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USDA
Against Organic Foods
Natural Cancer Protection
Cancer-Fighting Foods
Supplements for Cancer
Ask Dr. J: Gingivitis
In the Health News
Diet and Disease
Recipe of the Month: Holiday
Stuffed Pumpkin
References
Dear Friends,
The USDA recently implemented their widely publicized
organic standards, after massive public comment,
and extensive revision and acceptance of some
of the suggestions made by the public and the
organic food industry. The original plans were
shameful in their allowance of sewage sludge
fertilizer, irradiated foods, and genetically
engineered products. If a producer wants to
adhere to stricter standards than the USDA’s,
they will have no way of informing their customers
because of restrictions in the new law.
With all of the hoopla that
the USDA generated, and all the pats on the
back they gave themselves, they are not really
supporters of organic agriculture. Among other
things, they do not allow any suggestions that
organic foods are in any way better than conventional
foods. On top of this, on October 24th, the
head of food security of the USDA said that
consumers should be wary of organically grown
foods!
While all naturally occurring
foods may have some associated risks, these
risks are far less than those from the highly
processed foods about which the USDA never sends
warnings. Take hot dogs as an example, made
from the scraps of the meat processing industry,
including ears, tails, and other parts that
cannot normally be sold as meat. The higher
levels of pesticides and other farm chemicals
in non-organic foods, especially in meat products,
is a chronic and insidious danger, as they cannot
usually be tasted or smelled. Choose organic,
plant-based foods as the bulk of your diet.
While eating meat itself
has known dangers even if it is not contaminated
(and it often is), highly processed meats are
even worse. They are high in salt, fat, artificial
ingredients, and nitrites as a color preservative.
These are known carcinogens, and the situation
is even worse when the foods are cooked, and
worse still when they are grilled, as they often
are. In renouncing organic foods while they
take credit for standardizing them, the USDA
sounds like an agency that could have been conceived
by George Orwell in his book, 1984 (which now
seems so long ago, but the USDA is trying to
catch up).
My advice is to ignore the
USDA, while still being careful to handle all
your foods carefully and in a hygienic manner,
washing vegetables before eating them, and making
sure they are fresh. If you choose animal products,
cook them properly and handle them in a way
that does not contaminate your vegetable products.
Make sure your cutting boards are clean, and
use different ones for plant-based and animal
products. Even without special handling, you
are at low risk from organic foods.
The USDA is a protectionist
organization, protecting the industrial food
producers from the increasing demand for cleaner,
safer, healthier food, including organic foods.
This is the fastest growing segment of the food
industry, and it is not reassuring that the
USDA now regulates it.
I have written several
times about the value of curcumin, derived from
turmeric, as an anti-inflammatory and antioxidant,
and in reducing Alzheimer’s disease progression
and MS in an animal model of the disease. Now,
research shows that it protects against cancer.
As so many substances in
foods and supplements are helpful in preventing
cancer and slowing its progress, or for treatment
and reducing the side effects of other therapies,
I thought it would be valuable to review some
of them.
Curcumin prevents tumor
progression in animals. The recent study showed
that growth of human pancreatic cancer cells
is inhibited by incubating them with curcumin
for two hours. You can easily add curcumin to
your diet by eating more meals with curry, and
using turmeric either fresh or dried in cooking.
Many foods appear to
protect against cancer because of the phytochemicals
and antioxidants they contain, many of them
flavonoids and isoflavones, but not all. Sulforaphane,
phenethylisothiocyanate (PEITC), and indole
3-carbinol are all found in the cabbage family
(broccoli, cabbage, brussels sprouts, cauliflower,
collards, kale, bok choy, arugula) also known
as cruciferous vegetables, or the brassica family.
These compounds block enzymes
that promote tumor growth, stimulate production
of messenger molecules that support immune defenses,
and inactivate food toxins and carcinogens.
They also induce programmed cell death (apoptosis)
in cancer cells. (The same foods also contain
lots of folic acid and vitamin C, both of which
protect against lung, colon, and other cancers,
as well as heart disease.)
The garlic and onion family
of foods, also including scallions, leeks, and
chives, contain sulfur compounds called allylic
sulfides that inhibit cancer in mice, partly
by protecting a glutathione antioxidant enzyme.
They also block the carcinogenic effects of
aflatoxin, derived from molds. Other studies
show that garlic also induces apoptosis in cancer
cells.
Fruits contain a number
of compounds that fight cancer. Carotenoids
comprise a variety of protective antioxidant
plant pigments: alpha and beta carotenes, lycopene,
lutein, and zeaxanthin. High levels of these
phytonutrietns in the blood are associated with
lower rates of all cancers and all-cause mortality.
Choose lots of orange, red, yellow, and green
plant foods for these benefits.
Strawberries, raspberries,
apples, grapes, pineapples, tomatoes, and sweet
peppers also have special phytochemicals that
go beyond carotenoids. These include three acids:
ellagic, chlorogenic, and p-coumaric. Numerous
animal studies have shown reduction of cancer
with higher intakes of these foods, partly from
inactivation or decreased formation of carcinogens,
and by transporting them out of cells.
Flavonoids from citrus fruits
and isoflavones found in beans, including soybeans,
alfalfa, and peanuts, are beneficial. The soy
isoflavones genistein and daidzein can block
cancer cells from being turned on. They may
also inhibit new blood vessels that tumors need
to grow. Genistein is a weak estrogen that blocks
the effects of stronger estrogens, decreasing
the incidence of estrogen-related tumors. Lignans
are found in flaxseeds and whole grains. They
are phytoestrogens that lower the risk of cancer.
In animals they reduce breast cancer growth
and metastasis.
A number of other foods
are also important in reducing the high rates
of cancer that we see in the US and other industrialized
countries with a highly processed food supply.
Mushrooms, whole grains, hot peppers, beets,
and leafy greens, are some of the examples.
In past issues I have
referred to many supplements that are protective
against cancer. Coenzyme Q10, vitamins E and
C, beta-1,3 glucan, calcium D-glucarate, flavonoids,
anthocyanidins, selenium, and of course, curcumin.
For patients with cancer, many of these same
supplements may be beneficial in helping them
prevent the growth and spread of a tumor, or
in protecting their immune function to help
fight the disease.
Many patients are treated
with surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy, and
they are often told by their doctors to avoid
taking their antioxidant supplements during
treatment. They are given the impression that
such supplements may interfere with their treatment.
This is not the case.
So far, the evidence all
points to a protective effect of the supplements,
no matter what other treatments are administered.
In addition, the supplements appear to reduce
the sometimes devastating side effects of the
treatments, such as nausea, diarrhea, hair loss,
and profound fatigue.
In one study of lung cancer
patients, those given high dose antioxidants
and other nutrients survived far longer than
would be expected, and it worked best in those
who started the supplements at the earliest
opportunity. They also tolerated their other
treatments better than those without supplements.
In another study of patients
with bladder cancer, the recurrence rate was
cut in half if they were given supplements,
and the average survival time was doubled. These
are not perfect protection from side effects,
or cures (although in some cases they may be),
but supplements are an important part of any
cancer treatment, as well as prevention, along
with (not instead of) a healthy diet of whole,
fresh plant-based foods.
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Q. What supplements
should my girlfriend take for periodontal disease?
She already takes 30 mg of coenzyme Q10, but
she smokes. CA, Spain, via Internet
A. Periodontal disease,
or gingivitis, is a serious health problem,
as it is the number one cause of tooth loss.
Chronic infection and inflammation of the gums
may lead to bleeding, tenderness, and pus, but
gingivitis is usually painless and asymptomatic.
Smoking weakens the gums.
Recent medical evidence
strongly suggests that gingivitis is a risk
factor for chronic disease such as heart disease
and strokes, either due to the inflammation
itself, or to the oral bacteria that may infect
other tissues. Inflammation of any kind has
been linked to vascular disease.
The first defense is a healthy
diet of fresh vegetables, fruits, whole grains
and beans, with high levels of flavonoids and
antioxidants. Their roughage helps to clean
the teeth and gums during chewing. After eating,
it is essential to clean the teeth with flossing
and brushing (toothpaste optional). Floss into
the gum crevices. A gum stimulator and oral
irrigator can also help.
Vitamin C and bioflavonoids
can improve the strength of the gum tissue,
and protect from infection. I usually recommend
supplements of 2000 to 4000 mg of C, and 1000
to 2000 mg of mixed bioflavonoids. Flavonoids
reduce inflammation and have anti-inflammatory
properties. Curcumin turns up again here as
an anti-inflammatory and heart protector (300
to 600 mg).
Gingivitis patients have
low levels of antioxidants and coenzyme Q10.
Studies over 20 years ago showed that Q10 supplements
of 50 to 100 mg helped restore normal gum tissue.
More recent research shows that topical coQ10
can reduce plaque and gingival pockets. As coQ10
can also help heart disease, part of its benefit
may be from restoration of normal gums. For
heart disease, the usual dose is 100 to 200
mg. I recommend the chewable form as it also
delivers topical coQ.
Folic acid applied topically
as a mouth rinse is one further way to heal
the gums. A one minute rinse with a solution
containing 5 mg of folate generates healing
within 4 weeks.
•Last month I
mentioned the recent increase in obesity. A
new study shows that obesity can damage arteries
even if it is not associated with other risk
factors. (De Michele, M, et al., Association
of Obesity and Central Fat Distribution With
Carotid Artery Wall Thickening in Middle-Aged
Women. Stroke 2002, 10.1161/01) At each level
of weight increase the researchers found a direct
correlation with thickening of the carotid arterial
wall lining, and it was independent of hypertension,
usually thought to be the cause of vascular
problems in obese subjects. The same group also
showed that obesity is directly related to the
development of varicose veins (Iannuzzi A, et
al., Varicose veins of the lower limbs and venous
capacitance in postmenopausal women: Relationship
with obesity. J Vasc Surg 2002 Nov;36(5):965-968).
•Arsenic in drinking
water is associated with an increased risk of
bladder cancer, and tumors of the kidneys, liver,
and lungs. The latest research shows that exposure
to arsenic also makes bladder cancers more aggressive.
(Moore LE, et al., Arsenic-related chromosomal
alterations in bladder cancer. J Natl Cancer
Inst 2002 Nov 20;94(22):1688-96). Arsenic is
naturally present in the earth’s crust
and water, but higher levels come from industrial
waste, and it may also get into the water supply
by leaching from pressure treated wood, in which
arsenic is used as a preservative.
• A new study
on diet and blood vessels shows that high levels
of vitamin E in the diet protect against carotid
plaque formation (Iannuzzi A, et al., Dietary
and circulating antioxidant vitamins in relation
to carotid plaques in middle-aged women. Am
J Clin Nutr 2002 Sep;76(3):582-7). In this research,
using carotid ultrasound, the total amount of
dietary vitamin E, plasma vitamin E levels,
and the ratio of vitamin E to cholesterol in
the blood were all correlated with less atherosclerotic
plaque.
Start with a medium
pumpkin, and cut a hole in the top large enough
for your hand, and at an angle (to put back
on later). Remove the seeds (clean, dry, and
toast these for a snack). Scoop out one third
of the flesh (but maintain the walls) . Boil
two cups of barley, millet, or brown rice. Stir
fry onions, garlic, and minced carrot and celery
in olive oil with some thyme, marjoram, a pinch
of cayenne to taste, and a touch of soy sauce.
Add the grain and the pumpkin with some minced
parsley, chopped walnuts (add raisins and cranberries
if you like), stir fry this mixture briefly,
and put it all back in the pumpkin with the
lid. Bake this at 375 until tender. Another
option: cut squash or smaller pumpkins in half,
follow the same recipe, put the mix in each
half, and cover with foil to bake.
USDA: Organic Foods May Be More Contamination-Prone
(Reuters) Oct 24, 2002.
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Bennink MR, Dietary soy reduces colon carcinogenesis
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