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When it comes to various aspects of health and standard diet and treatments, most diseases and disorders can either be cured or regulated. However, cancer, a leading cause of death due to its many forms, is one ailment that still seems to take control of bodies indiscriminately, with a bleak outlook that continues to confound doctors despite advances in modern medicine.
Cancer of the uterus, gallbladder, cervix, ovary, breast, and colon are leading causes of ill health and death in women, while men suffer from cancer of the colon, rectum, and prostate. Is there any hope that society will ever find a way to prevent or at least cure cancer? |
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Cancer, The Indiscriminate Killer
Luckily, there are some studies showing that eating a certain way can reduce the risk of getting cancer. By changing your diet in several ways, you’ll lower your cancer risk by leaps and bounds. If you have a genetic tendency (or family history) of colon cancer or cancer of the rectum, for example, it is essential that you keep your diet low in fat and even lower in saturated fat. Tumors need LDL’s (bad cholesterol) to grow, and denying your body of as much of these bad fats as possible, you are not only reducing bile production but also denying any tumors the nutrition needed to grow. On top of this, if you eat good fats – fish and other foods heavy in unsaturated fats and omega-3 and omega-6 oils, especially women can benefit from a reduction in risk for breast cancer.
Increasing fiber intake can also assist in lowering the chances of colon cancer in both men and women. It can also assist in binding estrogen in the bowels of women, which decreases the levels of this hormone in the breasts, therefore reducing the production of cancerous cells. Eating a lot of fruits and vegetables can help fight all kinds of cancer, as substances called phytochemicals present in plants are natural blockers of carcinogens.
In a 14-year study of 16,000 Swedish men and women, it was found that, among meats, beef and lamb put individuals at the highest risk for colon cancer. On the other hand, salmon and other fish and seafood are low in risk, with unsaturated fat, high omega oil content, and antioxidants that actually work against carcinogens, or cancer producers (red meat can actually be a carcinogen in and of itself, with higher risk factors coming from the means of preparation). Switching to a plant-based diet instead of a meat-based diet, whether you simply reduce your red meat intake or cut out meat altogether and become a vegetarian, you can really begin the process of fighting cancer.
Another way to combat cancer through diet are to switch to soy products, getting your protein from these sources as opposed to an animal-based diet, especially since soy is full of hormone regulating materials and can fight breast, prostate, and testicular cancer. Also be sure your diet is rich in calcium and antioxidants – a healthy body is more likely to be cancer resistant. For best results, eat diets high in “anti-cancer” foods, such as broccoli, red onions, peppers, grapefruit, oranges, and blueberries.
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