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Dr. Gerald P. Militello ____________________________________ RELAY FOR LIFE The ACS estimates that it will achieve its goal of identifying the cause of cancer by the year 2013. It is estimated that. as much as 80% of all cancers are caused by environmental and lifestyles related factors. At least 35% are diet related and in men this may be as high as 50%. Tobacco is directly related to at least 30% of all cancers, especially lung cancer, bladder, head and neck. The incidence is much higher when poor diet is included. There are approximately 500,000 cancer deaths in the United, States each year. The NCI has determined that 1% of the American children meet all of the nutritional dietary recommendations for daily servings of grains, vegetables, fruits, meats and dairy foods. 16% meet none of the recommendations. What is a healthy diet? 33% calories from fat and 25 grams fiber daily, eat 5-9 servings of fruit and vegetables/day, eat 6-11servings of whole grain foods each day. Limit alcohol ingestion 2 -10 glasses of water per day. Foods high in fiber tend to be high in antioxidants such as beta carotene and vitamin C. Which foods are important for health? We think that foods that come from the plant kingdom rather than the animal kingdom have many protective botanical factors. Foods rich in botanical factors include berries, dark green leafy vegetables, citrus fruits, legumes, soy and whole grains. Try to keep pleasure foods in your diet at low levels. Foods such as desserts, cake, candies and many items made with saturated animal fats, try to follow the 80 : 20 rule. 80% of the time choose healthful foods from the plant kingdom and 20% of the time choose foods that, provide pleasure and may not be quite as healthful. There are ongoing studies looking at soy proteins as a protective agent in breast and prostate cancer. Soy protein contains several active phytonutrients that may protect against hormone sensitive choices partly by blocking receptors with plantestrogens. Is broccoli important? Broccoli belongs in a group of vegetables called cruciferous. Other vegetables in this group include cabbage, cauliflower, swiss chard and kale. Why is fiber important in cancer prevention? Fiber is the undigested part of foods of plant origin. There isn't fiber in food that. comes from animals, i.e. butter, meats, eggs and fish. Fiber provides bulk to our diets and helps to maintain a healthy colon. By stimulating muscle contractions, it reduces colon transit times. This minimizes constipation. By reducing transit time it, dilates and reduces the time that carcinogens are in contact with the colon wall. It also providesan environment conducive to friendly or good bacteria such asacidophyllis Why are fish good for you? Fish, such as salmon, herring, mackerel, tuna and halibut all contain oils rich in Omega-3 .fatty acids. Try to eat foods rich in Omega-3 fatty acids 3-4 times per week. Berries, mushrooms, bustle sprouts are also good sources of Omega-3 fatty acids.Ar1tioxidants are molecules that protect cells from free radical damage. Foods rich in the antioxidants are apricots, cantaloupe sweet potatoes, applies, blueberries, strawberries. All of the above are plant based or phytonutrients that protect the cells and mucous membranes of our bodies and helps to provide immune protection. Ten healthy foods to protect your body from cancer: Broccoli: A member of the cruciferous vegetable family. These foods are rich in sulfur containing botanical factors. Sulfurophane is one of those sulfur compounds and is a powerful inducers of: enzymes that assist in identifying harmful substances in food and the environment. Broccoli also contains calcium and foliate. Tomatoes: Are a rich source of an antioxidant called lycopene. An Italian study showed that men who consumed tomatoes regularly had a low incidence of prostate cancer. Lycopenes appear to be protectivc in pancreatic, cervical, prostate, endometrial, breast and lung cancer.
Curry Powder: This is found in tumeric, cumin, coriander, Green Tea: This provides a factor that prohibits cancer processes. It slows free radial activity and it is the free radicals that damage DNA, initiating cancer formation. Red Grapes: They contain an resveratrol an antioxidant and antifungal agent. Eat the grapes, don't drink the wine. One glass is acceptable. People in France have lower heart disease despite cigarettes and alcohol. They relax. Garlic: It provides sulfur containing compounds that are antlseptic and antioxidants. It also contains many vitamins, including Pro-vitamin A, thiamin, Riboflavin and vitamin C. Beans: They provide fiber, foliate and protease inhibitors. Strawberries: They contain Elegiac acid which is one of the most potent agents to kill cancer cells. Carrots: They are an excellent source of antioxidants and Pro-vitamin A. Foods such as carrots which are rich in beta carotene appear to be protective in lung cancer. Blueberries: It is one of the richest sources of natural antioxidants and natural anti-inflammatory agents, NSAID (Celebrex) is being looked at as a chemoprotective agent. Inflammation appears to be associated with early stages of carcinogenesis. |
