CANCER
is one of the most commonly found diseases in 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
after cardiovascular disease. Cancer of the lungs has especially
become very common; in the United States, for example, 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 dietary changes mentioned for other
diseases will be beneficial in preventing cancer. The same methods can
be useful in preventing many different diseases. However, the
following factors are especially important in prevention of cancer:
Food
containing fiber
was already mentioned; it is also beneficial in the prevention of
cancer. This can be seen, for instance, in studies of primitive people
done by Dr. Burkitt (see the quote above). He observed that these
people never had cancer of the intestines; neither did they experience
constipation or other intestinal disorders because their food
contained a lot of fiber. He also said that cancers of the breast,
prostate, and the womb are caused by the lack of fiber in the food,
which is so common in the Western countries. Many researchers later
confirmed these findings. By comparison, in Finland, breast cancer is
the most common cancer for women and prostate cancer the most common
cancer for men.
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 (white cabbage, broccoli, kale,
Chinese cabbage, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, kohlrabi...) 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 nutrients
associated with prevention of cancer, especially of the stomach and
intestines. In addition, 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 healthy.
Soy and
green tea
are ingredients that we do not use much in many Western countries, but
they 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. Soya contains many
nutrients that prevent cancer and heart diseases, and is a good source
of protein, group B vitamins and minerals.
Carotenes,
such as beta carotene and lycopene, have been shown in studies to be
effective in the prevention of cancer. By getting enough of them from
our food, we can prevent many common cancers. Carrots contain plenty
of beta carotene, for example. Other good sources are sweet pepper,
tomatoes, cabbages, spinach, parsley, apricots and sweet potatoes.
There is a lot of lycopene in tomatoes.
Harmful
factors.
When there are factors that can be useful in preventing cancer, there
are also several factors that can predispose to it. Not all cancers
arise by chance, but there may be things behind them that contribute
to it. Leaving aside such less common factors as environmental toxins
or nuclear accidents, at least the following two factors are common
causes of cancer:
Excessive
sunbathing.
We do not
always perceive this as dangerous activity. Skin cancer, which is 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 to avoid spending too much time in the sun.
Tobacco
is 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
are at greater 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 worthwhile to give up smoking in time.
