Recently a good friend of mine was diagnosed with breast Cancer and immediately had her right breast removed. She had no family history of cancer BUT her food choices may have led to her developing Cancer.
Here are the 5 Biggest Cancer Risks for women over 40 and some helpful tips you can use to be proactive.
First, a brief history of our medical fight with Cancer:
- 1st successful chemotherapy 1947
- Invention of PAP Test in 1960’s has nearly eliminated death from cervical cancer
- Bone marrow transplants pioneered in the 1970’s has dramatically increased survival rates for leukemia’s and lymphomas
- Advances in early detection and treatment for breast cancer have improved early diagnosis and rates of remission
- In the last 10 years new medication like “Gleevec” attack cancer cells exclusively
Yet, despite all these advances the overall death rate of cancer has ONLY dropped 5% from 1950-2005
In the past couple of years mainstream oncologists and other cancer prevention researchers are now advocating PREVENTION as the first line of defense against cancer and other chronic diseases. These oncologists and researchers are looking at what we can add to our lives that can actually boost our body’s defense mechanisms against cancer.
Dr. William Li, president and medical director of the *Angiogenesis Foundation, wants to change the way we think about food. But first we have to change the way we think about cancer.
Although one in two American men and one in three American women will be diagnosed with cancer at some point in their lives, research suggests that far more of us may be walking around with cancer than we would like to believe. “In autopsy studies of people who died in car accidents, up to 40% of women between age 40 and 50 have microscopic cancers in the breast, and about 50% of men in their fifties and sixties have them in their prostate glands,” says Li. “By the time we reach our seventies, virtually 100% of us will have microscopic cancers in our thyroid glands…
Read entire article here => http://www.standup2cancer.org/node/3950
*(The formation of new blood vessels. Normal angiogenesis occurs during fetal development to create the baby’s circulatory system, as well as occurs around a wound or cut to help with healing. Tumor angiogenesis is the formation of new blood vessels that grow into the tumor, giving it nutrients and oxygen to assist its growth.)
Examples:
Tumor growth stops if tumor angiogenesis can be stopped, thus starving the cancer of nutrients and oxygen. If tumor angiogenesis proceeds, the tumor grows and may shed cells that will cause metastasis. Avastin (bevacizumab) is an anti-angiogenesis drug used to treat metastatic breast cancer.
Know your risks…
- Smoking
- Obesity
- Genetics…i.e. family history of cancer
5 Biggest Risks for Women over 40
- Diabetes has a link to Pancreatic cancer ~ 80 million people are diabetic or pre-diabetic
- Calcium deficiency is linked to a risk of Colon Cancer. Fewer than 15% of women over 40 get enough Calcium. Calcium binds with carcinogens in the colon to help eliminate it out of the body.
- Advanced gum disease, Peridontitist, has a link to Head and Neck Cancer. In fact in the saliva of people who have Peridontitist there is a protein that actually grows blood vessels that feed cancer cells.
- Diet high in processed meats is linked to Ovarian and other Cancers. Nitrates and Nitrites in meats can be converted into carcinogens in the body. These Carcinogens damage healthy DNA, which makes it easier for cells to turn cancerous. 1-3 slices/day of processed meats – think Deli sandwich, can increase the risk of esophageal, stomach, colon and pancreatic cancer.
- Dense breasts – 5x the risk of breast cancer. It has nothing to do with the size or shape but with the amount of fibrous tissue in the breast. You can only tell if you have dense breasts with a mammogram and if you do you need additional screening using ultrasound, digital mammography and MRI to be able to better detect any cancer through the dense fibrous tissue. Ask you doctor if you have dense breasts and demand additional testing!
4 SUPERFOODS that Dr. Li suggests to help prevent Cancer
- Papaya –Papaya contains Lycopene, which is also found in tomatoes. 1 papaya/week is enough to reduce risk of cervical cancer
- Jumbo Shrimp – High in Omega 3 fatty acids, salmon, sardines etc. 8-9 shrimp/day reduces risk of breast cancer
- Unsalted Cashews – Cashews contain proanthocyanidins, a powerful antioxidant which starves tumors and prevents them from dividing. 12 cashews a day lower the risk of colon cancer
- Beets – beets contain a cancer fighter called Betanin, which gives beets their dark red color and induces apoptosis or cell death in cancer tumors. 1/4 cup or 3-4 slices per day reduces risk of kidney cancer and leukemia.
No. 1 Cancer is Skin Cancer
Over one million people a year diagnosed with skin cancer and one person every hour dies from it. Vitamin D helps prevent Skin Cancer/melanoma.
Bottom line: 70% of Cancer risks are related to lifestyle, which can be modified
However, there is One SUPERFOOD Dr. Li didn’t mention and that is brown algae or sea vegetables. Most people are not aware of how powerful a cancer fighter brown sea vegetables are but an ingredient in these sea vegetables has been widely studied…
Fucoidan present in brown algae induces apoptosis of human colon cancer cells
Background
Fucoidan is a sulfated polysaccharide found in brown algae; it has been shown to exhibit a number of biological effects, including anti-tumor effects. In this study, we evaluated the effects of Fucoidan on apoptosis in HT-29 and HCT116 human colon cancer cells.
Conclusion:
The findings of this study indicate that fucoidan induces apoptosis in HT-29 and HCT116 human colon cancer cells, and that this phenomenon is mediated via both the death receptor-mediated and mitochondria-mediated apoptotic pathways.
These results suggest that fucoidan may prove useful in the development of a colon cancer-preventive protocol.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2931458/
I believe that knowledge and Lifestyle changes can help protect you and others from developing Cancer. Please share this information with others.
