Cancer is one of the major diseases, which kills people. It is the most feared disease. People are terrified at the thought of it. The suffering for months or years, a cancer patient undergoes, before he dies, is a horrible experience even for those around him or her.
The chemicals or toxins which cause cancer are called carcinogens. These include pesticides or herbicides, quasi-edible chemicals such as meat preservatives, color and flavor enhancers and artificial sweeteners, toxins in moldy foods and contaminants which are byproducts of industrial processes.
People are afraid of carcinogens, entering their bodies. But, mere entering of a carcinogen into the body is not the main cause of the trouble. The major problem is the food, one eats, which helps the carcinogen in the initiation and development of the cancer.
Campbell, M. and Campbell, T. (2006) describes three stages of cancer. He calls them as initiation, promotion and progression of the tumor, which is growth of an abnormal mass of cells.
The carcinogen metabolized by enzymes, forms a new product which attacks the DNA of the cell, causing damage to it. The damaged cell may get naturally repaired before cell division takes place. Otherwise, the genetic defect of the damaged cell is passed on to the new cells that are subsequently formed. This stage is the initiation stage. The time period for this stage is short.
The daughter cells, newly formed out of the damaged cell, have a tendency to grow and multiply. As the cells multiply and grow, a visible tumor is formed which is clinically detectable. This is the second stage called promotion. This takes several years of time.
The third stage called progression is characterized by uncontrolled growth of the tumor. The cancerous cells spread not only to the neighboring places but also to the distant tissues, causing damage to the various organs of the body. This is the stage causing death.
Campbell, M. and Campbell, T. (2006) not only describes the above three stages, but also gives various research findings done on animals and humans, which discuss how the food we eat affects these stages of development of cancer. Their conclusion is that animal protein, not only from meat, but also from dairy products, is the culprit which promotes cancer in all stages of its development.
He first presents, the research findings, conducted on rats for liver cancer, with the carcinogen aflatoxin, which is a toxin on peanuts which are moldy. The animal protein selected is casein, which is a protein found in cow’s milk. The amount of protein used is 20% and 5% on different rats.
When the protein is low (i.e. reduced from 20% to 5%), the enzyme activity is reduced by 76%, which means the chance of carcinogen metabolizing into harmful product, is reduced. This has resulted in decreased cancer initiation. I.e. the lower the animal protein consumption, the lower is the cancer initiation. The conclusion is cancer initiation increases with the increase of animal protein consumption.
The effect of Casein is also studied in the third stage of progression of cancer and it also has given the same conclusion. The tumor growth increased with increase of Casein protein and decreased with decrease of the protein. This again proved that the cancer can be turned on and off by changing the diet.
The study with other cancers and other carcinogens also yielded the same conclusion. “Nutrients from animal based foods increased tumor development while nutrients from plant based foods decreased tumor development” (Campbell, M.& Campbell, T., 2006).
Maya, Milinda and Lawrence (2016) also support the above conclusion. They have given tips about diet to prevent cancer and also tips to avoid exposure to carcinogens. They have recommended fruits, vegetables, fiber rich foods, nuts, cereals to be eaten and red meat and processed meat, fast foods, packaged foods and fried foods to be cut down. They have also suggested using ginger, coriander, garlic, turmeric etc which not only add flavor but also provide nutrients to fight cancer.
Thus the solution to prevent cancer is not only to avoid exposure to carcinogens, but also to eat wholesome, plant based foods. All animal based foods which include meat and dairy foods are to be avoided. By following this advice, cancer is not only prevented, but also reversed (cured).
References
Campbell,Colin,T. and Campbell II, M.Thomas (2006). The China study – the most comprehensive Study of Nutrition Ever Conducted and the Startling Implications for Diet, Weight Loss and Long-tem Health. Dallas: BenBella Books.
Maya W.Paul, Melinda Smith M.A., and Lawrence Robinson (February, 2016). Cancer Prevention Diet – Lower Your Risk With Cancer Fighting Foods. Retrieved from http://www.helpguide.org/articles/diet-weight-loss/anti-cancer-diet.htm
