Reduce Your Cancer Risk

Cancer seems to come at us from every direction. Plastic bottles, cell phones, food. But it’s possible to cut your risk, says Dr. David Servan-Schreiber in his book. Here’s his 4-step approach to fighting the Big C, just in time for National Cancer Prevention Month.

Our bodies continuously make defective cells, our genes can undermine us and our environment assaults us. And while they're well-equipped to detect and eliminate damaged genetic material, sometimes the broken DNA leads to cancers that our bodies can’t repair without help from drugs and other treatments.

That’s where David Servan-Schreiber, M.D., comes in.

As a cancer survivor himself, Servan-Schreiber has firsthand knowledge of the challenges in treating the disease. And as a researcher, he has logged long hours studying the brain’s processes.

Ironically, his own research led to his diagnosis. He was mapping brain activity on people who performed mental tasks while undergoing MRIs. When one volunteer didn’t show, the doctor took his place, and a walnut-sized tumor in his own brain was detected.

Servan-Schreiber’s book, Anticancer – A New Way of Life (Viking Adult, 2008), details his journey through cancer and discovery of the role of alternative and complementary medicine in treating illness. Although he acknowledges the importance of modern medical science, Servan-Schreiber is convinced that the healing process involves more.

So he looked at environmental factors. If our bodies can fight the development of tumors naturally, he asked, how can we assist it?

The cancer researcher describes four new approaches to boost the chances of preventing and defeating cancer. First, he focuses on environmental factors that he feels promote the onset of the disease.

Cancer used to be a disease of old people,” he says. “Now it is common to know a younger person with cancer.”

Second, our diets should include vegetable-derived compounds known to fight tumors, he says. Some of the easiest steps are adding certain spices and foods. “Consider adding green tea, turmeric or garlic to your diet,” he says.

For 25 foods that fight disease, click here.

Servan-Schreiber’s third focus is psychology. “There has been no link established between stress and the development of cancer,” he says. But in animal studies, “Reaction to stress can speed up or even slow down cancer growth,” he says.

And fourth, Servan-Schreiber wants us to create “a relationship with our bodies that stimulates the immune system and reduces inflammation that makes tumors grow.”

Focusing on yourself as a living, breathing human and “loving yourself” for as little as 15 minutes per day can have positive health benefits, he says. Too many self-help efforts start with a negative.

Add “some new spices to the diet, walk each day for 10 to 15 minutes and work up to more, or join a group with common interests,” he says. Once you build confidence in your ability to adapt new behaviors, “then you are better able to let go of old habits,” he says.

Here are some of his suggestions for an anti-cancer way of life:

Approach #1: Detox Your Environment
Environmental toxins have mushroomed since the 1940s, according to Servan-Schreiber. Some strategies to protect yourself include:

Air out dry-cleaned clothing.

Avoid pesticides and insecticides.

Avoid parabens and phthalates in cosmetics.

Avoid chemical cleaning products.

Avoid cigarette smoke and other atmospheric pollutants.

Filter your tap water.

Here are his suggestions to minimize cell-phone electromagnetic radiation exposure:

Don’t allow children under 12 years old to use cell phones, except for emergencies.

Avoid carrying a cell phone with you constantly.

Don’t use the phone when the signal is weak because it will maximize power to find a source.

Approach #2: Change Your Diet
So what changes does Servan-Schreiber suggest for our diets?

About 56% of our calories are from three sources that were nonexistent when humans were emerging, he says. These include refined sugars, such as cane and beet sugar, and corn syrup; bleached flour; and vegetable oils, including hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated trans fats. Servan-Schreiber recommends minimizing these.

He also urges using low-glycemic foods (which don’t cause a blood sugar spike) in place of sweeteners and other starches. Agave nectar and stevia are two plant-derived sweeteners with a low glycemic index. Instead of bleached flours, he recommends mixed, whole-grain cereals, multigrain bread and whole grain rice, such as basmati or Thai.

Swap in lentils, peas, beans, sweet potatoes and yams for the higher glycemic starches found in potatoes. Avoid jams, jellies and fruit cooked in sugar, or fruit in syrup. Fruit in its natural state is preferred and can be sweetened with agave nectar.

Finally, he recommends a glass of red wine a day with a meal.

The anti-cancer diet also includes:

Animal proteins (optional, if you’re a vegetarian) derived from fish, organic meat, omega-3 eggs and organic dairy products

Whole grains

Fats and oils, such as olive, canola or flaxseed oil

Herbs and spices, such as turmeric, mint, thyme, rosemary and garlic

Vegetables and fruits and vegetable proteins, such as lentils, peas, beans and tofu

Approach #3: Address Your Emotions
Persistent anger or despair, social isolation, denial of true identity and a sedentary lifestyle all can inhibit immune cell production and aggravate inflammatory responses, Servan-Schreiber says. He recommends:

Resolving past traumas

Facing one’s difficulties

Obtaining support from family and friends

Finding someone with whom you can share your emotions

Engaging in regular physical activity

Approach #4: Get In Touch
Several studies have shown that touch and massage reduce stress hormones and increase protective cells in women with breast cancer. If you have the disease, Servan-Schreiber advises:

Trying easy activities that stimulate the body gently

Joining a group

Having fun

Figuring out the appropriate activity level for your cancer

Want more? Get your own copy of Anticancer - A New Way of Life.