Wednesday, November 14, 2007

8 ideas from 52 Ways To Protect Yourself From Cancer

I checked out the book 52 WAYS TO PROTECT YOURSELF FROM CANCER by Terry T. Shintani, M.D., M.P.H. and J. M. T. Miller, 1993, from a library recently. I already knew of a few things that could cause cancer, but when I read this book, I learned more about it. Here is a list of the things that I found the most interesting.

1. The American Cancer Society and the National Cancer Institute estimate that 35% of cancer would be eliminated if everyone would eat healthy diets. Some researchers even think that 70 or 80% of cancer in the US is caused by the "Standard American Diet (SAD)" or by "lifestyle and environment." [I think this must be true in other countries when too many unhealthy things (such as refined sugar, artificial sugar, processed and/or refined food, canned food, hot dogs etc.) are added to the diet.] Studies being done all over the world are showing that diet effects cancer rates. Some of these show that when people from countries where the people eat healthy diets and have low rates of cancer move to the US and adopt the SAD, their cancer rates quickly go up to the US cancer rate.

2. Harvard researchers have found a link between breast cancer and alcohol (3-9 drinks per week=30% higher risk, 9+ drinks/wk =60% higher risk).

3. Too much fat (unsaturated or saturated) seems to contribute to cancer. It also causes cancer in rats or makes their tumors grow faster.

4. A diet high in animal protein is associated with some kinds of cancer (and causes loss of calcium). Red meat, poultry, fish, dairy products etc. typically have many hormones, antibiotics, and other chemical residue.

5. The authors of this book think that B15 and B17 are frauds, and wrote that a variety of substances have been found in B15 and 17 pills. These are promoted as anti-cancer B vitamins.

6. Vitamin C and E can help prevent cancer.

7. Smoked or barbecued, pickled, and nitrate-cured food causes cancer. I'd already heard that nitrate-cured food, such as hot dogs, lunch meat, canned meat etc., cause cancer, but I didn't know that pickled food could, and hadn't given much thought to smoked or barbecued stuff.

8. Some molds cause cancer :-(. The amount of a specific food mold has a direct correlation to liver caner rates in several countries. Mold and fungus have caused cancer in experiments. The "most potent" cancer causing substance is part of a type of mold that can grow on some foods. This books lists these as peanuts, peanut butter, pecans, pistachios, almonds, cornmeal, grits, and cottonseed meal. Make sure they're fresh before you eat them.

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