Following the news last year that former “Good Morning America” host Joan Lunden had announced she had been diagnosed with an aggressive form of breast cancer just two weeks after a mammogram gave her a clean bill of health, mammograms have received bad press once again.

Two recent studies have looked into the effectiveness of mammogram screening and have cast further doubt on whether routine mammography is worthwhile or not.

The first study, published in the April 2014 issue of Journal of the American Medical Association, was conducted by Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women’s Hospital. It examined five decades of data, identifying the mortality benefits and harms of mammography screening. Unfortunately the results were worrying.

Yes, the study found that mammograms decreased a woman’s risk of dying from breast cancer by an average of 19 percent, but the same amount of the cancers found and treated were actually not life-threatening and did not need to be treated.

The researchers have instead suggested that there is a need for a more personalized approach to breast cancer screening, particularly in regards to younger women. USA Today noted that the research estimated that

“for every 10,000 women in their 40s who undergo annual mammograms for 10 years, 190 will be diagnosed with breast cancer. But only five of those women would avoid dying of breast cancer as a result of the screening. Of the remainder, about 25 would die despite being treated, and 36 would be treated unnecessarily because the cancer wouldn’t have become life-threatening.

For women in their 50s, 10 breast-cancer deaths would be averted for every 10,000 women screened annually for 10 years. For women in their 60s, 42 breast-cancer deaths would be averted. But as many as 137 women in their 50s, and 194 in their 60s would be diagnosed and treated unnecessarily.“

The researchers suggested that routine mammograms lead to frequent over-diagnosis of cancer along with over-treatment, or even mistreatment, and the harm of mammograms might actually outweigh the benefits. In any case, they argue, mammography misses 20 to 40 percent of cancers.

The second study is just as damning. This one involved 1.8 million Norwegian women diagnosed with breast cancer between 1987 and 2010, and was published in the March 2014 issue of The European Journal of Public Health.

For some reason, researchers were able to identify that among women aged 50 to 69 years of age, breast cancer screening is associated with a significantly higher incidence of early stage, lower lethality cancer (221 percent) and higher rates of late-stage, more advanced breast cancer (35 percent) in comparison to those women who did not receive mammogram screenings.

Sayer Ji of GreenMedInfo has explained that many ‘so-called ‘early stage cancers’ are not cancer at all, but benign or indolent growths so millions of women are wrongly diagnosed with ‘breast cancer’.

What Does This Mean for Mammography? So, has mammography screening been oversold? The British Journal of Medicine (February 2014) reported a Canadian study that concluded annual mammography does not reduce your risk of dying from breast cancer if you’re a woman between the ages of 40 and 59.

Dr. Gilbert Welch, co-author of Effect of Three Decades of Screening Mammography on Breast-Cancer Incidence has highlighted that while the number of women diagnosed with early breast cancer has approximately doubled, there has been very little change in breast cancer rates among younger women (under 40), suggesting there has not been a dramatic change in the underlying amount of breast cancer, and there has not been a compensatory decrease in the number of women presenting with late-stage breast cancer, which is much more lethal. Welch claims that the logical conclusion is that the extra cancers we see today result from the screening itself and that mammograms are detecting “cancers” that are never going to appear.

In 2011 a “new and improved” type of mammogram called 3D tomosynthesis was launched which exposes women to higher doses of radiation than a standard mammogram, but surely using a cancer screening method that causes the very disease it’s supposed to prevent cannot be considered progress?

Are Deodorant and Underwire Bras Possible Causes of Breast Cancer Causes?  It has long been thought that chemicals in deodorant, and even underwire bras, could contribute to breast cancer risk and a recent paper looking at Scottish women diagnosed with breast cancer three decades apart (between 1957-1959 and 1997-1999) has found this to be the case. The causes of cancer in the Upper Quadrant of the breast near the arm pit could be as a result of repetitive trauma – from blocked sweat ducts from antiperspirants and deodorants, and skin damage from shaving. This can lead to cysts and these are linked to increased cancer risk, while the chemicals and additives in antiperspirants and deodorants, include parabens and aluminium salts, may cause cancer.

So How Can You Lower Your Cancer Risk?  Good strategies for prevention include:

• Avoiding refined sugar, especially from fructose, and processed foods.
• Optimizing your vitamin D levels through exposure to the sun.
• Limiting protein. You need enough protein for cellular turnover and muscle maintenance, but no more. An ideal amount is one gram of protein per kilogram of lean body mass, or roughly a bit less than half a gram of protein per every pound of lean body weight –usually around 40 to 70 grams of protein a day.
• Avoid unfermented soy products which are high in plant oestrogens, or phytoestrogens, also known as isoflavones. It is believed that these can increase breast cell proliferation – leading to mutations and cancerous cells.
• Improve your insulin and leptin receptor sensitivity by avoiding sugar and grains and restricting carbs to fibre vegetables.
• Exercise regularly as it lowers your cancer risk by driving your insulin levels down.
  Maintain a healthy body weight.
• Drink a pint to a quart of organic green vegetable juice daily.
• Consider curcumin, the active ingredient in turmeric that is thought to be a very useful treatment for cancer.
• Limit or avoid alcohol
• Consider avoiding synthetic hormone replacement therapy. According to a study published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, breast cancer rates for women dropped in tandem with decreased use of hormone replacement therapy.
• Ensure you are not iodine deficient, as there is some evidence linking iodine deficiency with certain forms of cancer. See Dr. David Brownstein’s book, Iodine: Why You Need It, Why You Can’t Live Without It.
• Don’t burn your food. Charcoal or flame-broiled meat is linked with increased breast cancer risk. Acrylamide—a carcinogen created when starchy foods are baked, roasted, or fried—has been found to increase cancer risk as well.

Written by: Lloyd Jenkins PHD, ND

Many cancer patients become afraid after a diagnosis because they really don't know what to eat.  Some may stop eating because they fear that what they do eat will feed the cancer cells and make the cancer grow.  If a person with cancer doesn't consume the right foods in abundance, they may soon find themselves in a very vulnerable state.   

We know that sugar feeds cancer.  Staying away from sugar and high glycemic foods is the first step.  Foods that come in packages with ingredients listed that you cannot pronounce should not be consumed.  God created many wholesome foods for us to eat, fresh vegetables, fruits, grains, beans, sea vegetables, nuts & seeds.  

Cancer patients need to build thier immune systems so their bodies can withstand and fight off various types of illness and disease. Its scary to hear people say they have just stopped eating or eat very little. Nutrition is the only thing that will give the body what it needs to fight the disease and regain health. If you limit quality nutrition, it can actually allow the cancer or the disease to become stronger. 

Severe malnutrition and weight loss play a role in at least one in five cancer deaths.  About half of all cancer patients eventually suffer serious weight loss and malnutrition, a wasting syndrome called “cachexia” where they don’t just lose excess fat but vital muscle. A healthy person’s body adjusts when it doesn’t get enough calories, slowing metabolism to conserve nutrients. A person who has cancer doesn’t make that adjustment and their metabolism may even speed up. Absorption and assimilation of proteins, carbohydrates and fats in people with cancer is compromised.

The National Cancer Institute estimates cachexia (loss of weight, muscle atrophy, fatigue, weakness, and significant loss of appetite) is the immediate cause of death for at least 20 percent of people with cancer although advanced cancer might have eventually claimed many of them.

Flooding the body with nutrition from the start can prevent not only cachexia, but can create such a strong immune system that it will empower the body to fight the battle against the cancer resulting in the healing of the body. Isn't it amazing the body God designed and gave us is capable of healing itself when we nourish it properly!

The quality of life for someone with cancer who is consuming large amounts of daily freshly extracted vegetable juices and lots of fresh vegetables and leafy greens, whether in salads or blended into pureed salads, is likely to feel less pain, quicker recovery time, and improved outlook in health and life.

If the cancer steals your appetite and you have nausea then small amounts of freshly extracted vegetable juices can give great relief. Dehydration is just as deadly as cancer. Consistently providing small amounts of juices will help the body stay hydrated, and provide the nourishment needed without exacerbating nausea.   Ginger has been used for thousands of years for nausea, make a ginger tea with ginger essential oil, OR a peppermint tea which will be helpful.  You can place a drop or two of peppermint oil on a tissue and inhale the scent when you feel nauseated, or put the oils in a diffuser.  To learn more about oils click HERE

Cancer patients receive these and many useful tips when working with a Certified Cancer Coach.  We understand that nutrition and what to eat when you have an illness such as cancer can be very confusing, its important to eat nutrient dense foods that will give you strength and healing.    

You must eat!  Include Nutritious greens, vegetables, low glycemic fruits, 50-80% raw foods, healthy vegan proteins, seeds, beans, lentils, garlic, onions, leeks, cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower.  Try to include sea vegetables daily, nori, wakame, kombu, dulse and kelp.  If you do eat fish, make sure it is Pacific Wild Caught Fish only.  Although fish oils have been found to protect us from cancer, fish act as reservoirs of toxic environmental chemicals that circulate on global air currents and fall into our rivers and oceans as rain.

Cancer patients are also encouraged to consume turmeric daily as it has anti tumor and anti inflammatory activity.  It improves liver enzymes to detoxify, relieves intestinal gas and is cleansing to the blood and skin. Shitake Mushrooms have been found to increase the numbers of macrophages, t-killer cells and t-helper cells.   If you are not allergic to tomatoes, try to eat some everyday.  Tomatoes have lycopene which is a form of carotene and a good antioxidant.   It is 5 times more bio-available when tomatoes are cooked and olive oil improves the absorption of lycopene.     

For a personalized nutrition plan and cancer coaching services, contact Lynn today.  Log onto www.cancerhealthcoach.ca to learn more about services for cancer patients.

Cancer is one of the leading causes of death. What if there was a safe, natural herb that could work for nearly every type of cancer?  
According to Dr. William LaValley, who focuses most of his clinical work on the treatment of cancer, curcumin—a derivative of turmeric, and the pigment that gives the curry spice turmeric its yellow-orange color—may fit the bill. It's a natural compound that has been extensively researched, and has been found to have numerous health applications.

Like me, Dr. LaValley was trained in general medicine, but he's devoted a considerable amount of time to understanding the biochemical pathways that can support health nutritionally.

In 1982, he participated in an exchange program to the People's Republic of China, where he got first-hand experience with the ancient practices of traditional Chinese medicine and acupuncture.

"One of the important messages that I learned there was that natural products, natural molecules, from plants and animals that are already available in nature, have been used by the Chinese for at least hundreds, probably thousands of years. That deeply changed my perspective in the world of medicine," he says.

"I came back to medical school, and thereafter, looked at how I could integrate the perspective of conventional pharmaceutical administration as well as natural extract, natural product administration."

Curcumin Has Potent Anti-Cancer Activity  In 2005, he took a 75 percent sabbatical from clinical practice to immerse himself in the science of molecular biology, specifically the molecular biology of cancer. He also devoted approximately 9,000-9,500 hours building a relational database from the PubMed literature about the molecular biology of cancer.

One important lesson he learned through that venture is that the understanding of molecular biology can be applied across a range of diseases and symptoms described in the scientific literature. That knowledge can be applied by searching PubMed and other related databases, looking at the relevant molecular pathways involved.

"In learning the molecular biology of cancer pathways, and in learning that what the evidence actually shows for the effect of natural product extracts on various relevant molecular targets in various cancers, we see that there's actually quite a large amount of evidence that supports using various molecules, natural products, and pharmaceuticals that are already approved and that have been around for a long time to affect anti-cancer activity along that pathway at that target. That's called molecularly targeted anti-cancer treatment, and it's widely practiced in oncology today.

What's not widely practiced is the use of the natural products for the molecularly targeted anti-cancer activity. I provide that for my patients because the evidence base suggests and supports the use of these treatment recommendations."

Curcumin—A 'Universal' Cancer Treatment? Interestingly, curcumin appears to be universally useful for just about every type of cancer, which is really odd since cancer consists of a wide variety of different molecular pathologies. You wouldn't necessarily suspect that there would be one herb that would work for most of them. Dr. LaValley explains how he came to this conclusion:

"I went back to the literature and looked at how I can support the decision-making process and the recommendations that I'm making for treatment from the scientific literature, including literature that goes from the treatment of humans with oral products like pharmaceuticals or natural products.

This is where I learned about this molecule called curcumin, all the way down to its use in animals and then its use in test tubes or petri dish... One of the amazing things about curcumin is that this molecule has some profound anti-inflammatory activity and has activity in many molecular targets.

There are molecules that are in the cells, and those molecules interact with each other along certain pathways or tracks. The traffic of that interaction, the signals that are transferred in that trafficking of information in the molecules, presents many different targets or molecular-specific complexes."

As explained by Dr. LaValley, whether the curcumin molecule causes an increase in traffic or activity of a particular molecular target, or a decrease/inhibition of activity, studies repeatedly show that the end result is a potent anti-cancer activity. Furthermore, curcumin does not adversely affect healthy cells, suggesting it selectively targets cancer cells. Research has also shown that it works synergistically with certain chemotherapy drugs, enhancing the elimination of cancer cells.

Curcumin Destroys Cancer in Multiple Ways  Curcumin has the most evidence-based literature1 supporting its use against cancer of any nutrient, including vitamin D, which also has a robust base. Interestingly, this also includes the metabolite of curcumin and its derivatives, which are also anti-cancerous.

Curcumin has the ability to modulate genetic activity and expression—both by destroying cancer cells and by promoting healthy cell function. It also promotes anti-angiogenesis, meaning it helps prevent the development of additional blood supply necessary for cancer cell growth. As for its effect on molecular pathways, curcumin can affect more than 100 of them, once it gets into the cell. More specifically, curcumin has been found to:

Inhibit the proliferation of tumor cellsDecrease inflammationInhibit the transformation of cells from normal to tumorInhibit the synthesis of a protein thought to be instrumental in tumor formationHelp your body destroy mutated cancer cells so they cannot spread throughout your bodyHelp prevent the development of additional blood supply necessary for cancer cell growth (angiogenesis)Why Whole Turmeric Is IneffectiveUnfortunately, while there's some curcumin in whole turmeric, there's not enough in the regular spice to achieve clinically relevant results. The turmeric root itself contains only about three percent curcumin concentration. Another major limitation of curcumin as a therapeutic agent is that it is poorly absorbed. When taken in its raw form, you're only absorbing about one percent of the available curcumin.

"The natural product industry has developed a standard of a 95-percent concentration of curcumin," Dr. LaValley explains. "Initially, years ago, that was what we had available for patients. Even at that, taking a 95-percent concentration orally in a capsule, only one percent of that could be absorbed. In order to get amounts of curcumin in the bloodstream that are reasonable to have therapeutic effect, people had to take large amounts of curcumin...

In searching the literature, I found that a way to change that, to dramatically increase the bioavailability, is actually a very simple process of bringing water to a boil, putting those capsules or some dry powder (I use it by the teaspoon), and boiling it for 10 to 12 minutes. That increases the amount of curcumin dissolved in water from that one-percent amount up to 12 percent or so. That amount is a vast number of curcumin molecules that are now in a bioavailable or absorbable form."

However, while this is certainly doable, it's really inconvenient, and great care must be taken to prevent staining your clothes and kitchen surfaces. It's a significant enough problem to have been dubbed "yellow kitchen syndrome," as it's virtually impossible to get the stains out. Turmeric is in fact an excellent dyeing agent for fabrics, rendering them a yellow-orange color.

Convenience and efficiency has driven many of the changes in the forms of curcumin in later years. Because it's a fat-loving or lipophilic molecule, many newer preparations now include some sort of oil or fat, which improves its absorbability and bioavailability. Such preparations typically have seven to eight times higher absorption than the raw, unprocessed 95-percent-concentration of dry powder. There are also newer sustained release preparations, which Dr. LaValley prefers and recommends.

The Connection Between Cancer and Insulin Resistance  If you are overweight, or have high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and/or diabetes, then in all likelihood insulin and leptin resistance is a factor. Insulin and leptin resistance is also a very common factor among cancer patients. From my perspective, a ketogenic diet (with or without intermittent fasting) would be a prudent treatment strategy to resolve that underlying problem. Once you've normalized your insulin and leptin, you don't necessarily need to maintain a ketogenic diet, if you find it too restrictive.

"I agree with you that a ketogenic diet is really appropriate in many cases, probably the significant majority of cases," Dr. LaValley says. "It's been known for probably 80 years or longer that solid tumors, and some of the blood cancers, are sugar-loving. Another term is that they are addicted to sugar.

I use [a] PET scan to demonstrate to patients that here is objective proof that the tumors you have in your body are sugar-avid. They're taking up sugar at a rate much higher than the other regular healthy cells. I want to drive home that message, so that they are motivated to alter their diet to have a low, low carb intake, causing their body to generate additional nutrient supply molecules called ketones...

What that means is that we're trying to provide an anti-cancer antagonistic pressure on the cancer cells by reducing the amount of sugar that's readily available for uptake by reducing the easily available sugar in the diet and compensating for the nutrient reduction and sugar [reduction] by increasing healthy fats."

Cutting Down on Protein May Be Particularly Useful for Cancer Patients.  It would also be prudent to assess your protein intake. Many Americans eat far more protein than required for optimal health. The reason for this is because your body can actually use excess protein (you do need some) to stimulate carbohydrate production. Excess protein also stimulates the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) pathways, which are useful for building muscles but can be detrimental when treating cancer, as mTOR is a pathway that increases cellular proliferation. (Interestingly, the pharmaceutical drug Metformin, which has anti-cancer activity, also inhibits mTOR, and it turns out that curcumin has a very similar effect.)

The formula I recommend for assessing how much protein you might need in your diet is from Dr. Rosedale, which calls for one gram of high-quality protein per kilogram of lean body mass, or about half a gram per pound of lean body mass.

As an example, if your body fat mass is 20 percent, your lean mass is 80 percent of your total body weight. So, if your total weight is 200 pounds; you would then divide 160 by 2.2 to convert pounds to kilograms and come up with 72.7 grams of protein. If you are doing vigorous exercises or are pregnant, you can add up to another 25 percent or another 18 grams in this illustration to increase your total to 90 grams per day.

More Information  Dr. LaValley is available for consultation on a wide variety of health challenges, including cancer, and he's licensed to practice medicine in the US and Canada. His medical clinic is located in Chester, Nova Scotia, where he sees patients. His office number is 902-275-4555. He also spends time in Austin, Texas, where he conducts research. When there, he's available to consult for other physicians and their patients.

"For instance, if a patient has pancreatic cancer and the physician wants to implement one of the protocols that I provide, I will do a consultation with that physician's patient and then make recommendations to that physician for implementation,"  he explains. "In that way, patients are able to get it locally without having to travel to Nova Scotia...

It's a challenge right now because there's so much information that's not readily known by so many physicians that they become afraid. I think one of the biggest issues, certainly in US and Canada, is that when a physician wants to administer one of these natural products, or several of them, as well as some of the off-label pharmaceuticals for their anti-cancer usage, they are afraid of recriminations or disciplinary actions.

That is, I think, very unfortunate, because the evidence base does exist for it, and it's consistent with the way that other types of conventional medicine or practice using off-label pharmaceuticals as well. I think that the most important movement that needs to occur is for the patients to recognize their own value in the decision-making process and demand that they have access to these therapeutic choices because they're available, they're supported in the evidence base, and they have the right to ask for them rather than to just accept whatever the physician is otherwise offering in the conventional realm."

Another supplement you should be taking is Vitamin D.  Here are 15 amazing health benefits of Vitamin D and the best Vitamin D foods.: from.... https://www.jenreviews.com/vitamin-d/

Brought to you by Cancer Health Coach, Lynn Thier, www.cancerhealthcoach.ca  
Written by Dr. Mercola and Dr. LaValley

Sources and References - 1 Greenmedinfo.com, Curcumin
Other sources:

• http://www.umm.edu/altmed/articles/turmeric-000277.htm#ixzz29O8KFkvy
• http://www.kew.org/plant-cultures/plants/turmeric_landing.html
• http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=78#historyuse
• http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/spices-and-herbs/212/2
• http://botanical.com/site/by_you/article_tumeric/turmeric.html

 
Pub Med Research References:

• http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23023821, Curcumin induces apoptosis of triple-negative breast cancer cells by inhibition of EGFR expression, Oct. 2012
• http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22151933, Topical vesicular formulations of Curcuma longa extract on recuperating the ultraviolet radiation-damaged skin.
• http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2435036, Turmeric and curcumin as topical agents in cancer therapy, Oct. 2012

During the last 10 years I have worked with more than 500 cancer patients as director of nutrition for Cancer Treatment Centers of America in Tulsa, Okla. It puzzles me why the simple concept "sugar feeds cancer" can be so dramatically overlooked as part of a comprehensive cancer treatment plan.

Of the 4 million cancer patients being treated in America today, hardly any are offered any scientifically guided nutrition therapy beyond being told to "just eat good foods." Most patients I work with arrive with a complete lack of nutritional advice. I believe many cancer patients would have a major improvement in their outcome if they controlled the supply of cancer's preferred fuel, glucose. By slowing the cancer's growth, patients allow their immune systems and medical debulking therapies -- chemotherapy, radiation and surgery to reduce the bulk of the tumor mass -- to catch up to the disease. Controlling one's blood-glucose levels through diet, supplements, exercise, meditation and prescription drugs when necessary can be one of the most crucial components to a cancer recovery program. The sound bite -- sugar feeds cancer -- is simple. The explanation is a little more complex.

The 1931 Nobel laureate in medicine, German Otto Warburg, Ph.D., first discovered that cancer cells have a fundamentally different energy metabolism compared to healthy cells. The crux of his Nobel thesis was that malignant tumors frequently exhibit an increase in anaerobic glycolysis -- a process whereby glucose is used as a fuel by cancer cells with lactic acid as an anaerobic byproduct -- compared to normal tissues.1 The large amount of lactic acid produced by this fermentation of glucose from cancer cells is then transported to the liver. This conversion of glucose to lactate generates a lower, more acidic pH in cancerous tissues as well as overall physical fatigue from lactic acid buildup.2,3 Thus, larger tumors tend to exhibit a more acidic pH.4

This inefficient pathway for energy metabolism yields only 2 moles of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) energy per mole of glucose, compared to 38 moles of ATP in the complete aerobic oxidation of glucose. By extracting only about 5 percent (2 vs. 38 moles of ATP) of the available energy in the food supply and the body's calorie stores, the cancer is "wasting" energy, and the patient becomes tired and undernourished. This vicious cycle increases body wasting.5 It is one reason why 40 percent of cancer patients die from malnutrition, or cachexia.6

Hence, cancer therapies should encompass regulating blood-glucose levels via diet, supplements, non-oral solutions for cachectic patients who lose their appetite, medication, exercise, gradual weight loss and stress reduction. Professional guidance and patient self-discipline are crucial at this point in the cancer process. The quest is not to eliminate sugars or carbohydrates from the diet but rather to control blood glucose within a narrow range to help starve the cancer and bolster immune function.

The glycemic index is a measure of how a given food affects blood-glucose levels, with each food assigned a numbered rating. The lower the rating, the slower the digestion and absorption process, which provides a healthier, more gradual infusion of sugars into the bloodstream. Conversely, a high rating means blood-glucose levels are increased quickly, which stimulates the pancreas to secrete insulin to drop blood-sugar levels. This rapid fluctuation of blood-sugar levels is unhealthy because of the stress it places on the body (see glycemic index chart, p. 166).

Sugar in the Body and Diet
Sugar is a generic term used to identify simple carbohydrates, which includes monosaccharides such as fructose, glucose and galactose; and disaccharides such as maltose and sucrose (white table sugar). Think of these sugars as different-shaped bricks in a wall. When fructose is the primary monosaccharide brick in the wall, the glycemic index registers as healthier, since this simple sugar is slowly absorbed in the gut, then converted to glucose in the liver. This makes for "time-release foods," which offer a more gradual rise and fall in blood-glucose levels. If glucose is the primary monosaccharide brick in the wall, the glycemic index will be higher and less healthy for the individual. As the brick wall is torn apart in digestion, the glucose is pumped across the intestinal wall directly into the bloodstream, rapidly raising blood-glucose levels. In other words, there is a "window of efficacy" for glucose in the blood: levels too low make one feel lethargic and can create clinical hypoglycemia; levels too high start creating the rippling effect of diabetic health problems.

The 1997 American Diabetes Association blood-glucose standards consider 126 mg glucose/dL blood or greater to be diabetic; 126 mg/dL is impaired glucose tolerance and less than 110 mg/dL is considered normal. Meanwhile, the Paleolithic diet of our ancestors, which consisted of lean meats, vegetables and small amounts of whole grains, nuts, seeds and fruits, is estimated to have generated blood glucose levels between 60 and 90 mg/dL.7 Obviously, today's high-sugar diets are having unhealthy effects as far as blood-sugar is concerned. Excess blood glucose may initiate yeast overgrowth, blood vessel deterioration, heart disease and other health conditions.8

Understanding and using the glycemic index is an important aspect of diet modification for cancer patients. However, there is also evidence that sugars may feed cancer more efficiently than starches (comprised of long chains of simple sugars), making the index slightly misleading. A study of rats fed diets with equal calories from sugars and starches, for example, found the animals on the high-sugar diet developed more cases of breast cancer.9 The glycemic index is a useful tool in guiding the cancer patient toward a healthier diet, but it is not infallible. By using the glycemic index alone, one could be led to thinking a cup of white sugar is healthier than a baked potato. This is because the glycemic index rating of a sugary food may be lower than that of a starchy food. To be safe, I recommend less fruit, more vegetables, and little to no refined sugars in the diet of cancer patients.

What the Literature Says
A mouse model of human breast cancer demonstrated that tumors are sensitive to blood-glucose levels. Sixty-eight mice were injected with an aggressive strain of breast cancer, then fed diets to induce either high blood-sugar (hyperglycemia), normoglycemia or low blood-sugar (hypoglycemia). There was a dose-dependent response in which the lower the blood glucose, the greater the survival rate. After 70 days, 8 of 24 hyperglycemic mice survived compared to 16 of 24 normoglycemic and 19 of 20 hypoglycemic.10 This suggests that regulating sugar intake is key to slowing breast tumor growth (see chart, p. 164).

In a human study, 10 healthy people were assessed for fasting blood-glucose levels and the phagocytic index of neutrophils, which measures immune-cell ability to envelop and destroy invaders such as cancer. Eating 100 g carbohydrates from glucose, sucrose, honey and orange juice all significantly decreased the capacity of neutrophils to engulf bacteria. Starch did not have this effect.11

A four-year study at the National Institute of Public Health and Environmental Protection in the Netherlands compared 111 biliary tract cancer patients with 480 controls. Cancer risk associated with the intake of sugars, independent of other energy sources, more than doubled for the cancer patients.12 Furthermore, an epidemiological study in 21 modern countries that keep track of morbidity and mortality (Europe, North America, Japan and others) revealed that sugar intake is a strong risk factor that contributes to higher breast cancer rates, particularly in older women.13

Limiting sugar consumption may not be the only line of defense. In fact, an interesting botanical extract from the avocado plant (Persea americana) is showing promise as a new cancer adjunct. When a purified avocado extract called mannoheptulose was added to a number of tumor cell lines tested in vitro by researchers in the Department of Biochemistry at Oxford University in Britain, they found it inhibited tumor cell glucose uptake by 25 to 75 percent, and it inhibited the enzyme glucokinase responsible for glycolysis. It also inhibited the growth rate of the cultured tumor cell lines. The same researchers gave lab animals a 1.7 mg/g body weight dose of mannoheptulose for five days; it reduced tumors by 65 to 79 percent.14 Based on these studies, there is good reason to believe that avocado extract could help cancer patients by limiting glucose to the tumor cells.

Since cancer cells derive most of their energy from anaerobic glycolysis, Joseph Gold, M.D., director of the Syracuse (N.Y.) Cancer Research Institute and former U.S. Air Force research physician, surmised that a chemical called hydrazine sulfate, used in rocket fuel, could inhibit the excessive gluconeogenesis (making sugar from amino acids) that occurs in cachectic cancer patients. Gold's work demonstrated hydrazine sulfate's ability to slow and reverse cachexia in advanced cancer patients. A placebo-controlled trial followed 101 cancer patients taking either 6 mg hydrazine sulfate three times/day or placebo. After one month, 83 percent of hydrazine sulfate patients increased their weight, compared to 53 percent on placebo.15 A similar study by the same principal researchers, partly funded by the National Cancer Institute in Bethesda, Md., followed 65 patients. Those who took hydrazine sulfate and were in good physical condition before the study began lived an average of 17 weeks longer.16

In 1990, I called the major cancer hospitals in the country looking for some information on the crucial role of total parenteral nutrition (TPN) in cancer patients. Some 40 percent of cancer patients die from cachexia.5 Yet many starving cancer patients are offered either no nutritional support or the standard TPN solution developed for intensive care units. The solution provides 70 percent of the calories going into the bloodstream in the form of glucose. All too often, I believe, these high-glucose solutions for cachectic cancer patients do not help as much as would TPN solutions with lower levels of glucose and higher levels of amino acids and lipids. These solutions would allow the patient to build strength and would not feed the tumor.17

The medical establishment may be missing the connection between sugar and its role in tumorigenesis. Consider the million-dollar positive emission tomography device, or PET scan, regarded as one of the ultimate cancer-detection tools. PET scans use radioactively labeled glucose to detect sugar-hungry tumor cells. PET scans are used to plot the progress of cancer patients and to assess whether present protocols are effective.18

In Europe, the "sugar feeds cancer" concept is so well accepted that oncologists, or cancer doctors, use the Systemic Cancer Multistep Therapy (SCMT) protocol. Conceived by Manfred von Ardenne in Germany in 1965, SCMT entails injecting patients with glucose to increase blood-glucose concentrations. This lowers pH values in cancer tissues via lactic acid formation. In turn, this intensifies the thermal sensitivity of the malignant tumors and also induces rapid growth of the cancer. Patients are then given whole-body hyperthermia (42 C core temperature) to further stress the cancer cells, followed by chemotherapy or radiation.19 SCMT was tested on 103 patients with metastasized cancer or recurrent primary tumors in a clinical phase-I study at the Von Ardenne Institute of Applied Medical Research in Dresden, Germany. Five-year survival rates in SCMT-treated patients increased by 25 to 50 percent, and the complete rate of tumor regression increased by 30 to 50 percent.20 The protocol induces rapid growth of the cancer, then treats the tumor with toxic therapies for a dramatic improvement in outcome.

The irrefutable role of glucose in the growth and metastasis of cancer cells can enhance many therapies. Some of these include diets designed with the glycemic index in mind to regulate increases in blood glucose, hence selectively starving the cancer cells; low-glucose TPN solutions; avocado extract to inhibit glucose uptake in cancer cells; hydrazine sulfate to inhibit gluconeogenesis in cancer cells; and SCMT.

A female patient in her 50s, with lung cancer, came to our clinic, having been given a death sentence by her Florida oncologist. She was cooperative and understood the connection between nutrition and cancer. She changed her diet considerably, leaving out 90 percent of the sugar she used to eat. She found that wheat bread and oat cereal now had their own wild sweetness, even without added sugar. With appropriately restrained medical therapy -- including high-dose radiation targeted to tumor sites and fractionated chemotherapy, a technique that distributes the normal one large weekly chemo dose into a 60-hour infusion lasting days -- a good attitude and an optimal nutrition program, she beat her terminal lung cancer. I saw her the other day, five years later and still disease-free, probably looking better than the doctor who told her there was no hope.

Patrick Quillin, Ph.D., R.D., C.N.S., is director of nutrition for Cancer Treatment Centers of America in Tulsa, Okla., and author of Beating Cancer With Nutrition (Nutrition Times Press, 1998).

References1. Warburg O. On the origin of cancer cells. Science 1956 Feb;123:309-14.

2. Volk T, et al. pH in human tumor xenografts: effect of intravenous administration of glucose. Br J Cancer 1993 Sep;68(3):492-500.

3.Digirolamo M. Diet and cancer: markers, prevention and treatment. New York: Plenum Press; 1994. p 203.

4. Leeper DB, et al. Effect of i.v. glucose versus combined i.v. plus oral glucose on human tumor extracellular pH for potential sensitization to thermoradiotherapy. Int J Hyperthermia 1998 May-Jun;14(3):257-69.

5. Rossi-Fanelli F, et al. Abnormal substrate metabolism and nutritional strategies in cancer management. JPEN J Parenter Enteral Nutr 1991 Nov-Dec;15(6):680-3.

6. Grant JP. Proper use and recognized role of TPN in the cancer patient. Nutrition 1990 Jul-Aug;6(4 Suppl):6S-7S, 10S.

7. Brand-Miller J, et al. The glucose revolution. Newport (RI) Marlowe and Co.; 1999.

8. Mooradian AD, et al. Glucotoxicity: potential mechanisms. Clin Geriatr Med 1999 May;15(2):255.

9. Hoehn, SK, et al. Complex versus simple carbohydrates and mammary tumors in mice. Nutr Cancer 1979;1(3):27.

10. Santisteban GA, et al. Glycemic modulation of tumor tolerance in a mouse model of breast cancer. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 1985 Nov 15;132(3):1174-9.

11. Sanchez A, et al. Role of sugars in human neutrophilic phagocytosis. Am J Clin Nutr 1973 Nov;26(11):1180-4.

12. Moerman CJ, et al. Dietary sugar intake in the aetiology of biliary tract cancer. Int J Epidemiol 1993 Apr;22(2):207-14.

13. Seeley S. Diet and breast cancer: the possible connection with sugar consumption. Med Hypotheses 1983 Jul;11(3):319-27.

14. Board M, et al. High Km glucose-phosphorylating (glucokinase) activities in a range of tumor cell lines and inhibition of rates of tumor growth by the specific enzyme inhibitor mannoheptulose. Cancer Res 1995 Aug 1;55(15):3278-85.

15. Chlebowski RT, et al. Hydrazine sulfate in cancer patients with weight loss. A placebo-controlled clinical experience. Cancer 1987 Feb 1;59(3):406-10.

16. Chlebowski RT, et al. Hydrazine sulfate influence on nutritional status and survival in non-small-cell lung cancer. J Clin Oncol 1990 Jan;8(1):9-15.

17. American College of Physicians. Parenteral nutrition in patients receiving cancer chemotherapy. Ann Intern Med 1989 May;110(9):734.

18. Gatenby RA. Potential role of FDG-PET imaging in understanding tumor-host interaction. J Nucl Med 1995 May;36(5):893-9.

19. von Ardenne M. Principles and concept 1993 of the Systemic Cancer Multistep Therapy (SCMT). Extreme whole-body hyperthermia using the infrared-A technique IRATHERM 2000 -- selective thermosensitisation by hyperglycemia -- circulatory back-up by adapted hyperoxemia. Strahlenther Onkol 1994 Oct;170(10):581-9.

20. Steinhausen D, et al. Evaluation of systemic tolerance of 42.0 degrees C infrared-A whole-body hyperthermia in combination with hyperglycemia and hyperoxemia. A Phase-I study. Strahlenther Onkol 1994 Jun;170(6):322-34.

by Patrick Quillin, PHD, RD, CNS
From The April 2000 Issue of Nutrition Science News

As the weather begins to warm up, many people start thinking about one of their favorite summertime activities: cooking on the backyard grill. It is fun to throw a few burgers on the grill and spend some time outside with family and friends, but is it possible that these meal choices are having a negative impact on your health?

Myths about Meat and a Healthy Diet
It is common for people to think that the only way they can follow a healthy diet is by including meat with their meals, because meat contains the 8 essential amino acids that the body needs. But, the truth is that these essential amino acids can be found in plant foods as well, and there are plenty of great plant protein sources that can be consumed so that you can avoid the health dangers of consuming meat.

Shopping for meat at the grocery store is very different than the meat that our grandparents ate. Today, animals that are commercially produced are fed with corn instead of grass, and the feed contains harmful additives such as herbicides, pesticides, antibiotics, and growth hormones. These animals are sick because they are kept in tight pens and unhealthy living conditions. If you want to protect your health, then you need to stay far away from meat that was produced using the modern-day, conventional methods.

Meat Consumption is Linked with Cancer
There are a number of research studies that show the connection between meat consumption and the development of cancer. One of the largest studies was completed by T. Colin Campbell, Ph.D, and the findings can be read in his book The China Study. Other recent studies have uncovered the same information.

A number of people now believe that meat is one of the most toxic foods that can be consumed. When the animal eats the feed that contains pesticides, herbicides, antibiotics, and growth hormones, those elements are collected in high concentration in the meat. Then, we eat it and introduce those harmful elements into our own bodies.

Meat is such as big part of our modern diet, and it is playing a role in the increasing rates of cancer. If you want to reduce your risk of cancer, then one lifestyle change that you need to make is to decrease your consumption of meat.

There are many alternatives to burgers, steaks and chicken that can be cooked on the grill. Not only do these alternatives provide improved health but also they are actually tastier. Search the recipe on www.myHDiet.com for some alternative burgers.  If you do intend to keep eating meat, make sure it is from healthy grass fed animals, organic chickens and eggs along with wild caught and not farmed fish.  

It takes a little practice to transition to a plant-based diet, but there are many resources available to make it as easy as possible.  You can search healthy vegetarian dishes online as well as book an appointment to see a certified cancer coach.

Brought to you by Cancer Health Coach, Lynn Thier
Written by Source:  http://www.myhdiet.com/healthnews/red-meat-and-cancer

"Greens are the No. 1 food you can eat regularly to help improve your health," says many nutritionists and RD's.  That's because leafy vegetables are brimming with fiber along with vitamins, minerals, and plant-based substances that may help protect you from heart disease,diabetes, and perhaps even cancer. Even so, Americans are not eating as many vegetables each day as dietary experts recommend.

Drink Your Green Smoothies
Not many people these days likes to eat a big bowl of leafy greens. I do love a nice big salad but many days i am on the run so i drink my greens!   I get my greens from delicious vegetable and fruit smoothies. I drink my spinach, kale, chard and dandelion greens while savoring the flavors of pineapple, mango, pear and berries!

How Much Green Should You Eat?
The food pyramid suggests a minimum of 3 servings of leafy greens per week. Most people fall short of this recommendation. Most health experts agree that the amount of leafy greens that we should consume is likely much higher than just 3 servings per week!  If you have cancer, leafy greens should be consumed daily!  Several times per day.

I eat about 4-6 servings per day (that’s about two small bunches or “heads”), mostly in green smoothies.

I'm giving a workshop coming up May 12th @ 6:30pm.  Please register in advance as there is limited space!  95 Brentwood Dr. Fredericton.  Click HERE to send me an email!
Greens workshop Outline

1.    Introduction
2.    What are Green Smoothies?
3.    List of Greens
4.    Powerhouse of Nutrition
5.    Health Benefits
6.    How to Start?
7.    Tips for Helping Kids Go Greener
8.   Superfoods to Add
9.    Essential Oils
10.    Detox Symptoms – Caution
11.    Testimonies
12.    Recipes

This daily trick can help you detoxify, improve your digestion and boost your metabolism & energy levels
You're bombarded with toxins in today's modern world... everywhere from the polluted air you breathe, the water you drink, the shampoos and other cosmetics that lather your body with chemicals, and of course, all of the chemical additives, pesticides, hormones, antibiotics and other harmful compounds in the food that you eat.
All of these TOXINS can have harmful effects on your body, harming your metabolism and hormones, impairing your digestive system, and zapping your energy levels.  

If I could tell you ONE thing that you could do each morning right as you wake up to help your body eliminate some of these toxins, improve your digestion, stimulate your metabolism, and BOOST your energy, would you do it?

Of course you would... and it takes less than 1 minute!
Here's the trick...

Immediately upon waking each day, squeeze about 1/2 to 1 full lemon (depending on size of the lemon) into an 8 oz glass of warm or room temperature purified water Or if your lazy like I am, I put 1-3 drops of pure lemon essential oil in my water.  This is gentler on your body first thing in the morning compared to ice cold water.  

Drink this at least 10 minutes before eating any food for the day.  If you are using lemons and not the oil, Make sure to use fresh organic lemons to make this drink, and not bottled lemon juice.  You want to use organic lemons to avoid the pesticides that can accumulate.
 
3 Major benefits of this morning drink to your body, health, and energy:
According to a leading health publication, TheAlternativeDaily.com:

"The health promoting benefits of lemons are powerful. For centuries, it has been known that lemons contain powerful antibacterial, antiviral and immune boosting components. We know that lemons are a great digestive aid and liver cleanser. 

Lemons contain citric acid, magnesium, bioflavonoids, vitamin C, pectin, calcium and limonene, which supercharge our immunity so that the body can fight infection.

Lemons are considered one of the most alkalizing foods you can eat. This may seem untrue as they are acidic on their own. However, in the body, lemons are alkaline; the citric acid does not create acidity once it has been metabolized. The minerals in lemons are actually what helps to alkalize the blood.  Most people are too acidic (from eating too much sugar and grains), and drinking warm lemon water helps reduce overall acidity, drawing uric acid from the joints.

This reduces the pain and inflammation which many people feel. And the American Cancer Society recommends warm lemon water to encourage regular bowel movements."
 
Benefits that you can enjoy:
1. Improves your digestion:
Lemon juice helps your body improve digestion and stimulates bile production. Lemon juice can even be an aid for heartburn and indigestion.

2. Boosts your energy for the day:
Even just the scent of lemon juice has been shown to improve your mood and energy levels, and reduce anxiety.  Plus the detoxifying effect and alkalizing effect of fresh organic lemon juice can improve your energy through the removal of toxins from your body.

3. Helps you to lose fat:
Since lemon juice helps to improve your digestive system, aids in removal of toxins, and increases your energy levels, this all combines together to help you to lose body fat as well through improving your hormonal balance... Yet another reason to add warm lemon water to your daily morning routine!

That's a pretty simple trick, right?

Sources: by Mike Geary - Certified Nutrition Specialist
Author of the best seller: The Top 101 Foods that FIGHT Aging

TheAlternativeDaily.com