Prevention is the Cure for Cancer

In a new report, the World Health Organization estimates that the number of cancer cases will increase by 70% over the next two decades. Currently, 14 million people worldwide are diagnosed with cancer each year and this could reach 24 million per year by 2035. Each year in the US, 1.6 million people are diagnosed with cancer and more than 580,000 will die from the disease.  The Cancer Research Fund indicates there is an alarming level of naivety about diet’s role in cancer. Most people believe cancer is mainly due to family history, but the World Cancer Research Fund says no more than 10% of cancers are due to inherited genes.  According to the American Cancer Society “Some cases of cancer are caused by an abnormal gene that is being passed along from generation to generation. Although this is often referred to as inherited cancer, what is inherited is the abnormal gene that can lead to cancer, not the cancer itself. Only about 5% to 10% of all cancers are inherited – resulting directly from gene defects (called mutations) inherited from a parent.”

With the cost of treatment of cancers spiraling out of control, prevention is absolutely critical and it’s been somewhat neglected.  Cancer costs are projected to reach $158 billion by 2020.  We need to focus on cancer prevention by tackling diet and lifestyle.  “People seem to mistakenly accept their chances of getting cancer as a throw of the dice, but making lifestyle changes today can help prevent cancer tomorrow”, commented Chris Wild Director of WHO Research Agency on Cancer.   So even if you have an abnormal gene, with intentional work on your part, you have a good chance of not becoming another cancer statistic.  So the good news is you probably won’t get cancer if you have a healthy lifestyle. Prevention is basically 5 steps: Affirmation of a higher power to activate your healing response                                                                                                                                Building up your body from the cellular level                                                                                                                                        Cleaning out the waste                                                                                                                                      Directly supporting your body with regular health activities                                                                                                                                 Evaluate your Health regularly

It is important to understand the cause of disease.  Our body’s health is dependent on how healthy our cells are.  Cells are made up of atoms.  When these atoms are healthy the cells replicate and keep the body well and disease free.  A cell must have paired electrons to be healthy.  Atoms mission electrons (known as free radicals) destroy surrounding atoms by stealing their electrons.  Free radicals alter or destroy cells as well as damaging DNA, which creates the seed for disease.  Cells that replicate in a damaged state create disease.      

So the question we all want to ask is “How do you get free radicals?” Free radicals play a dual role as both beneficial and toxic compounds.  The birth and death of cells in the body goes on continuously.  It is a process that is necessary to keep the body healthy.  Yet there is a downside.  While they body metabolizes oxygen very efficiently, 1 – 2% of cells will get damaged in the process and turn into free radicals.  They are produced either from this normal cell metabolism or from external sources.  When the DNA gets damaged, it can replicate an altered cell.  When this altered cell replicates itself, this becomes cancer.  Free radicals damage DNA.  Most scientists believe it is free radical damage to the DNA that begins many forms of cancer.  Two time Nobel Prize winner for his work with cells, Dr. Otto Warburg found that cancerous cells have lost all their genetically programmed instructions. They only know how to replicate – grow!

Antioxidants to the rescue. 

Antioxidants protect DNA from damage caused by free radicals.  In additions, some antioxidants can actually repair damaged DNA before it replicates. Besides protecting DNA, antioxidants also give an extra electron to the free radical.  The free radical is neutralized and the chain reaction of damage stops.  Antioxidants are naturally produced in our bodies or found in whole foods like fruits, vegetables, nuts, oils, and beans, dietary beta-carotene and lycopene or through supplements like Vitamins C and E. They act as free radical scavengers by preventing and repairing damages caused by free radicals and enhance the immune defense and lower the risk of cancer and degenerative diseases.  When an antioxidant destroys a free radical, this antioxidant itself becomes destroyed.  Therefore, the antioxidant resources must be constantly restored in the body. The goal is to keep a balance in life, especially when it comes to controlling free radical damage.  Seems pretty simple to me, a diet full of foods full of antioxidants can help prevent cancer.

Cancer has been accepted as unfortunate but inevitable fact of life.  So Not True.  Diseases are not caught but caused by what we eat or don’t eat.  We are master of our destiny. We control the health of our cells by what we eat.  Yes, you are truly what you eat!!!