thus far.

Standard chemotherapy assaults the entire immune system. This treatment consists of flowing chemicals throughout the body (usually introduced intravenously although pills are sometimes used) that are supposed to be more toxic to cancer cells than normal cells. However, many scientists and doctors believe that chemotherapy does more harm than good. What does all this tell you about your prospects if you do get it? In layman terms, you are in deep trouble. The best way to never have to make this difficult choice (i.e., what kind of treatment to receive for cancer) is to never get it in the first place. As we discuss throughout this book, you really can avoid it if you want to.

Although this book is not about cancer treatment, we feel it is worth mentioning that the treatment alternatives mentioned above tend to be more effective, or allow the patient to recover from them quicker, when the patient gets his or her fair share of the nutrients that we discuss in the following sections.

Section II: Prevention

 

 

Chapter 4 – Cancer Preventers

 

 

 

In the previous section, we described the cancer process and discussed several topics related to actually having cancer (what it is, how you get it, symptoms, detection, etc). From here on, we stick to the concept of preventing it.

There are several proactive actions you can take to prevent cancer. Any one of them will reduce your chances of developing it, but if you follow all, or at least most, of them you will be so well protected that it will be very difficult for you to get it. As we have mentioned before, the factor that most determines your susceptibility to cancer is your diet. Hence, ensuring that you get the right nutrients into your body is the most important part of any cancer prevention program. The next thing is to avoid as many carcinogens as you can (see the list in the previous section). Last but not least is exercise, which we discuss at the end of the section.

In this section, we describe the many foods and substances that help prevent cancer. We do not give many recommendations here because we have an entire section that gives specific recommendations for each preventer, including dosage, what foods it is found in, how to get the most out of it, precautions, and other important information.

 

 

Nature has the answers

 

It has often been said that nature has the solutions to all our problems. Every day there is additional evidence that validates this theory. Every day a scientist discovers a new naturally-occurring substance that helps heal some illness or that improves our health in a meaningful way. We address much of the research that has produced positive results regarding the use of natural substances that have anti-cancer properties.

Cancer and other degenerative, chronic diseases for which there are no cures have been outsmarting researchers at pharmaceutical companies for decades. It is highly doubtful that a “synthetic” or chemical cure for cancer will ever be developed. What pharmaceutical companies do is try to extract some tiny part of a natural product, modify it in a patentable way, package it, and expect it to fight a very complex disease in a very complex organism (your body).

Most natural compounds that prevent disease or cure it work best when used in their natural state, in other words when ingested as part of the whole food they come from. It is no coincidence that people that eat lots of fruits and vegetables are usually the healthiest individuals. These people are the ones that usually don’t get cancer – they are attacking it before it gets to them.

Nature has the answer to many important problems in the world, and cancer is no different. We believe that one day scientists will say to themselves, “It was in front of our noses all the time. We couldn’t see the forest for the trees.” They will say this because it will probably be naturally-occurring compounds that hold the final solution to this deadly disease. Notwithstanding, it will become quite clear as you read on that nature can already protect you from cancer if you know what to eat and which natural supplements to take.

 

 

Antioxidants

 

Antioxidants are substances, such as vitamins, minerals, coenzymes or phytochemicals, that prevent, neutralize or eliminate free radicals. They either prevent free radicals from forming in the first place, protect cells from free radical damage, or react with free radicals to inactivate or eliminate them. They also boost our immune system in general. It has been widely recognized for some time now that antioxidants play an important role in our overall health, and that they play a particularly crucial role in the prevention and treatment of cancer. It should be noted that they help prevent other diseases and conditions, from the common cold to heart disease to other degenerative diseases such as Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s disease.

Antioxidants are found in most fruits and vegetables. Some of them have more of certain antioxidants than others, but they are basically all found in nature’s bounty. Most, if not all, antioxidants are good for your health in one way or another. One reason it is important to get a good, balanced mix of the different kinds of antioxidants is that some work better against certain free radicals than others. The other reason is that many of them help each other out. Some boost the effectiveness of others, replenish them, recycle them, prevent them from getting oxidized themselves, or increase their bioavailable levels.

It is also important to note that, although we recommend many different antioxidant supplements, you should do your best to get as much of each one from its original source, namely the fruits and vegetables that they come from. The reason for this is that there are probably other substances in the fruits and vegetables that enhance the power of the antioxidants or that have other cancer-preventing properties.

Many studies have found that people with cancer have low amounts of certain key antioxidants in their blood or in the particular organ where the cancer has developed. This is either because the person had low amounts of the antioxidants, which led to the cancer, or because cancer consumes antioxidants. Many cancers consume small amounts of certain antioxidants, meaning that it is easier for the cancer to spread once it has already started because the body will lack the antioxidants it needs to combat the cancer or other diseases that might result from a weakened immune system. A recent study at the University of Washington found that mice that were genetically engineered to produce extra amounts of a human antioxidant (catalase) lived approximately 20 percent longer than normal mice. It is widely believed that natural antioxidants from fruits and vegetables provide similar benefits to human beings.

Furthermore, studies have shown that large amounts of antioxidants can be harmful to cancer cells. Certain antioxidants have been found to induce apoptosis (programmed cell death) in tumor cells while leaving normal cells unaffected. Others have been found to lead to cell differentiation (i.e., turning a malignant cell into a normal cell) or growth inhibition in cancer cells. These are some of the many reasons to get your fair share of antioxidants in order to prevent cancer or to limit it once it starts.

In the following chapters we sometimes mention how much stronger of an antioxidant certain substances are than vitamins C and E. Although certain antioxidants might be “stronger” than others, this does not mean that they are better per se. Even though many of the antioxidants described in this book are “stronger” than vitamin C and E, this does not necessarily mean that they are better at preventing cancer, but rather that they are better at cleaning up certain free radicals, which is a good thing but not the most important one.

 

 

About vitamins

 

Vitamins are organic molecules that, among other things, function as catalysts for chemical reactions within our body. If you have a vitamin deficiency, you are missing catalysts, which leads to a breakdown in normal bodily functions and leaves the body susceptible to disease. Most people, including many doctors, think that we only need the recommended daily allowance (RDA) for each vitamin. However, most cancer researchers and other scientists, including the Institute, know otherwise. The RDA was established to make sure our bodies can perform our basic bodily functions. For practically all vitamins, you need much more than the RDA to protect yourself from cancer and other degenerative diseases.

Despite the fact that most people need higher amounts of most vitamins, there are toxic levels. Hence, even though most of us should probably take more vitamins than we currently take, there are limits that must be carefully observed. Every vitamin has an upper limit, which, if exceeded, can lead to medical problems or in rare, extreme cases even death. For most of the vitamins discussed below, we recommend doses that are therapeutic, but which are well below the toxic levels. We also tell you what the toxicity levels are for many of the vitamins we recommend. Figure 2 describes our needs for vitamins, minerals and other essential nutrients.

 

Figure 2:  Essential Nutrient Doses

 

Chapter 5 – Vitamins

 

 

 

In this chapter we discuss the different vitamins that have been shown to prevent cancer. They are listed in order of importance.

 

 

Vitamin C

 

Vitamin C, or ascorbic acid, is the most widely-taken vitamin.  It is known as one of the strongest antioxidants, and it performs many essential functions in the body. One of its most important functions is its role in the production of collagen. Collagen is important because it is the main structural fiber found in connective tissue that includes the skin, bones, tendons, ligaments, cartilage, as well as the connective tissue of most of our important organs. It strengthens the immune system significantly and helps heal wounds. The boost that it gives the immune system is probably the reason that it also helps prevent colds and reduces their duration and severity.

It is believed to protect against infections by strengthening cell membranes that prevent viruses from entering the cells. As an antioxidant, it counteracts or prevents the damage done by free radicals that can lead to cancer. Lastly, it has also been discovered that vitamin C boosts the antioxidant activity of vitamin E by preventing it from becoming oxidized itself.

Prior to the 1800s, sailors on long voyages used to develop a wasting (and often fatal) disease called scurvy. Fortunately, it was discovered that eating a citrus fruit each day prevented scurvy. We now know that scurvy is a vitamin C-deficiency disease. It is interesting to note that human beings, other primates and guinea pigs are pretty much the only animals that don’t produce their own vitamin C. We need to consume it.

Linus Pauling, two-time Nobel Peace Prize winner, dedicated the latter part of his career to studying the effects of vitamin C on cancer. He concluded that mega-doses of vitamin C were effective in preventing and treating cancer. Vitamin C is one of the eight essential substances in Dr. Cornelius Moerman’s cancer prevention and treatment program, which is accepted and officially recognized in the Netherlands.

Vitamin C has been especially linked to a reduction in stomach cancer risk. It has been shown that populations with low vitamin C intake have higher stomach cancer rates. One big reason for this is that a class of compounds called nitrosamines is believed to lead to stomach cancer. Nitrosamines are formed from the nitrates and nitrites in foods, especially processed meats (such as cold-cuts and sausages). Vitamin C has been shown to restrict the formation of nitrosamines. It also reduces stomach cancer risk by reducing the potential of gastric juices to mutate stomach cells. A study done at the San Francisco Veterans Affairs Medical Center found that the dangerous strain of the Helicobacter pylori bacteria, which has been conclusively linked to stomach cancer, is significantly reduced in Caucasians who have higher serum levels of vitamin C.

Stomach cancer used to be the most common form of cancer in the United States, yet it has been on the decline since around 1930. This decline can probably be attributed to the increased consumption of orange juice in the home, which probably resulted from the development of frozen orange juice at around that time. It is interesting to note that the Japanese have lower cancer rates in general, and of many cancers in particular, than Americans. However, they have higher stomach cancer rates, and it is believed that it is their low orange juice consumption that leads to these higher rates.

Numerous studies have been done on vitamin C and cancer. James E. Enstrom, Ph.D., and colleagues from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), analyzed the vitamin C consumption and mortality rates of some 12,000 adults over 10 years.  The study found that those with the highest vitamin C intake had the lowest cancer and cardiovascular mortality rates, and that they lived an average of six years longer than those with a low vitamin C intake. Numerous studies have shown that low vitamin C intake is associated with higher rates of stomach and esophageal cancer. A study in New York showed that cervical dysplasia, a condition that often leads to cervical cancer in women, was associated with low vitamin C intake. Researchers at the University of Toronto in Canada determined that there is an inverse relationship between vitamin C consumption and breast cancer. In 1999, a Harvard School of Public Health study of 83,000 nurses also demonstrated an inverse correlation between vitamin C intake and breast cancer in premenopausal women, especially for those with a family history of breast cancer.

The Institute believes that vitamin C is one of the most important substances the body needs to prevent many diseases including cancer. Vitamin C is a very strong antioxidant. In addition to helping prevent and treat cancer, vitamin C will protect the body in general, and in most people who are in otherwise good health will prevent even the common cold, especially when taken in large doses together with other antioxidants such as vitamin E. Vitamin C is water-soluble, which means that any excess amounts taken are eliminated through the urine, as opposed to fat-soluble vitamins that are stored in body fat and the liver. Hence, it is pretty safe to take vitamin C even in large doses.

The best natural sources of vitamin C include all citrus fruits (oranges, grapefruits, lemons and limes), guava, strawberries, kiwi, cantaloupes, broccoli, tomatoes, and peppers.

 

 

Vitamin E

 

Vitamin E is considered one of the strongest fat-soluble antioxidants. Besides cancer-prevention, it is well-known for healing the skin, reducing the risk of heart disease, boosting the immune system in general, and potentially for male virility. Vitamin E is known to protect cell membranes from the damage caused by free radicals, which as we have mentioned before can lead to cancer. This protection of the cell membranes is important because they are the first line of defense at the cellular level against mutagens that could alter the cell’s DNA. It is also believed to inhibit oxidation of LDL cholesterol (the “bad” cholesterol). The oxidation of LDL cholesterol is what leads to plaque build-up in arteries and usually leads to heart disease. Hence, vitamin E also helps prevent heart disease. Just as vitamin C boosts the effect and longevity of vitamin E, vitamin E does the same for vitamin A.

Vitamin E is found in nuts, vegetable oils, green leafy vegetables, wheat germ and whole grains. It is found in many fatty foods, which is the reason that most health-conscious people usually do not obtain even the RDA amounts of this vitamin.  Although the RDA is 30 IU, most supplements come in capsules of 400 IU, which is in line with what most researchers consider a therapeutic dose. If one considers the low amounts of vitamin E found in the foods that contain the most vitamin E, it is easy to see why it is basically impossible to obtain the necessary amounts of this vitamin from dietary sources. For example, you would have to eat around 60 almonds to obtain the RDA. You would have to consume around 800 almonds each day to reach the therapeutic dose. So supplements are definitely in order for this important vitamin.

There are eight different forms of vitamin E. The two broad categories are: tocopherols and tocotrienols. For each category, there are four types: alpha (α), beta (β), gamma (γ), delta (δ). The tocopherols are considered the most important of the two categories.  Alpha-tocopherol is considered by many to be the most important form of tocopherols because it is believed to be the strongest antioxidant and the most readily absorbable and available form.

Of the different alpha- forms, alpha-tocopherol and alpha-tocopheryl succinate seem to be the most effective forms in terms of cancer prevention. However, evidence suggests that the lesser-known gamma-tocopherol might be as important as, or even more important than, the alpha form. For example, Michigan scientists found that gamma-tocopherol has much greater preventive effects on prostate cancer than does the alpha form. Other studies have shown that protection against heart disease is greatest when vitamin E comes in the gamma form, not alpha. In addition, heart disease patients have reduced gamma- levels in their blood serum (but not alpha-), and when chronic smokers quit smoking their gamma- levels shoot up rapidly. A University of California, Berkley study found that gamma-tocopherol killed cancerous lab-cultured prostate cells whereas it had no effect on normal prostate cells. The study also found that more cancerous cells die as the amount of gamma-tocopherol was increased, while the growth of healthy prostate cells was unaffected.

Tocotrienols are also believed to have anticancer properties; however, less research has been done on these than on tocopherols. The main dietary sources are bran, rice bran oil, palm oil, and grape seed oil.  Supplements are available, but are generally quite expensive.

In his book Antioxidants Against Cancer, Ralph Moss, a leading expert in cancer prevention and treatment, describes some of the studies that have been done on vitamin E that demonstrate its effectiveness in reducing cancer risk. Patients that were given vitamin E during 24 weeks showed a 46 percent reduction in premalignant changes in the mouth. In another study, when a combination of vitamin E and fish oil was given to cancer patients, their immune systems were strengthened and they lived longer than those receiving a placebo. Scientists in Switzerland found that a tumor growth stimulant is inhibited by vitamin E. They also found that older people that took vitamin E supplements had a 41percent lower likelihood of dying from cancer and 40percent lower likelihood of dying from heart disease. A different Swiss study that lasted several decades found that low vitamin E levels were related to increased risk of prostate cancer, especially in smokers. In another study, at Tufts University, researchers found that people that take vitamin E have a 30percent lower incidence of infections versus those that don’t take vitamin E. Researchers at the National Cancer Institute (NCI) have also found that lung cancer risk is lowered by around 20percent for smokers.

A large, eight-year study in Finland in 1997 found that the incidence of prostate cancer was 32 percent lower in subjects taking vitamin E versus those that did not take it; the mortality rate was 41 percent lower. The p53 gene is a very important tumor-suppressor gene that usually prevents changes in cells that can turn them cancerous. University researchers have shown that vitamin E reduces the mutation of the p53 gene. Vitamin A, C and E supplementation was shown to reduce p53 mutations by four times. The p53 gene is estimated to be mutated in as many as 70percent of cancers.

We believe that you need a balance of all four kinds of tocopherols. For this reason we recommend that you get as much of your vitamin E as you can from food sources and that, if you take supplements, which you probably should, they contain the four forms of the vitamin (or at least a mix of the alpha and gamma forms).

 

 

Vitamin A

 

Also known as “retinol”, vitamin A was the first vitamin to be identified and understood. It is essential for growth, bone development, night vision, reproduction, protection of the thymus gland, healthy skin, and for the regulation of epithelial cell differentiation. It also strengthens the mucous membranes in the body, which are our first line of defense against air-borne substances, some of which can cause cancer. Last but not least, vitamin A is a very strong antioxidant. Vitamin A is found in many common foods, including carrots, cantaloupes, pumpkins, sweet potatoes, organ meats such as liver and kidney, spinach, mangos, milk, cod liver oil and butter.

Moss describes the results of several studies that confirm vitamin A’s anti-cancer properties. As far back as 1926 we get the first indication that vitamin A helps prevent cancer. A Japanese scientist found that lab animals fed a vitamin A-deprived diet had a higher probability of developing cancer. Further studies two years later showed that this finding applied to people as well. In 1963, vitamin A was found to prevent leukoplakia, which is a condition of the mouth that often precedes cancer. Dr. Umberto Saffiotti, while he was dean of vitamin A studies in America, showed that vitamin A protects mice against several forms of cancer. In 1971, Dr. Raymond Shamberger of the Cleveland Clinic found that vitamin A could reduce the probability of developing skin cancer by 76 percent. In 1975, Norwegian researchers showed that lung cancer risk was greater in men that took lower amounts of vitamin A.

In the early 1980s, Richard Peto, a respected Oxford researcher, claimed that vegetables high in vitamin A reduced cancer risk. He claimed that there was a 40percent reduction in cancer risk for people with above-average consumption of vitamin A versus people that are deficient in the vitamin. A study by scientists at NCI of 2,500 men over 50 years old demonstrated that higher blood levels of vitamin A reduce the risk of prostate cancer. Moss also relates several studies that have shown that people with cancer tend to have lower vitamin A levels, again supporting the theory that vitamin A is important in cancer prevention and treatment.

More recently, studies have shown that vitamin A prevents different kinds of cancer. A study in 1986 at the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center at the University of Texas at Houston found that vitamin A can treat leukoplakia and reverse the dysplasia associated with it. In addition, a 1995 study at the School of Public Health of the University of Minnesota found that vitamin A helps prevent stomach cancer. In a 2002 study at the University of California, San Francisco, Dr. Ervin Epstein, Jr. and his colleagues discovered that mice that were predisposed to develop a common form of skin cancer developed 85percent less and smaller tumors when they had been applied a cream containing a vitamin A derivative than mice that had been applied a cream without the derivative. Dr. Epstein believes that the reason for the results is that the vitamin A compound keeps the cancer cells from continuing to proliferate.

Vitamin A is fat-soluble, which means that it is stored in the liver, kidneys and body fat. This can lead to overdosing on vitamin A since excesses are not easily eliminated from the body. Vitamin A can be quite toxic if taken in high doses over long periods of time. Notwithstanding, it is a very important vitamin of which everyone should make sure they get enough. The dose we recommend in Section III is strong enough to be preventive yet low enough that it is not toxic.

 

 

Folic acid

 

Also known as folate, folic acid is a B vitamin that has an important role in DNA synthesis, in the production of red blood cells and in the maintenance of the nervous system. It is found mostly in green, leafy vegetables, but is also available in oranges, chickpeas, beans, lentils, cantaloupes, watermelon and avocados. It has been shown to prevent certain cancers, birth defects in children, certain cancers in children, and possibly Parkinson’s disease.

It has long been known that not getting enough fruits and vegetables in the diet increases the risk of developing colon cancer. Although it was thought that it was the fiber in fruits and vegetables that prevented colon cancer, it is now believed that it is also related to the folic acid content of these foods. Researchers at the Institute of Clinical Science at Royal Victoria Hospital in Belfast found that folate supplementation reduces precancerous cell mutations in the colon that usually lead to cancer in high-risk groups. The people in the study had a history of precancerous growths. This abnormal cellular activity decreased dramatically during the folate supplementation, but returned to its previously high levels when the supplementation stopped. This shows that folic acid can actually stop cellular changes that lead to cancer even after they start occurring.

A 2002 study at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School demonstrated that folic acid reduces colon cancer risk significantly, especially in cases where there is a family history of this cancer. Researchers found that daily consumption of 400 micrograms (versus those that consumed 200 micrograms or less) reduced the risk by 19 percent in cases with no direct family history, but that the risk was reduced by over 50 percent in those with a direct family history (“direct” meaning a first-degree relative). There is no reason to believe that this preventive effect of folic acid would not occur in men as well.

It has also been found that high doses of folic acid prevent stomach cancer in beagles. Although this does not mean that it has the same effect in people, it would not be a surprising result given that substances that help prevent certain digestive tract cancers usually prevent others. Scientists believe that a lack of folic acid permits the activation of substances that stimulate the growth of tumors in the stomach lining. This is something that still has to be studied in human beings.

Studies have shown that supplementation with high doses of folic acid and vitamin B12 can revert precancerous cells in the lungs. Folic acid levels are reduced in the skin as a result of exposure to the sun’s rays, and some scientists believe that it is this depletion of folic acid that raises skin cancer risk.

Researchers also found that childhood acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) risk was dramatically reduced when mothers took folic acid and iron supplements. Of these two substances, folic acid seems to be the one that most reduces the risk.  Childhood leukaemia begins with a genetic change while the baby is still in the womb. Folic acid is also known to reduce the risk of neural tube defects during pregnancy. ALL is the most common type of cancer in children, so women who want to reduce their children’s cancer risk should get enough folic acid, before and during pregnancy.

Folic acid levels are reduced in women taking hormones such as estrogens and progestins, which are found in birth-control pills and are also used in hormone replacement therapy. It is believed that this lowering of folic acid is the reason for the increase of breast cancer risk for women taking these hormones. Alcohol consumption also lowers folic acid levels, which is probably one of the reasons that alcohol has been linked to breast cancer.

Low folic acid levels also lead to HPV (Human Papilloma Virus) and cervical neoplasms. HPV usually precedes cervical cancer and is the most common sexually-transmitted disease in the world. Some women are born with a folate gene mutation that has been associated with cervical and endometrial neoplasms. Studies have shown that high-dose folic acid supplementation reduces the number of precancerous cells in women with cervical dysplasia (a precancerous condition). HPV is believed to naturally-exist in the female genital mucosa, but that it only becomes active when the immune system is weak or when folic acid levels are low, so maintaining high folic acid levels should be a priority for all women.

For all these reasons, folic acid is the most important supplement for women. All women should take it. The US Department of Health recommends that pregnant women or those that might become pregnant take folic acid supplements, and the US Public Health Service recommends that all women of child-baring age take folic acid supplements. The elderly should also take folic acid as they generally have lower levels of it. It also can’t hurt men to take it as it seems to protect the digestive tract and the prostate.

 

 

Vitamin D

 

Vitamin D is actually considered a hormone because the body synthesizes it from precursor substances found in the skin. This fat-soluble vitamin-hormone is essential for bone strength and density because it increases calcium absorption. In this same fashion, it helps prevent osteoporosis. It has also been strongly associated with decreased risks of cancer, heart disease and multiple sclerosis.

Lower cancer death rates (ovarian, colon, breast, lung and prostate) have been associated with exposure to the sun’s UV rays (sunlight), and the reason is believed to be the vitamin D that is generated by the body from exposure to sunlight. Laboratory tests have shown that vitamin D is an angiogenesis inhibitor. Angiogenesis is the process of blood vessel formation through which tumors receive their nourishment; hence, vitamin D helps limit tumors’ ability to grow. It is also an apoptosis promoter, thus ensuring that cancer cells will die. Vitamin D stimulates the differentiation of cells and therefore inhibits their proliferation (which would limit the multiplication of cancer cells).

An 8-year study undertaken at the University of California, San Diego found that vitamin D reduces colon cancer risk by up to 80 percent. Another important study also found a significant reduction in colon cancer risk. It seems that vitamin D helps the colon eliminate a toxic acid that promotes the disease. Researchers have found the vitamin D compounds also inhibit the growth of breast cancer cells.

Harvard researchers found that men with the highest levels of vitamin D in their blood had a 45 percent lower probability of developing prostate cancer, especially of the aggressive forms of the cancer. A different study found that vitamin D helps control the growth of prostate cancer cells. Yet another important study found that men who have greater direct exposure to sunlight have significantly lower rates of prostate cancer. The results of these studies are supported by the fact that we produce less vitamin D as we get older and that older men are usually the ones that get prostate cancer. The same applies to black males – they are the ones with the greatest risk and they are the ones that produce the least vitamin D because of the melanin in their skin.

Vitamin D in a way is a double-edged sword. Human beings manufacture vitamin D, but we need sunlight exposure in order to do so. However, we cannot recommend that people expose themselves to the sun as much as possible because, as we know, excessive exposure to the sun can cause skin cancer. Notwithstanding, it is estimated that vitamin D can prevent many more cancer deaths than skin cancer causes, so in the greater balance of things it seems that some regular sunlight exposure might provide a greater benefit than the added skin cancer risk it might generate. This theory is supported by the fact that several types of cancer occur more frequently and kill more people in the Northeastern states of the United States versus the Southwestern states (almost twice as many), and there is no explanation for this phenomenon other than the amount of solar radiation received.

However, some people, such as those with very fair skin and many moles, should probably limit their sun exposure because of the potentially added melanoma risk it carries for them. This aside, it seems that most people will generally improve their health and reduce their risk of developing some form of cancer with moderate, regular exposure to UV rays and/or with vitamin D supplementation. For more information on this controversial topic, see Chapter 14.

Studies have shown that vitamin D also protects against autoimmune diseases such as insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus, multiple sclerosis and rheumatoid arthritis. Researchers have also found that it reduces the levels of cholesterol in the blood, which is supported by the fact that people’s cholesterol levels drop in the summer, when less sunlight is available for conversion to vitamin D. Conditions that limit vitamin D synthesis have been linked to high blood pressure risk as well.

Although most doctors and nutritionists believe that the safe upper limit for vitamin D is 2,000 IU per day, at least one study has shown that the safe upper limit, which coincides with the maximum amount of vitamin D that the body can generate from sun exposure, is actually five times as much, or 10,000 IU per day. By no means do we recommend going anywhere near that dose, but we do recommend higher amounts than what most dietary supplements contain.

Although regular exposure to sunlight is the way most of us get our vitamin D, there are other sources. The main dietary sources include vitamin D-fortified milk and dairy products (preferably organic), liver, egg yolk, fatty fish, and cod liver oil. Since most people will find it difficult to get enough exposure to the sunlight to generate the vitamin D levels that they should ideally have and some people should not expose themselves to the sun at all, and since there is little vitamin D in the foods that contain it, supplements should be considered by everyone.

 

 

Vitamin B₁₂

 

Vitamin B₁₂ is essential for the manufacture of amino acids and DNA. Its importance in cancer prevention comes from its close link to folic acid. Both seem to work together, and higher folic acid levels require higher intake of vitamin B₁₂. An important study has shown that vitamin B₁₂, taken in conjunction with folic acid, reduces the number of precancerous cells in bronchial passages of smokers. This vitamin is important for preventing osteoporosis and low bone mineral density in both men and women, since a Tufts University study demonstrated a link between lower levels of B₁₂ and low bone mineral density (LOOK FOR REFERENCE). If you are a vegetarian or are taking a temporary break from animal foods, you will probably become deficient in this important vitamin because it is found mostly in animal products.

Chapter 6 – Minerals, Coenzymes & Amino Acids

 

 

 

In this chapter we discuss the different minerals, coenzymes, amino acids and proteins that have been shown to prevent cancer. They are listed in order of importance.

 

 

 

Selenium

 

Selenium is a non-metallic trace element that human beings obtain from water and food, especially seafood, meats, wheat germ, garlic, onions and nuts (especially Brazil nuts). It is a very strong antioxidant, which, besides cancer prevention, is also known to help prevent heart disease, protect the skin, support male fertility and the prostate, and to boost the antioxidant effects of vitamin E and glutathione (glutathione might be the most important antioxidant in the human body and is involved in enzymes that are critical for the elimination of toxins from our body). Low selenium levels may lead to decreased levels of coenzyme Q10, another important cancer preventer. Population studies in the US and China have shown that people living in areas with low levels of selenium in the soil have a higher probability of developing certain cancers.

Moss describes the results of several studies that demonstrate selenium’s strong anti-cancer properties.  In the 1960’s, Dr. Raymond Shamberger found that people living in states with low selenium levels in the soil had higher rates of heart disease than people in states with high selenium levels. Then in 1976 Dr. Shamberger also found that cancer rates were significantly lower in cities and states with high selenium levels in the soil. A study at the Harvard School of Public Health found that people with the lowest levels of selenium in their blood had twice the likelihood of developing cancer as those with the lowest levels. In China, in a region with low selenium levels in the soil, people were given table salt that had been enriched with selenium. After 8 years, liver cancer incidence fell by 35percent.

Researchers have also found that selenomethionine, a form of selenium, activates the famous, tumor-suppressing p53 gene, which is often inactive in many types of cancer. A study by the Stanford University Medical Center and Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine also found that higher plasma selenium levels are associated with lower prostate cancer risk.

A University of Arizona study on the effect of selenium on skin cancer found that selenium does not directly help prevent skin cancer. However, prostate, esophageal, colorectal and lung cancer rates decreased 71, 67, 62 and 46 percent respectively over the placebo group in the study. The study also showed that people taking selenium supplements (200 mcg daily) over 10 years had an overall 41 percent lower chance of developing cancer and a 52 percent lower cancer mortality rate. Other studies suggest that selenium may also protect certain women from breast cancer.

Barrett’s esophagus is a condition in which acid reflux of stomach acids causes damage to cells in the lower esophagus. Barrett’s esophagus significantly increases the risk of esophageal cancer. Studies have found that people with Barrett’s can reduce their risk of developing esophageal cancer by maintaining high selenium levels.

The results revolving around prostate cancer make sense since most prostate cancer cases involve older men, and people tend to have lower selenium levels as they get older. From the evidence, it appears that selenium is a must supplement for everyone, but especially for older men. It is definitely the most important mineral in cancer prevention.

It can arguably be said that most people probably don’t receive the RDA of 55-70 micrograms of selenium from dietary sources. Garlic has been thought to prevent cancer and other diseases for a long time. It just so happens that garlic has a high selenium content, which is probably one of the reasons that it is an important cancer inhibitor.

 

 

Alpha-lipoic acid

 

Alpha-lipoic acid, an enzyme produced in the energy-producing parts of cells, is a very powerful antioxidant. It is believed to enhance the effectiveness of other important antioxidants such as vitamins C and E, CoQ10 and glutathione and to recycle them. It is also involved in the production of the all-important glutathione. Dietary sources include spinach, liver, and brewer’s yeast. Besides protecting against cancer, it protects the liver, helps with many complications experienced by diabetics, and helps preserve brain cells after stroke.

The body produces alpha-lipoic acid so that it can convert fat and sugar to energy, but excess amounts are able to circulate freely throughout the body. One of the most interesting properties of alpha-lipoic acid is that it dissolves in both water and fat, whereas most other antioxidants are either fat or water-soluble, but not both. This limits their areas of activity. Water-soluble antioxidants work inside our cells and other “watery” areas of our body, whereas fat-soluble antioxidants work in the fatty areas of cell membranes and other lipids. Hence, alpha-lipoic acid can be displaced throughout the body to the areas where the most oxidative damage is occurring to cells at a particular time, thus making it a strategically important antioxidant.

Most of the studies done on alpha-lipoic acid have been on animals. Its cancer-preventing properties have not been proven in humans, but it is such a special antioxidant that we believe that research will soon show that it is an important cancer preventer. The fact that it is such a strong and versatile antioxidant by itself is enough to recommend it in cancer prevention. Add to this the boost it gives to other cancer-preventing antioxidants and you have something really powerful.

 

 

Zinc

 

Zinc is one of the most important minerals in the body since it is part of hundreds of enzymes and is therefore involved in almost every biological process in the human body. It is especially important in the immune system, and even slight deficiencies in the mineral can lead to weakened immunity. Studies have shown that it even reduces the duration and severity of the common cold. The best dietary sources for zinc include lean meat, fish and other seafood, poultry, eggs, and whole grains.

Since the immune system is what typically keeps us from developing cancer, and zinc is required to maintain a strong immune system, zinc should be an integral part of every cancer prevention program. It has been found that cancer patients quite often have reduced zinc levels, and it is believed that this deficiency is one of the factors that led to their cancer.

Moss describes some studies that demonstrate its cancer prevention properties. A study in a high cancer rate region of China was performed on over 30,000 subjects over a nine year period. The study found that stomach cancer rates dropped by 62 percent for those taking a zinc-vitamin A supplement. Incidence rates for other cancers also decreased significantly, and overall cancer death rates decreased substantially as well. A study in India found that changes to DNA that are caused by smoking decreased by 72 to 95 percent in the subjects taking zinc-vitamin A-riboflavin (a B vitamin) supplement and selenium.

 

 

Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10)

 

CoQ10 is found in the mitochondria of all our cells and is part of the energy-production system of cells. As an antioxidant, it helps protect against cellular damage by free radicals that are generated when we expend large amounts of energy. In particular, it protects cell membranes from lipid peroxidation. It is also believed to help athletic performance because of its energy-production function.

Studies have found that low CoQ10 levels are associated with cancer and heart disease. An important study that took place between 1993 and 1995 in Copenhagen found that breast cancer tumors were completely eliminated in some patients when they took large doses (390mg) of CoQ10 over several months. It also gives a big boost to the immune system, which is probably another reason that most researchers believe that it helps prevent cancer. Like other antioxidants, it works synergistically with vitamin E, preventing it from being oxidized.

As far as heart disease goes, CoQ10 has been shown to prevent it in the first place and to help people recover after heart surgery. This makes sense since this coenzyme is most abundant in the cells of the heart.

It is a fat-soluble antioxidant with no known toxicity even in high doses. To obtain therapeutic levels of CoQ10, it must be taken as a supplement since there is not enough of it in the few foods that contain it. As it happens with many other important antioxidants, its abundance in our bodies declines with age, so people should take higher doses as they get older.

 

 

Glutathione

 

Glutathione is one of the most important antioxidants in the body because it is found in virtually every human cell, especially in those comprising our immune system. Since this protein is in every cell, in theory it can stop free radicals from damaging DNA at every possible opportunity. Besides acting as an antioxidant, glutathione detoxifies heavy metals and chemicals, and it protects cell membranes. A long-term glutathione deficiency therefore increases cancer risk significantly.  It also protects both normal and cancer cells from radiation, so glutathione and its precursors (see below) must not be taken by cancer patients undergoing radiation. It is also another one of those synergistic antioxidants that recycle vitamin C and E or protect them from becoming oxidized.

Our body generates glutathione, which is difficult to obtain from dietary sources. Supplements are not an option for this antioxidant because glutathione is destroyed during digestion and therefore cannot be absorbed. So why do we bring it up if we can’t do anything about it? Well, there are other substances that you can take that raise your glutathione levels.

 

N-acetylcysteine (NAC) is a derivative of the amino acid cysteine. It is broken down during digestion and put back together as glutathione in our body, which is the reason that it is the best way to raise our levels of glutathione. It is also known to help prevent Alzheimer’s disease and to reduce plaque build-up in arteries that leads to heart attacks. Women with high blood levels of cysteine have been found to have much lower breast cancer rates than the average woman as well.

 

Glutamine is one of the most important amino acids for building protein in our bodies. It is also converted to glutathione, making it very important in the cancer prevention process. Tumors need glutamine to grow, which means that they deplete the body’s natural glutamine stores. The lack of glutamine probably leads to a lack of glutathione which in turn exacerbates the cancer process once it has started.

 

Alpha-lipoic acid is also involved in the body’s production of glutathione and helps protect it and recycles it.

 

Whey protein is also partially converted to glutathione. Many protein powder supplements are made of whey protein, and this is probably the best way to obtain this kind of protein. Whey is one of the two primary proteins in milk and is usually sold in powder form.

 

 

Arginine

 

Arginine is a “non-essential” amino acid because it is manufactured by the body. It is believed to increase human growth hormone (HGH) levels in the body, which in turn enhance the body’s immune system. Increased HGH levels also increase the number of natural killer (NK) cells and lymphocytes that help prevent and fight cancer. Arginine also reduces inflammation and dialates blood vessels, thus helping blood circulation and reducing the risk of heart disease.

Animal studies have shown that arginine reduces the number and size of tumors and that it increases the production of lymphocytes. It has also been found to prevent heart disease. Although it is manufactured by the body, it is not made in enough quantities for optimal health. Hence, supplementation is advisable. The most common form is L-arginine.

 

 

 

 

 

Calcium

 

Calcium is important for several bodily functions. It is a major component of our bones and teeth, but it also functions in cell-to-cell communications, lowers blood pressure in some individuals, decreases premenstrual symptoms in women, and is involved in muscle contraction, nerve impulse transmission and blood clotting. Several studies have found that calcium helps prevent colon cancer.

A 2004  study at the Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center that included over 900 men and women demonstrated that high doses of supplemental calcium, in addition to the calcium most people obtain from their diet, reduces the risk of advanced polyps in the colon developing into cancer. A 2005 study from the University of Minnesota, which included over 45,000 women and took place over 8.5 years found that women who consumed over 800 mg of calcium per day, from either dietary sources or supplements, reduced their risk of colorectal cancer by over 45 percent. Those who had the highest intake and took calcium supplements had the greatest protection.

Calcium is found in dairy products, fish, shell fish, and broccoli among other foods. It is best absorbed when sufficient vitamin D is available in the body. Since most people cannot obtain enough calcium through their diet (adults require 1,000-1,500 mg per day), supplements of this important mineral are highly recommended. Dairy products have been linked to increased prostate cancer risk in some studies, so men should do their best to find other sources of calcium. This increase is probably due to the fat content of dairy foods or the hormones given to cattle, and not to the calcium they contain.

Chapter 7 – Phytochemicals & Whole Foods

 

 

 

Phytochemicals are non-nutrient chemicals found naturally in plants (especially fruits and vegetables) that contain health-enhancing or disease-preventing compounds. It is these phytochemicals that give certain foods their cancer-preventing properties. In some cases, these phytochemicals can be isolated from the natural food and turned into supplements. However, for most of the phytochemicals described in this chapter, it is highly recommended to get them by consuming the whole food they come from. They are listed in order of importance.

 

 

 

Green tea

 

There are three categories of teas: green, oolong, and black. Each of these comes from the leaf of Camellia sinensis, which is a shrub native to Asia. The main difference between these teas is the duration of fermentation: "black" is fully fermented, "oolong" is partially fermented, and "green" is only steamed and not fermented at all. Green tea is one of the most popular beverages in China, Japan and many other countries in Asia, and it has been gaining popularity in the West over the years. It has been used medicinally in the Far East for centuries. It is believed that green tea consumption is responsible for the lower incidences of certain cancers in Japan and China, where people drink green tea as a daily cultural habit.

Green tea is believed to be a strong preventive agent against cancer because it contains a large quantity of strong antioxidants. The most important active component in green tea is a family of polyphenols called catechins. The dominant and most important catechin is Epigallocatechin Gallate (EGCG), which is believed to be 100-200 times more powerful an antioxidant than vitamins C and E respectively. EGCG is believed to have an inhibitory effect on the production of an enzyme, urokinase, that is required for cancer cell growth and tumor formation, while it also promotes apoptosis in cancer cells. In other words, it helps stop cancer cell growth, and it forces these cells to commit suicide.  In addition, it has immunoprotective qualities in the sense that it stimulates the production of white blood cells even when the body is undergoing radiation treatment or chemotherapy. For these reasons, it is an excellent cancer-preventing and cancer-reversing agent. It is believed to be especially effective in preventing lung, stomach, mouth, esophageal, skin and prostate cancers.

A study funded by the UCLA Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center and NCI found that green tea consumption can reduce stomach cancer rates by about 50 percent. It found a similar reduction in the likelihood of developing chronic gastritis, a condition that sometimes leads to stomach cancer. The study also revealed that the likelihood of developing cancer was affected proportionately by the amount of green tea consumed and the length of time it had been consumed for. In other words, the more green tea you drink and the longer you have done it for, the lower your probability of developing stomach cancer. Another study from the Shanghai Cancer Institute determined that the risk of gastric and esophageal cancers is reduced by around 60 percent for green tea drinkers.

Santosh K. Katiyar, Ph.D., and his colleagues in the department of dermatology at Case Western Reserve University, reviewed several studies on green tea and determined that it may be useful in preventing and treating various human skin disorders including cancer. Dr. Katiyar says that although it is better to drink green tea, skin care products with green tea extract might also protect the skin by directly fighting the free radicals that can turn skin cells cancerous. Having the antioxidant in direct contact with the skin cells might be the best protection they can get. More research is needed to verify whether the topical application of polyphenols might work as theorized.

Green tea is considered by many the reason that the Japanese have such low lung cancer rates. The Japanese actually have one of the highest smoking rates in the world, yet they have among the lowest lung cancer rates. Studies in Japan have shown that green tea drinkers have lower rates of cancer than the average Japanese person. It is also hypothesized that Chinese people have a much lower incidence of oral cancer because of their high green tea consumption. Dr. Stephen Hsu has demonstrated in laboratory studies at the Medical College of Georgia's School of Dentistry that oral cancer cells are killed when exposed to the polyphenols in green tea, while normal cells are unaffected.

Green tea’s antioxidant activity helps prevent heart disease by preventing the oxidation of LDL cholesterol and by reducing the free radicals that cause general cell damage, which in turn prevents atherosclerotic plaques from forming. It has also been recommended as a diet aid since it aids in the metabolism of fat. It has been shown to increase energy expenditure necessary for fat burning. The great thing about green tea is that it does not increase the heart rate as do many other diet aids. So any way you look at green tea, it’s good for your health.

 

 

Lycopene and tomatoes

 

Carotenoids are natural compounds that give colorful fruits and vegetables their colors. Numerous studies have shown that different carotenoids prevent cancer. Although there are over 600 carotenoids, so far only a few appear to have significant cancer-fighting properties.

Lycopene is the carotenoid that gives tomatoes and watermelons their red color. It is also a potent antioxidant that has shown the greatest potential for preventing cancer from the carotenoid family. It is also found in grapefruits, apricots, guava, and papaya. The antioxidant activity of lycopene is about twice as high as that of beta-carotene. Unlike beta-carotene, lycopene is not converted to vitamin A, which allows it to retain more of its special properties. Besides cancer-prevention, lycopene is also known to lower the risk of heart disease, lower LDL cholesterol, boost the immune system, prevent lipid peroxidation, and prevent DNA damage.

Studies suggest that diets high in tomato intake prevent cancers of the lungs, prostate, stomach, colon and rectum. It may also have a hand in protecting against cancers of the mouth, skin, cervix, breast, esophagus, and pancreas. It has been noticed that lycopene levels in the blood are up to 50 percent lower in smokers. This leads one to the conclusion that lycopene is probably used up in the fight against oxidative damage that smoking causes to cellular tissue.

According to Moss, pharmacologists in Italy have found that high tomato consumption is associated with a 61percent reduction in colon cancer, a 58percent reduction in cancer of the rectum, a 57percent decrease of stomach cancer, and a 35percent reduction in cancer of the oral cavity, pharynx and esophagus. A Canadian study that took place between 1994 and 1997 determined that people that consume the most lycopene compared with those that consume the least have a 31 percent lower probability of developing pancreatic cancer.

Dr. Edward Giovannucci, M.D. of the Harvard School of Public Health found that prostate cancer risk is lowered by a diet rich in tomato-based products. After studying the dietary habits and health of over 40,000 men, he found that men that consumed ten or more servings of tomato products weekly had a 45percent lower risk of developing prostate cancer. He later found in a second study in 1999 that giving lycopene supplements to prostate cancer patients helped prevent the spread of their cancer and reduced or limited the size of their tumors. Other studies show that lycopene inhibits the growth of cancer cell cultures. Yet another study found that older Americans with a high-lycopene diet have a 50 percent lower probability of developing any kind of cancer.

The great thing about lycopene is that even if you don’t like raw tomatoes, you can get your lycopene from tomato sauces comprising foods such as spaghetti sauce, pizza sauce, and Mexican salsa, which most of us like. What’s more, ideally, people should try to eat as much tomato sauce (or other cooked forms of tomato) as possible since the cooking process increases the bioavailability of lycopene and makes it more readily absorbable. It is also best to consume your lycopene with some fat, such as olive oil (which is often an ingredient in sauces), since this makes it even more absorbable. The Mediterranean diet is known to be good for the heart and for your health in general. This diet happens to be very rich in tomato sauces, which is probably the reason for its health benefits. This is probably the reason that people from southern Mediterranean countries such as Italy and Greece have a low incidence of prostate and other cancers as well as heart disease.

 

 

Beta-carotene

 

Beta-carotene is probably the best-known carotenoid and is most commonly found in carrots, cantaloupe, apricots, red peppers, broccoli and spinach. Most carotenoids are close relatives of vitamin A. In particular, beta-carotene has been labeled provitamin A because it can be converted into vitamin A. In fact, a significant proportion of our vitamin A needs are met by the conversion of beta-carotene. Basically, beta-carotene is converted to vitamin A when we are short on this important vitamin.

Numerous studies have shown that beta-carotene obtained by eating fruits and vegetables helps prevent certain cancers, especially of the lung, stomach, breast and uterus. In a very interesting study described by Moss, smokers that consumed high levels of beta-carotene had lung cancer rates that were close to those of non-smokers. A study at the University of Montreal found that beta-carotene and total carotenoid consumption reduces pancreatic cancer risk by over 40 percent in those that have never smoked. Part of its cancer protection comes from the fact that it is an antioxidant and because it supports T-helper cell activity (an important part of our immune system).

The studies that have found positive effects of beta-carotene have been those in which the subjects obtained beta-carotene by eating fruits and vegetables rich in the substance. This leads to the hypothesis that whole foods contain unknown compounds that boost the effectiveness of beta-carotene. For these reasons, we recommend dietary sources for beta-carotene instead of supplements. The next best alternative is natural beta-carotene supplements. Some studies have found that synthetic beta-carotene can have harmful effects on smokers, so if you smoke, make sure your beta-carotene comes from natural sources.

 

 

Other carotenoids

 

Other carotenoids worth taking note of include alpha-carotene, leutin, zeaxanthin, and cryptoxanthin. All of these have been found to have chemopreventive properties, and are found in a wide variety of fruits and vegetables, including but not limited to the following:

 

Carrots	Corn
Broccoli	Cantaloupe
Oranges	Peaches
Green, leafy vegetables incl. spinach	Tangerines
Beans	Kale
Peppers	Egg yolk

 

Although it is widely believed that carotenoids prevent cancer because of their strong antioxidant properties, it seems that it is more than just that. Carotenoids in general seem to have anti-cancer properties that have not been yet identified, which is why it is important that you eat as wide a variety of fruits and vegetables as you can.

 

 

Sulforaphane – Broccoli, cabbage, Brussels sprouts & other cruciferous vegetables

 

Sulforaphane is a member of a class of phytochemicals called isothiocyanates that have important cancer prevention properties and are found in cruciferous vegetables. Cruciferous vegetables belong to the plant genus Brassica, which is also known as the mustard family. This family includes broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, kale, cauliflower, watercress, radish and turnips. Cruciferous vegetables also contain another important cancer-fighter called indole-3-carbinol (I3C).

When we talk about sulforaphane, we typically refer to broccoli because it is the vegetable with the highest content of sulforaphane. However, it has been discovered that broccoli sprouts (2-3 day-old baby broccoli) have 20-50 times the amount of sulforaphane that full-grown broccoli does. They look and taste like alfalfa sprouts. One ounce of broccoli sprouts has the same amount of sulforaphane as two pounds of full-grown broccoli. If you don’t like the taste of broccoli, you should definitely eat the sprouts because you can get the protective effect by eating a very small amount of them. Many people would probably prefer the taste of the sprouts over that of broccoli itself.

Studies have shown that sulforaphane can reduce the odds of developing many types of cancer, including colon, breast, stomach and lung cancer. One study showed that eating two pounds of broccoli per week can reduce the risk of colon cancer by 50 percent. Studies at Johns Hopkins University in 1994 found that rats treated with a carcinogen and a high dose of sulforaphane had a 62 percent lower incidence of breast cancer than those only treated with the carcinogen. The rats that did develop tumors took longer to develop them and the tumors were smaller. These same scientists discovered sulforaphane in 1992 and found that it helps generate Phase II detoxification enzymes in cell cultures. These enzymes get rid of carcinogens in our system.

An 11-year study carried out in China by scientists from the University of Southern California, the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences and the Shanghai Cancer Institute found that isothiocyanates reduce lung cancer risk by 35 to 72 percent. It was determined that people that lack enzymes that eliminate isothiocyanates from the body had the lowest risk. The reason for this is that their cells are probably protected for a longer period of time after they eat cruciferous vegetables. This means that it is important to eat these vegetables on a regular, if not daily, basis to increase our level of protection. A study conducted at the University of Minnesota Cancer Center found that smokers who consume watercress have greater amounts of a cigarette smoke carcinogen removed from their body.

The other important cancer preventer in cruciferous vegetables, I3C, is especially important in breast cancer prevention. It seems that estrogen receptor sites on breast cells can be blocked by I3C. A study at Cornell University Medical College demonstrated that the growth of estrogen-responsive breast cells is inhibited by I3C. In addition, I3C appears to convert the estrogen linked to breast and endometrial cancers, namely estradiol, into a more benign form called estrone. A study at the Institute for Hormone Research in New York City found that I3C significantly reduced mammary tumors in mice by increasing levels of an enzyme that gets rid of estradiol.

Any way you look at it, cruciferous vegetables have important cancer-preventing phytochemicals that all of us can use.

 

 

Omega-3 fatty acids and other fats

 

Despite the bad rap that fat has gotten over the last several decades, not all fats are bad for you. What’s more, you would die if you didn’t eat any fat. However, there is a big difference between the different kinds of fats – some will protect you from disease and help you live longer, while others contribute to an early death.

There are four kinds of fat: saturated, monounsaturated, trans fats, and polyunsaturated. Fats are also referred to as “fatty acids”, which are fat’s building blocks.

 

Saturated fats are mostly found in animal products, such as meat, milk, cream, butter, cheese, and in a few vegetable products such as coconut oil and vegetable shortening. There are two types of saturated fats, medium-chain and long-chain. Most saturated fats are unhealthy because they are long-chain; however, medium-chain fats, such as coconut oil, might have preventive properties, but this remains to be proven. Cholesterol is created in our bodies from saturated fats.

 

Monounsaturated fats are very healthy when consumed in moderation. The best source is olive oil, which, along with tomato consumption, might be the reason that the “Mediterranean diet” is successful at preventing cancer and heart disease. There is some evidence that suggests that olive oil helps prevent cancer.

 

Trans fats do not exist in nature – they are 100 percent a product of modern chemistry. They are in margarine and are usually an ingredient in baked goods. Trans fats have been shown to lower HDL (high-density lipoprotein) cholesterol, which is the “good” cholesterol you have probably heard about before, and raise LDL (low-density lipoprotein) cholesterol, which is the “bad” cholesterol, making them doubly dangerous. They are usually labeled as “hydrogentated oils” or “partially-hydrogentated oils” on ingredient lists on food packaging. Watch out for these, and try to avoid them at all cost.

 

Polyunsaturated fats can be divided into two groups: omega-3 fatty acids and omega-6 fatty acids. Omega-6 fatty acids are found in vegetable oils such as corn, safflower, and sunflower oil. Consuming some omega-6 oils has the beneficial effect of reducing overall cholesterol levels; however, they also reduce HDL cholesterol. Omega-6 fatty acids have been linked to cancer, so you should avoid consuming these in excess.

You have probably heard about omega-3 fatty acids. This kind of fat has become famous over the last several years because of its heart disease-preventing capabilities. However, we now know that it is a powerful cancer preventer as well. These are mostly found in fatty, cold-water fish such as tuna, salmon, sardines, eel, herring, mackerel, trout, and to a lesser extent in halibut and cod. It is also found in a few vegetable oils such as flaxseed, cattail seed, hemp seed and walnut oils.

The two most important components of omega-3 fatty acids found in fish oil are DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) and EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid). Experiments done on cell cultures and animals have shown that DHA and EPA prevent tumor formation and progression. A substance called prostaglandin E-2 (PGE-2) promotes inflammation, and inflammation has been linked to several types of cancer because it increases the creation of free radicals. DHA and EPA create a “good” prostaglandin (PGE-3) that inhibits the formation of PGE-2 and thus reduce inflammation.

Studies have linked omega-3 fatty acids to reduced breast, prostate, colon and skin cancer risk. A large European study found that cancer rates decrease in people as they consume more fish and fish oil, whereas cancer rates increase as people eat more animal fat. A Finnish study also found that breast cancer patients had lower EPA and DHA levels in their breast tissue. Flaxseed oil lowers breast cancer risk by blocking estrogen receptors in breast cells.

Omega-3 fatty acids reduce heart disease risk because they lower the level of triglycerides and LDL cholesterol. They also decrease blood clotting, dilate blood vessels and reduce blood pressure. The Eskimo and Japanese peoples, who have cold-water fish-rich diets, have lower incidences of heart disease and cancer. Overall, we highly recommend the consumption of fatty, cold-water fish and omega-3 oils.

 

 

Soy

 

Soy is probably the healthiest form of protein we can eat, yet Western cultures don’t pay much attention to it. You hear soy and you think Asian food. Well soy is probably one of the reasons that the Japanese have lower cancer rates in general and of certain cancers in particular. The Japanese eat around 50 times more soy, in different products, than do people in the United States.

Mitchell Gaynor discusses much of the evidence regarding soy’s cancer-preventive properties in his book Dr. Gaynor’s Cancer Prevention Program. Angiogenesis is the process of blood vessel formation. Tumors depend on this process to establish nourishment channels. Studies have found that soy consumption is associated with reduced angiogenesis; in other words, it helps starve tumors. In addition, it has been found that a key substance in soy, genistein, prevents the activation of an enzyme, tyrosine kinase, which gives cancer cells their immortality.

It is believed that high soy consumption is one of the reasons that Japanese women have a much lower level of breast cancer than American women. Several scientific studies on people and animals have found that soy reduces the risk of breast and prostate cancers. Genistein and other components of soy are very similar to the female hormone estrogen. These components occupy estrogen receptor sites on cells in the breast, uterus, colon and prostate. Yes, men have some estrogen as well, and cell growth in the prostate seems to be stimulated by estrogen. Hence, the risk of these cancers can be reduced significantly by consuming soy products.

Hispanic women (of Mexican descent) also have lower breast cancer rates than American women. The reason is believed to be that black beans also have significant amounts of genistein, further supporting the theory that soy is a good cancer preventer, especially for women.

Meal replacement studies have shown that soy helps reduce LDL cholesterol and triglycerides over milk, implying that soy milk can reduce the risk of heart disease.

Soy products include soy beans, tofu, miso soup, soy milk, soy protein powder, and soy yogurt. However, soybean oil by itself, like most other vegetable oils, might have negative health consequences.

 

 

Fiber

 

Fiber is the part of plants (fruits, vegetables and grains) that gives them their firmness. Human beings cannot digest most fiber, and as you will see below this is a good thing. The best sources of fiber are whole grains, bran, legumes (such as beans, peas, lentils), and pretty much all fruits and vegetables. Numerous studies have shown that fiber prevents certain cancers.

Fiber has long been known to prevent the development of colon cancer. For a while now, it has been believed that colon cancer risk is reduced because fiber creates a mass that flows through the intestine quicker, thus allowing less time for many of the carcinogenic chemicals and other substances that are created during the digestion process, or that are part of the foods being digested, to interact with the colon wall.

Whereas we still feel that this is an important part of the protective effect of fiber, we believe that another powerful protective property is the fact that most forms of fiber are loaded with antioxidants and other important phytochemicals. It seems that having the antioxidants and phytochemicals in direct contact with the colon cells protects them. Fiber’s colon cancer protective effect also comes from the fact that it binds to bile acids. Bile is secreted into the intestine to digest fats, and in the process it can be transformed into a carcinogenic chemical. As the fiber leaves the body with the feces, the bile acids, chemicals and other compounds that are attached to the fiber leave with the feces.

Fiber intake has also been associated with reduced breast cancer risk. Fiber binds with estrogen in the intestine and eliminates it through the bowel. Without an adequate amount of fiber, estrogen can be reabsorbed into the bloodstream and raise cancer risk, especially for women.

It has also been known for some time that red meat consumption is associated with cancer. One of the reasons for this is probably that people who eat a lot of meat usually don’t eat enough vegetables. Fiber also protects against heart disease, high blood pressure, diverticulitis and noninsulin-dependent diabetes. It also helps you avoid constipation, hemorrhoids, varicose veins, and other ailments.

There are two kinds of fiber: coarse (or insoluble) and fine (or water-soluble). Insoluble fiber is better for us because it flows through our digestive system more quickly. It includes bran, whole wheat, and rice bran. Soluble fiber is found in most fruits and vegetables and some grains. All fiber is good for you, but make sure you get some coarse fiber in your diet. The bottom line on fiber is that it is good for you and you should consume it regularly, especially from dietary sources.

 

 

Red Wine, grapes and resveratrol

 

Research results strongly indicate that red wine, and in particular resveratrol which is a substance found in the skin of red or purple grapes, helps prevent cancer in general and certain kinds of cancer in particular. Besides having cancer-preventing properties, red wine is also known to be good for the heart. However, it is generally accepted that alcohol consumption in general increases the chances of developing certain types of cancer including cancers of the mouth, larynx, pharynx, esophagus, and liver. It may also have a causal effect on colon and stomach cancer. In addition, alcohol can be addictive, and, if consumed in excess, can lead to other health problems. Notwithstanding, these negative effects of alcohol generally occur in people that drink in excess. Many medical experts recommend that people drink one or two glasses of red wine per day. It is important to note that white wine has little resveratrol, which is probably the reason that it has not been associated with cancer prevention.

Resveratrol belongs to a group of compounds called phytoalexins that plants produce in self-defense against environmental stressors such as fungi, adverse weather, attacks by insects and other pathogens. This strong antioxidant has been shown to be effective during all three main phases of the cancer process: initiation, promotion and progression. It has also been demonstrated to inhibit growth of different kinds of cancer cells in culture. It is also known to reduce the activation of a protein (NF Kappa β) that typically helps cancer cells grow and spread to other parts of the body. Its anti-inflammatory properties are also believed to block reactions associated with the cancer process. More specifically, laboratory studies have shown that resveratrol inhibits the formation of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), an enzyme that promotes inflammation that often leads to cancer. The study also found that resveratrol induced cell differentiation in human leukaemia cells and that it reduced skin tumors in mice by 98 percent.

A 2002 study by researchers of five top medical institutions found that wine-drinking reduces the probability of developing non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. The researchers found that men who regularly consumed an average of one or more glasses of wine per day had a threefold lower risk of developing non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma than men who did not drink wine. Studies at the University of Illinois have found that the incidence of skin and breast cancer in mice was reduced when given large amounts of resveratrol. Researchers at the Clinical Research Institute at Albany Medical College determined that resveratrol could activate apoptosis in thyroid cancer cells as well. Lastly, resveratrol has also been found to cause human promyelocytic leukaemia cells to “realize” that they are different and revert back to normal.

Red wine also prevents heart disease. It is believed to be the reason that people in France have a low incidence of heart disease despite a diet high in fats that would normally increase the risk of the disease. This is known as the “French Paradox”. So whether it is for your heart or to prevent cancer, red wine in moderate amounts has many health benefits that will probably extend your life. Besides grapes, especially red ones, resveratrol is also found in high concentrations in peanuts and most kinds of berries.

 

 

Pycnogenol^® and grape seed extract

 

A French scientist in the 1950s found a way of extracting bioflavonoids called proanthocyanidins from pine tree bark. These bioflavonoids are a strong antioxidant that he patented and named Pycnogenol. Grape seed extract, which as its name implies comes from the seeds of grapes, is usually discussed and grouped with Pycnogenol because both substances are very similar in terms of composition and effectiveness. However, some consider grape seed extract as the better of the two because it contains a higher concentration of proanthocyanidins. Both of these substances are among the strongest antioxidants, estimated at having 50 times more antioxidant power than vitamin E and 20 times more than vitamin C. When we talk about grape seed extract below we are actually referring to both substances.

Different studies have shown that proanthocyanidins help prevent lung cancer by inhibiting the formation of some of the most deadly carcinogens in cigarette smoke. It is extremely good for the cardiovascular system because it is water-soluble and can therefore dissolve in the blood. It lowers cholesterol in the blood and reduces cholesterol buildup on artery walls, while it also reduces platelet aggregation (blood clotting). For this reason, it is extremely effective at preventing heart disease. As an antioxidant, it fights several of the toughest free radicals. Studies have shown that it can limit the expression of cell proliferation and stress response genes, which means that it can prevent chronic inflammation and limit cancer cell growth.

Pycnogenol is one of the best-selling dietary supplements in Europe and has been in wide-spread use since the 1960s. It has no known side-effects.

 

 

Curry, turmeric, and curcumin

 

Turmeric is the main spice in curry. The active ingredient in turmeric is a substance called curcumin. Curcumin has antioxidant properties and is a strong anti-inflammatory agent.

A Japanese study found that curcumin inhibits Interleukin-8 and nuclear factor kappa-beta (NF kappa-ß) production, both of which are involved in stimulating tumor cell growth and development. The researchers added curcumin to human pancreatic carcinoma cells in vitro and found the inhibition of these two important cancer promoters. Another study done at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center obtained similar results. In this study, it was found that adding curcumin to multiple myeloma (a cancer of the blood) cells stopped the cells from replicating and killed the remaining cells by inducing apoptosis.

The abovementioned studies were done on cell cultures in vitro, so the exact effects on human beings that consume the spice are not precisely known. However, they are a strong indication of curcumin’s preventive capabilities. Moss attributes the extremely low cancer death rates in Sri Lanka to the vast amounts of curry consumed by its population.

 

 

Berries and ellagic acid

 

Different kinds of berries have been found to have the highest antioxidant content among fruits and vegetables. These include blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, blackberries and cranberries. Animal studies have found that these fruits have anticarcinogenic properties. The cancer-preventive substances in them are believed to be ellagic acid and anthocyanins. Ellagic acid is also found in pecans and walnuts.

Studies on rats at Ohio State University have shown that precancerous changes to cells and tumor growth are reduced dramatically when large quantities of raspberries and strawberries are fed to the rats. Other studies have shown that ellagic acid can help prevent lung, skin, prostate, esophageal and liver cancer. It seems that ellagic acid promotes apoptosis and keeps cancer cells from dividing. In addition, it seems to shield DNA from attack by mutagens, thus helping prevent the initial mutation required for cancer to start.

 

 

Aspirin

 

Studies have shown that aspirin, ibuprofen and other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs prevent colon cancer. They do this by suppressing the formation of certain proteins that prevent apoptosis from taking place. It also might suppress the production of the inflammatory prostaglandin, PGE-2, which is known to promote cancer.

Aspirin has also been shown to reduce heart disease risk, and it is believed that it helps prevent other cancers besides that of the colon. People that have had polyps removed from the colon should especially take aspirin since studies have shown that it reduces the recurrence of this precancerous condition. A 2002 study by the Harvard School of Public Health and other top medical schools and research centers found that men that took aspirin at least 22 days per month reduced their risk of metastatic prostate cancer (the kind that spreads to lymph nodes or other parts of the body) by 27 percent.

 

 

Garlic et al.

 

There is some evidence that garlic, along with other allium family members such as onions, leeks, chives and scallions, has some cancer-preventing properties, especially for stomach cancer. For one, they contain a significant amount of selenium, and, as we have shown above, selenium is a strong chemopreventive agent. Garlic also has many sulfur compounds, just as broccoli has sulforaphane. It has also been shown to be great for preventing heart disease, as it lowers triglycerides and LDL cholesterol. As we know, most substances that prevent cancer also prevent heart disease, so it is not surprising that garlic shows promise in cancer prevention. For those that don’t like the taste or their breath afterwards, there are different kinds of supplements.

 

 

Mushrooms

 

Mushrooms have been used for medicinal purposes in Asia for over a thousand years and are an integral part of traditional Chinese medicine. The two main mushrooms that have shown anticancer properties are the shiitake and maitake mushrooms. Numerous studies have been done on animals that clearly demonstrate that these mushrooms prevent cancer (in animals).

It is believed that their cancer-preventing properties arise from the boost they give to the immune system. Among other things, the polysaccharides in these mushrooms increase the production of natural killer (NK) cells as well as other “protector” cells that are an integral part of our immune system. In particular, beta-glucan is the polysaccharide that boosts the immune system and inhibits tumor growth. The Lentinan, the active polysaccharide in shiitake mushrooms, is approved for cancer treatment in Japan.  Mushrooms have also been found to lower estrogen production in women, which in turn helps prevent cancers of the reproductive organs.

 

 

Quercetin and apples

 

Quercetin is a strong antioxidant and antiinflamatory compound found most abundantly in apples, although it is also found in allium plants (such as onions and garlic), green tea, red wine, and citrus fruits. Some researchers believe that this polyphenol might be an even stronger chemopreventive compound that vitamin C. Some studies have shown that apple or quercetin consumption reduces the risk of cancer in general and certain cancers in particular.

A 2005 study at the Mayo Clinic demonstrated that quercetin blocks the androgen (male hormone) activity in androgen-responsive human prostate cancer cells. This effectively prevents the growth of prostate cancer cells, making quercetin the latest phytochemical in the fight against, and prevention of, prostate cancer. Studies have also shown that chronic prostatis (inflammation of the prostate) and its symptoms can be alleviated by the consumption of quercetin.

Researchers at UCLA studied the effects of quercetin on pancreatic cancer and found that it is effective at inhibiting it. They first tested it on mice that had been injected with human pancreatic cancer cells and found that quercetin allowed the mice to live 34 percent longer. They then tested quercetin, along with other antioxidant polyphenols, on human pancreatic cancer cells and found that it has powerful cancer-fighting properties.

A recent Cornell University study found that quercetin protects brain cell membranes from free radicals, which in turn reduces the risk of Alzheimer’s disease.

These studies clearly support the saying that “an apple a day keeps the doctor away”.

Chapter 8 – The Moerman Diet

 

 

 

Dr. Cornelis Moerman of the Netherlands developed a cancer diet that became known as the Moerman Therapy. This therapy was based on the discoveries that some of his most important contemporaries made in the first half of twentieth century. Based on his own research, he determined that a therapy based on what he called the “eight essential substances” could cure or prevent cancer. As the Institute does, he believed that cancer is not an organ-specific or localized disease, but rather a weakness of the immune system that is caused by a deficiency in essential minerals, vitamins and other substances.

The eight essential substances are: vitamins A, C, E, and B complex, citric acid, iodine, iron and sulfur. Notice how over half a century ago the first cancer researchers had already identified some of the key substances that are just now being recognized as having the ability to ward off cancer. The Institute does not have a position on citric acid and iodine, although we believe that excessive iron is conducive to cancer. However, we very well know that vitamin A, C, E and some B vitamins help prevent and treat cancer. These first three vitamins form the foundation of the Moerman diet, just as they do the Institute’s. Sulfur is closely related to sulforaphane, which is the substance in broccoli and other cruciferous vegetables that has been proven to prevent cancer.

In 1987, the Ministry of Health of the Hague publicly recognized the Moerman Therapy as an effective treatment against cancer. It is a sad thing that other governments don’t recognize the power of such basic substances that all of us can readily obtain that would save the lives of hundreds of thousands of people throughout the world.

Chapter 9 – Diet in General and Exercise

 

 

 

Diet in General

 

Besides getting your fair share of all the abovementioned foods and substances, following a proper diet can also be considered a cancer preventer. Numerous studies have shown that diets high in fruits and vegetables, low in fat, high in fiber, low in refined sugars and grains, low in protein, low in red meat, and low in vegetable oils (except for olive oil) reduce cancer risk dramatically. A 60-year study has shown that people who ate fruits as children have a significantly lower risk of cancer throughout their lives. A 2004 study at the University of California, Berkeley found that children who ate oranges or bananas or drank orange juice on a regular basis before the age of 2 had half the risk of developing leukaemia before the age of 14. A study undertaken at the University of Montreal showed that pancreatic cancer (one of the deadliest cancers) risk can be cut in half by consuming a greater-than-average amount of fruits and vegetables. Low calorie diets have also been associated with reduced cancer risk.

The “Western diet” is considered highly cancer-promoting because it consists mostly of processed foods, loaded with refined flour and sugar. It is also high in fat and red meat (excessive protein) and low in fiber, fruits and vegetables. Generally speaking, it is extremely high in calories. The Western diet has been found to be conducive to most other degenerative diseases as well. A study linked a high fat, high energy diet to increased risk for Alzheimer’s disesase, while diets high in fish and fiber decrease the risk. A study at the University of Athens Medical School fournd that the “Mediterranean Diet”, which consists of fruits, vegetables, legumes, whole grains, olive oil and fish, extends people’s lives.

Overprocessed foods are unhealthy, and can lead to cancer, for several reasons. First of all, many of the nutrients and phytochemicals of fruits and vegetables are removed during processing. Much of the fiber that the food might have had originally is degraded and lost during refining. Often, fat and sugar are added, and usually the fat is in the form of saturated fats, trans-fatty acids and vegetable oils. These are the kinds of foods that are most easily converted to fat in the body when their calories are not immediately used up.

Low-calorie diets are cancer-preventive. Fat build-up is the result of excess consumption of calories (energy), and excess body fat, especially obesity, has been conclusively linked to cancer. Your body requires a certain number of calories for its metabolic processes, plus you spend a certain amount of energy performing activities such as walking, worrying, thinking, eating and many others. If you consume more calories than you expend, you begin to build up fat. So there are really two ways to lose weight (namely fat): consume less calories or burn off more calories. It may sound simplistic, and if you have ever tried to lose weight and failed you will probably scoff at this, but it really is that simple.

Consuming less calories does not mean eating less – it means eating “lower-energy” foods. The highest-energy foods are fats, carbohydrates and proteins, in that order. Alcohol is actually more calorie-dense than carbohydrate and protein, which is another reason to limit your alcohol intake.

Fats, with the exception of omega-3 fats, olive oil and a few others, are probably the worst kind of food you can eat. Fats are by far the most energy-dense foods, which means that if you eat a lot of fat you are likely to exceed your caloric needs. In addition, most of the fats we consume are saturated animal fats, which usually come with cholesterol. The other kind of fat that is very prevalent in most people’s diet is trans fats, which, as we have mentioned before, raise the bad cholesterol and lower the good one. Fats in general, and saturated fats in particular, have been directly linked to several kinds of cancer. There is evidence that links cholesterol intake to certain cancers as well.

Carbohydrates (carbs), on the other hand, are a different story. There are good carbs and there are bad carbs. This should be obvious since we have been recommending fruits and vegetables throughout the book, both of which are mostly carbohydrates. So if fruits and vegetables are carbohydrates and carbohydrates are “high-energy” foods, how come you almost never see any obese vegetarians? Without refining or processing, fruits and vegetables are complex carbohydrates. The reason these are “good” for you is that a large percentage of their weight is made up of fiber, which is undigestible and doesn’t have much energy. So not all carbs are really that high-energy.

The fact that they are “complex” means that it takes more energy to break them down than simple carbs. If you use up more energy to digest the complex carbs, there is even less overall energy increase in your system. It also takes longer to digest them, which means that some undigested potential energy goes out with the feces. Since it takes longer to break down these complex carbs, it means that they are in your stomach for a longer period of time, which gives you a feeling of being full, and it will take longer for you to feel hungry again. This means that you will generally eat less.

Unless you are a serious athlete or you have a very physically-demanding job, you are probably getting more calories than you need today. Calories that are not used up, or burnt as some people like to say, will turn to fat. Hence, the best way of cutting down on calories is eating complex carbs. The best examples there are of complex carbs are fruits, vegetables, legumes and nuts. Other good carbs are unrefined, whole grains, such as whole or cracked wheat (known as bulgur), brown rice, oats, corn, kasha, millet, rye, buckwheat, barley, quinoa (pronounced “keen-wa”), amaranth, psyllium, triticale, sorghum and wild rice. So don’t believe those that say that carbs are fattening. The truth is that some carbs are fattening, while others are really healthy.

Simple carbs are what is left over from whole grains when they are refined or processed. Starchy foods such as potatoes are also simple carbs. They are digested very quickly, starting as soon as they hit the mouth. The fact that they are simple, without fiber or rigid cell walls, makes them very similar to sugar as far as digestion goes. They are converted to glucose almost immediately, which is pure potential energy. If this energy is not used up, the glucose soon becomes fat. Most pastas, baked goods and white breads, refined white rice, corn chips, and refined cereals (this includes most cereals) are simple carbs. These are the ones you should avoid, and they are the ones that give carbs their bad reputation as fattening.

Keep in mind that people are eating less fat today than they were a few decades ago. Despite this, there are more obese and overweight people, especially in the United States, than there used to be. How can this be? We are eating less fat but we are getting fatter? Yes we are. Although everything at the grocery store seems to say “fat-free” or “low-fat”, excessive fat is built from the over-consumption of calories, not of fat. Although fat is the most energy-dense food, you can still go way over your caloric needs by eating a lot of simple carbs. So don’t let yourself be fooled by advertising gimmicks and “low-fat” labels. Look at the calories. Many low-fat foods are high in calories. If you eat a lot of these, you will probably exceed your energy needs and build excess body fat. Read your nutritional information labels carefully.

It is believed that excessive protein can promote cancer. However, protein is so linked to fat (since most meat is fat-laden) that it is hard to tell whether it is the protein or its associated fat that is the cancer-inducer. For this reason, you should get as much of your protein from plant sources, such as soy, since plants have virtually no fat. Add to this the fact that vegetarians usually live longer and have healthier lives, and you cannot avoid the conclusion that you should limit your animal protein intake. People need about 1.5 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight each day. This translates to 0.7 grams per pound of body weight.

Excessive energy intake is considered a pre-condition of cancer and a promoter of cancer because tumors feed off of glucose, and glucose is what is produced from excess calorie-consumption. Protein is an energy food, as is carbohydrate and fat, while sugar is pure energy. Tumors are made up of protein, which adds to the probability of protein consumption being linked to cancer. Since sugar is the quickest substance to be converted to fat when its energy is not used up, sugar should be avoided as much as possible.

This does not mean that you should not eat any animal protein or that you should not eat any products with sugar in them. What leads to cancer is persistent exposure to carcinogens and persistent consumption of cancer-friendly foods. So don’t eat a lot of protein every day and don’t eat cakes, sweets and other foods with added sugar and refined flour on a regular basis. If you want to enjoy a nice, juicy steak once every couple of weeks, do so, and if you want to have a sweet dessert every once in a while, go ahead. Just don’t eat processed sugar every day, and limit your protein consumption.

Athletes or people that for some other reason expend a lot of energy, on the other hand, need more protein and glucose than the average person. If you fall in this camp, go ahead and eat all the protein you need, but try to get it from the best sources, which include fish, poultry, and soy. Get all the carbs you need to fuel your activities, but get them from the best sources, which include fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. If you need a quick boost before a physical activity, you can even have a chocolate bar or some other sugary product. Just make sure to burn off what you eat.

This leads to the question of how to know what your caloric needs are. It all depends on your goals. If you are an athlete trying to build muscle, and you are lifting weights but are not growing as you would expect, you probably need more protein. However, if you have a sedentary job and don’t get much exercise, odds are you are already eating too much protein and too many energy foods. The best way to know is simply by looking at yourself in a mirror: if you are overweight you are probably consuming too many calories. Even if you are an athlete and you find yourself with excessive body fat, you are eating too many calories. Appendix I lists the calorie requirements for different kinds of people.

Smoked, salty, and overcooked (burnt) foods, especially if they are some form of animal protein, are believed to be cancer-promoting. It is believed that the high stomach cancer rates of the Japanese are due to their high consumption of salty, pickled foods.

Organic is a term used to refer to foods that are grown or raised “naturally”, as they were hundreds and thousands of years ago. Organic foods lower the risk of cancer because they have not been exposed to cancer-promoting substances. These substances include hormones that animals receive and the pesticides and fertilizers that their food receives. Pesticides, fertilizers and preservatives are used on most fruits, vegetables and grains that we buy at the grocery store, and the residues that are left on the food are absorbed by our bodies. These chemicals can weaken our immune system and can also cause direct damage to cell’s DNA. Organic foods usually contain more phytochemicals and more minerals because the soil they are grown on hasn’t been depleted of nutrients and minerals. This applies to fruits, vegetables, grains (and flour), red meat, poultry, dairy products and even some seafood. Organic animal meat is usually referred to as “free-range”.

Dairy products have carcinogenic effects because of the hormones that cows are injected with and the pesticides and fertilizers that are used on their food. They are also dangerous because of their typically high fat content. In addition, adults do not need milk. People should avoid dairy products as much as possible. Two alternatives to dairy products are discussed in the Recommendations section below, namely the consumption of organic dairy products and the replacement of dairy products with soy based products such as soy milk.

Juices usually contain the same cancer preventers as the fruits and vegetables they come from. What’s more, some studies have shown that juices can contain more antioxidants than their respective fruits and vegetables. In order to obtain the full benefits of juice, make sure it does not have any added sugar, as sugar has the negative effects already mentioned.

Red meat has hormones that are fed and injected into animals (unless they are organic, free-range). Meat has fat, which means that bile is used in its digestion. Bile itself is in a way carcinogenic since it is very similar to certain cancer-causing hydrocarbons. In addition, a substance called glucuronide carries many toxins bound for elimination in your stool. However, these toxins often become unbound. Since it takes longer to digest meat, it is in contact with the colon wall longer along with bile and glucuronide and its associated toxins, meaning that you are increasing your chances of developing colon cancer. Meat contains iron, which can be a cancer promoter because it aids in oxidative reactions (free radical generation). Meat is usually high in sodium as well.

As mentioned earlier, fiber is an extremely important part of any cancer prevention program.

 

 

Exercise

 

Exercise is known to help prevent cancer and other deadly diseases such as heart disease. Cardiovascular exercise (anything that gets your heart rate up during a sustained period of time) is the best kind to get. We are not exactly sure why exercise reduces cancer risk, but we know that it does.

In women, the reduced body fat that results from exercise reduces the amount of estrogen in the blood, so this would decrease the risk of certain cancers. However, exercise and leaner bodies in men also lower cancer risk, so it is probably not just the lower estrogen levels that decrease the risk. One reason that exercise might help prevent cancer is that tumors need energy to grow. If you exercise, you are using up energy that would otherwise become fat. Cancer cells will find it more difficult to thrive without an adequate energy supply. This is why obese people have a much greater risk for cancer.

A14 year Harvard School of Public Health study in which 125,000 people participated found that exercise decreases the risk of developing Parkinson’s disease by 50 percent in men who were exercising at the beginning of the study. Men who said that they had exercised vigorously when they were younger had a 60 percent reduction in risk. For women, there was no reduction in risk for those that were exercising at the beginning of the study, but there was a 50 percent reduction for those that had exercised significantly during their younger years, although the relationship was not statistically significant. Mouse studies have shown that the risk or severity of Alzheimer’s disease can be reduced with exercise and play.

Some of this association between exercise and lower risk is probably due to the fact that people that exercise lead healthier lifestyles on average; they smoke less, have less body fat, and probably eat more fruits and vegetables.

Lactic acid, which is produced in the muscles after strenuous anaerobic exercise, acts as an antioxidant, scavenging free radicals from your body. This is probably another reason why exercise is known to be good for preventing cancer and other degenerative diseases. The bottom line is that studies have shown that exercise lowers cancer risk, as well as the risk of heart disease.

Section III: Recommendations

 

 

Chapter 10 – General Recommendations

 

 

 

Remember that today you probably have a one in two chance of developing cancer over your lifetime if you are a man and a one in three chance if you are a woman. If you were told that you had a 50 percent chance of crossing the street and making it across, would you do it? Probably not, but you don’t have much of a choice of whether to keep on living, so most people just keep going and hope for the best. Well, you can do a lot more than just hope.

As we mention in the introduction of the book, you have two choices in preventing cancer. One is to avoid as many carcinogenic substances as you can, and the other is to get enough of the right nutrients to protect yourself. You cannot avoid all carcinogens because they are all around us. So the only real alternative to preventing cancer is getting the right nutrients to protect you from all the cancer-causing agents that you surely come into contact with every day. There are, however, two major carcinogens you can avoid, namely smoking and alcohol, and there is one more that you can help reduce in our environment.

Smoking has been proven to cause lung cancer. What most people don’t know is that it has also been linked to other types of cancer, including stomach, breast, pancreatic, esophageal and mouth cancers. So, if you smoke, even a little, STOP SMOKING. By smoking you are contributing to the escalating rate of cancer incidence, and you will probably become one of the statistics that others will be reading about in the future. However, if you insist on smoking, the least you can do is follow all the other recommendations that we lay out in this book. You can smoke and not develop cancer, but you need to make sure you get most of the nutrients that we discussed in the previous section. What’s more, you need even larger doses of many of these preventers than the average person.

Alcohol consumption, especially when done in excess, has also been linked to several forms of cancer. You should try to limit your alcohol intake to an average of one glass per day and preferably make it red wine.

In the previous section we outlined the different chemicals, substances and foods that have been found to be powerful cancer inhibitors. In this section we tell you how to put them into practice, namely how to incorporate them into your diet in different ways. Therapeutic quantities of some of them can be obtained by eating certain foods in certain quantities. However, most should be taken to some degree in supplement form to ensure you get the amounts required to really be protected.

Although there are many supplements in tablet, capsule, liquid, suspension, and powder form available, we believe that in some cases the cancer preventers alone might not be enough. What we mean by this is that it very well could be that they need other substances found in the foods that they come from to provide the maximum benefit. For this reason, besides taking supplements, we highly recommend that you eat the whole foods that the preventers come from to make sure that you are getting the complementary nutrients that probably boost the effectiveness of the active compounds.

Some supplements can be toxic when taken in doses that are much higher than those we recommend or when people have certain conditions. Whereas we mention the recommended levels that the average person should take, people should consult with their doctor before using some of the supplements.  For example, your doctor might know that you have a stomach condition that prevents you from having acidic foods, so he or she would tell you not to drink orange juice.

There are few guarantees in life, and we can’t guarantee that following the recommendations in this book will absolutely prevent you from developing cancer. However, what we can tell you is that following our recommendations, which are based on empirical evidence that has been gathered by scientists all over the world for over a century, will dramatically reduce your chances of developing cancer.

 

Chapter 11 – Cancer Preventer Recommendations

 

 

This is probably the most important chapter of the book because it is where we give specific recommendations with regards to the cancer preventers discussed in Section II. Remember, before following our recommendations or putting into practice any of the ideas in this book, you should consult with your physician.

In general, the best thing you can do is eat lots of fruits and vegetables. Most government health organizations recommend that people eat five servings of fruits and vegetables each day. Make sure you eat a wide variety instead of concentrating on only a few. It is difficult to think of a fruit or vegetable that is not good for you in some way. Practically all the cancer preventers that we have described in this book come from plant products, so even if you are taking supplements you will be getting many of these substances, plus others that haven’t been yet identified as cancer-preventers, right from the source. In addition, plant products are rich in fiber, which also helps prevent cancer. A serving is what it sounds like, but a more precise list of what constitutes a serving can be found in Appendix I.

Most supplements are measured in milligrams (mg) or some factor thereof, such as micrograms (mcg* = 1/1,000 of a mg) or grams (g = 1,000 mg). Others, particularly certain vitamins, are measured in "International Units" or IU. An IU is a standardized measure of biological activity or strength rather than weight, and it is used when the preparation or presentation is not standardized.

Below we prescribe the doses you need of the cancer preventers described in the previous section. We also give guidelines to help you get the most benefit from each one. These are listed in the same order as they appear in Section II above. However, we believe that the fifteen most important preventers, in order of relative importance, are the following:

 

1. Vitamin C
2. Vitamin E
3. Vitamin A
4. Selenium
5. Folic Acid
6. Green tea
7. Alpha-lipoic acid
8. Lycopene
9. Soy
10. Fiber
11. Sulfarophane
12. Omega-3 fatty acids
13. Resveratrol
14. Zinc
15. Grape seed extract

 

Vitamin C

 

Despite the fact that significant amounts of vitamin C can be obtained through the consumption of foods such as citrus fruits (and juices), berries, broccoli, and tomatoes, we believe that this is such an important element in the prevention of cancer that we strongly recommend taking 1,000 mg in supplement form each day. You really can go up to 2,000 mg if you feel your immune system is under stress or if you drink or smoke. Most people will be fine with 1,000 mg. The best type of vitamin C is calcium ascorbate (although it is difficult to find) because it reduces the risk of upset stomach associated with other forms of vitamin C when taken in large doses.

Since vitamin C is soluble in water, it cannot be stored in the body’s fat and any unneeded amounts are removed with your urine. For this reason, it should be taken in equal divided doses throughout the day, preferably 250-500 mg at equal time intervals. Vitamin C is not known to be toxic even in extreme doses (up to 5,000 mg). Smokers have lower vitamin C levels than non-smokers, so if you smoke you should really take even higher doses than those recommended here.

Some people have a hereditary disorder called hemochromatosis, which means that they absorb too much iron. There is evidence that vitamin C leads to iron overload in people with this disorder, a condition that can have serious health consequences. If you have hemochromatosis, you should limit your intake of vitamin C to no more than 500 mg per day and should only take it under the supervision of a physician.

 

 

Vitamin E

 

We recommend that adults take 400-800 IU of vitamin E each day in supplement form. Although it would be better to get it from dietary sources, it is practically impossible to get this amount directly from food. Like other fat-soluble vitamins, it should be taken with some dietary fat for better absorption (such as whole milk, for example).  What kind of vitamin E you take is very important. The most commercially-available form of vitamin E is alpha-tocopherol (α-tocopherol). Ideally, you should get a vitamin E supplement that contains all four forms of tocopherol (alpha, beta, gamma and delta) and maybe a little tocotrienol if possible. If you can’t find one with all for forms, the next best thing is one that contains the alpha- and gamma- forms.

The Institute as well as many other doctors and researchers recommend the natural form of vitamin E because it is much more powerful and better absorbed than the synthetic version. The natural version can be recognized because there is a “d-“ in front of the kind of vitamin E. For example, the natural version of alpha-tocopherol is labeled “d-alpha tocopherol” or “d-α tocopherol”. The synthetic version is labeled “dl-alpha tocopherol”. The natural form costs about twice as much as the synthetic version, so do your own math and figure out which one you want to take.

Tocotrienol supplements are expensive, so most people won’t want to bother with them. However, you can get some of your tocotrienols from bran, so if you eat bran cereal each day, you will be killing two birds with one stone: you will be obtaining the difficult to find tocotrienols and you will be reducing your colon cancer risk (and that of other cancers) by eating fiber.

Being fat-soluble means that it can accumulate in your body fat. However, unlike other fat-soluble vitamins, vitamin E is relatively non-toxic. Studies have shown that amounts of 800 IU are safe over long periods of time. People at risk for prolonged bleeding such as those with blood coagulation problems probably should avoid vitamin E supplements because it decreases the ability of blood to clot and can therefore lead to excessive bleeding. Consult with your doctor if you have any doubts about vitamin E in general or if you are at risk of prolonged bleeding in particular.

 

 

Vitamin A

 

We recommend that adults take 10,000 IU of vitamin A supplements each day in addition to the vitamin A that they may obtain from food. Ideally, you should try to get much of your vitamin A from natural food sources, but it is unlikely that the entire amount can be obtained from food. Because it is fat-soluble, it is best to take it along with some dietary fat in order to increase its absorption.

Vitamin A can be obtained from dark red, green or yellow vegetables, including carrots, cantaloupe, tomatoes, and spinach. It can also be obtained from diary products, liver, fish liver oil, and eggs. If you eat a lot of these foods, you should probably take a supplement in a dose that is at the lower end of the recommended range.

Vitamin A toxicity can result from doses in the 50,000 IU range, although there have been very few reported cases of vitamin A toxicity that resulted in any serious consequences. Severe toxicity can lead to blindness or even be life-threatening, and can lead to liver damage for children that take excessive doses over long periods of time. Also, pregnant women should not take doses that are greater than the recommended daily allowance (2,600 IU) because it can lead to birth defects in their babies. The symptoms of vitamin A overdose include: dizziness, nausea, vomiting, headache, joint pain, skin irritation, and, in women, infrequent periods. Should you experience any of these symptoms, please consult with your physician.

 

 

Folic acid (folate)

 

Folic acid supplementation is highly recommended, especially for women, although it also has important protective effects for men. The best natural source is green leafy vegetables, so you should have a lot of salads, but supplements are probably required by most people.  We recommend that adults take 1,000 mcg (micrograms, not milligrams) of folic acid each day. Since it is so inexpensive, there is no excuse for not taking this important supplement.

Folic acid reduces vitamin B₁₂ levels, a reduction of which can cause serious problems, so vitamin B₁₂ supplements should be taken when taking folic acid. It is believed that folic acid supplements might interfere with the chemotherapy drug Methotrexate, so if you are undergoing treatment with it the prudent thing would be to avoid folic acid supplementation and to consult with your doctor.

 

 

Vitamin D

 

Vitamin D is difficult to obtain from dietary sources because few foods have any significant amounts of it. Although the best way to get your vitamin D is exposure to sunlight, this should be done in moderation because of the skin cancer risk it increases for some and because sun burns have been linked to increased skin cancer in general. Fair-skinned people and/or those with many moles (birthmarks) should limit their exposure to the sun significantly because it may increase melanoma risk for them. For these reasons, we recommend that adults take 1,000-2,000 IU of vitamin D every day. People with little sun exposure or those with dark skin probably need doses in the upper end of the range or even more.

There are different forms of vitamin D, of which D₃ is the most beneficial. If you take a vitamin D supplement, make sure it is the of D₃ form. Extremely high doses of vitamin D can be toxic. However, toxicity starts at very high levels. It has been shown to be safe at levels of up to 2,400 IU per day, although it is believed to be safe upto 10,000 IU per day. Until more studies are done on the actual level of toxicity, don’t exceed 2,000 IU by too much. Toxicity symptoms include headache, dizziness, nausea, loss of appetite, drymouth and vomiting, but you would have to be taking really excessive amounts.

 

 

Vitamin B₁₂

 

We recommend 500 mcg (micrograms, not milligrams) of vitamin B₁₂ per day. If you are taking folic acid supplements or if you are a vegetarian, you should definitely take supplemental vitamin B₁₂, probably more than 500 mcg.

 

 

Selenium

 

We recommend that adults take 200 mcg (micrograms, not milligrams) of selenium supplements each day. Since you probably can’t get enough selenium from dietary sources, a supplement of this important mineral is definitely in order. Some researchers go as far as recommending 400 mcg, but we believe that 200 mcg is enough. Selenium might just be the best investment you can make in a supplement since it is so inexpensive all the while being so powerful.

We recommend either of the two organic forms of selenium, selenomethionine or yeast selenium, instead of the mineral version, selenite, because it is easier to absorb. It is better to not take selenium together with zinc supplements because zinc may block the absorption of selenium.

As far as dietary sources of selenium, we recommend Brazil nuts, garlic and onions because of their high selenium-content. Older men should especially take selenium supplements because as we get older we start having lower selenium levels in our blood.

Excessive doses can be toxic. Toxicity can start when people take over 1,000 mcg daily. The symptoms include nausea, vomiting, depression, irritability, nervousness, skin rashes and loss of hair and fingernails. If you have any of these symptoms you should consult with your physician.

 

 

Alpha-lipoic acid

 

ALA raises the levels of several important antioxidants, including glutathione, that we know protect against cancer. We recommend 100-200 mg in supplement form per day. Dietary  sources include spinach, broccoli, lean beef, Brewer's yeast, and certain organ meats.

 

 

Zinc

Zinc is another one of those important minerals that you can’t get enough of from dietary sources. Supplements are definitely in order here. Most adults should take 20-40 mg of zinc each day, but should try not to take it together with selenium because it can block the absorption of selenium. It is better not to take it with food since some foods, especially soy, beans and certain grains, can limit its absorption. If you are taking NAC (see below), you will probably require an amount near the upper limit of the range we recommend because NAC reduces zinc levels.

Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10)

 

CoQ10 must be taken in supplement form to obtain protective levels. This is an expensive supplement, but it is also one of the supplements that can extend your life the most. Most people should take 50-100 mg each day for general protection. Those with heart disease or that have a higher risk for heart disease should take 100-200 mg and maybe even more. People over age 50 should take 100-300 mg depending on their general health. Because it is dissolves in fat, it should be taken with food for better absorption.

If you are takin statin drugs, such as Lipitor, you should probably take high doses of CoQ10 because these drugs lower your CoQ10 levels. If you are taking these drugs, it is probably because you are at risk for heart problems, meaning that you probably need more CoQ10 than the average person. If this is the case, make sure you are taking high doses of this important coenzyme.  

 

 

N-acetylcysteine (NAC)

 

NAC supplements are the best way to raise your glutathione levels. A daily dose between 250 mg and 1,200 mg is recommended. Toxicity has not been found even at doses that are ten times higher than those recommended here. Make sure to take supplemental zinc if you are taking NAC.

 

Glutamine

 

We recommend 1,000-2,000 mg in supplement form each day in order to raise your glutathione levels. You can obtain some glutamine from fruits and vegetables, particularly asparagus, avocados and walnuts, as well as fish and meat.

 

 

Arginine

 

We recommend 1,000-1,500 mg of L-Arginine supplements per day. Dietary sources that contain arginine include most nuts, some legumes, garlic, low-fat dairy products, lean meat, poultry and fish.

 

 

Calcium

 

Since calcium is an important mineral that most of us do not get enough of, you should probably take supplements. The dose of supplements you take depends on the amount of dairy products and other calcium-containing foods that you regularly consume. If you don’t eat dairy products or other calcium-containing foods on a daily basis, you should take 1,000-1,500 mg each day. Otherwise, 500-1,000 mg would be a good dose depending on the amount of dairy products consumed. No edible form of calcium exists in nature without magnesium, and magnesium makes calcium easier to absorb, so make sure your calcium supplement contains magnesium. Since magnesium helps control blood sugar, you get that added benefit as well. Vitamin D also increases calcium absorption, so it is a good idea that the calcium supplement you choose includes a good dose of vitamin D.

 

Calcium Requirements

 

Age group	Daily Requirement (mg)
Pre-school children	500-800
School-age children	800-1,000
Adolecents	1,200-1,500
Adult men and women	1,000
Men and women over age 65	1,500

 

 

Best Calcium Sources

 

Food	Serving Size	Calcium content (mg)*
Milk, low-fat	1 tall glass	350
Yogurt, low fat	8 oz	350
Orange juice, calcium-fortified	1 cup	350
Cheese, mozzarella, low-fat	1 oz	200
Sardines/salmon (with bones)	3 oz	200
Tofu	½ cup	175
Cottage cheese, low-fat	1 cup	150
Beans, cooked	1 cup	150
Soybeans, raw	1 cup	125
Broccoli, cooked	1 cup	100
Shrimp	3 oz	100
Orange	Medium	45

* Approximate

 

 

Green tea

 

In terms of value versus cost, green tea ranks up there with selenium and folic acid because it is relatively inexpensive yet so potent in its anti-cancer effects. We recommend that adults drink 3-6 cups of green tea each day.

Make sure that the green tea is not decaffeinated because it might not produce the same benefits as regular green tea. Make sure you boil the tea at least 5 minutes (up to 10 minutes) to obtain the maximum antioxidant benefit. The best thing to do is to boil your tea in the morning and take it to work in a thermos. If you just take tea bags to work and put them in hot or even boiling water, you will not have boiled the tea for the minimum 5 minutes recommended and will therefore not obtain the maximum benefits. You can get around 3 cups from a 1 liter (32 FL. OZ.) thermos. If you are going to use loose tea (as opposed to bags), boil 1 teaspoon per cup.

Green tea extract is available, usually in capsule form, for those averse to tea-drinking. One cup of green tea contains 100-200 mg of EGCG. So if you are going to take a supplement, make sure that you take at least 3 capsules a day that contain at least 100mg of EGCG. Most green tea extract supplements list the amount of EGCG and other polyphenols. Ideally, the extract should have at least 90percent polyphenols by weight, of which at least 55percent should be EGCG. Green tea (and its extract) is non-toxic both in high doses and long-term usage.

 

 

Lycopene and tomatoes

 

This is an easy one. If you follow a diet rich in tomato sauces, you can probably get all the lycopene you probably need that way. You should really get around 40 mg of lycopene each day. Tomato juice also contains a lot of lycopene, so having one glass a day plus one dish that has cooked tomatoes or tomato sauce is probably all you need to get a protective amount of lycopene. Note that lycopene levels in the blood increase significantly after eating tomato-rich foods and that they decrease not long after, so you should probably eat tomato products on a daily basis. There are no known side-effects for lycopene even when consumed in large quantities. Just make sure that the sauces you consume have as little sugar added as possible. Sauces with sucralose (Splenda), the sugar substitute we recommend, should start appearing in the market soon.

 

 

 

 

Lycopene Content in Commonly Eaten Foods 

 

Food                                                    Portion                        Milligrams Lycopene

Pasta sauce                                          ½ cup (125 mL)                      28.1

Processed tomato juice                       1 cup (250 mL)                       25.0

Watermelon                                         368 g (slice 25x2 cm)              14.7

Canned tomato paste                          2 tbsp (30 mL)                                    13.8

Pizza                                                   1 slice                                      10.0

Condensed tomato soup                     250 mL                                      9.7

Ketchup                                              2 tbsp (30 mL)                                      5.4

Pink Grapefruit                                   ½ (123 g)                                   4.9

Raw, red tomato                                 1 med (123 g)                          4.9

 

(Source: www.lycopene.org)

 

Supplements are available if you are not interested in eating tomato-based products on a daily basis. Lycopene supplements are somewhat expensive, so do your own math to decide how to get your lycopene.

People that are undergoing pharmaceutical treatment with cholestiramine or Probucol to lower their cholesterol often have lycopene plasma levels reduced by 30-40percent.¹⁴ If you are one of these people, you probably should eat more than your fair share of tomato products and should probably take a 40 mg per day lycopene supplement. It goes without saying that if you are allergic to tomatoes, you should not consume tomato-based products and should consult with your doctor before taking a lycopene supplement.

 

A special note to black males: since you face the highest prostate cancer risk, you should do your best to get even more than the recommended amount of tomato products and take a lycopene supplement.

 

 

Beta-carotene

 

We recommend that you get most of your beta-carotene from dietary sources, which include carrots, cantaloupe, apricots, red peppers, broccoli and dark, leafy greens such as spinach. If you decide to take supplements, you should make it natural beta-carotene, as opposed to synthetic beta-carotene. Unless you eat a serving of carrots every day, you should probably take 10,000 IU every day. Ideally, you should take a supplement that contains “mixed-natural carotenoids” that includes a dose close to 10,000 IU of beta-carotene.

If you are a smoker, make sure you do not take synthetic beta-carotene supplements as they could produce negative effects.

 

 

Sulforaphane – Broccoli, cabbage, Brussels sprouts & other cruciferous vegetables

 

Although there are sulforaphane supplements, it is by far best to obtain this important cancer preventer from dietary sources. The food with the greatest amount is broccoli sprouts, although all other cruciferous vegetables should be eaten as well. Not every supermarket carries the sprouts, but find out which supermarkets do and buy them there. Those of you that refuse to eat these foods should consider supplements (although they are hard to come by), in which case the recommended amount would be 100 mcg (micrograms, not milligrams) per day.

 

 

Omega-3 fatty acids

We recommend that you eat fatty, cold-water fish as frequently as you can, hopefully every day. These fish include: tuna, salmon, sardines, eel, herring, mackerel, trout, and to a lesser extent in halibut and cod. Even though fresh fish is the always the best option, canned tuna is a very practical alternative. 

               Flaxseed oil is also another excellent source of omega-3 fatty acids. It can be used on salads, but do not cook with it. If you don’t like fish, omega-3 fish oil and flaxseed oil supplements in capsule form are highly recommended. The recommended dosage is 1,000 mg twice a day. These supplements might be a good idea even for those who eat fish on a regular basis.

 

 

Soy

 

You should incorporate soy into your diet in as many ways as you can to make sure you eat enough of it. How much is enough? Nobody knows, but we know that eating a lot of it is good for you. Substituting soy for many common foods is an important step people can take towards a healthier life.

Instead of milk, drink soy milk – it has as much protein as cow’s milk, no fat and is lactose-free. You can use it almost anywhere you would use cow’s milk. Soy yogurt can replace regular yogurt. Vegetable burgers (typically made from soy) instead of beef burgers will help you avoid things you don’t want and give you much needed protection. You can use textured vegetable protein (made from soy) instead of ground beef in almost any recipe. Soy flour can be used for up to 25 percent of the regular flour used in baked goods. Soy beans can be incorporated into different dishes, especially Asian dishes.

Miso soup is an excellent source of soy and a great way to start a meal. Tofu is a very bland food; however, this gives you the opportunity to season it any way you want and give it the flavor you wish. Many recipe books have interesting recipes for tofu and other soy products. Those of you that use protein powder supplements might want to use soy protein powder. There are even soy-based desserts, such as soy ice cream. Soy sauce is not the best source of genistein, the protective substance in soy, and is loaded with salt; hence its consumption should be limited.

 

 

Fiber

 

We recommend that you get all of your fiber from dietary sources. Eating several servings of fruits, vegetables and whole grains each day will ensure that you get all the fiber you need. There are powders and pills as well, but you should not need them if you follow a proper diet. Bran is one of the best sources of fiber available and makes for a good breakfast. If you refuse to eat enough fiber-containing foods, then you might want to use supplements.

 

 

Red wine

 

We recommend that adults drink 1-2 glasses of red wine each day. If you don’t finish a bottle of wine, make sure to put the cork back in and to store it in the refrigerator. Resveratrol dissipates very quickly from opened bottles of wine left at room temperature, but it lasts several days if the bottle is corked and refrigerated.

Resveratrol is also available as a supplement for those of you not inclined to drink red wine on a daily basis. A glass of red wine contains about 640 mcg (micrograms, not milligrams) of resveratrol. So if you are going to take supplements, make sure you are taking between 650-1,300 mcg each day.

Alcohol is an addictive substance as most of us know, so drink responsibly. Do not drink alcohol if you have an addictive personality or if you have had alcohol problems in the past.

 

 

Pycnogenol^® and grape seed extract

 

Since it is difficult to eat enough grape seeds each day or make tea out of pine tree bark, we definitely recommend supplements for this very important substance. We recommend grape seed extract over Pycnogenol because it is cheaper and because it has a higher concentration of the protective bioflavonoid. Most people should take 100 mg per day.

 

 

Curry and curcumin

 

There are two easy ways to obtain your curcumin requirements: one is eating foods with curry, and the other is taking supplements. Either way is good, but, as usual, getting it directly from the natural dietary source is the best idea. Curcumin is not toxic even in extremely high doses. Since most of us will find it impractical to eat curry every day, you might want to take a supplement. We recommend 600 mg per day.

 

 

 

 

 

Berries and ellagic acid

 

We highly recommend that one of your daily servings of fruits and vegetables be berries of some kind. The best kind are raspberries, strawberries, blackberries, and blueberries. There are ellagic acid supplements on the market, but we think eating a bowl of berries a day is the better option. Berries are usually sweet, which makes them an ideal dessert. Make sure you do not add sugar to your berries. If you decide to take supplements, a good dose would be 400-800 mg each day.

 

 

Aspirin & ibuprofen

 

Take one aspirin or 200 mg ibuprofen tablet every other day if you are under 50, and one every day if you are over 50.

 

 

Garlic and other allium plants

 

You should work garlic, onions, chives, leeks, and scallions into your diet. They will add another dimension of taste to your food. If you don’t like their taste or your breath after eating them, there are many garlic supplements to choose from. If you don’t like the taste of the supplements, deodorized garlic supplements are available. Anywhere from 1,000-4,000 mg would be a beneficial dose.

 

 

Mushrooms

 

You should incorporate shiitake and maitake mushrooms into your meals. They make great appetizers, are excellent side-dishes, or can be used as ingredients in different dishes. Many supermarkets and specialty food stores carry them.

 

 

 

Quercetin and Apples

 

You’ve heard it a million times: “An apple a day keeps the doctor away”. Believe it and practice it. Besides apples, you should eat other foods that contain quercetin such as allium plants and citrus fruits, and you should drink red wine and green tea. If you are not following a cancer-preventive diet, you should probably take a quercetin supplement in the range of 500-1,000 mg each day.

 

 

 

Chapter 12 – Summary of the Specific Recommendations

 

It may sound like a lot of pills to take, but if you want to protect yourself against cancer, you really should take supplements for most of these. As we have stressed throughout the book, besides taking supplements for the preventers, you should get as much of each one of them from dietary sources, that is, whole foods. If you want the protection but don’t want to take so many pills, consider CanPrev’s Immunotality Formula. CanPrev has managed to pack most of these preventers into a couple of pills at a very reasonable price. See Chapter 16 for more information about the company. These are listed here in order they are described in the previous chapter.

 

Preventer	Daily Amount
Vitamin C	1,000-2,000 mg
Vitamin E	400-800 IU
Vitamin A	10,000 IU
Folic acid	1,000 mcg1,5
Vitamin D	600-1,000 IU
Vitamin B12	500 mcg1
Selenium	200 mcg1
Alpha lipoic acid	100-200 mg
Zinc	20-40 mg
CoQ10	50-300 mg3
NAC	250-1,200 mg
Glutamine	1,000-2,000 mg
L-Arginine	1,000-1,500 mg
Calcium	500-1,500 mg
Green Tea	3-5 cups
Red Wine	1-2 glasses
Lycopene2	40 mg
Beta-Carotene	10,000 IU
Sulfarophane4	100 mcg1
Omega-3 oil	2,000 mg
Soy	As much as possible
Fiber	As much as possible
Grape seed extract	100 mg
Curcumin	600 mg
Ellagic acid / berries	400-800 mg / 1 bowl of berries
Aspirin	1 tablet
Garlic	1,000-4,000 mg
Mushrooms	Half a cup a few times a week
Quercetin	500-1,000 mg or 1 apple a day

1       Note that mcg means micrograms, not milligrams.

2       This is the amount you need each day. If you eat tomato products each day, you probably won’t need supplements.

3       The amount of CoQ10 you need increases as you get older, hence the broad dose range.

4       This is the amount you need each day. If you eat broccoli sprouts and other cruciferous vegetables each day, you probably won’t need supplements.

5       We mark folic acid as 1,000 mcg instead of 1 mg because folic acid supplements usually come in mcg.

 

Dietary sources for cancer preventers

 

Preventer	Best Dietary Sources
Vitamin C	Citrus fruits, strawberries, tomatoes, broccoli, cantaloupes, green and red peppers
Vitamin E	Nuts, vegetable oils, green leafy vegetables, wheat germ, whole grains
Vitamin A	Dark green and yellow vegetables (especially cantaloupes, spinach and carrots), dairy products, organ meats, cod liver oil, eggs
Folic acid	Green leafy vegetables, broccoli, chickpeas, beans, lentils, oranges, cantaloupes, watermelon, avocados, nuts
Vitamin D	Fortified low-fat milk, liver, egg yolk, fatty fish, cod liver oil
Vitamin B12	Fish, poultry, lean meat, low-fat milk
Selenium	Nuts (especially Brazil nuts), seafood, garlic, onions, lean meat, wheat germ
Alpha lipoic acid	Spinach, liver, brewer’s yeast
Zinc	Fish, poultry, lean meat, seafood, eggs, whole grains, low-fat milk
CoQ10	Not enough in any food – supplements are required
NAC	Supplements required
Glutamine	Asparagus, avocados, walnuts, fish, lean meat
Arginine	Nuts, legumes (beans, etc.), garlic
Calcium	Low-fat milk products, shellfish, broccoli
Lycopene	Tomato sauces, tomato juice, tomatoes, watermelon, grapefruit, guava, papaya, apricots
Beta-Carotene	Carrots, cantaloupe, apricots, red peppers, broccoli, spinach
Sulfarophane	Broccoli sprouts, broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, watercress, radish
Omega-3 oil	Dark meat, cold-water, fatty fish (tuna, salmon, sardines, eel, mackerel, swordfish); flaxseed, canola, hemp seed, walnut and cattail oils
Soy	Soy beans, soy milk, miso soup, tofu, textured vegetable protein
Fiber	Whole grains, fruits, vegetables
Grape seed extract	Grape seeds (chew them), but supplements are more practical
Curcumin	Curry
Ellagic acid	Raspberries, blackberries, strawberries, cranberries
Quercetin	Apples, onions, garlic, red wine, green tea
Green tea, red wine, olive oil, garlic, mushrooms aspirin	These are found in the products themselves.

 

 

 

 

 

Putting it All Together

 

You probably noticed in the previous sections that many of the substances discussed enhanced the power of other important, cancer-preventing compounds. Most cancer preventers work in combination, and some work better in certain parts of the body than others. Hence, ensuring that you get at the recommended doses of most of the preventers discussed is pretty much the only way to be sure that you’ll have protection where it is needed when it is needed.

You might ask yourself, “Will some people who follow all of the Institute’s recommendations still get cancer?” It is a logical question with a logical yet less-than-perfect answer. The answer is that some probably will. As we have mentioned before, cancer prevention is not an exact science yet. Yet the evidence is there, and what the evidence tells us is that these substances do protect you.

Many doctors and government organizations often say that “research results are promising for cancer-prevention” for a certain food or natural substance. They usually follow it up by saying that further research is needed before they can recommend the substance to the public. However, if we wait for further research results, and every time they are published the FDA says that further research is needed, we’ll never get an FDA recommendation for natural supplements or other substances found naturally in food.

We have to take action today. There is enough evidence to warrant action on our parts. Sure, the research results do not show 100 percent prevention for any of the substances that we recommend, but they have been proven to reduce the risk substantially. The research results leave no doubt that these cancer preventers work, that they can in fact very easily save and extend your life.

As mentioned in the different sections above, there is very little or no risk in taking supplements or eating the right foods. However, the risk of not doing so is your life. Hence, the risk-benefit analysis is heavily weighted towards protecting yourself. There is no reason for cancer rates to continue to increase. What’s more, there is no reason for cancer rates to even remain stable. If enough people heed our warnings and follow our advice, cancer rates will begin to fall dramatically. The evidence indicates that this is exactly what will happen.

Chapter 13 – General Nutrition Guidelines

 

 

 

One common, obvious thread running through the previous chapters is that the most common fruits and vegetables contain most of the cancer preventers that are discussed in this book. Besides eating at least the five daily servings of fruits and vegetables that we have mentioned before, you should also follow as many of the following recommendations regarding your eating habits as you can.

 

Processed foods – Avoid processed foods as much as possible. Processed foods are those that are manufactured and packaged. These foods differ from whole or natural foods in that they usually lack the fiber and many key nutrients that most whole foods enjoy. Processed foods usually have added sugar, salt, fat (often trans-fats), preservatives and other things you don’t want. Processed foods include most fast food, frozen meals, pastas, baked goods, and any “prepared” food in which the original food source has been significantly transformed.

 

Sugar – Avoid refined sugars like you would the plague. Most desserts are loaded with sugar. So are soft drinks, processed juices, candies and sweets in general. If you have a sweet-tooth, try fruits. Many fruits are very sweet, but they contain fiber which slows down the absorption of sugar. This limits the release of insulin, which is why fruit is not as fattening. Fruits such as mango, pineapple, nectarines, peaches, watermelon, cantaloupe, strawberries, cherries and many others are very sweet, especially when they are in season. Fruit is generally cheaper when it is in season. Fortunately, for those that like to sweeten certain foods or that like foods that typically have added sugar, there is a relatively new sugar substitute called Splenda. Splenda is probably the best sugar substitute in the market today in terms of taste and safety. If you are going to buy a prepared food product that you expect to contain added sugar, look for a brand that uses Splena in its place. If you want to sweeten your coffee, use Splenda like you would sugar.

 

Organic – Organic foods are usually more expensive than their regular counterparts, but they are well worth the price difference if you can afford it. They are usually tastier and more nutritious as well. If you can’t afford organic food, don’t despair – odds are that you can prevent cancer by consuming many of the cancer preventers that were described in the previous chapters and by taking supplements for the preventing substances. To the extent that you can, try to make sure that much of your food is organic. This applies to fruits, vegetables, grains (and flour), red meat, poultry, dairy products and even some seafood.

 

Cereals, breads, rice and grains in general – Whenever you eat grains, you should make sure they are whole grains or bran. For breakfast, instead of eating the average cereal, which is highly processed, you should eat bran, oatmeal (rolled oats but not instant oatmeal), barley, or muesli. Instead of eating white or instant rice, which are highly processed and stripped of everything that could be good for you, eat brown or wild rice (preferably brown).

Don’t eat white bread, but rather whole wheat bread or bread made from other whole grains. The same applies to tortillas and pita bread. The flour from which all breads are made is refined to some degree, meaning that pretty much all breads will be fattening, so to the extent that you can, you should avoid bread. The grains from which almost all grain products are made have undergone some processing too, so you really should try to avoid most of these products as much as you can. If you think that because the label says “whole wheat” that you are getting good bread, think again. Most “whole wheat” breads are made of totally refined flower and despite their brown color are quite unhealthy. If you need to eat bread, make sure it feels heavy and is crunchy from the whole grains it contains. That’s how you know that the bread is really whole-grain. Even this kind of “better” bread should be eaten sparingly.

 

Juicing – When we recommend that you eat five serving of fruits and vegetables, this includes fruit and vegetable juices. A glass of pure juice counts as a serving. Just make sure that the juice you drink is pure juice and not loaded with added sugar. Most juices found at most stores contain added sugar, the kind you want to avoid. There is no problem if the juice is from concentrate, although fresh squeezed juice is always the best option. Pretty much all juices, like the fruits that they come from, are 100 percent carbohydrate (except for the water) and hence have “sugar” in them. For this reason, if you are trying to lose weight you should limit your juice consumption.

 

Meat – Eat as little red meat as possible. However, if you must indulge, try to make sure it is organic meat. Do NOT charcoal-broil meat. When meat is cooked over charcoal, fat drips onto the charcoal and emits smoke that contains cancer-causing chemicals including benzopyrene. Some of this smoke will be absorbed by the meat, and you will in turn be putting these carcinogens into your digestive system. Use a gas grill for cooking outdoors; in the home it is better to broil meat. If you are going to fry it, make sure to do so in olive oil.

 

Fish – Fish is one of the best sources of protein. Eat cold-water, fatty fish such as tuna, salmon, sardines, eel, herring, mackerel, trout, and to a lesser extent in halibut and cod. You can also eat other fish, but make sure the majority of your fish intake comes from this list. Try to eat fish at least a few times a week. Pregnant women should avoid swordfish, shark and mackerel since these fish tend to absorb more heavy metals such as lead and mercury than do other fish, and this could be dangerous to the fetus.

 

Chicken and poultry – This is another excellent source of protein. Ideally, eat organic, free-range chicken. Turkey is also an excellent source of protein. In both cases, try to eat mostly white meat as it has less fat, and avoid eating the skin.

 

Sausages and other cured meats – Avoid sausages, bacon, hotdogs, salami and other cured meats. These foods contain nitrites that are converted to nitrosamines in the stomach. Nitrosamines are a major carcinogen and are considered a leading cause of stomach cancer. If you must eat these foods for some reason, take some vitamin C along with the meal, as vitamin C neutralizes the nitrosamines and will protect your stomach cells. These foods are also high in fat and salt, also making them less than desirable.

 

Dairy Products – If you can live without them, you probably should. You can get all the “goodies” contained in milk from other dietary sources and supplements. As adults, we do not need milk at all. Children, however, do need milk, so make sure the ones you consume are organic since they lack the cancer-causing substances that regular milk usually contains.

Most milk products can be substituted by equivalent soy products. There is soy milk, yogurt, cheeses, and ice cream. What other dairy product do you want? By going with soy instead of dairy products you obtain a double benefit: you are adding cancer protection while removing some of the risks inherent in milk products. Many vegetables, including broccoli, have significant amounts of calcium as well.

 

Oils and fats – Use olive oil to cook. Do not cook with other vegetable oils (except maybe canola), and avoid vegetable shortenings and trans-fatty acids such as margarine. Trans-fatty acids, which are often found in baked goods, are usually listed as “hydrogenated oils” on ingredients labels and should be avoided as much as possible. Also avoid animal fats as much as you can, with the exception of fish. You can get all the fat that you need, especially the good omega-3 fatty acids, from the cold-water, fatty fish described above. Flaxseed oil is also loaded with omega-3 fatty acids. However, you should NOT cook with it. You can use in on salads or take it by the tablespoon. All oils, especially olive and flaxseed oils, should be stored in a cool place away from sunlight in order to make them last longer.

 

Olive oil – Use it on salads, for dipping, and to cook with. There are three kinds of olive oil: regular olive oil, virgin olive oil and extra-virgin olive oil. We recommend that you use regular olive oil (and perhaps virgin olive oil) to cook with because they are cheaper, and virgin and extra-virgin oil for direct consumption, whether it is as a salad dressing, for dipping, or to be added to a soup, stew or sauce. Virgin and extra-virgin olive oils are considered better because of their taste, lower acidity, and purity.

 

Salads – Salads should form an important part of everyone’s diet. You should vary the ingredients of your salads regularly so that you get a variety of the different cancer-preventing compounds. Make sure that the dressings you use are not based on vegetable oil and that they have no added sugar. Olive oil and vinegar is the ideal salad dressing. You can also use lemon or lime juice as a dressing – try it and you’ll probably like it.

 

Legumes and nuts – Legumes are plants with seed pods, such as beans, lentils, and peas. Legumes and nuts are packed with phytochemicals and vitamins and have a high fiber content. They are an excellent source of protein as well. Eating some nuts and legumes every day should improve your health. A 2004 Harvard School of Public Health study found that women who consumed the most beans and lentils had a 24 percent lower risk of breast cancer than those who consumed the least.

 

Protein – You should try to limit your protein intake. Try to get most of your protein from the fatty fish mentioned above and from soy. Other good sources are poultry, especially if it is organic, and whey (usually found in protein powder form at health-food stores).

 

Eggs – Eggs are an excellent source of protein; however, the yolk contains a lot of cholesterol. It is best to just have the egg-whites. Most restaurants will make you an egg-white omelette or any style of eggs that you want. A yolk once in a while won’t do much harm, but don’t overdo it. As with chicken, organic eggs are the better choice.

 

Fiber – Consume as much fiber as you can, especially the coarse, insoluble kind. This includes bran, whole wheat and rice bran. Fruits, vegetables, nuts and legumes are also an extremely good source of fiber.

 

Salt – Avoid salt (sodium) to the extent that you can.

 

Spices and Herbs – Use all kinds of spices and herbs, since many of them have cancer-preventing properties. Replace salt with spices and herbs – you will find that you add a new dimension to your food.

 

Shellfish – Most mollusks eat by filtering water that flows through their digestive system. They keep nutrients from the food that is flowing past them. In this manner, they “ingest” heavy metals and other chemicals that are carcinogenic to us. We are not saying you should avoid all shellfish, but it is not the healthiest idea to eat these little critters every day.

 

Beverages – make sure you drink plenty of liquids every day. By continually doing so, you allow your kidneys to more easily get rid of the chemicals that your body absorbs every day from your food and the environment.

–      Tap water often has many chemicals and heavy metals that can accumulate in the body and eventually lead to cancer. Filtered and bottled water are the safer alternatives. Regular soft drinks are loaded with refined sugar and are therefore bad for your overall health. Diet soft drinks may have no sugar and therefore spare you from the empty, excess calories, but they have chemical sweeteners that could have other negative health consequences. It is therefore best to avoid soft drinks of any kind. If you need the fizz from the gas in the soft drink, soda water is one way to get it. If you need some sort of flavor, there are naturally flavored seltzers, or you can make your own by mixing soda water with fruit juice.

–      As mentioned above, natural juices without added sugar are a very health option.

–      As mentioned above, green tea is one of the healthiest beverages out there, which you can drink hot or cold.

–      Limit your alcohol consumption as much as you can, certainly to no more than one drink per day if you are a woman and two drinks maximum if you are a man, although a glass or two of red wine a day would be desirable.

 

Cooking – How you cook your food has important consequences regarding cancer. As mentioned above, do not charcoal-broil meat. Whenever you cook any kind of food, DO NOT burn it as this often creates potential mutagens. The best methods include boiling, baking, roasting, broiling, microwaving, steaming, and poaching. You can also fry food, although you should not do it too often, but make sure you do so with olive oil. However, try to avoid deep-fried food. Whichever cooking methods you decide to use, make sure to do so at low temperatures.

 

Restaurant Food – Avoid fast food as much as you can. Ethnic cuisine usually contains more dietary sources of cancer preventers than do American-style restaurants. Eating at Mexican, Indian, Chinese, Japanese, Thai, Italian restaurants gives you variety in taste and a good, balanced mix of cancer prevention. Many restaurants, especially fast food chains, cook with trans-fats, so try to find out what kind of oil is used by the restaurants you frequent the most. If they use trans-fats (hydrogenated oils), you should probably look for ones that don’t. The others will use vegetable oil, which is not too good for you either.

 

To conclude this section, we propose a new food guide pyramid based on the concepts discussed above. The FDA developed a food guide pyramid many years ago to make it easy for people to understand how often they should eat certain kinds of foods. Unfortunately, this food pyramid was very poorly designed and has led to the high obesity levels we now find in the United States. For starters, it has refined grain products, such as bread, cereal, rice and pasta at the base, meaning that it should be the food that you eat the most. It also has red meat and dairy products just above fruits and vegetables. Without criticizing it any further, we provide a more complex pyramid that should help you, in a simple graphical manner, to select the foods you eat.

 

Figure 3: A Healthy Food Guide Pyramid

Chapter 14 – Special Groups:  Smokers, Drinkers, Women,  and Skin Cancer

 

 

 

 

This chapter discusses the special needs of women, smokers, and drinkers, which are groups that are at higher risks for certain cancers and which therefore require additional protection. Skin cancer is also discussed here because it is one of the deadliest cancers despite the fact that it is one of the easiest to prevent.

 

 

Smokers

 

If you are a smoker, you have a much higher chance of developing many kinds cancer than non-smokers. There is no argument against this. Tobacco companies dedicate a significant portion of their advertising budgets and of the space on cigarette packaging to telling you this. Cigarette smoke is bad for you for two basic reasons: 1) it contains a number of cancer-causing chemicals, and 2) it lowers the levels of certain key antioxidants in your body such as beta-carotene, folic acid and vitamins C and E. So it’s a double-whammy, since you are introducing potent carcinogens into your body, while at the same time depleting your body of the substances that can combat those and other carcinogens.

There are a couple of ways to quit. You can quit cold-turkey or use gums and patches that have been shown to work.

If you can’t manage to quit, all is not lost. You don’t have to just “take your chances” and hope for the best – make sure you follow the recommendations below. Many of the carcinogens that you take in when you smoke can be counteracted or neutralized by most of the substances mentioned in this book. As mentioned in the beta-carotene section above, lung cancer rates for smokers that consume large amounts of natural beta-carotene are similar to those of non-smokers.

We all know that smoking causes cancer. But we also know of many people that have lived past 100 all the while smoking 2 packs a day. How do they do it? Why didn’t they develop cancer? The answer is most likely that they got their fair share of the cancer-preventers that we recommend.

 

Recommendations for smokers (who refuse, or as they would say, “are unable” to quit)

 

Whereas everyone should make sure that they get as many of the cancer preventers recommended in Chapter 11, smokers should pay particular attention to certain ones and make sure to take more than the average person. We recommend the following:

 

1. High folic acid and vitamin A, C, E and B₁₂ doses
2. High green tea consumption
3. High natural beta-carotene consumption, particularly from dietary sources. Synthetic beta-carotene can have adverse effects on smokers.
4. Lycopene
5. Grape seed extract
6. Raspberry consumption or ellagic acid supplementation
7. Cruciferous vegetable consumption

 

 

Drinkers

 

Alcohol intake has been linked to several forms of cancer. One of the main reasons seems to be that it lowers folic acid levels, and as we have seen folic acid protects us (especially women) from many forms of cancer. In addition, regular alcohol consumption interferes with the absorption of vitamins A, C, and D, or lowers their levels in some other way. For these reasons, alcohol consumption should be limited as much as possible, and particular preventive measures should be taken by heavier drinkers.

 

 

Recommendations for drinkers

 

Whereas everyone should make sure that they get as many of the cancer preventers recommended in Chapter 11, heavy drinkers should pay particular attention to certain ones and make sure to take more than the average person. We recommend the following:

 

1. High folic acid supplementation
2. High vitamin B₁₂ supplementation
3. High vitamin A, C, D, and E consumption and supplementation
4. Zinc supplementation in the upper end (or above it) of our recommended range (20-40 mg)

 

 

Women

 

Women have particular cancer prevention needs because of the estrogen and progesterone that circulate through their bodies. Certain lifestyle factors increase their risks even further.

One of the factors that most influences cancer in women seems to be low folic acid levels. Prolonged use of estrogens and progestins, as in birth control pills and hormone replacement therapy (HRT), has been associated with breast and cervical cancers, and one of the reasons is believed to be that these hormones reduce folic acid reserves. Breast cancer was relatively uncommon before the widespread use of hormones began, yet it has continually increased since then to the point where the risk is one in eight.

Low folic acid levels also lead to HPV (Human Papilloma Virus) and cervical neoplasms. Some women have a genetic mutation that limits folate metabolism, a mutation that has been associated with cervical lesions. However, unless you have your genes tested, there is no way of knowing if you are one of the unlucky ones.

The earlier a woman gets her first period and the later she enters menopause, the greater her chance is of developing breast cancer. The reason for this is that she will have undergone more menstrual cycles and hence had more estrogen circulating through her body for a longer period of time. Also, the earlier a woman bears her first child, the lower her risk is of developing breast cancer. Those that breast feed also have lower risk. If you are at higher risk, you should definitely follow the recommendations below.

Alcohol consumption increases the risk of breast cancer because it interferes with folic acid metabolism. Alcohol intake also raises estrogen levels. Smoking also reduces folic acid levels. If you drink and smoke, you are at high risk. If you drink, smoke and are on the pill, you really need to take protective measures.

For all these reasons, all women of child-baring age or higher should take folic acid supplements. Oral contraceptives also lower blood levels of beta-carotene and vitamin B6. Hence, women on the pill should take supplements for these two substances and/or follow a diet that includes both of them.

The Western diet, which often leads to excessive body fat, has been linked to breast cancer. Breast cancer rates in Japan have been increasing over the last few decades as their fat and refined carbohydrate intake has increased. They still consume less fat and bad carbs than Americans and consequently have lower breast cancer rates. It is not known with certainty whether it is the excess body fat, the poor diet that leads to excess body fat, or the fact that excess body fat increases estrogen levels, but the link is clear: excess body fat increases breast cancer risk. However, a recent study at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York found that postmenoposal women whose diets are high on the glycemic index scale have an 87 percent greater breast cancer risk than those with low glycemic index diets. So refined carbs should definitely be avoided by women who want to reduce their breast cancer risk.

Breast cells are very sensitive to radiation, so women should try to get as few X-rays as possible. Mammograms also increase radiation exposure for women, so women must make the personal decision of whether the benefits of potentially detecting breast cancer using a mammogram outweigh the slightly increased risk of breast cancer that the mammogram could create.

There is evidence that omega-3 fatty acids help prevent breast cancer. Fiber helps by absorbing estrogen in the colon and excreting it with the feces. Soy helps by blocking estrogen receptor sites in breast cells. Lignans, which are part of the fiber in plants, also bind to estrogen receptors, providing a second protective effect of fiber.

 

Recommendations for women

 

Besides following most of the recommendations that apply to everyone, women should ensure that they follow these recommendations because of their added vulnerabilities.

 

1. Low alcohol diet
2. Low fat and simple carbohydrate diet.
3. Regular exercise, preferably aerobic, with the aim of maintaining a lean body
4. High soy product consumption
5. High fiber consumption
6. High legume consumption, especially lentils and beans
7. N-acetylcysteine (NAC) supplementation
8. High vitamin C consumption and supplementation
9. High omega-3 fatty acid consumption
10. Folic acid supplementation
11. Natural beta-carotene consumption and supplementation
12. Vitamin B6 and B12 supplementation

 

 

Skin Cancer

 

Skin cancer, like most other cancers, takes years to develop. However, unlike other cancers, your exposure to the carcinogen (i.e., sunlight) in your early years, and especially the number and severity of sunburns you receive, determines your risk of skin cancer for the rest of your life. If you are fair-skinned and have had much exposure to the sun, you run a very high skin cancer risk. If you have many moles, you also run a higher risk. If you are fair-skinned, have many moles, and were exposed to the sun a lot (or received a lot of sunburns in your younger years), you have the highest risk you can imagine.

Make sure you and your children are not exposed to the sun excessively. How much is excessive is up for debate, but everyone agrees that sunburns increase skin cancer risk, as does probably spending all day under the sun every day with no protection. A moderate amount of unprotected exposure to the sun seems to offer more protection from cancer and other degenerative diseases than avoiding it completely.  Moderate means around 15 minutes a few times per week. The protective effect of sunshine comes from the vitamin D that the skin generates when it is exposed to UV light. However, as mentioned above, fair-skinned people and those with many moles are the one exception that should probably limit their unprotected exposure.

The best way to make sure your children don’t get sunburnt is to cover them from head to toe with a high SPF (30+) sunblock when they are going to be in the sun for more than a few minutes. Besides sunblock, hats, long-sleeve shirts and pants should be worn by those with the highest risk. Educate your children about the dangers of skin cancer. Ingrain it in them to limit their unprotected exposure to the sun for the rest of their lives. This is one cancer that can easily be prevented, yet it is one of the biggest and most painful cancer killers.

If you have the risk factors for skin cancer, besides avoiding the sun’s rays and wearing sunscreen, there are other protective measures you can take. Apart from consuming the antioxidants we recommend in the previous chapters, you should also use a cream high in antioxidants such as vitamins A and E and maybe green tea extract. The antioxidants in the cream may reverse or at least prevent the promotion of any cellular changes that have already occurred.

High vitamin D supplementation is also recommended because your body will produce very little of it if you protect yourself from the sun. You should also do a mole self-exam every six months and have a clinical mole exam every twelve months to make sure that your moles are not exhibiting cancerous characteristics. People of dark skin especially should take high doses of vitamin D supplements because the melanin in their skin prevents it from generating vitamin D even with exposure to the sun’s rays. Anyone that prefers to avoid unprotected exposure to sunlight because of its controversial nature should definitely take vitamin D supplements in the upper end of the dosage range recommended in Chapter 11.

It is believed that UV rays deplete folic acid levels in the skin and that this is one of the major reasons that excessive unprotected exposure to the sun causes skin cancer. For this reason, those that do not protect themselves from the sun’s rays should get a high daily dose of folic acid. Sun tanning beds have the same effect as the sun’s rays, so they should be used only in moderation. If you want to have a tan without the accompanying risk, there are creams that will give you a tan without having to be in the sun.

Chapter 15 – Exercise

 

 

 

As mentioned in Section II of the book, exercise helps prevent cancer. Although we don’t know exactly how it does so, the evidence shows that it does. Exercise should be part of any cancer prevention program. As we have mentioned before, most things that prevent cancer also lower the risk for heart disease, and exercise is no different.

 

There are many different forms of exercise that, besides being healthy, can be fun. Many people think that exercise means running 5 miles, and although this is a form of exercise that would probably keep you very fit and lean, you do not have to go to these lengths. For those of you that aren’t used to exercising, we have a few simple suggestions:

 

-       Walking – If you currently get no exercise at all, you can start with a half-hour walk every day. Make sure you go as fast as you can (while still walking) and that your heart rate goes up. No investment is required for this activity. If you have chest pain or don’t feel well, stop and go see your doctor.

-       Jogging – If you find that walking doesn’t really elevate your heart rate that much, you might be ready for jogging. Jogging burns off more calories and will keep you leaner.

-       Biking – Whether you just want to ride around your neighborhood, go for 50 miles on the highway, climb a mountain all day, or just use a stationary bike, biking can be a fun and super healthy exercise.

-       Swimming – For those of you that don’t have much time to exercise but want to get a full-body workout, you might want to start swimming. Swimming is great because it is an aerobic exercise in which you use every muscle in the body.

-       Tennis – Most people in the US live relatively close to public tennis courts, so you don’t even have to invest too much. This is a fun sport in which you can also socialize. Other racket sports are as good, such as racquetball and squash.

-       Health Club – If you can afford it, joining a health club is the easiest way to get a wide variety of exercise. You can walk or jog on treadmills, use stationary bikes, lift weights, and take aerobics and other classes.

 

There are many more sports and other activities in which people can engage, but we limited ourselves to listing some of those that are simpler and easier-to-accomplish. Whatever you decide to do, make sure that you do it at least four times a week and that you improve your performance over time. If you are walking, try walking faster. If you are running a certain distance try to lower your time, or if you are running a certain amount of time try to run farther. If you are just going to walk, then make sure you do it practically every day.

Most people in the US spend a significant part of their free time watching TV. If you think about it, TV does not add that much value to your life. Skip a show or two each day and go get some exercise. You will feel better a couple of weeks after you start. You should check with your doctor before starting an exercise program.

Chapter 16 – Next Steps

 

 

 

What to Do Next

 

After reading all our recommendations, you are probably asking yourself what to do next. You have probably realized that you can prevent cancer, and if you have any sense of self-preservation you probably want to take action. But how? Which habits are the most important to change? Which of the myriad of foods mentioned should you eat and how often? You obviously can’t have them all each week – there isn’t enough time or enough room in your stomach. Which supplements should you take? Should you be willing to swallow ten or more pills a day? How much should you invest?

You say to yourself, “Sure, my life is worth more than almost anything else to me, and in theory I would be willing to spend as much as it takes to make sure my family and I are healthy for life, but how do I know that making this investment is going to pay off? What if I follow every recommendation and I still get cancer?” A small chance will always exist, but our recommendations are the best thing you can do to protect yourself and reduce your chances. From the evidence that has been reported you should be convinced that it will be very difficult for you to get it.

Our way of thinking about it is as follows: If you really want to be protected, and you can afford it, take supplements in the doses that we recommend, consulting with your physician first. We know they are a lot of pills, but it really is the best alternative. If you want to save some money and reduce the number of pills you take, you can buy CanPrev’s Immunotality Formula, which has most of the supplements in the doses that we recommend, but in only a few pills per day.

But you shouldn’t depend on the supplements alone. Whereas they definitely protect you, you should really adjust your entire philosophy about your health. You need to make certain lifestyle changes a permanent part of your way of living. If you have any cancer-causing habits, you need to realize that you are not invincible and that they might get you one of these days. The two most dangerous habits are smoking and excessive drinking. The others are a diet full of processed foods and a lack of exercise. You need to reduce and eventually eliminate these bad habits and replace them with good ones.

Regardless of the level of investment you can afford, you should modify your diet to match our dietary recommendations, especially that part about eating lots of fruits and vegetables. Make sure you get a good mixture of the foods we recommend. Try not to focus on any one of them in particular, but rather try to cover most of them throughout the week. Most of the foods that we recommend are relatively inexpensive, and a very wide variety of tasty dishes can be created using cancer-preventing ingredients. If you can afford it, buy organic food. Instead of coffee or soda, you should switch over to green tea, which is cheaper than soda. Red wine can be purchased for a few dollars a bottle. So why not?

If you cannot afford the full list of supplements, you should definitely take the recommended amounts of the most important ones, which also happen to be the least expensive on the list. These include vitamins A, C, E, and folic acid (folate); the minerals selenium, zinc, and calcium; green tea, alpha-lipoic acid (somewhat expensive), and omega-3 fish oil. However, note that taking these supplements individually will probably cost as much as CanPrev’s Immunotality Formula, so you might want to consider it anyway.

 

 

 

Where to Buy Cancer Prevention Products and Supplements

 

Most of the foods recommended in this book can be found at your local grocery store. If you want to get the maximum benefit out of these foods, however, make sure that as many of them as possible are organic.

Remember that excess iron increases cancer risk significantly in people with high iron stores in their body. This is a large percentage of the population. So unless your doctor has told you that you need to take supplemental iron, avoid dietary supplements that contain iron. Check the label of any multivitamin or other supplements you may be taking or considering taking.

The Institute has a close relationship with a company called CanPrev^â. CanPrev has developed a line of supplements specifically designed to prevent cancer. The company’s first product, Immunotality Formula^â, is the most complete, high-powered cancer prevention product in the market today. CanPrev has managed to put practically all the important cancer preventers we recommend into a few tablets. Most of the ingredients of the formula are antioxidants, and most antioxidants remain active in your system for less than half a day, hence splitting them up like CanPrev has done is the only way to keep you protected throughout the day. We highly recommend CanPrev’s products because they are based almost entirely on our recommendations.

Besides the Immunotality Formula, CanPrev offers supplements for many of the individual cancer preventers discussed in the book. It also has green tea, amino acids, omega-3 fish oil, and some food products. The only focus of the company is cancer prevention, so any product made by CanPrev directly or indirectly helps prevent cancer. We recommend them all.

To find out where CanPrev products are sold, visit the company’s Web site:

www.canprev.com

The International Cancer Prevention Institute

 

The International Cancer Prevention Institute (ICPI or “the Institute”) was unofficially founded in 2002 with the goal of reducing cancer death rates around the world. The Institute is convinced that the best way to accomplish this lofty goal is by preventing the development of the disease in the first place. With this goal in mind and as its first order of business, the Institute decided to write You Can Prevent Cancer in order to spread the word and inform as many people as possible about how easy it is to protect themselves.

The Institute relies mostly on the research of experts in the field. Our methodology involves going through the research results from different parties doing research on the subject. We cross-reference studies from different scientists and research centers around the world to find common threads and trends in the results. We then agglomerate and synthesize the information, draw conclusions from the research results and develop recommendations that are most relevant to people and that can be put into practice most easily.

Besides being an educational institute, we consider ourselves the marketing organization for all the cancer prevention researchers out there. Their job is to do research and publish it in scientific journals. Unfortunately, most people do not have access to these scientific journals. These scientists do not have the expertise or the time to disseminate their findings and recommendations to the general public. This is where ICPI comes in. We really are more of a marketing organization than a research center. Our job is to let people around the world know of the scientific advances that have been made in cancer prevention and how they can put them into practice in order to protect themselves.

Although the Institute relies on the research of others, we have future plans for starting our own research center to focus on the substances and foods that could have significant cancer prevention properties. Our goal is to see the development of a natural solution to cancer in the not-so-distant future. Our mission is to do this through education of the general public and by funding the most promising research scientists. We feel that with continued financial support ICPI will be part of the effort that eventually rids the world of cancer.

 

For more information on the Institute, please visit our Web site.

 

www.cancerprevent.org

 

 

 

Appendix I – Servings & Calories

 

Servings

 

A serving of fruits and vegetables is defined as any of the following:

 

• 1 medium-sized fruit, such as a peach or an apple
• 1/2 cup of raw, cooked, frozen or canned fruits or vegetables
• 1 cup of raw, leafy vegetables
• 1/2 cup of cooked, canned or frozen legumes (beans, peas, etc.)
• 1 cup (8 oz.) of 100% fruit or vegetable juice
• 1/3 cup of dried fruit

 

 

Calorie Needs

 

Calories and number of servings of fruits and vegetables needed each day to reach or maintain a healthy weight:

 

Children (2-6 yrs.) and most women

- Typically need around 1,600 calories

- 5 servings:  2 fruits, 3 vegetables

 

Older children, teen-age girls, active women, and most men

- Typically need around 2,200 calories

- 7 servings:  3 fruits, 4 vegetables

 

Teen-age boys and active men

- Typically need around 2,800 calories

- 9 servings:  4 fruits, 5 vegetables

 

 

Appendix II – Symptoms

 

Bladder cancer – Blood in the urine, pain or burning upon urination, frequent urination, cloudy urine

 

Bone cancer – Pain or swelling in a bone, bone fractures, weakness, fatigue, weight loss, nausea, vomiting, constipation, problems with urination, bumps and bruises that don’t go away

 

Brain cancer – Dizziness, drowsiness, headaches, abnormal eye movements or vision problems, weakness, difficulties in walking, convulsions, memory or speech problems, nausea or vomiting

 

Breast cancer – A persistent lump or thickening of the breast, discharge from the nipple, change in the skin of the breast, dimpling of the skin, retraction of nipple, lump in underarm area

 

Colon and rectal cancer – Red blood in stools or black stools, abdominal pain, alternating diarrhea and constipation, weight loss, loss of appetite, weakness, pallid complexion

 

Esophageal cancer – Hoarseness, difficulty in swallowing, sensation of food getting stuck in the throat, thick mucous or saliva, weight loss, appetite loss

 

Kidney cancer – Blood in urine, pain in the back or side, lump in kidney area

 

Leukaemia – Weakness, paleness, weight loss, easy bruising and prolonged bleeding, nosebleeds, repeated infections

 

Lung cancer – Persistent cough, coughing up blood, persistent chest pain, congestion in lungs

 

Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma – Enlarged lymph nodes, persistent fever, fatigue, night sweats, weight loss, itching and rashes

 

Oral cancer – A sore that does not heal (on the tongue, lip or mouth wall), a lump in the mouth, white or red patch that does not go away, oral pain, bleeding

 

Ovarian cancer – Abdominal pain or swelling, digestive discomfort, tiredness, vaginal bleeding (rarely)

 

Pancreatic cancer – Sometimes jaundice (yellowing of the skin), weight loss

 

Prostate cancer – Urination problems, frequent urination (especially at night), pain during urination, lower back and pelvic pain

 

Skin cancer (Melanoma) – Increase in size, shape, texture or color of mole (birth mark); persistent ulcer that won’t heal; appearance of new growths

 

Stomach cancer – Heartburn or indigestion, abdominal pain, appetite loss, weakness and fatigue, vomiting with or without blood

 

Testicular cancer – Swelling of or lump on a testicle (with or without pain), pain in the abdomen or scrotum.

 

Uterine cancer – Abnormal vaginal bleeding, pain in pelvic area

 

 

Appendix III – Risk Factors for Women

 

 

These factors increase the risk of cancer of the reproductive organs in women:

 

• Having more than an average of one drink of alcohol per day
• Being overweight, having excessive body fat, especially around the abdomen
• Taking birth control pills for 5 years or longer
• First period before the age of 12
• Entering menopause after the age of 50
• Never having had children
• Having the first child after age 30
• Currently or previously using hormone replacement therapy (HRT)
• Exposure to large amounts of radiation, such as having very frequent x-rays. Mammograms also expose the breast to small amounts of radiation, but the effects of this small amount of radiation are debatable.
• Having mutated BRCA1 or BRCA2 breast cancer genes
• Age: the older the woman is, the more her risk increases

 

The more of these factors a woman has, the greater her risk is. However, having all the factors against you does not mean you will develop cancer, just as having none of the factors does not guarantee that you will not get it.

 

Further Reading

 

 

 

Chapter 1

 

Calle, E.E., et al. “Overweight, obesity, and mortality from cancer in a prospectively studied cohort of U.S. adults” N Engl J Med 2003;348(17):1625-38

 

Mainous, A.G., et al. “Transferrin saturation, dietary iron intake, and risk of cancer” Ann Fam Med 2005;3: 131-137

 

 

Chapter 4

 

Schriner SE., et al. “Extension of Murine Lifespan by Overexpression of Catalase Targeted to Mitochondria” Science 2005 May 5 [Epub ahead of print]

 

 

Chapter 5

 

Ansleigh, H.G. “Beneficial effects of sun exposure on cancer mortality.” Prev Med 1993;22:132-40.

 

Enstrom J.E., et al. “Vitamin C intake and mortality among a sample of the United States population” Epidemiology 1992; 3:194-202

 

Fuchs, C.S., et al. “The Influence of Folate and Multivitamin Use on the Familial Risk of Colon Cancer in Women” Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2002;11:227-34

 

Garland, CF., et al. “Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D and colon cancer: eight-year prospective study” Lancet 1989;2:1176-8

 

Giovannucci, E. “The epidemiology of vitamin D and cancer incidence and mortality: A review (United States)” Cancer Causes Control 2005;16:83-95

 

Golovko, O., et al. “Vitamin D-induced up-regulation of tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) in prostate cancer cells” Life Sci 2005;77:562-77 Epub 2005 Feb 25

 

Grant, W.B. “An estimate of premature cancer mortality in the U.S. due to inadequate doses of solar ultraviolet-B radiation.” Cancer 2002;94:1867-75.