Cancer Survivor Finds Healthy Answers with New Nutraceutical Research

 

A healthy lifestyle and diet can help in prevention of cancer … National Center for Biotechnology Information

Who hasn’t faced the scourge of cancer in your family? It starts with shock, emotional betrayal, pain, treatment, remission or death and a deep protracted loss for family and community.

My grandfather was a homesteader who never smoked or drank, a lifelong vegetarian who died from bone cancer in a skeletal frame. My brother who never smoked, drank beer the odd time, and grew a yearly garden in his nursery died from bowel cancer within a 3 month diagnosis. My mother died from an aggressive inflammatory breast cancer as a diabetic with less recovery options.

At 62, with no other symptoms other than loosing my appetite, I was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkins lymphoma. I had no idea what a lymph node was or that I had approximately 800. After 6 months of chemotherapy and 3 months of radiation, the doctor says I am in remission after 8 years.

Is cancer a genetic factor in our family? Is damage to the genetic nucleus DNA caused by harmful substances in the environment or food we eat?

Cancer is simply defined as a disease caused by changes to the genes where some of the bodys cells grow uncontrollably and spread to other parts of the body.

Cancer prevention has been progressive with early detection and treatment. Research has included radiation, pap tests, hormone therapies and continues unabated with new cancer immunotherapeutic treatments that focus on using the patients’ own immune system to fight the disease with molecularly targeted therapeutics and adoption of evidence based policies. See cancer progress report.

But still much work needs to be done as it is the second leading cause of death (2 million Americans — 2024). Cancer is a group of diseases that may never be able to cured completely but there is optimism that personalized medicine and smart lifestyle choices will prevail even as researchers predict a 77% increase in 2050.

An estimated one in four cancer cases diagnosed is result of potentially preventable risk factors.

What if, new breakthroughs can go beyond specific cell therapies and clinical trials to increase research on nutraceuticals or plant’s natural phytonutrients or phytochemicals? Without doubt, even now, more scientific research is discovering the potential of nutraceuticals with safe and therapeutic effects.

Nutraceuticals are defined as “products which other than nutrition are also used as medicine … provides protection against chronic disease … improves health, delays the aging process, prevents chronic diseases, increases life expectancy, or supports the structure or function of the body.

So it was with great interest that I noted this article: New Concepts in Nutraceuticals as Alternative for Pharmaceuticals

Currently, new concepts are presented about how nutraceuticals can modify disease implications. There is emphasis on how to present herbal nutraceuticals effective on hard curative disorders related to oxidative stress, including allergy, Alzheimer, cardiovascular, cancer, diabetes, eye, immune, inflammatory and Parkinson’s diseases, as well as obesity.

These recently published papers about different aspects of nutraceuticals as alternatives for pharmaceuticals can be found in scientific sites such as Medline, PubMed and Google Scholar.

As a cancer survivor, I was keen to check out newest data research on cancer and how I can use food or lifestyle choices to prevent a relapse.

Cancer — has emerged as a major public health problem in all countries. Nowadays more high attention is paid on phytochemicals with cancer-preventive properties.

Chemopreventive components in fruits and vegetables, among other beneficial health effect, have potential anticarcinogenic and antimutagenic activities.

Chronic inflammation is associated with a high cancer risk. Chronic inflammation is also associated with immune-suppression, which is a risk factor for cancer.

A healthy lifestyle and diet can help in prevention of cancer … examples

— Carotenoids are a group of phytochemicals responsible for different colors of the foods. They have antioxidant activities with a focused role on lycopene in cancer disease. This linkage between carotenoids and prevention of cancer heightened the importance of vegetable and fruits in human diet.

— Lycopene decreases oxidative stress and concentrates in the prostate, testes, skin and adrenal where it protects against cancer. It is found exclusively in tomatoes, guava, pink grapefruit, water melon and papaya.

— β-carotene has antioxidant activity and prevents cancer and other diseases. It is found in yellow, orange, and green leafy vegetables and fruits such as tomatoes, lettuce, oranges, sweet potatoes, broccoli, cantaloupe, carrots, spinach, and winter squash has anticancer activity.

— Soyfoods are a unique dietary source of isoflavones such as epigallcatechin that possess cancer chemopreventive properties against breast, uterine, lung, colorectal, and prostate cancers.

— Saponins are reported to possibly lower the risk of cancers by preventing cancer cells from growing. They are found peas, soybeans,soapberries, tomatoes, potatoes, alfalfa, spinach, and clover.

— Tannins can scavenge harmful free radicals and detoxify carcinogens. They are present in grapes, lentils, tea, blackberries, blueberries and cranberries as a proven anticarcinogen used in alternative medicine. Ellagic acid, present in walnuts, pecans, strawberries, cranberries, pomegranates and red raspberry seeds, is an anticancer agent.

— Pectin is a soluble fiber found in apples that has been shown to inhibit the cancer cells from adhering to other cells in the body as well as decrease cholesterol levels.

— Glucosinolates from a high intake of cruciferous vegetables have been associated with lower risk of colorectal and lung cancer. They block the enzymes that promote tumor growth, particularly in liver, colon, lung, breast, stomach and esophagus.

— Sulfur compounds called sulforaphane found in garlic is an antioxidant and stimulator of natural detoxifying enzymes that can boost the immune system, reduce platelet stickiness and inhibit breast and prostate cancer

Bottom Line

Large scale trials have shown evidence that various phytochemicals can elevate the levels of antioxidative capacity. However, more investigations are needed to determine their beneficial effects in cancer prevention or treatment. Ongoing trials may help define new avenues for chemoprevention.

It is interesting to note that nutraceuticals, in contrast to pharmaceuticals, are substances, which usually have no patent protection. Both pharmaceutical and nutraceutical compounds might be used to cure or prevent diseases, but only pharmaceutical compounds have governmental sanction. It begs the question if Big Pharma drugs will ever give allowance to Mother Nature.

In the meantime, as a cancer survivor, I pay close attention to the food I eat to make sure I am digesting plenty of whole food phytonutrients with names I don’t know but respect. It is also important to support a strong immune system with trusted bioavailable dietary supplements.

You cannot compromise with cancer; but, perhaps, some competition is possible with phytonutrients.

Comments and questions are always welcome.

Mary (Annemarie) Berukoff

250 304 9710 PST

info@newbetterchoices.com

PS: You can check out research about other chronic cellular diseases with limited cures here.

iStock: seamartini