Cancer - What you Should Know About it
What is Cancer : There are lots of types of cancer - Breast Cancer and Hypothalamic and Visual Pathway Glioma of Childhood and Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia Syndrome - just to list a couple of examples. But, all of these malignancies have a few things in common.
Loss of Control : Each cell in the body is regulated by hormones like Thyroxine and Prostacyclin from outside the cell and some other chemicals inside the cells. These regulators will control the actions of the cell. They will pass on to the cells when to grow and how much, when to be inactive and how they should interact with other cells.
Cancer cells have those controls shut off. They act without limit. They are reliably active at their highest activity. They also lose their ability to interact with their neighbors and then can mobilize and metastasize.
Changes in DNA : All cancers have lost their controls because the DNA in the cell has been damaged. DNA is the programming mechanism inside the cell that marks out all of its functions. That DNA is damaged by mechanical means, nuclear radiation or free radicals. It will start to act randomly. Viruses have also been shown to cause the DNA damage leading to a cancerous tumor.
Damaged DNA can also be passed from parent to child. That DNA is set up to start producing cancer cells if there is either some trigger that the cell contacts or another spot on the DNA that receives damage.
Immortal Cells : The cells normally will only live a certain amount of time and then die (with some exceptions). They will then be replaced by new healthy cells. Cancer cells don't usually die. Even when they are extremely abnormal, they just keep growing. Finally, those cells produce tumors and spread.
Types of Cancer : All of those types of cancer can be grouped into five common types. Those are Central nervous system cancers, Leukemia, Carcinoma, Sarcoma as well as Lymphoma and Myeloma.
Central nervous system cancers - these are cancer tumors that start in the brain and spinal cord. Leukemia - these cancers start in the tissues that produce blood - such as the bone marrow - and then release the cells into the blood. Carcinoma - these are cancers that start in the skin or the tissues that line internal organs. Sarcoma - Sarcomas are cancer tumors that start in connective tissue. Connective tissue is the tissue between the organs and other structures. Those tissues include things like fat, bone, muscle, blood vessels and cartilage. Lymphoma and myeloma - these cancers start in the cells that normally protect the body - the immune system. Remember lymphosarcoma of the Intestine which killed Rajesh Khanna in Anand?
Jokes apart, now that you know what a cancer is, you can learn how to possibly prevent it, or if needed how to treat it. Let us now talk about cancer prevention diet.
The Cancer Prevention Diet : You may be able to imagine how painful it is to die from Kidney (Renal Cell) Cancer or Thymic Carcinoma. While that is true, there is good news.
Doctors have known for quite a few years that diet can prevent disease. In fact, they now think that about 30% of all cancer is associated with your diet. And it has also been proven that diet can help you stay healthy.
Nutrients in some food types can cut down your chances of getting cancer. Also You can improve your chances of not getting cancer by avoiding some foods types. You might have to cut out the cookies and cheese that you are so fond of having.
The Power of Fruits and Vegetables : Fruits (like Peach and Rose apple (Syzygium jambos, Myrtaceae and Biriba) and vegetables have been shown to help you avoid many cancers including cancer of the mouth and colon. Currently, it is unknown if there are any specific nutrients in vegetables and fruit that provide the protection. There have been experiments on some of the nutrients found in fruits and vegetables like beta-carotene. However, isolating these substances from the original source have not been found to prevent cancer. In fact, some by themselves are found to be harmful. So remember - the whole fruit is many times better than some supplement taken from that food.
This means that you should eat at least one serving of a fruit or vegetable with each meal. They can be fresh, canned or dried. But, they should not be fried like chips.
Whole Grains Keep You Moving : Whole grains like chia brown rice, cracked wheat and corn on the cob are excellent sources of vitamins, minerals and fiber. These have especially been found to help prevent cancer of the colon. Although fiber is very important, just using a fiber supplement is not as effective because you need the other nutrients in the whole grain.
Doctors think that the high fiber content of the grain helps to keep the stool in the bowel moving right along. This prevents constipation in the colon. That being said, there is no evidence that laxatives or any colon cleansing regimen is of any help. In fact they have often been shown to be harmful.
Foods to Avoid : Red meat is a proven contributor to cancer especially cancer of the colon and cancer of the prostate. The best advice is that you keep your portions to less than three ounces a day. Not having it altogether is even better.
Any food with lots of oil and fat will have a similar effect. All of those onion rings and cheese puffs that you have been eating? Well, they may contribute to your chance of growing a cancer.
And now another bit of bad news for some of you, alcohol is another culprit. The latest research proves that any alcohol can increase your chance of getting cancer. But, it is especially risky when you take in more than two drinks a day for men and one for women. Sorry ladies. Alcohol along with cigarettes contribute to cancer of the mouth, esophagus and larynx (your voice box). So, be sure you limit those Dry beers and Tsipouros.
The Rules of Diet : (1) Be a vegeterian. In order to avoid cancer, you must choose your food from plant sources. (2) Really cut down on fatty foods, particularly from animal sources. Say no to non-veg. (3) You need to be physically active, exercise and manual work is a must. Achieve and maintain a healthy weight. A doctor told me, your weight should be in proportion to your height. If your height is 60 inches, your ideal weight is 60 kilos. (4) No more than one or two drinks a day, if you drink at all.
Use these four rules of diet and you will dramatically decrease your chances of getting cancer. To your good health and prosperity!
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