Nutrition in Cancer Prevention & Treatment

Created by: Cameron Segura RD  

Today it is estimated that cancerous tumors may start in our early 20’s and progress through adulthood until later diagnosed in our 50’s.Cancer is the 2nd leading cause of death in America. Tumor progression may persist through hundreds of different genes being modified by lifestyle (diet/exercise) in order to change a healthy cell into a cancerous one. This review provides the scientific evidence that diet plays a major role in the progression of cancer.

  2 servings of nuts/week may protect against pancreatic cancer-British journal

of cancer, 2013

Which nuts fight cancer better? Walnuts, Pecans, & peanuts- decreased human liver cancer & colon cancer cell proliferation – British Journal of cancer,

2013

A follow up of the nurses’ health study involving the daughters (The Growing Up Study) showed that those who consumed peanut butter, nuts, lentils, corn found to have a fraction of the risk for fibrocystic breast disease (increases

risk of breast cancer) Breast Cancer Research Treatment, 2013

Those eating one or more apples a day had less colon, breast, oral, larynx, kidney, & ovarian cancer. – Planta medicine review, 2008.

Curcumin found to sensitize tumor necrosis factors and up regulate death receptors of cancer cells. – Carcinogenesis journal, 2005.

Higher intake of soluble fiber was associated with a significantly reduced risk of breast cancer, 62 % lower chance. – European journal of nutrition, 2012.

Positive association between breast cancer risk and saturated fat intake in postmenopausal women. – Journal of the National Cancer Institute, 1990.

25 men with prostate cancer awaiting prostatectomy were given 3 tablespoons of flaxseed/day 1 month before surgery; researchers found lower

proliferation rates and higher rates of cancer cell death. Urology, 2004.

Meta-analysis showed that those who have the highest consumption of coffee compared with those who drink no coffee had a 50% reduction in liver cancer

risk. – Gastroenterology, 2013

Compounds found in broccoli have inhibitory effects on several types of cancer cells growth, including leukemia, prostate, breast, cervical, lung and

colorectal cancer, and shown to decrease metastasis. – BMC Cancer, 2010

“Diets that revolve around whole plant foods-vegetables, fruits, whole grains, & beans, cut the risks of both cancer and chronic disease. – American Institute

for Cancer Research.

The combined effect of moderate and/or vigorous intensity physical activity, low consumption of fat, processed foods, refined cereals, complex sugars,

and more fruits, vegetables, grains, legumes showed a 95% protective rate in postmenopausal women for breast cancer. – Journal of Clinical Oncology,

2007.

Red wine may serve as a nutritional, aromatase inhibitor, which has been associated with elevated breast cancer risk associated with alcohol intake. –

Journal of Women’s Health, 2011.

After 6 months of eating freeze dried strawberries in 36 patients with pre-cancerous lesions of the esophagus (esophageal caner prognosis is very

poor, 10-13 % survival rate >5 years) 29 treated with 60 grams of strawberry powder daily experienced a decrease in histologic grade of the precancerous lesions. Cancer regressed from moderate to mild and from mild to completely

absent. At the end of the study 52% of the patients walked away disease/cancer free. –American Association for Cancer Research, 2012.

Epidemiologic evidence suggests that a diet rich in plant-based, high fiber, low fat foods can provide protection against barrettes esophagus and

esophageal adenocarcinoma. International Journal of Cancer, 2011.

Americans are diagnosed with 8-14 times the rate of melanoma, 10-11 times more colorectal cancer, 9 times more endometrial cancer, 7 -17 times more

lung cancer, 7-8 times more bladder cancer, 5 times more breast cancer, 9-12 times more kidney cancer. U.S. men get 23 x the rate of prostate cancer than

men in India. Why is this happening, what is different about the American diets? – Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer, 2011.

Smoking cessation, consumption of diets rich in fruits and vegetables, avoidance of excessive sun exposure, and exercise can prevent the majority of cancers. Unfortunately, these simple lifestyle changes remain elusive in a majority of the population; as a result, each year hundreds of thousands of Americans develop metastatic cancer. –Cancer Treatment Reviews, 2012.

Methoinine may need to be restricted in cancer growth. Methoinine restriction in cancer can be achieved eating a predominantly vegan diet. Why

is this not being implemented in cancer preventative measures? Despite many promising preclinical and clinical studies, dietary methionine

restriction and other dietary approaches to cancer treatment have not yet gained wide spread clinical application, most clinicians and investigators are

unfamiliar with nutritional approaches to cancer. –Journal of the American College of Nutrition, 2001.