As Egyprian diseases could be avoided in ancienr times, the ren leading causes of death in rhese modern rimes can largely be avoided by fol-. References McGinnis JM. Foege W'H. ActlJaI callse,' of de;lth in the United St:l. A ov 10; 18 Preliminary da!. Belloc NB, Brcslow L. Prrv Med Jul;9 4 Rclationship ofhealth pra liec and morraJiry. Importanee of bl'eakfasr to cognirive performance ami hcalth. Perspectivt' in Applied Nurritioll ;3 3 Slup ;6 2 : LE Brand, RJ.
A mulriv:uialC analysis ofhca. A prospecuve s[Udr ofhcalthy and unhcalrhr men. JAMA Apr 12; 14 : Bre;l"w L, BresJow N. Lew EA. Diflercnces in rraliry and Jongeviry by sex, smoking hca. Bclloc ND. Rdationship of h""lth prae. Cupp's Simple Approaeh ro Weight Loss.
MedicJ11 Society ; 6 ; N,uion; l R"'c:uch Col. Belloc NB, Breslo", 1. ReI:l1ionship of physical hcalth s!
Prel Mcd Aug; 1 3 J. RaJoff J. Science New! June was back ar Or. McAJesrer's office. A she sar fidgering in rhe wairing room, che thoughrs were racing rhrough her mind. Maybe rhe news is bad and he doesn't know how ro break it ro me. Aher what seemed like! McAlesrer sar facing her in rhe small eX:lm rooro.
He began r! When she finally regajned enollgh composure, she managed ta ger a few words our: "Cancer-isn'r ir? McAJesrer sadly oodded his head yes. Often in my years of pracrice as a physician, 1 have had the same lIncomforrable rask thar Dr. McAJester haei. Many rimcs 1 have had ro rell individuals the frighrening news: "Yes, rhe biopsy is back and ir shows whar we aII feared-you do have cancer.
Somermes it can be rrcated wirh chemorherapy, rad iar ion, surgety. Unfortunate1y, far roo ofren. Cancer is currendy rhe nllmber rwo killer in Americ. Unless we as a narion make posirive lifesryle changes, soon afrer rhe year ir could be rhe number ooe cause of dearh. This alone is reason enollgh ro fear cancer. However, maoy people fear rhe ravages of cancer even more rhan dearh irse1f. Before a person dies from cancer, rhere ofren are dramatic changes in physical appearance and inrelleccuaJ funcrioning.
Undollbredly, rhe disease deserves to be feared for rhese reasons as well. Unformnarely, mosr people feei rhar ali [hey can do is hope rhcy never ger cancer.
They do nor realize rhar rhe degree of risk of an individual ro develop cancer is Iargely. One evidence of this lack of awareness is the filce ehat, unJike some orher lifesryle-rdated diseases such as hean disease , ehe total number of cancer deaths in America have been sreadily increasing. S The rate of increase is shown in Figure 1. The rare of rise is dramaeic, doubling in the last 30 years. Akhough rhe number of cancer deaths conrinues ro rise each year in rJ,e V. Cancer involves rhe producrion of cells in rhe body.
Every minute 10 miJlion cells divide in ollr bodies. Complex internal control mechanisms usual! It can a1so begin as a result of problems rhar originate with rhe body's interna! As this ceH multiplies, ir passes irs characrerisric of unregu! A caucerous rissue made up of many unregulared cells is me result. One of rhe ways thar environmental agenrs appear co induce cancer is by inlliccing damage on [he cells' DNA.
DNA conrain explicit nstfuceions for aU cell activiues and thus spells ouc exactly how each cell in our body should function. For example, rhe DNA [dIs our bodics what color Q make our hair and whether we should have blue eyes or brown eyes.
This same DNA controls the rate of division ofcells. On cerrain criticaJ areas of a cell's DNA chere are gene. One way tiUt cancer can occur is chrough damage ro rhis DNA. This, as we have noced. If rhe body derecrs abnormal cancerous cdls at an carly stage, mase cells can be desrroyed before rhey have a chance ro signi jcandy grow and multiply.
In fact, many sciencists belicve rhar evcry day-in evcry pcrson-some normal celis are converted inco cancerous cdls. Usually, rhe pcrson's immune system desuoys rhese newly a1rered cdls. These cells can rhen continue ta silencly grow our of control. UJrimarely they can fonn a mass ar "wmor. Depending an rhe growrh rate of the cancer, it may take 10 years or longer before signs or symproms develop that wtimate1y prompt rhe medical evaluarlon rhar results in rhe diagnosis ofcancer.
We begin by presencing means of detecting cancer. Early Detection is Crucial Early derecrion provides rhe besr chance of rrearing cancer while it is stil! There arc rwo ways to do this: 1 prompr recognition of cancer's symproms; and 2 appropriare use of cancer screening tests.
Recognizing Cancer's Symptoms Cancer is ofren curable if dcrccred catly enough. Time and rme again 1 have been forcibly impressed wirh this sad real ity. In addicion to my work in general internal medici ne, I work in the fidd of gastroenterology.
Somc pur atI that doctor's visit because of simple procrasrinarion, while orhcrs may have delayed because of ehe fcar of. Srill others may have dismissed [he seriousness of this warning sign, thioking it was due ro a minor condirion like a hemorrhoid. Only after they srart having pain or orher symproms do rhey tJnally decide tO have me evaluare rhe bleediog problem.
By rhis time. It has a light ar rhe end rhat allows me ta direcdy look at the inside of rhe inrestine. It also comes with special rools for removing early cancers or non-cancemus polyps wirhout major surgery. As 1 look ehrough the scope J occasionally find a cancerOlIs mass rhar is already [00 large for me ro remove. Ar rhar poinr rhere may be linIe chance of c urc:, but rhe person may still need major surgery-ar Ie. It is onIy by heeding dlcse early warnings thar we have the best chance of detecting and treating t!
For years. Amcricans tO be. A change in bowel or bladder habits 2. A sore that does not beai 3. Unusual bleeding OF discharge 4. Thickening or a lump in the! US change in ,a wart ormole 7. These are [isred in Figure 2. For example, "a change in bowel habits" can refer ro persistent diarrhea ar consriparioo as well as ta changes in color or size of rhe sIOols.
Digital reetal exam yearly after age 40 2. Stool sUde test, for microscopic blood yearly after. Sigmoidoscopy, preferably flexiblc every 3 to 5 years after age 50 4. Pelvic exam aud Pap smear women: youIIger tita" 18 if sexually active; after 18 yearly for at least three consecutive years, then frequeucy determincd in conjunction with personal pbysician 5.
Blood PSA test meu: yearly after age 50 6. Selfibreast exam women: monthly after age 20 7. Breast physical exam women: every three years from , then annually 8. Mammograro women: begin by age 40, then every other year, yearly after age 50 Figure 3. Paying ;tuenrion ta your body and recognizing when you develop somerhing d1ar needs ro be evaluared ma ' provide a window of opporruniry where cancer can be diagnosed-and eureel-in irs early stages.
Unfortunarely, even prompr evalliarion of rhese signs does nor gllaramee rhar we wiU diagnose a cancer at a rrearable stage. Recently 1 had a patienr rhar came ro me afrer onl y a single episode of recta I bleeding.
When 1 checkeel dle stool microscopicaUy, blood was present. A few da 's larer 1 diel a eolonoscopy exam anel found a rumor so large rhar r could nor remove ir using rhe scope. Grher lab resrs showed dur. Yer for every pariem Jike this, l have others who iniriated prompt evalllation of reera! Yes, prompr evaluarion ofany of cancer's warning sign is important ancl ShOllld never be put offfor a convenienr rime.
It can save your life. Eari ' Detection b ' Screening Fonunace1y, in oreler to gain an lIpper hand on cancer, rhere are ways ro derecr cancer before we have symptoms. The American Cancer Sociery recommends that each person lmdergo eerrain rests designed for chis purpose. These tesrs are generally referred ro as "cancer screening tesrs. The cllnem list of screening reconunendations is shown in Figme 3.
A sigmoidoscopy exam i. The sigmoidoscope s virrllaHy idenrica! On rhe orher hand, rJ1e rwo tom long sigmoidoscope is more ideal for screening purposes since it is simpler and less cosdy than the co10noscopy. Flll"rhermore, colon cancer is very prevemable if ie is diagnosed in a precancerous stare. A pap smear can detect cancer of rhe cervix rhe opening of rhe t1terus or womb ar an early stage. Cervieal cancer is one of rhe more common cancers in women. Ir is also a preventable cancer ifit is detected early enough by raurine screen ing.
However, me American Cancer Society estimaees mat bereer use of diagnostic testS and more prompr attemion ta cancer's warning signs could save another , lives each year. This sobering reality has left many wondering, "Is there hope of prevenring cancer from starting in che first place?
The remainder of chis chapter reveals che 'sreps' you can take tO prevem cancer from ever beginning. Two Primary Lines OfDefinse Against Cancer There are ewo basic strategies mat wiU prevent most cancers from starting; even if cancer has already begun, rhey may help che body gain an upper hand. These strategies are simple: 1. Avoid facrors that [avor cancer developmem. T:tke advantage of facrors [hac help rhe body ro ward off cancer. These rwo srraregies are usually effecrive because ofone or hod1 of the followiug reasons: 1.
They help lIS avoid or mnimize contact with cancer-causing substances. They help lIS strengthen aur body's own mmune system for fighring cancer. The remaillder of chis chapter is divided inca rwo sections. The ftrsr section deals with minimizing contact with cancercausing subsrances. The second deals wim rhe agenrs that will help aur immune system ta fight c.
We will see rhar rhe use of aleohol favors the developmenr ofcancer and rherefore shollld be avoided. Furthermore, we will find rhar avoiding alcohol helps us on both of ehe froms menrioned. Alcohol a. COllsequent1y, a double benefit will result from avoiding alcohol. It is clear har the besr way ro avoid cancer is by prevenring it before it has a chance ro form in rhe first place; before it can even be derected by screening resrs; before it has a chance ro cause any symproms.
Most can-. In , the U. In irs comprehensive review of cancer research, it st. Wynder and Gari. Their detailed comparisons of inrernational cancer rares lead rhem co conci ude tine roughly 80 percenr of cancer was prevenrable by relativeIy simple lifesryle choices. Higginson conduded that 90 perceLU of cancerwas due ro "environmenral factors. What c1id they mean by "environmentaI f. These factors include the air we breathe, the water we drink, rhe food choices we make, our exercise habits or Iack of chem , our sexual praceices, our social relationships, etc.
So, when the expens tell us tiut 80 ro 90 percenr of cancer is 'envronmental" rhey are saying tllat the vast majoriey of cancers can be prevented if we pay arrenrion ro che rhings we pur intO our bodies, che things we allow Dur bodies Q eome into comaer with, and rhe rhings we do with Dur boclies. Oespite 30 years of understanding rhe linkage berween cancer and lifestyle, the world's populaces for rhe most pan have not integrated this knowledge intO praetjce.
In , Professor Michael Sporn reviewed 25 years ofhiscory since the U. His remarks brouglu us righr back to Higginsons insights when he said: "We need to bolster educarionai efforts ro encourage challges in Jifesryle, diet, and orher narura! Again, rhe plea is for each one of us ro leam how aur own lifesryle affects ollr risk of cancer and make changes accordingly.
Jusr what are rhese experrs telling us when it cornes ro Iifeseyle and "environmene" in rhe broadesr sense of the word? The environmemal concerns anei the advoc:lred lifestyle changes are si mple yet profound. They are talbng abOlit things like sropping smoking, eatng bener, gerring regular exercise, and losing weighr.
These issues were much lower on cancer expens' lists of imponance than our basic habitual dierary choice. Ernsr Wynder already realized what rhe problem was. Therefore the genera! Tobacco is the Number One Culprit Tobacco is rhe number one cancer culprit in rhe Urured Srares and in much of the world.
Increased cancer dearh rares accoum for a large share of robacco's bllrden, and rhis bllrden is sraggering. In the U. A conservarive estjmate of We have massive evidence demonsrraril1g eobacco's power ta callse cancer.
Ova 4, diffirent chemicals have becn idenrifled in robacco smoke. Js has rhe abilit , ro cause cancer aJI by rhemselve. There are specific carcinogens in robacco thar cause lung cancer, orh-. AII rold, a [ong lisr of cancers have been linked [O exposure ro robacco products.
They are Jisred in Figure 4. Those who brearhe second hmul smoke aho increase their cancer risk. The ohvious cancer preveneion message ro each person is: "Avoid aU possible robaeco exposure. That means we have co stop chewing eobacco.
That means we need [O decrea e even our passive smoking by choosing workplace. Many Americans htlve heeded rhe tobaceo warnings rhar have been publicized for years. As a result, lung cancer is now finaJly scareing ro decline in men. The percentage of aur population ehae smokes has remained unchanged for ehe lase haJf decade. II you are currendy struggling with nicotine addiction, do nOt despair. There are 46 million Americans who can eeseify thar ir really is possible ro quic.
Take advantage roday of some of rhe effeceive strategies for dealing wirh rhis addicrion as found e1sewhere in rhis book see Chapter 16, "Oying For A Cigarene? From population srudies it is weU estab lished that drinking alcoholic beverages increases the risk of a varieey of cancers. The list indudes cancers of rhe mourh, throat, esophagus, liver, brease, and recrum. Breasr cancer is t11e dassic example wirh the evidence suggesting ehae as Iittle aS three drinks per week increases a woman's risk.
A parriallistingappears in Figure 5. AJcohol can affect hormone levels ehar may in curn increase cancer risk. The greatest concern is with female hormanes aod their re! Among nonsmoking women, breast cancer is the number one cancer killer. Many people are nor aware thar CI. The associarion held rrue for borh beer and wine. Thcre, in a four-year study of nearly 90, U.
The more the women drank the greater the iocreased risk. This sreadily increasing risk of cancer wieh increasing amounrs of aJcohol consumed is called a "dose response" cffecI. This type of relationship stroogly suggests rhar alcoholic beverage consumption and nor somc other factor is increasing the risk.
For rhe younger women below 55 ycars of age, rhe consumption of ooe drink per day illcreased their risk 2. Why does aleohol increase hreast cancer risk? AJrhoughall of me answers are nor yer in, there is evidence [har alcohol increases estrogen levels.
S5 Since rhis fcmale hormone is known ro increase breast cancer risk, it is suspected chac alcohol's hormonal effecrs may be a damaging facror. Furthermore, women with the most advanced forms of breast cancer rend ta be drinkers of a1cohol, indicacing thar alcohol mayacr primarily as a "tumor promotor or growth enhancer"5 6 in those rhat are JUSt beginning ro develop the disease.
To date, over 50 solid sciemific srudies have indicated thar aleohol plays a definite role in rhe developmem of breast cancer. There are several mechanisms as ro why aleohol use is associated with cancer: roxic infiuences, immwle effeccs, dierary relationships.
Yet these broad-ranging mechanisms teU us not. Researchers previously rhoughr that only ahour three percenr of ali U. Taking into aeeount chis additional evidenee some be1ieve that tOtal avoid,uKe of alcohol could prevenr some 60, deaths per year, which is 11 percenr of aii cancer deaths. Indeed, e1iminating the use ofboth alcohol and robacco wil!
Many health professionals ar encouraging ali poStmenopausal women ro use estrogenic replacement hormoncs. Commonly cited reasons are rhe pllrporred benefits for the hean and bones.
However, few wornen seem to be full ' aware of the serious side eJjeets of e. Arnong r! For years rhere has been tecognition that women who, fol1owing menopause. In an exrensive review of aii the research on the subject, Universiry of California ar San Francisco scienrists conclllded rhar prolonged use of esrrogen after menopause could increase risk of cancer of r!
Although the data rcve.. Cancer of t! Harvard Universiry has produced one of the mose convincing repons on this subjecr, again from cheir urses' Healrh Srudy.
The popular regimen of combining esuogen with a progesterone hormone acmaUy increased the risk ro 41 percene Risk rended ro increase ro 71 percem in women who were over 60 and had llsed esrrogen for over five years. One obviollS message of these srudies s that any women raking estrogen after menopause 'hollld be aware thar he is increasing her breasr cancer risk. For a more complete look at the benefits and risks of taking es u'ogen a. Paolo Toniolo and associates ar Ne An ullusual aspect of the srudy was ehac the patienrs' esrrogen levels were measured on blood thar had been drawn frozen, and stored several years before their.
This helped ro ensure rhat estrogen levels were nor influenced by the cancer irself or by orher recent facrors, including estrogen replacemenr. The women wrh the highesr naeural estrogen. Some nutritional factors elearly fvorcancer development while orhers help to ward off cancer. The dietaty choces that increase rhe risk of cancer wiU be dealt wirh in this seClion. Our unhealthfuI dier ranks as one of rhe mosr powerful faccors increasing aur cancer risk. Perhaps more imporrantly, what dietary challges can we make in order ro decrease cancer risk?
Ler us examine rhe scienrific evidence that answers rhese important questioos. Migration Demonstrates that Poor Eating Habits lncrease Cancer Risk A large number of research studies have found thar lifesryle changes as a result of migrarion are key facrors relating ro health and disease. Migranrs generally assume the risk of rhe indigenous populace in the country la which rhey move. Such sludies show elearly mat the risk of cancer is gready influenced by diet. In Japan mosr cancer fates are low with rhe exception of sromach and esophagus , bUL whcn people from Japan emigrare ta Hawaii, death ares of maoy rypes of cancer become quite similar ro the Caucasian Hawaiians.
We see thar seven of clIe nine cancers listed increase dramatically when the Japanese come ta live in Hawaii. For example, cancer of the colon in Japan is low, wirh only 78 cases per , people.
After emigrat ing ro the United States, rheir colon cancer rate rises to cases per Notice, coo, thar the new rate is similar la r. Cancer of clIe rectum is also 10w in the Japanese who live in ]apan. After living in rhe U.
Many lifesryle Jactors change when people emigrate ro rhe U. The research scientisrs who srudy these changes and the diseases associated wirh them are called epidemiologists. Epidemiologisrs believe r. The Hawaii emigranrs cat rwice as much far and subsraotially less carbohydrate than their peers in ]apan. They car subsranrialiy more bureer, margarine, and cheese, and slightly more meaL Their consumprion of rice and rafu soybean curd drops.
It is, therefore, no surprise thar the fars ealen by me Ha-. Among those in Hawaii, 35 percem of the carbohydrares they eat are in the form ofsugar. This is comrasted by sugaJ composing onl ' 20 percem of the carbohydrate inrake ofthose in Japan. Furthermore, rhe changes toward an American diet become more complete over rime.
The first generation immigranrs retain more of rheir japanese eating habits rhan their secondgeneratoll ofTspring. Compared ta theiI parenrs, those born in Hawaii ear significaml ' more a. Other srudies confirm rhis conclusion as we will see. The dietary changes mat rhe Japanese made are nOt harmful in aII aspects. At leasr two cancers-stomach and esophagusdecrease in incidence whcn they come ro Hawaii, and th.
Thc imake ofsalry pick. Clearly, there is much more ro cancer rJlan genetics. Diet plays a proftund in causing or prevenring cancer. There are good reaSons for fat's bad replltation.
Studies involving the dietar '. Breast Cancer lncreases with Fat Comumption One of rhe studies involving breast cancer was condllceed in It shows that the rate of breast cancer faralities in any given natiol1 corre!
Australia Swede W. Notice that the U. Canada, Australia, Sweden, and Germany share a similarly llnenviable status. This curve plot delllollserates thar. Risk was greater wben the analysis foctlsed on saturated fat earen by post-menopausal women-chey more tban rripled their risk of breast cancer.
As their far inrake increased, so did rheir rare of bre. RO Unfonun. As a result of living like Americans, rhey are begiJllling ro dic like Americans-from chronic lifesryle-rclared diseases. Eating a high far diet during pregnancy may also increase rhe risk ofdcvdoping breasr cancer. RI A srlld ' based in Arhens, Grecce is.
Invesrigarors found-nor unexpecredlydur women rhere who ate marg. Howevcf, rhc Greek research ream nored rhar ar! Women who used more olive oii a predominantly monounsamrared far had a 25 percenr elecrease in breasr cancer risk. S2 Whar abour dlose who aL-eady have cancer? Does their clierary far consllmprion have any effecr on rile success rare of their rrearment?
Swedi h researchers found evidence rhar dier does affecr breast Umor growth. In orher words. The sraristics were even worse for saturateel fat.
For every one perecnr rise in rhe porrion of toral calories from saturated fat, risk rase 23 percenr. However, they nored the srrongesr relationship in posrll1enopausal women-and they found no relarionship wr. S3 The ' seudied predominandy posonenopausal women wha had been recently diagnosed as having breasr cancer.
Among these women, diet made a srriking difference over rhe course of four years of follow-up. The leading faral canccr among nonsmoking men, prostare cancer, is also linked widl a high far inrake. The pattern is similar ro breasr cancer in dus regard.
In rhe s Japan had a very low dearh rarc from prosrate cancer. Norice tbeie dramatic death rare inerease from this cancer shown in Figure 8. As we have already nored, the Japanese doubled rheir fat inrake berween and Faral prosrare cancer occurred markedJy less frequendy in me Japanese, as it clid for breasr cancer, wirh Caucasians having a four fold increase in risk.
When rhe researchers looked ar specific faes, ehe increased risk was primarily duc ro saturated fats, which come mainly from animal produets.
Mono-unsatllrared fars seemed ro have onJy a weak effecr, while here was no relarion between polyunsaturared fat consumprion and prosrate cancer risk. Animal srudies have shown ehat a high fat diet increases rhe risk of skjn cancer following sun exposure. They idcmified 76 parienrs who were willing ro parricipate in rheir reseaJch. AH had prcviously been diagnosed wirh skin cancer and were generali ' folJowing a rypica1 high fat American dier. They randomly enrolJed 38 of ehe paJricipanrs in an educational program rhat helped rhem swiech ro a low-fae clicr where far consejweed only 20 percent of their toraI calories.
Over che coursc of rhe nexr rwo years, che experimencal group followed the program weB rheir ave rage far incake was 21 percem ofcalories.
Resulcs are illusrraced in Figure 9. Ofher cancers linked ta a high consumpeion of saturaeed fat include colon cancer and ovarian cancer. The amounc of fat consumed by America ns over a 37 year period is shown in Figure Average far consumprion in the s was abouc 20 percenr higher rhan thar in rhe s. Before , far consumpeion was even lower, averaging araund grams per day.
ThroughoLlr an 80 year. F oods with 10 gram'. Eating Meat lncreases Cancer Risk In many people's minds. Even if they stlcceed, medical research indic. Regarding cancer risks, flesh foods in generaJ-red mear, pOLlttry, or even fish-have more srrikes againsr chem rhan merely cheir far contenc. The same is true ofdairy foods such as checse, milk, and ice cream. Dairy foods are nor derived from animal flesh, bllt chey are animal products, and are listed wirh otller irems rhar increasc cancer risk.
Several studies have looked at rhe strong relationship berween eatng mese items and cancer risk, and some of the theories as ro why such relationships exist. Most aLlthorities recommend char Eltshould comprise less than 30 percellt of aur total calories, and che far should be from planr and nor animal sources. What foods arc we eating that sllpply aJl of rhis fat-particuJarly sacurared fat? F'Igure Planc foods are generally much lower in sarurated fat. People wha are an a pure vegetariall dier havc liule difflculty keeping their saturaced fat intakc at a low level.
Some researchers such as Dr. James R. Cerhan, assistanr professor at rhe University of Iowa College of Medicine, advise decreasing both mear and fat in me same breath: "Cur back on red meat, reduce saturated fat intake, and ear more vegetables. This important cancer claims over 23, lives each year in America. FLlrthermore, women eould dccrease thcir Iymphoma risk by 36 percenr by eatjllg rhree ar more servings of fruit per day.
A srud ' of over 88, nurses conducted by Harvard Universiry found rhar rhose who regularly are red mear as a main dish had a signlficant ulcrease in clle risk of colon cancer.
Note rhar eariJlg mear dai! Expressed anorher way, rhe dail ' mear earers had roughly two tmd one halftimes me risk of ulOse who seldom or never ate red mear. Their dassiflcarion of "red mear" included a variery of popular beef, pork, and Iamb irems. Exalllpies included roasts, sreaks, ham, mear lasagnas, sandwiches, stews, casseroles, hamburgers, hor dogs, bacon, sausage. Even rhose eating red mear as a main dish jusr one te four rjmes per month had 39 percert more colon cancer than the lowesr risk group-rhose who never ate red mear-or are it less than once per momh.
Regarding rhe cancer risk of eating fish or chicken. Ir is important ta poine Out rhat mose eating rhe mosr f1sh had relatively more cllses of colon cancer rhan those eating fish rarely or never.
This suggesrs har [here are orher fac tors in red mcat rhar furrher increase colon cancer risk. The findings in rhe Harvard-based Nurses' Healrh 5rudy are not unique.
A European srudy found similar relationships. When womn who ate mear frequenrly were compareel ro rhose rhar rarely Of never ate mear, rhey had nearJy double rhe ri k of colon cancer. Less than once per month Once per month to once per week Two to four times per week Five to six times per week Daily or more. I03 Implicared foods included red mear and liver as weU as seafood and dairy producrs. In rhis srudy, however, rhe very worsr food group was eggs, wiu rhe heaviest consumers experienci ng.
Tbis Australian research h. ThllS, Cllrrenr research makes an e10quem poinr ro leave off alI red meat-and ir does not provide a sound reason ro car more fish or chicken. The colon cancer stlldies melltioned thus far have been do ne on women. Srudies in men have also linked mear inrake with colon cancer.
Those earing red mear as a main dish five Of more rmes per week had a 3. This furrher srrengrhens rhe lkelihood rhar other. This means rhat changing animal-raising tcchniques and breeding pracrices ta produce leaner live rock with less sarurared far will not decrease many of the most damaging aspects of these animal products.
Benzopyrene is one of ehemicals found in cigarette smoke. In srudies using rodenrs as well as hllmaJl cells in culture, benzopyrene demonstrates carcinogenic activiry affeeting many tissues, such as me liver, stomach, colon, intestine, esophagus, lungs, and breasr. Too Much Iron in Meat? One of the sllrprising discoveries in modern nurririon is the growing concern abour rhe large amounr of icon in rneat. A readily available and abundanr. However, problems wir. J 1 J A recent disserrarion from UCLA suggesrs rhar tlle risk of colon polyps aud rhus colon cancer is increased by eirher exeessively LoUl or excessively high levels of iron.
Planr foods provide icon in amOUllrs mar are generally adequate-bur nor excesslve. A article summarized some of the problems wirh exces ive aJuounrs of iron as it relares ta cancer risk: 1 13 1. Ir promotes CaJKer cell mll!
Weinberg, rhe srudy's author concluded: "P Ocedllres associared wirh lowering About rwo pounds ofsteak produces an amounr of benzopyrene on rhe mear surface equivalenr ro rhar fOUJld in cigarettes. Thus, nonsll1okers can be exposed tO a huge dose of one of cigarerte's powerful carcinogens by simply earing grilled mears. Furrhermore, in general, rhe higher rhe fat comem of rhe mear. A oumber of srudies demonstrare a stfong association between meat eating and breast cancer risk Some 20 years aga, Dr.
Takeshi Hirayama made a series ofsrarrling observarions abour breast cancer in Japan in a year srudy of , women. Results are swnmarized in Figure One parricularly illteresring aspecr of rhis research is rhac mear earing did not appear ro be rhe only facror of imporrance. Ifyou Ook ocioeconomic srarus our of rhe equarion, rJle risk of heav ' meat consumers was reduced, but was srill abolit four rimes rhar of rhe low mear consumers.
This "uggesred [har orher dierary and lifesryle facrors are also involved. Such associarions are now well recognized. Socioeconomic ami demographic facrors are known O have a role in breasr cancer risk. Fewer pregnancies, a grearer age ar fir r pregnancy, and less breast feeding alJ appear ta increase brcasr cancer risk.
Fim, diet--or mear eaeing per seis nor rhe only important factor in breasr cancer. Many faccors have a cole in this devasraeing cancer, bur diet is one imporranr modifiable faccor rhat aH shouJd address. Second, dietary habits appear ro be mosr importanr for rhose who already have other risk facrors for brease cancer. Since Americam as avwhole are a high-risk populaeion, dier would be expecred tO have a greater impact. Resules of ehe Japanese srudy are nor unique.
Other srudies have linked mear earin a wirh breasr cancer. The heavier consumers had nearly double rhe breasr cancer risk. There arc a number of possible explanarions for rhe inkage berween meat earing aod breasr cancer ri. These include many of the f. Toxins in Meat and Breast Cancer Risk le is wcll-recognized rhat many toxic oroanic compounds and heavy merals are :tored in animal risslles.
There is mounring evidence rhat coxins have a role in breast cancer. Among mea-t-eating morhers, 99 percenr had significam levels of DDI: Only eighr percent of vegetarian morhers were found ro have significanr DDT levels. Borh ir and DDT have been c1assifjed by rhe U.
Environmema1 Proreerion Agency as "proba bie human carcinogens. The Spani. Several pesrieides and coxins arc srill being employed in our oarion DDT is now banned. The reason dur pesticides and ocher roxins aecumulare in :lIlimalrissues is explained by a process called biomagniflcarion. In rhis process, animal rissues magnify rhe coocenrrarion of roxins over rhe course of rheir liferime as rhel' ear ocher animals or planrs thar rhemselve have some level of concaminarion.
The average animal ears at leasr ren rimes its weiglu in food throughom rhe course ofirs life span, bur cannor eflectively ger rid of mose fat-soluble roxins and hea"l' meraJs.
Thus, mally of rhese roxins aceumulare in irs t:Ir srorcs. As a resuit, over a period of weeks, mondls, ar years, rhe chemicals thar rhese animals have earen are compounded manl'fold in rheie fau ' rissues. Although rhere has becn progress in "e1ean ing up" our warers in rhe V. A recenr California srudy illustrares the serious narute of pesticide conraminarion in tsh and shelLfish.
Despire well-publicized resulrs of improved warer eeoJogy, approxirnarell' half of rhe 47 monitoring stations showed ilO decrease in DDT levels, and fully rhree-quarters showed PCB decrease.
Anall'sis of human breasr milk specimens in Englal1d reveals ilO decrease in P B levels since rhe Iare s, anorher indicatioo of cOHrinuing exposure.
Because of rhe varietl' of ways rhar mear and omer animal producrs affecr us many of our body processes can be pur back inro a normal relarionship by moving roward a vegeearian diee. This has been eloqueody illustrared by research on prosrare cancer. There was a dose-response relarionship such rhar rhe more of rhese producrs consumed ehe greater rhe risk of faral prosrar.
Those cOJlsuming rhe Iargesr quanrities of animal producrs had 3. Among over 50, men srlldied, jr was observed thar rhose earing red meat flve rimes per. Since it is usualIy detecred ar a very Iare srage, afrer ir has spread ta orher viral organs, rhis cancer rends ro be panicularly devasraring.
The resllits of an ovarian cancer study are shown in Figure Iralian researchers also looked for connecrions berween elier anei ovarian ancer.
They came ta similar conc. The wou mear seemed ro be pork: rhose earng ham four ar more times per week had nearly double rhe amoul1t ofovarian cancer as rhose who are Iess rhar rwo porrions of ham weekly. Aher ali, each of these cancers is hormonally relared.
However, as we have seen, orher non-hormonally relared cancers a1so bear a striking relarion ro mear consllrnprion.
Lung cancer, non- Hodgkin's Iymphoma, colon cancer, and cancers ofrhe pallcrea', Iiver, kidney, and womb have been linked ro a more liberal incake of mear specifically or animal producrs in general. Whether cholesrerol irself presenrs a problem or wherher it merely indicares a dier [har is rich in mear and ocher animal proelucrs j nor clear. Further research linking high blood levcls of cholesterol wirh colon. When addressing cancer-prevenrive or cancer-prorecrive factors, it shoulel be recognjzecl rhar mear, in addirion ro conrajning harmful subsrances, is ofccn sadly defient in some of rhese helpful compoundl".
A c1assic example is provided by dicrar ' fiber. Even if aU of the reasons rhar mear and animal producrs consistenrly emerge in rhe medical lirerarure as having a clase linkage wirh cancer arc nor complerely understood.
From rhis broad perspective on mear, it. Some do noc imrnediately feei its effecrs, bur rhis is no evidence thar r does nor hurt rhem. It may be doing irs work surdy upon the s 'srem, yer for rhe rjme being rhe vicrim may realize norhing of iL" From a spiritual perspecrive, ir is equally interesring rhat a diet devoid of meat ar animal producrs is recordcd in rhe Bible as God's original der for hurnankind.
Dairy Produets Linked to Cancer A number ofsrudies have indiclted thar rhere are plenry of grounds for concern regarding animal products such as milk, eggs, and cheese.
FataJ cancers ofborh me colon and ovary have been linked ro egg consumption. A Yale Universry srudy found rhar for each addirional mg of egg cholesrerol a woman averaged per day, she had a 42 pcrcent increased riskof chis malignancy.
The extensive international comparisons macle by Rose, Boyar and Wynder ideJUified both meat and milk as srrongly related ro breast cancer riski milk inrake also showed a strong relationship ro prosrare and ovarian cancer in their analysis. Coffee: Another Source of Dietary Carcinogens? The experrs stiH debate whether cofI-ee presents a significam cancer risk, but there is no ques ion thar rus popular beveragc conrains cancer-causing chemicals.
Such chemicals include methylglyoxal, ISI This facr can suggest that a substance is carcinogenic in humans. However, he same source believes rhat a person could not obrain high enough levels of caffeine with ordinary consumption of medicarions, foocis, and beverages ro increase cancer risk in this LUay.
Caffeine is further superirnposed an other cancer risk factors thar we are aII exposed ro in varying degrees. In this context, there is concern tha bod1 coffee and caffeine may significandy increase cancer risk in che right setting.
The difference may have tO do wim rhe other carcinogens tIlat individuals in a population may or may nor be exposed ro. This means rhar it can increase rhe likelihood rhat cancer wil! The cancer sites thar have been linked wirh coffee include kjdney, breast, colon, pancreas, and ovary.
Pancreas cancer has probab! This apparenrly derives in large pal' from a highly publicized Harvard study in rhe early s. This epidemiological research involved some 24, California Sevenrh-day Adventisrs.
The re-. Orhcr research such as rhar condlleted at the Stare Univcrsiey of New York ar Bllffalo has confil"rned the potemial of coITee drinking ro double bladder cancer risk. Orhel" studies have a shown an increase in bladder cancer wirh coltee usage or other cafleineated beverages. This has 1e. Faral colon cancer has aJso been linked ro coffee consumprion.
Those consurning two or more cups of coffce per day increased rJleir risk ofdearh from colon cancer by 70 percetH when compared ro rhose rhar consumed Jess than one cup a day. The sUldy a1s0 revealed a dose-response relationshipi rhat is, rhe more coITee consumed the higher rhe risk. A Reltttive ofCaffeine in Chocolate In anorher srudy of prostare cancer, mose ""ho averaged 20 mg ar more of rheobromil1e a caffeine relarive rhar is especially known ro be found in chocoJate per day, doubled [heir risk of prosrare cancer.
Those wirh inrermediare consumption had an inrennediare level of risk. The amount of rheobromine in some represenratve chocolate products is Jisred in Figure Melanoma, another type ofskin cancer, provides a markedly difterem siruarion. This uSllally darkly pigmenred cancer has a fearsome rendency ro spread and kill rhe victim.
Each year only abolit 34, cases of melanoma are diagnosed in our counrry, and. AbOlit 95 percenr of skin cancers are of two types: squamous cell and basal cel 1. Forrunately, however, these skin cancers are slow growing and usually remaln confined ro rhe skin. Ohocolate tlavor mix in whole milk 2 to 3 hea'ping teas'poons in 8 ounces of whole milk. Sllrprisingly, rhere is soroe evidence rhar ourdoor work with chronic sun exposure ma ' actually be prorective apparently by increasing resi tance ro sunburn.
Although rhe office-baseel executive is more likely to get sunburned on a weekend excursion ro the beach, the association with sunhurn and melanoma appears Q be more iJ11pOnanr in childbood than in adulthood. Nonecheless, especially in a fair-skinned adult, avoiding excessive sun cxposure is prudent. This does nor necessarily mean that fair-skinned individuals should use more sunscreen.
In both humaJl and animal research rhere is a worrisome lack of protection-or even increase in melanoma risk with sunscreen lIse. As expressed by the U. Preventive Services. Task Force, "Ir is aho pas 'ible rbat sunscreens may increase skin cancer risk by encouraging susceprible persons ro prolong exposurc of greater skin surface areas ro solar rays rhar are not blocked by most currently used sunscreens. I70 Unlike melanomas, as already pointed our, squamoLis cell cancers appear relared ro substantial cUJnuJarive lifetime sun exposure.
In Olu" byporherical example, given equal skin rypes, he construction worker would be ar more risk of rhis type of cancer, assuming dut rhe executive avoids getting sunburned. In one srudy, six or more severe sunburns in a lifetime more rhan doubled rhe risk of squamoLls cell carcinoma. One other word of caurion: wearing a T-shirt or polo shirc usually does nor provide full prorecrion from rhe sun's buming rays.
The Universir ' of California ar Berkeley Wellness Lener bas observed rhat such lypical summer garb does nor block out aII ultraviolet radiarion. These shins provide a similar amount of sun blocking rhat a sunSCreen with a sun prorecrion factor of 6 or 7 affords.
Research now suggcsrs lhat judicious sun exposure and the associaled production ofvirarnin O may also help ro prevent cenain rypes of cancer. Other Cancer-causing Agents Other ca. For an oprimal cancer-prevemion lifescyle, rhese can be and should be avoided. A summary lisr of them is provided in Figure The presence of robacco anei alcohol on rhis lisc of cancer-causing agenrs is probably nor une:xpected to many.
Howcver, the pre eoce of rhe large nwnber of damaging factors in mear and dairy products rhar can cause cancer, and ilie presence ofcoffee, may be surprising ro many. As we sem rhis lisr, we see thar every irem on ir can be avoided by any individual whose gaal is co accomplish a maximum reducrion in che risk of acqumng cancer.
Our Personal Risk ofGetting Cancer The informacion presemed in his seccion examined factors rhar favor cancer developmenc. Such information provides a basis for each of us ro significanrly reduce our personal risk of geuing cancer. I wiU summarize the secrion wirh a guotarion from Dr. Wynder, a world-renowned cancer prevenrion specialisr. Nrhough sociery musr and can play an impowlIlt role in rhe reducrion of those environmenral facrors thar contribuce ro cancer incidence, we havc shown rhar an individuaL can significan.
There i a variery of ways rhar healthful choice help us ward offcancer. Even though this chaprer rakes a broad approach ro cancer prevencive facrors, 1 scill marvel ac how many of rhese f. Our bodies are continuously under arcack from a variery of germs, roxins, and pollutanrs.
We brearhe air chat contajns dirr parcides, smoke, fumes, carbon monoxide, and chemjcals. We handle garbage in che normal process of life. We ear food fuI! Simply plIC, rhere is no way ro go rhrollgh life complerely avoiding aU rhrcars ro our healrh. And rhere is no way ro avoid each altd every carcinogen. Because rhese dangers are ali around us, many people throw up cheir hands and say, "Forgec it.
I will never be able ro avoid every carcinogen, sa why even cry? Firse, ir is noc an all-or-none phenomenon regarding rhe dangers of carcinogens. Exposure ro a few carcinogens is not as harmfui as exposure ro many carcinogens. The more we avoid carcinogens, rhe greater che proreccion we will enjo '- Second, the "why rry" argument ignores rhe f. This is, indeed, good. The inUl1une sysrem has one mission: ro idemify aod desrroy foreign invaders before signifJcam harm s dane ro our bodies.
Disease-causing organisms sllch as bacreria, viruses, fungi, aod parasires, are detecred llpon emry by a healrhy im. Cancer cells should be similarly detected as aboormal cells, treated as unwelcome intrllders, and eliminated wirh a srrong immlloe system.
Our singular dllry ro the immune system is to develop a lifesryle that will SllppOft its constant defense work on our behalf.
How we live day by day detennioes whecher our immune system works ar peak levels ar is inhibired by aur negleet and even abuse. But is ir possible tO strengrhen our immune system?
Yes, there are a variery of ways we can provide help ro aur immune systems. Three of the mosr imporram are diet, exereise, and srrcss control. Ler us Grst look ar diet, both from rhe perspeerive of its immune-enhancing potential and its abiljry tO help LIS deal wirh cancerous duears on orher levels. Ir is widely known that vitamin A is required for the mainrenance of normal mucous membranes and for normal vision.
Yitamin A is present in rhe dier as the fully active form of rhe vitamin cal led the preformed vitamin and as precursor compounds rhar the body can converr into vitamjn A. The mosr familiar precursor is beracaratene. Animal producrs can be rich sources of preformed vi ramin A, but roxiciry can also occur from roo mllch of the viramin in rhis active state. Bera-caratene, a planr subsrance, is safer: when viramin A. Unlikc viranun A irself, bera-carore-ne is virrually never toxic regardless of the level of intake even il' ir makes your skin yellow.
Animal products tich in preformed viramin A often have other strikes againsr them. Some of me tichesr sources, like liver, whole eggs, and whole milk are also best avoided because rhey ,u'e loaded wirll cholesreral.
Borh humall epidemiology and animal reseaIch suggest that viramin A is important for reducing aur risk of cancer. One c1assic Norwegian study, published in , reported five years of research on over men. View PDF Focusing on the negatives while ignoring the positives. Proof Positive, Neil Nedley Nedley, Neil, M. Improving Mood through Diet NutritionFacts org Neil Nedley and is used with permission. Counsels on Health, EGW.
Proof Positive, Neil Nedley. The China Study, T. Colin Campbell. Foreword by Jane Author of Proof Positive, Nedley's book Proof Positive, on page , is a calculation from Worldwatch,. Is metabolic syndrome a risk factor for depression? April Newsletter. Finnish researchers have. View PDF Neil Nedley, MD. The Lost Art of Health and Wellness This course presents a groundbreaking program that helps choose the best foods.
View PDF positively affected their longevity, could a return to the original diet View PDF Factor in development of cancer: Colon, rectal, breast, ovarian, uterine, prostate, kidney, and cancers of the nervous system. God or your Higher Power by any name in a positive way,. McCoy Pavilion,. Ala Moana Beach Park. Nedley Health Solutions Home. Indoor Air Pollution Negative.
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