How to prevent Cancer
What you should know about cancer
Cancer is the second most common cause of death in the US, accounting for approximately 600,000 lives each year. It is exceeded only by heart diseases, and if current trends continue, is expected to be the leading cause of death by the year 2010. Estimates from the American Cancer Society suggest that about 562,340 cancer deaths are expected to occur in 2009.This means that cancer kills more than 1,500 people each day and is responsible for 1 of every 4 deaths.
In 2007, it was recorded that 7.9 million people died of cancer worldwide. For developed countries, it is the second largest cause of death, beaten only by heart disease. The World Health Organization says that 40% of cancer can be prevented, yet the number of individuals dying of cancer worldwide is increasing every year. Deaths from cancer are highest in the Western world and in those countries that are considered "modern".
How could this be when these countries possess the best technological advancements?
Scientific evidence suggests that about one-third of the 562,340 cancer deaths expected to occur in the US in 2009 will be related to overweight or obesity, physical inactivity, and poor nutrition.
Do you now get the picture? Cancer like many other diseases existing today can be prevented and cured.
How to prevent cancer
There are many types of cancers associated with cigarette smoking
and the heavy use of alcohol. These include: cancers of the oral cavity, esophagus and larynx, cancer of the bladder, kidney, lungs, liver, pancreas and stomach, cancers of the uterine cervix, vulvar and penis, cancers of the blood: leukaemia and multiple myeloma, Bronchioloalveolar carcinoma and cancer of the prostate. The best preventative measures are to stop smoking and drinking altogether.
Those cancers caused by overweight or obesity, physical inactivity, and poor nutrition can also be completely averted.
Cancer Caused by Poor nutrition
Research has revealed that approximately 30% of all cancers are linked to poor nutrition or diet. This should in no way be a contributing factor to cancer since we have total control over what we eat, especially if we live in the developed part of the world.
Think about the food you have eaten for the past week.
- Have you been eating the minimum recommended servings of 5 or more fruits and vegetables daily?
- Do you eat a variety of foods with an emphasis on plant resources?
- Do you eat whole grain instead of processed refined grains and sugars?
- Have you limited your consumption of red processed meats or other meats high in fat and cholesterol?
- Have you stopped consumption of alcohol?
If your answer to these questions is no, then you are placing yourself at risk for developing some type of cancer. Studies have demonstrated that people whose diets are rich in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains have a significantly lower risk of developing many types of cancers and chronic diseases.
Today scientists are not able to point a single cause on a specific cancer because it usually appears from nowhere and affects people of all ages and socioeconomical backgrounds.
In 1952 Dr. Ernest T. Krebs, Jr. discovered nitroliside (also called amygdalin or vitamin B-17) and came to the conclusion that cancer is a deficiency disease like pellagra or scurvy.
By nature vitamin B17 is bitter to the taste and in an attempt to improve the taste and flavor of our foods, we have eliminated bitter substances from our diet altogether. The seed of certain fruits contain high levels of vitamin B-17, which can prove to be very effective in preventing cancer. These include seeds such as:
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Nitroliside or vitamin B-17 is also found in several foods including sprouts, spinach, pinto beans, black-eyed peas, certain berries and nuts. Here is a list of foods containing vitamin B-17.
In 1974, author Edward G. Griffin, published the book World Without Cancer, summarizing and analyzing the work started by Dr. Krebs. Krebs said that there is no cure for cancer, but that natural sources such as vitamin B-17 could help the body get rid of the disease. The American Cancer Society, the American Medical Association and the FDA said it was "quackery" or a scheme to make money. They said that their tests, which were later confirmed to be falsified, prove vitamin B-17, also known as Laetrile, is not effective for treating cancer.
Today over 35 year later, cancer has now become a multi-billion dollar 
industry and in spite of all the research being done, a cure has yet to be found for cancer.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, a 1 percent drop in the cancer death rate would eliminate about $500 billion from U.S. economy over the next hundred years.
Now do you get the picture?
Cancer maybe assisted by lack of exercise
Scientists have estimated that approximately one third of cancers of the colon, breast and kidney are caused by overweight and insufficient physical activity. It is a known fact that cancer cells cannot live in an enriched oxygen environment and can only thrive in a low-oxygen, acid environment. Unlike normal cells that burn oxygen and glucose for
energy, cancer cells burn only glucose, creating lactic acid and carbon monoxide instead of carbon dioxide and water, as normal cells do. One way to get more oxygen to cells is through aerobic exercise: walking, bicycling, swimming, jogging, running, and any form of physical activity. Exercise also helps to prevent or fight cancer by boosting the immune system, which in turn helps repair infection while at the same time giving T-cells a better chance to fight off the disease. If you are not in the habit of doing physical exercise, get a pair of sneakers right now and begin fighting cancer today.
The American Cancer Society recently summed up the current knowledge in this publication.
What is the main conclusion?
While genes influence your risk of cancer, diet and physical activity levels are the most important lifestyle factors that contribute to cancer.
Sources:
American Cancer Society. Cancer Facts & Figures 2009. Atlanta: American Cancer Society; 2009.
http://www.thedietchannel.com/Cancer-Prevention-Can-An-Ideal-Diet-Prevent-Cancer.htm