Amazing Cancer Stoppers
Every year, more than 1.4 million Americans are diagnosed with cancer. Nearly half of all Americans eventually will get the disease – and about 25% of them will die from it. But there is a powerful way to reduce your risk of getting cancer.
Specific nutrients and foods can help prevent or correct cellular, hormonal and other imbalnace that may lead to cancer. The supplements mentioned here are available at health-food stores and some supermarkets.
Fish Oil
The most common nutritional deficiency in Americans is low eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA). It is one of the omega-3 fatty acids found in the oil of fatty fish, such as salmon and tuna. A healthy diet has a 1:1 ratio of omega-3 to omega-6 fatty acides (found in vegetable oils). The typical American diet has a 1:16 ratio.
EPA helps prevent cancer by improving cell membrane dynamics – the ability of each cell to reeive hormones and signals from other cells while absorbing essential nutrients and expelling was products. EPA also boosts immune function and lowers levels of hormones, such as estradiol, that contribute to breast and other cancers.
Recommendation: One tablespoon of fish oil daily. For capsules, follow dosage recommendations on labels. Take it in the middle of a meal to avoid “fishy” belchin or reflux.
CLA
Another fat that helps prevent cancer is conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), found in the meat and milk of grass-eating animals, such as cattle, sheep and goats. CLA helps build healthy cell membranes, allowing cells to absorb nutrients, process hormones and expel waste. It’s hard to find CLA-rich foods in markets because most livestock in America are fed grain, not grass.
Recommendation: Three grams of CLA a day. You can get that from and 8-ounce serving of grass-fed beef. Look to specialty food stores. On days you don’t eat grass-fed red meat, you can take a CLA supplement – three one-gram soft-gel capsules a day.
Vitamin D
People living in Boston have, on average, double the risk of breast, colon and prostate cancers, compared with residents of San Diego.
Why? Many scientists think it’s because Bostonians, like other northerner, don’t eat enough vitamin D, which is produced when skin is exposed to sun. Vitamin D is one of the most powerful anticancer nutrients. It facilitates the absorption of calcium, a mineral that not only builds strong bones but is also critical for “telegraphic” messages between cells. Poor cell-to-cell communication can contribute to cancer. Studies show that levels of vitamin D in fortified foods rarely equal the claims made on labels. There is a debate as to whether synthetic vitamine D – the kind found in supplements – provides the same cancer protection as the naturally produced variety.
Recommendation: During the summer, get 15 minutes a day of midday sunshine with no sunscreen (without burning) on your face and bare arms. The body stockpiles vitamin D in the liver, so you’re set for the rest of the year.
Vitamin C
In a report published in American Journal of Clinical Nutritional, 33 of 46 studies hsowed that vitamin C protects agains cancer. Cancer feeds on blood sugar (glucose) – and lowering choronically high blood sugar is crucial to preventing cancer. When you get enough vitamin C, you cut in half the amount of blood sugar that enters cells.
Recommendation: 500- 1000 milligrams (mg) of vitamin C a day, in three divided closes, taken with meals. Cancer patients may need higher doses, which usually are given intraveneously. Amalaki is one of the most bioavailable sources of Vitamin C available. See more on Amalaki.
Other ways to normalize blood sugar levels include regular exercise, weight loss and a diet that emphasizes lean meats, beans, nuts and product. Five daily servings of fruits and vegetables nets you 300 mgs of vitamin C.
Selenium
In the four-year Nutritional Preention of Cancer Trial, scientist gave 1,312 participants either 200 micrograms (mcg) of the trace mineral selenium or a placebo. The results showed that selenium lowered the risk of prostate cancer by 63%, colon cancer by 58% and lung cancer by 46%.
Selenium strengthens the immune system, helps repair DNA damage and protects cells against toxins.
Recommendation:
300 mcg of selenium a day. Look for selenomethionine – selenium bound in yeast – which is absorbed the best. A particularly good fod source is Brazil nuts (four nuts provide 200 mcg).
Caution: Selenium supplements in exect of 2000 mcg can actually be toxic to your body.
Green Tea
Literally hundreds of studies have proven that green tea nad its various extacts can prevent and, in some experiments, revers cancer. These extracts work by different mechanisms, among them apoptosis (“programmed cell deat”). In other words, green tea orders cancer cells to commit suicide.
Recommendation: Drink three 8-ounce cups of green tea a day. If you don’t like the taste, take supplements of green tea extract, available in capsules.
Killer Constipation
Chronic Constipation creates toxemia in the color. Cancer-causing chemical from the environment are ingested but not expelled quickly. Normall friendly food-digesting bacteria then produce toxins that end up in the bloodstream.
Recommendation: Get plenty of high-fiber foods, drink 64 ounces of filtered or bottled water a day, and exercise regularly. Prune juice and figs often relieve constipation. Or try a gentle herbal laxative, such as psyllium (Metamucil), following the dosage recommendation on the label.
