In the last ten years, research around the role of nutrition in treatments for cancer has become more acceptable. As a result, we have an incredible amount of information that’s now accessible. 

I have been to many facilities that use non-conventional and heavily nutritional methods to help people who are dealing with cancer. Amongst all the facilities, I noticed that their common ground lies in attending to three major issues…

• Normalizing the ph of the body

Normal cells and cancer cells thrive in different environments. Cancer cells like an acidic body, while normal cells like an alkaline body, so much so that most solid tumors will not grow in an alkalized body; normalizing the body’s ph is critical to treating cancer. 

• Attending to the immune system 

Our immune system has the ability to recognize and kill cancer at any stage. But our world is growing in toxicity, and our immune systems are far from optimal. Attending to the immune system is, therefore, an integral part of helping people fight and prevent cancer. 

• Detoxing the body

I often see people who have recovered from one type of cancer, only to get two or more types of cancer, five or so years later. This is likely due to the fact that during conventional treatment, the body’s detoxification system comes under fire, and it is never fully attended to. 

The body has a multitude of systems for detoxification, all of which rely on certain nutrients. If we don’t have the correct nutrients, then our body cannot detox. 

The link between these three issues and how these facilities tackled them is nutrition. 

The Big Problem

Cancer is a degenerative disease caused by an initiation event e.g., exposure to toxins. Secondary damage will likely include a compromised immune system, increase inflammatory processes, and decreased ability to detox. 

Pair this with a full-time modern life and the ever-increasing toxicity of our world, and our natural ability to attend to those three issues is almost void. 

Environmental toxins in our food, clothes, homes, medicines, and beauty products combined with general nutritional deficiencies, lack of sleep, and increased stress levels all create oxidative stress. Oxidative stress gives rise to free radicals that cause damage to our cells, and if they cause damage to the DNA in the cell nucleus – these free radicals cause cancer. 

What’s The Answer? Nutrition! 

To shut down the damage being caused by free radicals, we need support. That support comes from antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals. 

I want to share with you my recommendations and reasons for the nutrients that are necessary for anyone battling cancer. 

E Vitamins

• Most powerful antioxidant known to man 
• Protects and reduces many types of cancer
• Protects against oxidative stress 
• Causes antiproliferative activity – an activity that slows the growth of tumors 
• Decreases the size of tumors and their ability to multiply

Red Veratrol 

• Works alongside E vitamins to stop the growth of tumors and increase the death of cancer cells 
• Interferes with inflammatory processes
• Blocks the ‘turning on’ of cancer genes that cause rapid growth of tumor cells 

Indole Three Carbonal 

• Works alongside red veratrol to prevent and reverse breast cancer
• Found in cruciferous vegetables such as cauliflower, broccoli, and sprouts
• Aids in the detoxification of old estrogen and estrogen-mimicking chemicals

Vitamin A 

• Carotenoids are associated with decreased incidences of cancer 
• Redirects the development of epithelial cells – epithelial cells are the original material of 90% of modern cancers, vitamin A can control our cells abilities to differentiate thus slowing the development of pre-cancerous cells into cancerous cells
• Found in all brightly colored fruits and vegetables 

B Vitamins 

• Aids the modification and repair of genetic material 
• Crucial for inhibiting tumor growth, especially when combined with vitamin C
• B vitamins are heavily depleted as a result of conventional treatment methods so should be a top priority – B vitamins do not interfere with chemo or radiation therapy so are safe to use in conjunction with conventional treatments 

Flavonoids

• Molecules that protect from oxidative damage
• Found in green tea, soy, beans, and vegetables 
• Recently considered as a direct treatment for cancerous cells 

Co-Enzyme Q10 

• Powerful anti-tumor effects
• Antioxidant 
• Decreases pain associated with cancer 
• Non-interfering and can be used alongside chemo and radiation therapy

The following minerals play a vital role in nutrition-based treatments for cancer. 

Minerals are necessary to detox heavy metals from the body, so it’s likely that mineral deficiency is associated with increased incidences of cancer due to increased toxicity from heavy metals.

Calcium 

• Decreases incidences of colon cancer by binding excess stomach acid and protecting the intestines

Zinc 

• Zinc deficiency is associated with an increased risk of developing cancer 
• Works to decrease the toxicity of chemotherapy and radiation therapy
• Vital for the metabolism of vitamin A 
• Essential to the proper workings of many bodily systems including the immune system, sense organs, and reproductive organs
• Often used in conjunction with chemo or radiation therapy to target tumors 

This list of essential nutrients should give you an idea of where to start if you are thinking of nutrition-based therapy. 

It is also worth noting that oncological diet therapy is a medical specialty, so it is worth seeking advice from a specialist. 

I hope that this article can begin to dispel the myth that research associated with nutrient therapy for cancer is non-existent. Though there is absolutely room for more research, we have made an excellent start. 

What next?

For further discussion on specific research surrounding these nutrients, listen to my talk ‘Understanding the Role of Nutrition when Faced with Cancer’. 

For my comprehensive guide to dealing with cancer and how to incorporate nutrition into your treatment plan, listen to ‘Natural Solutions to the Challenge of Cancer’.

You should also book a free, fifteen-minute consultation to discuss your concerns and see how we might be able to help you achieve your health care goals.