While there have been advances in medical treatments for many life threatening diseases, statistically, one disease seems to continue to "trump the competition". It's been over 40 years since the "war on cancer" was declared and it trails heart disease as the number two cause of death of people between the ages of 45-74. Cancer treatments such as chemo therapy, radiation and drug therapy have become technically more precise in targeting the many types of cancers. While these treatments have undoubtedly saved lives, many lives are still lost as more cases of cancer are diagnosed. Recent theories in cancer treatment have suggested that medical researchers are heading in the wrong direction as far as treatment is concerned. Furthermore, many experts suggest that cancer is a man-made disease, as historians who analyze classical literature have found no mention of this type of disease. In addition, researchers have examined hundreds of Egyptian mummies with only one confirmed case of cancer. Man-made disease? It turns out that cancer cells started to surface on a regular basis as pollution and poor diet became more common place. Without a doubt, the increase and daily exposure to pesticides, other toxic chemicals, pharmaceutical drugs, processed and artificial foods, chemicals in food packaging, the leakage of plastics into our food and water, wireless technologies (computers, cell phones) and radiation exposure, not to mention obesity, stress and poor sleeping habits, have all contributed to the prevalence of cancer. In fact, these life style and environmental factors may be the sole cause of cancer in today's society. All of the latest medical breakthroughs in cancer treatment have to do with "new" drugs, better radiation or more powerful chemo therapy. The improvement of lifestyle issues (the avoidance of the factors listed above) is rarely mentioned in the dialog about fighting the disease. If we are to win the "war on cancer," the battle needs to be fought on the front lines of prevention. Most cancer drugs are extremely toxic and have devastating side effects. On a brighter note, major advances in the treatment of cancer have been made. Among them are treatment protocols that have plenty of research to back up their effectiveness, but have not been accepted by average, conventional oncologists. Research suggests that vitamin D deficiency is a major factor in cancer development. Researchers estimate that 30% of cancer deaths could be prevented with vitamin D3 supplementation. Another vitamin that has shown major promise over the years is vitamin C. Recent research shows that intravenous vitamin C therapy shrinks and eliminates cancer cells. In addition, supplementing vitamin C seems to make conventional cancer treatments far more effective. According to Mercola the following changes or lifestyle modifications, if followed, should help lower the overall cancer rate world-wide: (1) Supplement vitamin D to normalize levels; (2) Increase intake of Omega 3 fatty acids (high-quality fish oil); (3) Exercise; (4) Consuming raw organic vegetables on a daily basis; (5) Maintaining optimal body weight; (6) Get enough sleep; (7) Reduce exposure to environmental toxins (pesticides, household cleaners, synthetic air fresheners); (8) Reduce use of wireless technologies (cell phones, etc.); and (9) Boil, steam or poach foods rather than frying, charbroiling (which we'll cover how to safely do on our next blog) or microwaving.
