Diagnosed with brain cancer 16 years ago, David Servan-Schreiber, MD, was told by his oncologist that changing his diet would not impact his results. However, Dr. Schreiber did not accept the oncologists findings, and he was successful with his new diet.
The following is taken from www.prevention.com/ediblehealing. Adapted by arrangement with Viking, a member of Penguin Group (USA) Inc. From ANTICANCER, A NEW WAY OF LIFE by David Servan-Schreiber, MD, PhD, published in September 2008. Copyright by David Servan-Schreiber, MD, PhD, 2008.
Cancer-Fighting Recipes
Find easy, healing recipes containing the below foods, plus watch Servan-Schreiber discuss more ways to beat and prevent the disease in his video, at www.prevention.com/cancer. Or, buy his book.
Dr. Servan-Schreiber’s Story
Dr. Servan-Schreiber writes: “I spent months researching the healing powers of food before I fully grasped my own natural cancer-fighting potential. I met with a variety of researchers, scoured medical databases, and combed scientific publications. I traveled the world and consulted experts.
“In my quest, I discovered that the list of anticancer foods is actually quite long. Some foods block natural bodily processes such as inflammation that fuels cancer growth. Others force cancer cells to die through a process that specialists call apoptosis. Still other foods assist the body in detoxifying cancer-causing toxins or protecting against free radicals. But most of them attack the disease on a variety of fronts. And they do it every day, three times a day, without provoking any side effects. To avoid the disease, it’s essential to take advantage of this natural protection, and nurture it.”
His anti-cancer diet
“I learned the anticancer diet is the exact opposite of the typical American meal. My anticancer diet has : mostly colorful vegetables and legumes, plus unsaturated fats (olive, canola, or flaxseed oils), garlic, herbs, and spices. Meat and eggs are optional. Through extensive research, I devised a list of the most promising cancer fighters, along with recommendations on how to make the most of their potential. Include at least one, and preferably two, at every meal, to maximize your protection.”
Best drinks for bettering your body
Japanese green tea (sencha, gyokuro, matcha, etc.) contains more EGCG than common varieties of Chinese green tea, making it the most potent source on the market; look in Asian groceries and tea shops.
Research conducted on 2,000 Chinese women where breast cancer is 80% lower than in the US confirmed that drinking green tea regularly was a big reason for their reduced rate of cancer.
Pomegranate Juice
It tastes like raspberries and has been used in Persian medicine for thousands of years. Its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties are well confirmed; studies show it can substantially reduce the development of even the most aggressive prostate cancers (among others). Drinking it daily slows the spread of an established prostate cancer by more than 50%.
Two Tumor-Tackling Spices, Season liberally for benefits
Fresh ginger, or gingerroot, is a powerful anti-inflammatory that combats certain cancer cells and helps slow tumor growth. A ginger infusion can also alleviate nausea from chemotherapy or radiotherapy.
Turmeric
Found in curry powder, this spice is the most powerful natural anti-inflammatory available today. It encourages cancer cell death, inhibits tumor growth, and even enhances the effectiveness of chemotherapy. Some research shows that turmeric is most effective in humans when it’s mixed with black pepper and dissolved in oil (olive or canola, preferably). In store-bought curry mixes, turmeric represents only 20% of the total, so it’s better to obtain ground turmeric directly from a spice shop.
Vital Veggies – Stock a cancer-fighting shopping cart
Brussels sprouts, bok choy, Chinese cabbage, broccoli, and cauliflower all contain potent anticancer molecules. These molecules help the body detoxify certain carcinogenic substances and can help prevent precancerous cells from developing into malignant tumors. They also promote the suicide of cancer cells and block tumor growth.
Garlic, Onions, Leeks, Shallots, Chives
The sulfur compounds found in this group (the alliaceous family) promote the death of colon, breast, lung, and prostate cancer cells. Epidemiological studies also suggest a lower risk of kidney and prostate cancer in people who consume the most garlic.
How to Eat Them: The active compounds in garlic are released when you crush the clove, and they’re much more easily absorbed if they’re combined with a small amount of oil. Sauté chopped garlic and onions in a little olive oil, mix with steamed or stir-fried vegetables, and toss with black pepper and turmeric. They can also be consumed raw, mixed in salads, or layered on sandwiches.
Fatty Fish
The risk of several cancers is significantly lower in people who eat fish at least twice a week. Several studies discovered that the anti-inflammatory long-chain omega-3s found in fatty fish (or in high-quality purified fish-oil supplements) can help slow cancer cell growth in a large number of tumors (lung, breast, colon, prostate, kidney, etc.).
How to Eat It: Have a seafood-based meal two or three times a week. Choose small fish, such as anchovies, small mackerel, and sardines (including canned sardines, provided they are preserved in olive oil and not in sunflower oil, which is too rich in pro-inflammatory omega-6 fats). Small fish contain fewer environmental toxins such as PCBs and mercury. Wild salmon is also a good source of omega-3 fats, and the level of contamination is still acceptable. Choose fresh over frozen whenever possible, because omega-3 content degrades over time.
Consume selenium
Countries that have high selenium intake also have a low cancer rate. Since it’s difficult to know whether or not the soil where you live is selenium-rich, it’s best to take supplemental selenium – 200 micrograms a day is a safe amount.
If you prefer a food source, Brazil nuts are the richest natural source of this vital nutrient.
Disease-Fighting Fruits – Fresh & frozen varieties provide year-round protection
Oranges, tangerines, lemons, and grapefruit contain anti-inflammatory compounds called flavonoids that stimulate the detoxification of carcinogens by the liver. Certain flavonoids in the skin of tangerines–tangeritin and nobiletin–can also help promote the death of brain cancer cells.
How eat them: Sprinkle grated citrus zest (from organic fruits) into salad dressings or breakfast cereals, or steep in tea or hot water. Eat whole fruits out of hand, toss with other fruits in a salad, or use in a salsa to season grilled fish.
Berries: Strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, blackberries, and cranberries contain ellagic acid and a large number of polyphenols, which inhibit tumor growth. Two polyphenols found in berries, anthocyanidins and proanthocyanidins, promote cancer cell death.
How to Eat Them: At breakfast, mix fruit with soy milk and multigrain cereals. (The best cereal options combine oats, bran, flaxseed, rye, barley, spelt, and so on.) Frozen berries are just as potent as fresh.
Cure It with Dessert - Enjoy antioxidant-rich dark chocolate
Chocolates containing over 70% cocoa provide a number of antioxidants, proanthocyanidins, and many polyphenols. In fact, a square of dark chocolate contains twice as many as a glass of red wine and almost as many as a cup of green tea properly steeped. These molecules slow the growth of cancer cells and limit the blood vessels that feed them.
How to Eat It: Enjoy about one-fifth of a dark chocolate bar per day guilt free. Milk chocolate isn’t a good alternative because dairy cancels out the cancer protection of the polyphenol compounds.
The bottom line
According to the good doctor, “To date, there is no alternative approach that can cure cancer, and I believe that the best of conventional medicine–surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy, immunotherapy, and soon, molecular genetics–must be used to treat this disease.
But to neglect your own natural cancer-fighting capacity is folly. I’ve kept cancer at bay for16 years now, and I attribute my survival largely to the changes I’ve made in my diet and lifestyle. I exercise and meditate more and eat wholesome anticancer foods on a daily basis. Still, the medical establishment is slow to embrace this approach.
After my last screening at the university’s cancer center, I stopped at the cafeteria and discovered eight different types of tea: Darjeeling, Earl Grey, chamomile, and several fruit-flavored herbal teas. Sadly, there was not a single packet of green tea in the lot.
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