| Preface
Introduction to the Second
Printing
Introduction
Chapter 1: Nutrition and Cancer: Success is a Well Kept Secret
Chapter 2: Vitamin C: The irrefutable Evidence
Chapter 3: Vitamin A/Beta Carotene: Role in Cancer Prevention and
Treatment
Chapter 4: Vitamin E: The Anti-Cancer Tocopheral Family
Chapter 5: The Role of Selenium, Zinc, Folic Acid and Vitamin B12
Chapter 6: The Role of Essential Fatty Acids
Chapter 7: Nutrition and Cancer: Critique of the Research
Methodology and Evidence
Chapter 8: Dietary Regimes for Cancer: Their Rationale and Efficiency
Examined
Chapter 9: Efficiency of Diverse Cancer treatment Substances
Chapter 10: Cancer and the Mind: Psycho-neuro- immunology
Chapter 11: Cancer Life and Death: Statistics, Nutrition and Molecular
Biology |
The explosion of research and scientific information regarding the relationship of diet
and nutrition to cancer has continued relentlessly since the first edition of Nutrition
and Cancer: State-of-the-Art was published in 1995.
The realisation and revelation that there was
such a substantial body of published scientific literature relating to
the treatment of cancer and other illnesses by nutrition and other natural
medicine therapies sparked the establishment of Positive Health magazine
in 1994 by myself and my partner Mike Howell.1 In every issue of this
serious magazine devoted to Complementary Medicine are a selection of
about 20 recently published research updates, gleaned from an automated
computer search of MedLine every fortnight. These research updates, along
with a selection of acclaimed articles by leading experts in their fields,
are also published on Positive Health's World Wide Web Internet
site www.positivehealth.com.
Much of this published information has been positive and has
helped to further elucidate:
1 How various foods, including soy protein, dietary
fibre and lycopene and micronutrients including antioxidant vitamins and minerals such as
selenium play a role in diminishing the risk of a range of cancers;2-6
2 How certain micronutrients including vitamins E and A are able to
modulate the complicated array of cancer inducing and inhibitory genes at the molecular
level, to control the degree of DNA synthesis and ultimately to cause the suicide of
cancer cells, the process called apoptosis;7,8
3 How psychological process such as relaxation can modulate immune
parameters and strengthen resistance to disease, even when carried out during immune
suppressive regimes such as chemotherapy;9
4 How imagery and hypnosis and relaxation has been effectively used as
a means of controlling cancer pain and how supportive/expressive" group therapy
significantly increased survival and the time from cancer recurrence to death;10
However, the results of other
nutritional research have sent tidal waves still being felt throughout the research and
wider community. Most notable in this category was the Beta Carotene and Retinol Efficacy
Trial which was prematurely terminated in 1996, and which showed an increased risk of lung
cancer in long-term heavy smokers who were taking beta carotene and vitamin A supplements.11
This anomalous and unexpected result has stimulated a great deal of focussed research to
understand exactly the interaction of beta carotene and smoking (which drastically reduces
levels of antioxidants including vitamin C).
Unfortunately the negative result of this research has also been used by various groups
opposed to nutritional supplements to scare off people from taking beta carotene and
vitamin A supplements, micronutrients which have been shown in countless studies in
animals and humans to have potently anti-cancer properties (See Chapter
3);
Another terribly misguided and perhaps catastrophic development
has been the UK government's campaign to restrict the levels of vitamin B6 to a mere 10mg
on general sale. Vitamin B6 is an essential nutrient, vital for the proper functioning of
the immune system, mucous membranes, skin, red blood cells, of critical importance to a
healthy pregnancy and to brain chemistry, involved in the manufacture of all amino acid
neurotransmitters including serotonin, dopamine, melatonin, epinephrine, and
norepinephrine.
The final outcome of the vitamin B6 battle is yet to be
determined. However, the possibility that essential and health-promoting vitamins can be
restricted by law, despite evidence of their fundamentally health enhancing properties,
must alarm all individuals who wish to be able to critically evaluate research and
participate in their own health protection from cancer and other diseases.
This book provides supportive ammunition in our battles to refute
claims frequently made by physicians and oncologists that there is no evidence that
nutrition plays a role in cancer prevention and treatment. This is patently not the case,
as demonstrated by many thousands of published research studies. Information alone will
not advance nutritional treatment regimes; however, the "rehabilitation" of the
Bristol Cancer Help Centre's well-deserved reputation as leaders in alternative cancer
treatments, the acceptance of such regimes within the conventional healthcare
establishment, along with the recently published report by the World Cancer Research Fund
regarding the relationship of diet and nutrition and cancer,12 will all
contribute to a more informed and aware public and medical profession.
We must all push hard in this process, so that the day when diet
and nutrition are an acknowledged part of every cancer patient's treatment regimen may not
be not too far away.
References
1.
Positive Health magazine, available at quality newsagents and
health food shops. For subscription and information about back issues,
please contact Positive Health Publications Ltd., 51 Queen Square, Bristol
BS1 4LH. Tel: 0117 983 8851; Fax: 0117 908 0097. E-mail: sandra@positive.u-net.com.
World Wide Web Internet: www.positivehealth.com
2. Pollard M and Luckert PH. Influence of isoflavones in soy protein isolates
on development of induced prostate-related cancers in L-W rats. Nutr
Cancer. 28(1): 41-5. 1997.
3. De Stefani E et al. Dietary fiber and risk of breast cancer: a case-control
study in Uruguay. Nutr Cancer 28(1): 14-9. 1997.
4. Sharoni Y et al. Effects of lycopene-enriched tomato oleoresin on 7,12-dimethyl-benz(a)anthracene-induced
rat mammary tumors. Cancer Detect Prev 21(2):
118-23. 1997.
5. Stone WL and Papas AM. Tocopherols and the etiology of colon cancer.
J Natl Cancer Inst 89(14): 1006-14. July 16
1997.
6. Fleet JC. Dietary selenium repletion may reduce cancer incidence in
people at high risk who live in areas with low soil selenium. Nutr
Rev 55(7): 277-9. Jul 1997.
7. Maziere S et al. Vitamin A and apoptosis in colonic tumor
cells. Int J Vitam Nutr Res 67(4): 237-41. 1997.
8. Signounas G et al. dl-alpha-tocopherol induces apoptosis in
erythroleukemia, prostate and breast cancer cells. Nutr Cancer 28(1):
30-5. 1997.
9. Lekander M et al. Immune effects of relaxation during chemotherapy
for ovarian cancer. Psychother Psychosom 66(4): 185-91.
1997.
10. Spiegel D and Moore R. Imagery and hypnosis in the treatment of cancer
patients. Oncology 11(8): 1179-89. Aug 1997.
11. Omenn GS et al. Effects of a combination of beta carotene
and vitamin A on lung cancer and cardiovascular disease. N Eng J Med
334(18): 1150-5. May 2 1996.
12. Food, Nutrition and the Prevention of Cancer: a global perspective.
World Cancer Research Fund. 1997.
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