By David Blyweiss, M.D., Advanced Natural Wellness

February 29, 2016

• Most cancers aren’t hereditary
• Eat your way to a cancer-free life
• Two more ways to crush cancer before it starts

There’s no doubt about it. A lot of the diseases we associate with aging are frightening. But, by far, the idea of developing cancer is one of the most disturbing. It can be deadly, and there simply isn’t a cure for it.

Now, you might think that if there’s a history of cancer in your family it makes you a prime candidate.

That isn’t true. In fact, only a small number of cancers – about 5% to 10% – are directly attributed to genetics. The remaining 90-95% is rooted in the way you live your life.

In other words, if certain cancers “run” in your family, it’s most likely because you’ve all been exposed to common elements. This is especially true if you grew up in the same household… eating the same foods, using the same products and developing similar habits.

And it means you can slash your risk of cancer, simply by making some vitally important changes.

The most urgent is taking a look at what you eat. GMO foods, processed meats and refined carbs all promote the growth of cancer cells. Cooking red meat at high temperatures also releases cancer-causing chemicals.

This makes diet your first weapon when it comes to crushing cancer before it starts. You can do this by cutting out the foods that cancer thrives on, and replacing them with foods that literally starve cancer cells.

My top choice when it comes to cancer-fighting foods is a certain type of vegetables. They’re members of the “cruciferous” or “brassica” family. These include arugula, bok choy, broccoli and Brussels sprouts. Cabbage, cauliflower, greens, radishes, rutabaga, turnips and watercress are also members of this family.

The power behind these veggies comes from powerful phytonutrients called sulfuraphane and indoles. These compounds work together to inhibit angiogenesis (cancerous blood vessel formation) and control tumor growth. They also inactivate carcinogens, kill cancer cells and protect from DNA damage.

Just three or more servings a week can shrink your risk of prostate, colon, breast, lung and other cancers.

Turmeric is another winner. This potent curry spice contains the active ingredient curcumin, which affects the gene that causes cancer cells to commit suicide. It also helps stop the spread of cancerous blood vessels and prevents normal cells from turning into cancer cells.

Other great cancer-fighting foods include grapes, red wine, green tea and flavonoid-rich fruits. Certain compounds in these foods can inhibit tumor growth and suppress the formation of cancer-spreading blood vessels.

Now, it’s not hard to get more of these foods in your diet. And they’ll do a lot more than help you sidestep cancer. All of this antioxidant protection will also boost your energy, your heart health and sugar metabolism. They’ll cut your inflammation levels and help get rid of any extra weight you’re carrying around.

And speaking of extra weight…

It’s recently come to light that excess weight is responsible for nearly a half million new cancer cases worldwide each year. So make every effort to get rid of those extra pounds.

Eating the foods above will help. Adding in plenty of physical activity throughout the day – along with regular exercise – will only add to your results.

That’s because increased physical activity not only helps you lose cancer-promoting weight. It also cuts the risk of several different types of cancer, including colon, lung, kidney, endometrial, breast and prostate cancers.

Any one of these changes – eating more cancer fight foods, losing weight or adding regular physical activity – can greatly offset your cancer risk.

And when you combine them, you can drastically cut your chances of becoming a victim of this deadly disease.

There’s no time better than today to work up your game plan and get started.

SOURCES:

Cohen JH, et al. Fruit and vegetable intakes and prostate cancer risk. J Natl Cancer Inst. 2000 Jan 5;92(1):61-8.

Voorrips LE, et al. Vegetable and fruit consumption and risks of colon and rectal cancer in a prospective cohort study: The Netherlands Cohort Study on Diet and Cancer. American Journal of Epidemiology 2000;152(11):1081-1092.

Terry P, et al. Brassica vegetables and breast cancer risk. JAMA 2001;285(23):2975-2977.

Lam TK, et al. Cruciferous vegetable consumption and lung cancer risk: a systematic review. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. 2009 Jan;18(1):184-95.

Dhillon N. Phase II trial of curcumin in patients with advanced pancreatic cancer. Clinical Cancer Research. 2008;14:4491-4499.

Li WW, et al. Tumor angiogenesis as a target for dietary cancer prevention. J Oncol. 2012;2012:879623.

Arnold M, et al. Global burden of cancer attributable to high body-mass index in 2012: a population-based study. Lancet Oncol. 2015 Jan;16(1):36-46.

Lemanne D, et al. The role of physical activity in cancer prevention, treatment, recovery, and survivorship. Oncology (Williston Park). 2013 Jun;27(6):580-5.