gethealthy

This is the second part of the five part series on the anti-cancer diet.  It is unfortunate the lack of emphasis on the importance of a healthy diet in America.  I used to conduct surveys and one project I did was for when the FDA was preparing to alter the food guide pyramid.  I got to call people and ask them a myriad of questions pertaining to their health and what they knew about proper health and health terms.  Needless to say, I was shocked at the amount of people who knew nothing….and I mean nothing about a healthy diet.  Most of them had no idea how to read a nutrition label or what any of that information even meant.

Anyhow….today we are going to start off with the importance of fiber and fruits and vegetables in the diet.

It is important to Increase your Fiber Intake: In many studies between food and cancer there is unmistakable evidence that there is a relation between a high fiber diet and  a lower incidence of colorectal cancer.  Fiber is important it works to move carcinogens and general waste through intestines faster.  This means that carcinogens spend less time contacting the intestinal walls.  If the intestines have less exposure to the carcinogens the risk for cancer is lower.

Fiber also binds carcinogens together, to keep them from touching the intestinal wall.  Fiber is also important for absorbing bile acids, which prevents them from reacting with bacteria to create fecapentanes, which are the cancerous particles that are created by rotting food laying within the colon.   There are approximately 20 of these substances that can mutate cells in the colon, turning them into cancerous cells.

Fiber also promotes the development of healthy bacteria within the intestines.  These healthy bacteria  push out the unhealthy bacteria.  A diet high in fiber appears to be protective against cancer in those with a hereditary risk of having precancerous colorectal polyps. In a recent study, people with a high risk for getting colorectal cancer, ate 13 grams of wheat bran fiber every day for 8 weeks, exhibited a decrease in growth of precancerous cells in the colon.

A high fiber diet has also shown to reduce the risk of breast cancer.  It works to bind estrogen in the bowels, reducing the effect the estrogen can have on breast tissue cells.

Based on important findings, it is suggested that you consume no less than 25 grams of fiber per day.  The best sources for anticancer fiber are: wheat bran, kidney beans, garbanzo beans,  navy beans, whole wheat, whole grains, legumes, whole grain bread, and prunes.

EAT YOUR FRUITS AND VEGGIES:  Hundreds of studies that were exploring the link between diet and cancer have concluded that consuming more fruits and vegetables can reduce the risk for a variety of cancers.   Consuming more fruits and vegetables can also lessen your desire for fatty foods, which can increase the risk of cancer.  In addition, plants also contain a substance called phytochemicals. These substances may be helpful in your bodies ability to fight cancer.  There are 5 major classes of compounds that can be found in fruits and vegetables that are natural carcinogen blocking agents:

Phenols, Indols,Flavones, Cumines, an Isothiocyanates.

These substances help prevent carcinogens from getting to critical target sites inside a cells.

The type of vegetables most noted for their importance in reducing the risk of cancer are the cruciferous vegetables: broccoli,  cabbage, brussel sprouts, mustard greens, kale, and cauliflower.  This particular class of vegetables contain 3 biochemicals that protect against cancer: sulforaphane, which helps boost the immune system and blocks enzymes that attract carcinogens to healthy cells; nitrosamines, which prevent the creation of carcinogens in the intestines; and indoles, which reduce the risk of breast cancer.  It has been estimated that eating large amounts of cruciferious vegetables could lessen the risk of developing breast and colon cancer by 40%.

Would you believe me if I said there is an anti-cancer diet.  This diet helps prevent, heal, and keep cancer in remission.  According to Dr. Bill Sears, there is a diet that can do all of these things.  Below I will go over the first part of the elements to the diet and how it works.

BASIC PRINCIPLES:

• Maintain a diet low in total fat as well as very low in saturated fats.

1. There are 2 ways that fat contributes to cancer.  Tumor cells require low density lipoproteins to grow. So eating a diet low in LDL may keep cancer cells from growing.
2. Consuming fat stimulates the production of bile.  If a large amount of bile is allowed to sit in the intestines it will be converted into apcholic acid, a carcinogen or cancer causing agent.

TIPS:

• Eat less total fat: limit your fat intake to no more than 20% of your total food calories. So if you usually eat 2,500 calories/day, fat should not provide any more than 500 calories. This would translate to about 55g of fat per day.
• Eat the right fat: If you are eating the wrong kind of fat you may be doing more damage than eating too much fat in general.  Researchers noticed that the incidence of most cancers is far less in some cultures that consume a high-fat diet like Eskimos and Mediterraneans.  However, the key is in the fat they do consume.  Eskimos consume a diet rich in seafood that is packed with omega 3 fatty acids and the Mediterranean people consume a high-fat diet that is plant-based but high in monounsaturated oils.  This means that some types of fat do not lead to cancer but may actually have anticancer properties:

1. Unsaturated fats derived from plants like legumes
2. Monounsaturated fats found in vegetable oil, olive oil, and canola oil. * *
3. Omega 3 Fatty Acids found in seafood like salmon and tuna
4. Omega 3 and 6 Fatty Acids found in oils like flaxseed, pumpkin seed, canola, soybean, walnut, safflower, sunflower, sesame, and virgin olive oils.*

*Greek women who consume a diet high in olive oil often have a low incidence of breast cancer.
* A study conducted in 1998 illustrated that men who consume less fat from animals and more from vegetables were at less risk for prostate cancer.
* However when vegetable oils are heated at high temperatures it can alter fatty acids rendering them carcinogenic.  Extra virgin olive oil as well as peanut oil work best for cooking, but remember to stir often to prevent burning.

STUDIES AND RESEARCH:

• In animal based experiments it was shown that animals that received a fish-oil supplement developed less colorectal tumors.
• Omega 3 Fatty acids  are the most heart-healthy fats and may have anticancer properties.
• Eskimo women who consume a large amount of omega 3 fatty acids have a lower incidence of breast cancer.

Avoid bad fats:

• It is important to strictly avoid fats and oils high in saturated fats like palm, palm kernel, coconut, and cottonseed.
• You also want to avoid all hydrogenated fats.  These fats are also referred to as Trans fats, they have been chemically altered changing them from unsaturated to saturated fats. These fats have a hydrogen molecule added to them, possibly making them carcinogenic.  The hydrogen molecule interrupts the normal cell metabolism in the body, setting the stage for cancerous changes in cells.  Be sure to read the labels, if a food contains anything hydrogenated, partially hydrogenated, or has trans fats leave it on the shelf.