Chapter 6 H
CANCER

 

Cancer is one of the most typical diseases in the Western countries. Its seriousness is seen in many countries where as many as every third person dies of it, and it is the second most common cause of death immediately after the cardiovascular diseases. Especially cancer of the lungs has become very common, and for example in the United States, it takes more victims than any other type of cancer. The reason for this is that smoking has become so much more common during the last decades.

   How can we prevent cancer? Almost the same issues as for other diseases will be beneficial. The same methods can be useful in preventing many different diseases. However, it has been observed that the following factors are especially important as comes to cancer:

 

Food containing fiber has already been mentioned, and it is also beneficial in preventing cancer. This can be seen, for instance, in the studies of Dr. Burkitt among primitive people (see the quote above). He noted that these people did not have cancer of the intestines at all, neither did they have constipation or other intestinal disorders, because their food contained a lot of fiber. He also said that such cancers as cancer of the breast, prostate, (for example in Finland, breast cancer is the most common cancer for women and prostate cancer the most common cancer for men) and the womb are caused by the lack of fiber in the food, which is so common in the Western countries. Many researchers have later confirmed these findings.

   Therefore, if you want to minimize the risk of cancer, eat more fiber. We can get it almost from any produce of the vegetable kingdom that has not been refined too much. Good sources of fiber are especially whole meal grain products such as bran, rye bread (many studies have indicated that eating rye bread is beneficial in preventing cancer), rolled oats, barley grits, brown bread, dark pasta, dark rice and berries, fruit and vegetables.

 

Cabbages. Cruciferous plants, such as cabbages (cabbage heads, broccoli, Chinese cabbage, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, kohlrabi, etc) as well as rutabaga and turnip have been proven in many studies to be useful in the prevention of cancer. These plants contain a lot of agents that have been observed to prevent cancer. They are useful especially in the prevention of cancer of the stomach and intestines. In addition to this, these plants, especially the cabbages, contain plenty of vitamins C and K, folic acid, and beta carotene, all of which can prevent cancer and other diseases. They are very versatile and very healthy.

 

Soy and green tea are ingredients that we do not use a lot in many Western countries, but that are good in preventing cancer. In Asia, where these are used a lot, there is much less cancer of the breast, prostate, and colon. Soybean is also one of the most versatile plants: not only does it contain many combinations preventing  cancer and heart diseases, it is also a good source of protein, group B vitamins and minerals.

 

Carotenes, such as beta carotene and lycopene are ingredients that prevent cancer, as has been seen in many studies. It has been observed that if we get enough of them from our food, they can prevent many common cancers. Carrots contain plenty of beta carotene, for example. Good sources are also sweet pepper, tomatoes, cabbages, spinach, parsley, apricots, and sweet potatoes. There is a lot of lycopene in tomatoes.

 

Harmful factors. There are factors that can be useful in the prevention of cancer, but there are also several factors that can promote it. All cancers are not just coincidences: often there are factors that have promoted its growth. If we leave out such rarer factors as environmental toxins or nuclear accidents, at least the following two are common promoters of cancer:

 

Excessive sunbathing is something that we do not always perceive as dangerous. Skin cancer, which is just one result of excessive sunbathing, does not appear immediately but requires repeated exposure to sunlight and ultraviolet radiation. It generally appears in people over the age of 40, who already have dermal tissue damage that can turn into cancer.

   Skin cancer will be one of the most common cancers in the future and it is anticipated to greatly increase in the next twenty years. The best way to avoid this is not to spend too much time in the sun.

 

Tobacco is also something that greatly adds to the risk of having cancer. Lung cancer, which in many countries is the most common one, is mainly found in smokers. Their risk of getting pulmonary cancer is about 30-fold compared to others. In 1912, this cancer was still called  "the rarest illness" (Alton Ochsner: Smoking and Cancer, New York, Julian Messner, Inc., 1954, p. 16), but now it is the second most common cause of death immediately after coronary thrombosis. The fact that it has become so common is the result of smoking being more and more common.

   Smokers have indeed a great risk of getting many diseases. The American Cancer Society made a research on 187,000 men, whose ages varied from 50 to 69 years, and they found that the smokers had a lot of different diseases. In addition to pulmonary cancer, they also had other cancers, such as cancer of the larynx, esophagus, and bladder, as well as gastric ulcers and heart diseases also resulting in cerebral hemorrhage and strokes (E.C. Hammond ja Daniel Horn, Journal of the American Medical Association, March. 15 1958, p. 1308). Tobacco can thus be the reason behind many diseases, and that is why it is one of the most major - in some countries the most major - cause of various diseases. Fortunately, the risk of getting many diseases caused by tobacco decreases already after a few months after stopping smoking. Therefore, it is worth while to give up smoking in time.