Cancer (Part 3)

Cancer - Part 3 by Dr. George T. Crabb We have covered a lot of ground over the last two blogs. What I have mentioned are general guidelines for you to consider and research for your own life. The guidelines that I give are to facilitate a healthier lifestyle. I encourage you to seek out medical advice if you have specific questions that relate to you or a loved one. Now for today's blog: No doubt you have heard, time and again, about the dangers of a high-fat, high-sugar, high-sodium diets when it comes to your overall health. But did you know that certain diets are linked to an increased incidence of cancer? This is especially true for the high-fat diet, which is strongly related to colon, rectal, and prostate cancers. There's real hope here, though, because you can definitely reduce the risk of cancer by sticking to a diet that includes high proportions of fruits, vegetables, grains, and beans while limiting the amounts of red meats, dairy products, and other high fat foods. When we eat this healthier diet, we naturally build a strong immune system that defends against cancer. Here's how it happens: We know that hormone-like compounds (prostaglandins) greatly affect our immune systems. (When most people hear the word hormone, they think of sex hormones, such as estrogen. However, the human body has hundreds of hormones that regulate everything from thyroid function to blood sugar levels.) Many different forms of prostaglandins exist; some are beneficial, and some are extremely detrimental. PGE2 is a bad one. PGE2 is a dangerous prostaglandin linked to the formation of prostate, colon and breast cancers. The intake of too much polyunsaturated fat, such as safflower oil, corn oil and sunflower oil will cause an increase of PGE2. A high level of PGE2 can then increase the risk of these forms of cancer. Also, eating insufficient amounts of fish oils, flaxseed oil and essential fatty acids like omega-3 will also cause an increase of PGE2. Conversely, extremely low-fat or no-fat diets tend to increase the PGE2 in our bodies, too. That's why the right balance of essential fatty acids is so crucial. Essential fatty acids (EFAs) like omega-3 cannot be manufactured in the body and must be consumed either through diet or supplements. EFAs help the body repair and create new cells. Omega-3, in particular, is also apparently effective in limiting the spread of cancer. Clearly, EFAs like omega-3 are incredibly beneficial. Here are some omega-3 foods to include in your diet as a way to help prevent and battle cancer: raw nuts (walnuts), flaxseeds and flaxseed oil, fish, (salmon, mackerel, halibut, tuna, herring and cod) and fish oil. Obviously, it's important to know which fats to eat and which ones to avoid when it comes to preventing those harmful prostaglandins I mentioned above. In my desire to keep things simple and practical for you, I'm going to focus on just a few of good fats to pursue in your nutritional plan. These would be olive oil and coconut oil. Believe it or not they can help you fight cancer. Olives and olive oil contain a substance called squalene, which has anticarcinogenic effects. Whenever you have to stir-fry, try using extra-virgin olive oil. Let me draw this section to a conclusion: First, eat fish. Remember that the healthiest fats you can eat are the omega-3 fatty acids, which come primarily from cold-water fish such as salmon, mackerel, tuna, halibut, and cod. My second word of advice is to double dose with flaxseed oil every day. This oil is extremely high in the omega-3 fatty acid called alpha-linolenic acid. Freshly ground flax seeds contain a type of fiber called lignin, which also has anticancer effects. It acts similar to soy in inhibiting the enzyme that converts testosterone or other hormones to estrogen.