Friday, December 28, 2012

Cancer Prevention, Part 2 (of 6)


In this 2nd part (of 6) on cancer prevention, we’ll cover how the following help prevent this formidable chronic disease:  vegetarian diets; berries; and, fiber.  As a student of nutrition science—not yet a licensed professional—I’d like to think that even if you were only to do 2 days per week of vegetarian meals, that that is better than not at all!  I know someone who survives one of the cancers that affect females by not only taking a range of products made by The AIM Companies—the company whose whole-food concentrates and nutritional supplements I sell—but by following a vegetarian diet (that includes eggs).  More on AIM products in “Cancer Prevention, Part 6” in February 2013!

Vegetarian Diets
The reason this subheading is the plural of diets is because you can be vegetarian and still eat eggs, dairy (like milk, cheese, and yogurt), and honey.  Or, you can be vegan and omit all of the items that I just listed.  Although you are guaranteed to make your body more alkaline (thus not a ready host for developing cancer!) and to lose weight on a vegan diet, it’s HARD learning how to cook tasty dishes CHEAPLY.  It’s also difficult to find vegan dish options when eating out!  I would only recommend a vegan diet if you are a cancer survivor—to help prevent the cancer from coming back.

[V]egetarian diets cut the risk of breast, colon, ovarian, and prostate cancers in a number of studies…Diets high in saturated fat seem to promote production of a form of estrogen called estradiol, which is linked to breast cancer…[V]egetarians have higher levels of ‘natural killer cells’—special white blood cells that attack cancer cells—in their bloodstream. (Yeager et al., 2008, p. 14)

The key here is NOT to eat junk food on a vegetarian diet (French fries, for example), rather eat 5 – 9 servings of, ideally, raw fruits and vegetables. Personally, I am trying to eat all vegetarian meals 1-2 days per week; but I also take plenty of AIM’s whole-food concentrates that help make my body an alkaline environment! At lunch and dinner especially your fruit and/or vegetables should occupy HALF of the plate!

Berries
The more color a berry has, the more nutrients in it!  Not only that, but berries are packed with fiber.  Fruits (and vegetables) are packed with phytochemicals—“chemicals in the plants that have a variety of beneficial health effects” (Yeager et al., 2008, p. 15)--not all of which have even been identified by scientists.  A phytochemical, called ellagic acid, “is believed to help prevent cellular changes that can lead to cancer.  All berries contain some ellagic acid, with raspberries and strawberries ranking” high (Yeager et al., 2008, p. 15). 

Louisiana State University researchers found that an extract from black raspberry can inhibit the growth of new blood vessels.  Tumors coax the body to grow new blood vessels to feed them nutrients, and they can’t grow beyond a few millimeters without this food supply (Yeager, 2008, p. 15).

Soluble and Insoluble Fiber
Suffice-to-say, all grains that are white (white flour and white rice come immediately to mind) are bad for you!  They help to create an acidic environment inside your body, further helping to cause a variety of chronic diseases, including cancer.  You can find whole grains like millet, bulgur, and quinoa (a complete protein, so you don’t need to eat this with a protein) in the bulk aisle in health food stores.  The nice thing about Whole Foods Market—in most major U.S. cities—is that they provide cooking instructions for the dried foods in their bulk aisles!

In a major study conducted by the American Cancer Society, researchers studied the whole grain, fruit, and vegetable intake of 62,609 men and 70,554 women and found that men with a high vegetable intake had a 30% lower risk of colon cancer, and men with a very low intake of vegetables and whole grains and women with a very low intake of fruits were more likely to have developed colon cancer 4 to 5 years later (Yeager et al., 2008, p. 16).

“A study by Australian and Canadian researchers found that women who ate 28 grams of fiber a day had a 38% lower risk of developing breast cancer than those getting half that amount.” (Yeager et al., 2008, p. 16-17)

I hope that my cousin Wendi is reading my blog posts on cancer prevention!  It’s my understanding that although you can survive cancer once, that it could come back at any time!!  So, my “Cancer Prevention” series is not only for the general African American public who have never had cancer.  My series is for those who are cancer survivors, who want to keep the cancer from returning!

STAY TUNED:  Find out how flaxseed, onion, and garlic boost your immune system!

Reference:
Yeager, S. & Editors of Prevention.  (2008).  The doctor's book of healing foods:  The newest 
     discoveries in the power of food to treat and prevent health problems--from aging and diabetes 
     to ulcers and yeast infections.  Red Oak, IA:  Rodale, Inc.

{Disclaimer:  I am not a licensed healthcare professional.  If you have a medical condition or health concern, please consult with a M.D., N.D., nurse practitioner, or other licensed healthcare practitioner.}

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