Looking together in the same direction.

Looking together in the same direction.
Sea otters hold hands while they sleep so they don't drift apart.

by my favorite poet, Mary Oliver

"Instructions for living a life.

Pay attention.

Be astonished.

Tell about it."

Mary Oliver


Wednesday, April 18, 2012

Eating to prevent cancer.

              "We have met the enemy and he is us."   Pogo (comic strip)


    Cancer cells are our own cells which have been cloned and have learned to evolve. This is according to "The Emperor of all Maladies: a Biography of Cancer" by Dr. Siddhartha Mukherjee.  This definition of cancer really makes sense to me.  The enemy is us, our own cells, which is what makes it so difficult to fight. I feel that because we are dealing with our own cells, a state of detente, not of war, is needed.  We need to keep our bodies balanced and strong.
     We all have cancer cells floating around in our bodies. Most of these micro-tumors are dormant.  They cannot grow larger than the tip of a ballpoint pen without developing a network of blood vessels.  This is called angiogenesis.  We need angiogenesis for health and healing of course, but it can go haywire with cancer, as tumors have their own angiogenesis-promoting substances.  Fortunately, there are foods that are anti-angiogenic and help normalize angiogenesis in the body.
     Apoptosis is normal programmed cell death controlled by the body.  Cancer cells are difficult to kill because they are immortal, and they can evolve. They are not self-programmed to die.  Certain foods, however, promote apoptosis in cancer cells.
     Several functional foods are known to inhibit methods used by cancer cells to avoid apoptosis, suppressing cell proliferation and sensitizing cells to apoptosis induction.  This  Apoptosis list includes: Apples, Broccoli, Cabbage, Cauliflower, Ginger, Green Tea, Red Grapes, Red Wine, and Cucurmin (turmeric).
      It just makes sense to include these functional foods in our diet every day.  Eating lots of healthy fruits and vegetables means helping prevent cancer growth through normalization of apoptosis and angiogenesis. It also boosts our immune systems, and it tastes really good.  (Note: No one is suggesting to do this in lieu of seeing your doctor.)
   

Antiangiogenic.jpg

Courtesy The Angiogenesis Foundation

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