When I was really young, cancer was a rare occurrence. It was called the “bad disease” in my family. No one in my immediate family, extended family or friends was diagnosed was cancer as far as I knew.

Growing up to learn that cancer has no definitive cure, no specific or defined cause, and that “cure” is measured by a 5 year survival was shocking. The only relief was a little news story periodically appearing in this or that newspaper headlined: “a promising new research/ cure for cancer is almost here”.

I figured “by the time I “grew up”, all these cures will be here”.

That was 30 years ago.

There are incredible new treatments for cancer. Just a short chat with any of my physician friends is reassuring on that front.

But cancer is everywhere now. Why??

The theory of “well, we just diagnose it better and more accurately now” is not a good answer- as you will learn in “Anti-Cancer”.

 

Dr. Servan- Schreiber was diagnosed with a form of brain cancer at 31.

That sent him on an investigative journey to examine some very important facts about the cancer epidemic, some simple and some very complex.

Here are some of the hundreds of similar facts he reports in his incredibly hopeful, incredibly well written, superbly researched and referenced, and very easy to read book.

Cancer feeds on refined sugar: Dr. Otto Heinrich Warburg won the Nobel Prize in medicine for his discovery that the metabolism of malignant tumors is largely dependent on glucose consumption. In fact the PET scan used to detect cancer simply measures the areas of the body which consume the most glucose. When the human genes were made, there was no refined sugar- it was honey and complex , well balanced- sugars from fruits. But human consumption of refined sugar rose from 5 kg in 1830 to an astounding 70 kg (150 pounds) a year by the end of the twentieth century. Moreover, consumption of glucose cause an immediate release and spiking in the level of insulin and IGF (insulin growth factor) which directly activate factors of inflammation -working as fertilizers for tumor growth.*

What to do: try to avoid refined sugars. Instead use natural sweeteners like agave nectar, stevia, or coconut sugar.

Cancer feeds on bad oils: red meat, cold cuts, cheese, yogurt, cake, butter, bakery products, etc. come directly -or contain ingredients which come directly from cows. Thing is, main feed of cows changed drastically since he 1950- to shorten the maturity cycle of cows- from natural grass which is perfectly balanced for omega3 (anti-inflammatory) and omega6 (pro-inflammatory) fatty acids at a ratio of 1/1, to corn, soy and wheat which results in an imbalance of good to bad fatty acids in our bodies of 1/15 or even 1/40.

What to do: find better raised beef (details in the book), and supplement with omega3 rich products or supplements.  Good news is: the imbalance is not hard to fix.

Cancer feeds on chemicals in our food: there are thousands of these, but don’t panic, eat right. The rule is: good anticancer foods are more important than contaminants. T. Colin Campbell of Cornell puts it like this as far as cancer is concerned: “foods trump contaminants every time”. *

The wealth of research, epidemiological and scientific evidence on that topic in book is amazing.

 

Anticancer foods:

Here are some foods which dr. Servan- Schreiber documents: “act like medications”

Green tea blocks tissue invasion and angiogenesis. One of the most intriguing facts is that Japanese men have the same rate of cancer occurrence in their prostates as westerners (as determined in autopsies), but these tumors don’t grow, manifest as malignancies, or metastasize.

Olive Oil: the green tea of the Mediterranean.

Turmeric: a miracle of the eastern cultures.

Blackberries, raspberries, strawberries and blueberries contain Ellagic acid, one of nature’s best cancer fighters.

Tomatoes, broccoli, soy, certain mushrooms, citrus fruits and the list goes on.

 

You need to understand what you can SIMPLY do to make the environment or as dr. Servan- Schreiber calls “the terrain” in your body and your surroundings hostile to cancer, cancer growth or recurrence.  Again, it is all simple stuff. Don’t resign to “everything causes cancer, so what’s the point?”

Not everything causes cancer, and there is a huge point.

Over the years, I’ve read hundreds of books, booklets, articles and studies on cancer and holistic approaches to cancer prevention and treatment.  What makes Anti-Cancer unique and a must- read is that it’s hopeful, positive, easy to read and provides a simple understanding of a complex problem.

What I provide here is a recommendation but hardly a review. The book is in 273 pages and features 30 pages of research and resource references, so consider this an appetizer to a great meal.

Here’s to your family’s health.

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