Prevent cancer by reducing inflammation, insulin and infections

Tuesday, September 27, 2011 by: Connie Strasheim
Tags: inflammation, cancer, health news

(NaturalNews) Inflammation, infections and excessive levels of insulin in the body are major instigators of cancer. Often, they occur together, and most people in modern society suffer from some degree of all three. Yet, it is possible to reduce their influence upon the body and thereby dramatically lower cancer risk.

Inflammation can cause cancer because it generates free radicals that damage DNA and create cell mutations which lead to cancer. Many things cause inflammation, including: refined sugar, pasteurized dairy products, polyunsaturated oils, charred, overcooked and processed food, GMOs, pesticides, and artificial food additives like MSG. Since allergies cause inflammation, common food allergens, such as peanuts, soy and gluten, can be cancer-causing if a person is allergic to them. Environmental toxins, such as mercury, electromagnetic radiation and industrial chemicals, also cause inflammation as do infections.

Maintaining a diet free of the above, and which is high in free radical-quenching antioxidants and phytochemicals, reduces inflammation and thereby helps to prevent cancer. Colorful, cruciferous vegetables (ie, broccoli, cauliflower, garlic and onion) and fruits such as berries contain high levels of phytochemicals and antioxidants. Many high fiber foods, such as beans, brown rice, sesame seeds and wheat bran, have anti-cancer properties as well.

Consuming food in as natural a state as possible also keeps inflammation at bay. Vegetables, fruits, lean meat, legumes and complex carbohydrates should be organic, non-genetically-modified, and free of pesticides, hormones, and antibiotics. Additionally, many nutrients and spices, such as omega-3 fish oil, turmeric, ginger, and Vitamins A and D, contain anti-inflammatory substances which have proven to be beneficial for preventing cancer.

Removing toxins from the body and home is also important for reducing inflammation. Natural toxin binders such as chlorella, apple pectin and French green clay remove many environmental toxins from the body. DMSA and alpha-lipoic acid, when taken together, effectively remove heavy metals. Some ways to remove cancer-causing substances from the home include: getting rid of synthetic household cleaning products and replacing them with natural ones; living away from cell phone and microwave towers, and reducing cell and cordless phone use. Eliminating the body's exposure to DNA-damaging radiation and chemicals significantly reduces cancer risk.

Infections can also instigate cancer because the body's response to infection is to create inflammation. Some types of pathogens can also directly cause cell mutations, such as human papilloma viruses (HPV). People with chronic infections, such as Lyme disease, Epstein-Barr and XMRV viruses, Candida and mold, are at a higher risk for cancer than people who don't have such infections. Treating infections with antimicrobial herbs, homeopathy and other natural remedies, while maintaining a low-inflammatory diet, can reduce the effects of infections upon the body.

Finally, excess levels of insulin trigger cancer. This is because insulin is a hormone that encourages cellular growth, and cancer cells have 6-10 times the number of insulin receptors on the surface of their cell membranes as normal cells. Since we all have cancer cells in our bodies, nobody is exempt from developing cancer as a result of excessive amounts of insulin.

Most people in the US have high levels of insulin due to diets high in all of the aforementioned cancer-causing foods, as well as environmental toxins, disease processes and a fast-paced lifestyle. Lowering high insulin levels (along with inflammation and infections) with the strategies mentioned in this article can reduce the body's risk of developing cancer.

References:

http://cancerbooksource.com/defeat-cancer-bo...

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC...

http://www.cancer.gov/aboutnci/ncicancerbull...

Bollinger, Ty. Cancer: Step Outside the Box. Infinity 5102 Partners, 2009. Ch. 10, pp. 223-236, Ch. 11.

Crofton, K. Wireless Radiation Rescue. Global Wellbeing Books, 2011. 10,11, 13, 27, 40, 54, 58, 78, 100.



About the author:
Connie Strasheim is a health care journalist, and the author of four books on holistic healing, including the recently released "Defeat Cancer: 15 Doctors of Integrative and Naturopathic Medicine Tell You How." (www.cancerbooksource.com). She has also published two books on chronic Lyme disease, including, "Insights Into Lyme Disease Treatment: Thirteen Lyme-Literate Health Care Practitioners Share Their Healing Strategies," (www.lymeinsights.com), which has been the best-selling Lyme disease book on the market since its release in September, 2009. Ms. Strasheim's experience and research, along with her near decade-long battle with chronic Lyme disease, have provided her with profound insights into how to heal chronic illnesses of all types with natural medicine.