This article was taken from Indo American News and has not been altered in content. There was mention of Hemp, which I believe if a perfect whole food for the bodies health and well being.
By Ritu Raju
HOUSTON: The Indian American Cancer Network (IACAN) has been diligently presenting talks and conducting activities to increase awareness of cancer and provide community support for cancer patients and families. Their latest event, held on July 10 at India House, included a presentation by Dr. Lorenzo Cohen, Ph.D. on “Living the Anti-Cancer Life.” Dr. Cohen, Director of the Integrative Medicine Program at the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center has conducted multiple studies on the psychosocial issues of cancer. He presented some of his findings and shared valuable information with a packed audience.
Dr. Cohen referred the audience to the book, Anti-Cancer: A New Way of Life (2008) by Dr. David Servan-Schreiber which served as the basis for much of his work. Servan-Schreiber was diagnosed with cancer in his mid-thirties. After undergoing conventional treatments, he investigated a number of integrative approaches to the prevention and treatment of cancer.
Dr. Cohen emphasized that cancer is a lifestyle disease and needs to be proactively addressed by everyone. All of us have cancer cells in our bodies since we are all exposed to carcinogenous factors. The statistics are daunting. One in two men and one in three women will get cancer; however, only one in four will die of the disease. There are many factors in our natural defenses that we can harness to protect ourselves from cancer.
Dr. Cohen also outlined some of the main causes for the current (and ever-growing) cancer epidemic. These causes can be grouped under four main factors: nutrition, obesity, sedentary behavior, and stress/social support. Our food intake directly affects our exposure to cancer—the connection between meat and colon cancer, for instance, has been documented in a number of studies. The incidence of breast cancer has been directly linked to the presence of IGF1 (the insulin-like growth factor) that is generated in response to foods high in glycemic load (substances that cause an increase in insulin).
In particular, Dr. Cohen referred to soy oil, a key ingredient in all fast food and much prepared food, which is rich in Omega-6 Fatty Acids that cause inflammation and stimulate cell growth. The rising imbalance in the ratio of Omega-6 to Omega-3 in the western diet has led to the increase in cardiovascular disease and a whole host of other health problems. In addition, lifestyle changes such as declining physical activity and increasing stress levels have resulted in elevated risk levels.
However, there are many changes that we can make in order to reverse these risks. Dr. Cohen’s concept of an integrative lifestyle can help us introduce easy-to-implement changes in our daily habits to dramatically reduce our exposure to cancer. These measures fall within the ambit of three areas: physical, social, and psycho-social. Of these, nutrition is the most immediate and controllable factor. Dr. Cohen listed several ingredients that are vital to Indian cooking as possessing anti-inflammatory properties; notable among these are turmeric, chili peppers, ginger, and garlic. In addition, foods such as grapes, honey, green tea, soy beans (not to be confused with soy oil mentioned earlier), tomatoes, and cruciferous vegetables such as cabbage and broccoli are all rich in anti-cancer phytochemicals.
He noted that we should try to eat these foods rather than take them as supplements which may not work the same way as natural foods. Dr. Cohen offered several other suggestions including fish and other Omega-3 rich foods such as hemp and flax seeds. He noted that food synergies make a significant difference; for example, blueberries are known to be rich in anti-oxidants. Combining them with apples, oranges, and grapes raises their anti-oxidant powers manifold.
Making the point that eating the correct foods in the right combinations can dramatically alter the expression of cancer, Dr. Cohen presented an image of the perfect anti-cancer plate: plenty of fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and a small amount of protein derived from fish or legumes/other plant sources. What is notable is that this is, as he pointed out, “the very antithesis of the western diet.”
Besides nutritional strategies, Dr. Cohen also stressed the importance of physical exercise and the reduction of stress. Stress itself does not cause cancer; rather it impedes the body’s ability to fight inflammation and disease.
The most notable part of Dr. Cohen’s presentation was the segment devoted to the findings of his research on the effects of yoga on cancer treatment. In a landmark study, Dr. Cohen tested the effect of yoga and stretching on the treatment and outcomes of women undergoing treatment for breast cancer. Six months after undergoing radiation, the yoga group (did yoga in addition to conventional radiation therapy) and the stretching group (performed simple stretching exercises but did not receive formal holistic yoga training) reported much less fatigue than the control group (the group that did not practice yoga but only received radiation).
The yoga group showed dramatic improvement in physical functioning and overall general health as compared to the control group. Also, the ability to find meaning in life termed as “benefit finding”—was much higher for the yoga group. On a physiological level, baseline cortisol levels were excellent in members of the yoga group indicating better health. Thus, in all aspects, the yoga group experienced a myriad of benefits that were absent in the control group. The promising findings of this study have prompted Dr. Cohen to undertake a larger, more comprehensive study.
From Dr. Cohen’s discussion, the audience obtained clear insights into the following: cancer is a lifestyle disease; therefore, lifestyle changes play a significant role in both prevention and managing the disease. By improving nutrition, reducing obesity and stress levels, and increasing physical activity and social support, we can protect and strengthen ourselves against cancer and other diseases.
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