Either you or someone you know may end up getting diagnosed with cancer during your lives, best brush up on it. More than 1 million people in the United States alone get cancer each year, and as of 2009, a total of 562,340 deaths from cancer were projected to occur in the United States yearly.
While we often think of the word “cancer” as one type of disease, this term actually encompasses over 100 different cellular disorders in the body. Cancer refers to uncontrolled cell division that leads to a tumor or abnormal cell growth. When abnormal cells divide without control, they can invade nearby tissues and spread to other parts of the body, including the blood and lymphatic systems. Cancer can grow anywhere and can metastasize throughout organs and blood, and can even grow in the bones. Not all cancers are preventable but we now know that many cancers starts as a nutrient deficiency.
The newest discovery of the Microbiome has brought fiber to the forefront in the fight against cancer. Our microbia, 40 trillion or so, are the only defense we have to cancer cell proliferation. Too much of one microbe and not enough of the other is the first stage of inflammation. Scientist are now mapping these bacteria and we now know which microbes are “good” and which ones are “bad”. These microbes secrete short chain fatty acids which are very beneficial. High fiber is the key to increasing the good ones. This is the focus of my ROOT diet and the key to health with fiber foods.
Inflammation is the underlying issue that dictates cancerous tumor initiation, progression and growth. Studies suggest that around 75 percent of cancer cases are lifestyle-related. Smoking, drinking, antiobiotic drug use, processed and fast foods, together with toxins and environmental exposure are top of the list.
After following over 519,978 participants living in 10 European nations, results showed that those who most closely followed a style of eating similar to the Mediterranean diet had the most protection against cancer. High intake of cancer-fighting foods like vegetables, fruit, fish, calcium-rich foods and fiber was associated with a decreased risk of colorectal, lung and breast cancers, while red and processed meat intake, alcohol intake, unhealthy body mass index (BMI), and abdominal obesity were associated with an increased risk. Being physically active and obtaining enough vitamin D also helped lower cancer susceptibility.