Immune System Operation

The immune system is made up of a team of different types of cells that, while each having their own specific function, work together to protect the body from foreign invaders:

B-cells produce antibodies; T-cells conduct surveillance for potentially dangerous molecules and kills dangerous cells such as disease-causing bacteria; and macrophages are the scavenger cells of your body acting like garbage trucks, cleaning up residue and removing potentially dangerous substances.

A surveillance team of cells determines whether newly introduced pathogens or molecules pose a threat to your system. A reaction occurs when your body identifies molecules as potentially harmful and toxic -- these molecules are called antigens.

The surveillance cells bind to the antigens activating the immune cells to release cytokines and other chemicals which then signals the scavenger macrophages to come to the site and destroy them.

When the surveillance immune cells bind to an antigen and send out chemical messengers, they also communicate to the B-cells, which are instructed to make antibodies to the antigen.

Antibodies are long, branched molecules that have places for recognition and binding (attachment) of the antigen on one side, and a site on the other end that can call into action other immune responses.

An antibody will only bind one specific antigen and nothing else. When the antibody binds, or sticks, to the dangerous molecule it is acts like a red flag identifying the molecule as something potentially damaging that should be removed.

Your macrophage cells are often called the 'scavenger' cells of the immune system and are specifically designed to remove damaging molecules from the body. After the antibody binds to a dangerous molecule the macrophages consume the molecule, taking it out of circulation and destroying it.

Note 1: The “B” Cell becomes a Memory “B” Cell to recall the invader if it should return.

Note 2: The macrophage presents small pieces of the antigen to notify other immune cells such as T Cells. 

The following diagram is a high-level overview depiction of how the immune system and its cell function to protect you and fight internal and external pathogens and other harmful molecules.

Immune Cells Activations

Macrophages Activate:
T Cells
Neutrophils
Dendritic Cells

T Cells Activate:
B Cells
NK Cells
Neutrophils
Eosinophils
Mast Cells
Plasma Cells

Macrophages Activated by:
Invaders
Proteins, e.g.:
Colostrum peptides
GcMAF
VDR/RXR
Polysacharrides, e.g.
Beta glucan

Macrophages Deactivated by:
Invaders, Viruses, Cancer Cells
Proteins
Excess Sugar

MicroRNAs Control Macrophage Formation and Activation: The Inflammatory Link between Obesity and Cardiovascular Diseases 

A microRNA (abbreviated miRNA) is a small non-coding RNA molecule (containing about 22 nucleotides) found in plants, animals, and some viruses, which functions in RNA silencing and post-transcriptional regulation of gene expression. 

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) typically inhibit the translation and stability of messenger RNAs (mRNAs), controlling genes involved in cellular processes such as inflammation, cell-cycle regulation, stress response, differentiation, apoptosis, and migration. 

Thus, miRNAs have been implicated in the regulation of virtually all signaling circuits within a cell, and their dysregulation has been shown to play an essential role in the development and progression of cancer. 

The emergence of microRNAs has been one of the defining developments in cancer biology over the past decade, and the explosion of knowledge in this area has brought forward new diagnostic and therapeutic opportunities. The importance of microRNAs in cancer has been underlined by the identification of alterations in microRNA target binding sites and the microRNA processing machinery in tumor cells. Clinical trials utilizing microRNA profiling for patient prognosis and clinical response are now underway, and the first microRNA mimic entered the clinic for cancer therapy in 2013. 

Micro-RNA Molecules from Your Food May Control Up to 30 Percent of Your Genes
    Groundbreaking new research shows that microscopic RNA in the plants you consume enters your body and is actually capable of affecting the expression of up to 30% of your genes!

    Never before could it have been imagined that your "genes" could be so profoundly affected by things you eat.

    There is also the field of lectinology, which has opened our eyes to how plants – particularly grains and legumes – have a set of defenses, not unlike "invisible thorns," which can cause direct, non-immune mediated harm to a wide range of tissues and organs within your body.

    Medical science is beginning to awaken to how profoundly food is intertwined with health and disease, and how nutrients affect genes, and how our genes respond to nutrients. This, in fact, is the field of study known as Nutrigenomics – something, I believe, you will be hearing far more about as the science begins to gain wider appreciation. It is a burgeoning new field, in fact launched soon after the completion of a working draft of the Human Genome project (2003), which failed to provide the long sought after "holy grail" of modern biology.

In a nutshell, the project failed to identify one gene for every one protein in the human body, forcing researchers to look to epigenetic factors --  namely, "factors beyond the control of the gene" – to explain how the body is formed, and how it works.  What is the most important factor beyond the control of the gene? Diet.

Eating the Wrong Plants Can Mess With Your DNA Expression
    Chances are you've never heard of micro RNA (miRNA) … but that doesn't mean it hasn't already been impacting your health …  RNA is one of three major macromolecules, like DNA. Micro RNA are basically small pieces of RNA that interact with your genes, essentially stopping certain genes from being expressed.

    MiRNA exists in human body fluid naturally; for instance, researchers have detected high expression levels of immune-related miRNAs in breast milk, particularly during the first 6 months of lactation. It's thought that this genetic material is transferred from mother to baby to help modulate the development of the infant's immune system. Cow's milk also contains miRNA, which is currently being explored as a possible new standard for the quality control of raw milk.

    However, micro RNA also exists in plants, and for the first time research has shown that eating the wrong plants may transfer this plant miRNA  to humans -- with potentially devastating implications.

The study, published in the September 2011 edition of the journal Cell Research, determined that microRNA from cooked plant foods like rice, wheat and potatoes can in fact collect in your blood and tissue, leading to a number of potential health problems.

    The study further revealed that microRNA remains completely stable after not only cooking, but through the digestion process as well. Most importantly, the researchers found a significant quantity of microRNA in the human body.

    So whenever you eat rice and certain other plant foods, including potatoes and wheat, you are ingesting genetic material that may turn certain genes "off." To date, microRNA has been implicated in a number of diseases ranging from cancer and diabetes to Alzheimer's disease.

"Gene Regulators" in Your Rice, Wheat and Potatoes
    MicroRNA has been widely shown to alter many critical biological processes, including apoptosis – the process of programmed cell death and DNA fragmentation. As a result, the dysregulation of microRNAs has been linked to cancer and various other diseases.

However microRNA are also responsible for regulating your genes on a very large scale. As mentioned, it has been estimated that miRNAs account for less than 1% of genes in mammals, but that up to 30% of genes are regulated by them.

Amazingly, microRNAs are known to regulate the flow of genetic information by controlling the translation or stability of something known as messenger RNAs, which is a molecule of RNA that carries valuable genetic coding information within your body.

    What's more, this plant miRNA has been shown to interfere with human microRNA by mimicking it and binding to the receptors. In the study, researchers examined the two highest levels of these microRNAs in human participants, and found that it is shockingly prevalent among many dietary plant staples.

    As results of the study show, three microRNAs were detected in rice and other foods including Chinese cabbage, wheat, and potato. Of course these are all highly common food staples for many families not only in the United States, but around the world. This means that you may be unknowingly consuming plant microRNAs that could be increasing your risk of cancer and other disease. Even more concerning is the fact that the study authors observed this effect in both healthy men and women, reporting:

        "Upon investigation of the global miRNA expression profile in human serum, we found that exogenous plant miRNAs were consistently present in the serum of healthy… men and women."

What you eat, therefore, is who you are in the most literal sense possible.
This fact, while often overlooked, is fundamental in understanding how to optimize your health. If you eat the right foods, you thrive; eat the wrong foods, and you suffer.

It can take a lifetime to figure out how to perfect a diet, particularly one suitable for you as an individual. The good news is that modern research is beginning to make headway in figuring out what is good for virtually all humans, at least in most cases. Certain foods appear to be problematic for many … and most grains continue to be at the top of this list.

The Good News: You Can Eat to Optimize Your Genetic Expression
    Given the knowledge that the food you consume ultimately becomes the life source of your entire body, it is important that you eat well not only to utilize vital nutrients but also to optimize your genetic expression.
    
     Key foods to eat include vegetables, fruits, plant oils, fish, nuts and seeds; while avoiding refined sugar, flour, processed foods and most animal meats.

But, remember: your diet is but one way to influence your genetic expression. Your emotions, pharmaceutical drugs, and exposure to pollutants play a role in how your genes are expressed.

 

Top Foods for Immune System

Boosting your immune system is a topic that usually comes up as winter sets in. Adults and children start to get the sniffles. The yearly discussion about flu shots starts up again with all the arguments for and against. Magazines run articles on how to stave off winter illnesses like the common cold.

So, most of us are aware that the immune system protects us from bacteria, viruses and other pathogens. But, when we acquire a disease such as heart disease, diabetes or cancer, your immune system playes an even bigger role to protect you from these devastating diseases. In fact, it is your immune system that helps to repair your body from the damage caused by disease.

Unfortuately, many of the drugs that you are given don't really strengthen your immune system. In fact, some of these drugs, such as the drugs for chemotherapy, almost destroy your immune system.

So, before you give in to your doctors coaxing and fear tactics to get chemotherapy, consider a natural alternative treatment that won't destroy your immune system. If the alternative treatment doesn't work, you can always come back and get the chemotherapy. But, if you get the chemotherapy first, it will make it a lot more difficult to recover from the damage caused by the chemotherapy. Ironically, when it comes to cancer, it is your immune system that will play one of the biggest roles in fighting the cancer and healing your body.

The following is a list of some of the top foods that help to strengthen your immune system and, in some cases, fight your cancer. For specific foods that strengthen your immune system and fight your cancer, refer to our blog post titled "Top Foods That Fight Cancer".

Berries
Vitamin C is present in berries in very large amounts. Vitamin C prevents injury to cells and is therefore very useful in boosting your immune system. Blueberries and other dark berries in particular contain large doses of bioflavonoids that can act as antioxidants which will attack the free radicals moving around your body.

Blueberries in particular are potent immune boosters as they contain powerful phytochemicals, such as anthocyanins, which is the pigment that gives blueberries their color.

Carrots (Juicing)
Carrots contain beta carotene, which increases the number of infection-fighting cells, natural killer cells, and helper T-cells, as well as being a powerful antioxidant that mops up excess free radicals that accelerate aging -- especially when the carrots are juiced.

Beta carotene reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease by interfering with how the fats and cholesterol in the bloodstream oxidize to form arterial plaques. Studies have shown that foods that boost your immune system containing beta carotene can lower the risk of cardiovascular disease, especially strokes and heart attacks, giving scientific credence to the belief that a carrot a day can keep the heart surgeon away.

Beta carotene also protects against cancer by stimulating the immune cells called macrophages to produce tumor necrosis factor, which kills cancer cells. It has also been shown that beta carotene supplements can increase the production of T-cell lymphocytes and natural killer cells and can enhance the ability of the natural killer cells to attack cancer cells.

Getting carotenoids in food, especially raw carrot juice, is a lot more cancer-protective than taking beta carotene supplements. The body converts beta carotene to vitamin A, which itself has anticancer properties and immune-boosting functions.

Since too much vitamin A can be toxic to the body, it’s better to get extra beta carotene from foods and let the body naturally regulate how much of this precursor is converted to the immune-fighting vitamin A. It’s highly unlikely that a person could take in enough beta carotene to produce a toxic amount of vitamin A, because when the body has enough vitamin A, it stops making it.

Chlorella
Chlorella is a single-cell freshwater algae that acts as an efficient detoxification agent by binding to toxins, such as mercury, and carries them out of your system. It is the chlorophyll in chlorella that makes it so powerful. Chlorophyll helps you process more oxygen, cleanses your blood and promotes the growth and repair of your tissues. Wheatgrass, because of its chlorophyll content, provides a similar benefit.

Citrus Fruits
Citrus fruits and vegetables contain Vitamin C and phytonutrients called bioflavenoids, which aid the immune system by protecting the cells of the body against environmental foods-that-boost-your-immune-systempollutants.

Bioflavenoids protect the cell membranes against the pollutants trying to attach to them. Along the membrane of each cell there are microscopic parking spaces, called receptor sites. Pollutants, toxins, or germs can park here and gradually eat their way into the membrane of the cell, but when bioflavenoids fill up these parking spots there is no room for toxins to park.

Bioflavenoids also reduce the cholesterol’s ability to form plaques in arteries and lessen the formation of microscopic clots inside arteries, which can lead to heart attack and stroke. Studies have shown that people who eat the most bioflavenoids have less cardiovascular disease.

A diet that contains a wide variety of foods that boost your immune system like fruits and vegetables, at least six servings per day, will help you get the bioflavenoids needed to help your immune system work in top form.

Cruciferous Vegetables
Cauliflower, broccoli, and Brussels sprouts are all cruciferous vegetables, which means they’re not only rich in antioxidant vitamins that give an immune system boost, but they also contain sulfur, which helps to penetrate cancer cells.

These vegetables also contain choline, which keeps your cells functioning properly and also helps support a healthy gastrointestinal barrier, keeping bacteria safely confined in the gut. Cauliflower, in particular, is a beneficial food to eat when you’re sick because it’s also rich in glutathione, a powerful antioxidant that helps fight off infection. Dip raw cauliflower florets in low-fat yogurt, drizzle them with vinaigrette, or add them to your favorite vegetable soup recipe.

Fish
Fish, especially cold-water fish, is a great source of omega 3 fats, which many people are deficient in. Choose fish like tuna, mackerel, sardines and wild salmon to obtain the higher levels of Omega-3 essential fatty acids.

Garlic
With antiviral properties and antibacterial features, garlic is one of the most powerful foods that boost your immune system stimulates the multiplication of infection-fighting white cells, boosts natural killer cell activity, and increases the efficiency of antibody production.

The immune-boosting properties of garlic are due to its sulfur-containing compounds, such as allicin and sulfides. Garlic can also act as an antioxidant that reduces the build-up of free radicals in the bloodstream.

Garlic protects against cancer, as demonstrated by cultures with a garlic-rich diet have a lower incidence of intestinal cancer. Garlic may also play a part in getting rid of potential carcinogens and other toxic substances. It is also one of the most heart-friendly foods that boost your immune system since it keeps platelets from sticking together and clogging tiny blood vessels.

Garlic is one of the easiest foods to include in your diet. Add it into soups, casseroles and sauces. Include it in salad dressings or roast it with vegetables. There are so many options to use garlic every day.

Grapefruit
Red or pink grapefruit is packed with vitamin C, making it an immune-boosting essential. The red and pink varieties are especially good choices because, as their rosy color indicates, they’re packed with bioflavonoids. These naturally-occurring compounds cause beneficial reactions in the body, including an added immunity boost. Halve a grapefruit  and dust it with cinnamon, another immunity booster.

Greens
Greens such as kale, spinach, collards, and Swiss chard are immune-boosting foods that contain high levels of vitamin C, which not only packs a powerful antioxidant punch, it helps fight off infection and regenerate other antioxidants in the body, including vitamin E. They also contain folate, another immune booster.

Add to a green smoothie or sautée kale, spinach, or Swiss chard with garlic and olive oil, or use fresh spinach to make an nutrient-rich salad — top it with fresh mushrooms to pack an extra immune-boosting punch.

Mushrooms
If you want your body to fight infection, certain mushrooms can increase the activity and new production of white blood cells.

No herbal medicine cabinet should be without mushrooms. They increase the production of cytokines, which are cells that help fight off infection. They also contain polysaccharides, which are compounds that support the immune system.

Mushrooms also contain powerful compounds called beta-glucans, which have been long known for their immune enhancing and cancer-fighting properties. Beta-glucan 3 enhances immunity through a variety of mechanisms, many of which are similar to those of echinacea and astragalus root. For example, it binds to macrophages and other scavenger white blood cells, activating their anti-infection activities.

When you’re thinking about a healthy diet, mushrooms may not be the first thing to come to mind, but they’re a major source of the immune system-boosting mineral, zinc. People who don’t have enough zinc in their diet tend to have fewer white blood cells to help fight off disease, which can lead to a reduced immune response.

Start thinking of mushrooms as a great immune-boosting food. Sauté shiitakes with onion and garlic as a side dish or add to enrich tomato sauce or a salad.

There are many different types of mushrooms, but stick with the medicinal mushrooms such as Reishi, Shiitake, and Maitake, which are notable for their ability to activate/modulate your immune system.

"Studies show that mushrooms increase the production and activity of white blood cells, making them more aggressive. This is a good thing when you have an infection," says Douglas Schar, MCPP,  director of the Institute of Herbal Medicine in Washington, DC.

Omega-3 Fatty Acids
The omega-3 fatty acids in flax oil and fatty fish (such as salmon, tuna, and mackerel) act as immune boosters by increasing the activity of phagocytes, the white blood cells that eat up bacteria.

Essential fatty acids also protect the body against damage from over-reactions to infection. When taking essential fatty acid supplements, such as flax or fish oils, take additional vitamin E, which acts together with essential fatty acids to boost the immune system. One way to get more omega-3 fatty acids in your diet is to add one to three teaspoons of flax oil to a fruit and yogurt smoothie or eat some cold-water fish such as wild salmon or sardines.

A study found that children taking a half teaspoon of flax oil a day experienced fewer and less severe respiratory infections and fewer days of being absent from school. (Perhaps this is why grandmothers used to insist on a daily dose of unpalatable cod liver oil.)

Probiotics
Probiotics, or the "live active cultures" found in yogurt, are healthy bacteria that keep the gut and intestinal tract free of disease-causing germs.

Although they're available in supplement form, a study from the University of Vienna in Austria found that a daily 7-ounce dose of organic  yogurt was just as effective in boosting immunity as popping pills.

In an 80-day Swedish study of 181 factory employees, those who drank a daily supplement of Lactobacillus reuteri—a specific probiotic that appears to stimulate white blood cells—took 33 percent fewer sick days than those given a placebo.

Selenium
This mineral increases natural killer cells and mobilizes cancer-fighting cells. Foods that boost your immune system containing selenium are tuna, red snapper, lobster, shrimp, whole grains, vegetables (depending on the selenium content of the soil they’re grown in), brown rice, egg yolks, cottage cheese, chicken (white meat), sunflower seeds, garlic, Brazil nuts, and lamb chops.

Spices
Ginger comes to the aid when we're sick in some powerful ways. Besides soothing a scratchy throat, it has chemicals called sesquiterpenes that target rhinoviruses -- which are the most common family of cold viruses -- as well as substances that help suppress coughing. Ginger is also a natural pain and fever reducer and a mild sedative so you'll feel more comfortable and be able to rest easier. Add a couple of tablespoons of shredded ginger root to your tea, or make ginger tea (it comes in tea bags, but you can also simmer fresh sliced ginger to make a potent brew).

Turmeric, a bright-yellow, bitter spice and a key ingredient in many curries, has been used for years as an anti-inflammatory in treating both osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. High concentrations of curcumin, which gives turmeric its distinct color, have been shown to contain strong flu and cold fighting properties.

It's ironic that black pepper -- the spice best known for making you sneeze -- can ward off the sniffles. Black peppercorns are high in piperine, a compound known for its anti-fever and pain-relieving qualities. Black pepper also helps your body to better absorb turmeric.

Spicy Foods
Hot and spicy foods that boost your immune system such as chili peppers, hot mustard, radishes, pepper, onions, and garlic contain substances called “mucolytics” (similar to over-the-counter expectorant cough syrups) that liquefy thick mucus that accumulates in the sinuses and breathing passages.

Sweet Potatoes
Sweet potatoes contain large doses of vitamin A. Our skin needs good amounts of vitamin A to keep it healthy. When the largest organ in your body is healthy, you have a much better chance of staving off infection.

You may not think of skin as part of your immune system, but this crucial organ, covering an impressive 16 square feet, serves as a first-line of defense against bacteria, viruses, and other undesirables. To stay strong and healthy, your skin needs vitamin A.

"Vitamin A plays a major role in the production of connective tissue, a key component of skin," explains Prevention advisor David Katz, MD, director of the Yale-Griffin Prevention Research Center in Derby, CT. "One of the best ways to get vitamin A into your diet is from foods containing beta-carotene (like sweet potatoes), which your body turns into vitamin A."

Vegetables
You probably already know that you should eat a variety of the green and colorful vegetables. But do you know why? The bright green, yellow and orange vegetables have the highest amounts of anticancer phytonutrients and carotenoids like beta carotene. These are antioxidants which help your immune system to keep in shape.

Try a large variety of vegetables in salads every day and include these vegetables in hearty soups.

Vegetable soups. Soups that are made with an array vegetables such as celery, carrots, squash, and red peppers contain key nutrients that will strengthen your immune system. Also, single-vegetable soups such as tomato soup also helps to boost your immune system. Researchers speculate that the lycopene in tomatoes acts as an antioxidant, helping white blood cells resist the damaging effects of free radicals.

Green salads. Similarly, salads that are made with an array vegetables such as broccoli florets, celery, carrots, squash, onions and red peppers contain key nutrients that will strengthen your immune system.

Green juices/smoothies. These drinks are packed with concentrated phytonutrients that help to boost your immune system.

Vitamin C
Vitamin C tops the list of foods that boost your immune system for many reasons. There has been more research about the immune-boosting effects of Vitamin C than perhaps any other nutrient. Vitamin C supplements are inexpensive to produce, and it’s available naturally in many fruits and vegetables. Also, you can buy a vitamin-C-fortified version of just about anything. Here’s what the research shows about how this mighty vitamin protects your body.

Foods that boost your immune system containing vitamin C increase the production of infection-fighting white blood cells and antibodies and increases levels of interferon, the antibody that coats cell surfaces, preventing the entry of viruses. Vitamin C reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease by raising levels of HDL (good) cholesterol while lowering blood pressure and interfering with the process by which fat is converted to plaque in the arteries. As an added perk, persons whose diets are higher in vitamin C have lower rates of colon, prostate, and breast cancer.

Around 200 milligrams a day seems to be a generally agreed-upon amount and one that can be automatically obtained by eating at least six servings of fruits and vegetables a day. If you take vitamin C supplements, it’s best to space them throughout the day rather than take one large dose, most of which may end up being excreted in the urine.

Studies have found that Vitamin C can reduce cold symptoms by 23 per cent, and all that's needed is just one to eight grams (1,000 to 8,000 milligrams) to do the trick. Besides citrus fruits, other foods that have high amounts of vitamin C include papaya, sweet potatoes, butternut squash, tomatoes, broccoli, Brussels sprouts and red bell peppers.

Vitamin E
This important antioxidant and immune booster doesn’t get as much press as vitamin C, yet it’s one of the most important foods that boost your immune system.

Vitamin E stimulates the production of natural killer cells, those that seek out and destroy germs and cancer cells. Vitamin E enhances the production of B-cells, the immune cells that produce antibodies that destroy bacteria.

Vitamin E supplementation may also reverse some of the decline in immune response commonly seen in aging. Vitamin E has been implicated in lowering the risk of cardiovascular disease. In the Harvard School of Public Health study of 87,000 nurses, Vitamin E supplementation was shown to cut the risk of heart attacks by fifty percent.

It’s not difficult to get 30 to 60 milligrams every day of Vitamin E from a diet rich in seeds, vegetable oils, and grains, but it’s difficult for most people to consume more than 60 milligrams a day consistently through diet alone. Supplements may be necessary to get enough vitamin E to boost your immune system.

You need 100-400 milligrams per day, depending on your general lifestyle. People who don’t exercise, who smoke, and who consume high amounts of alcoholic beverages will need the higher dosage. Those with a more moderate lifestyle can get by with lower levels of supplementation.

Whey Protein
Whey protein helps to fight cancer because it helps our bodies increase our glutathione levels and it provides an easy-to-digest protein that helps the body rebuild and repair its cells due to the damage from the cancer. High-quality whey protein provides many other health benefits including, immunity, cell energy, muscle strength, detox and antioxidant support.

Glutathione is a terrific antioxidant and cellular detoxifier, helping to break down the adverse effects of environmental toxins, from heavy metals to tobacco smoke and diesel fumes. It is produced in all cells of the body, specifically to break down these dangerous toxins and free-radicals.

Lactoferrin is a key ingredient in high-quality whey protein that is a cancer killer and triggers the production of glutathione. Lactoferrin activates the innate immune system cells like the macrophages, neutrophils  and T-cells. These are the first line of defense against harmful pathogens – including cancer cells.

Cancer cells have a highly negative membrane charge which attracts lactoferrin, while healthy normal cells have a neutral charge. Lactoferrin is attracted to the cancer cells, attaches to them and triggers a process that kills the cancer cell; as well as blocking angiogenesis – the growth of blood vessels that feed cancer cells.

Another key to lactoferrin’s cancer-fighting properties is its amazing ability to bind with iron. It forms a bond with iron that’s 100 times stronger than transferrin – your body’s major iron transport protein. Several studies suggest that excessive amounts of iron, in your diet, increase your risk of developing certain types of cancer. Researchers have shown that many chronic diseases – in particular, cancer – need iron to reproduce and grow.

High-quality whey protein provides cancer patients with an easy way to enhance lean muscle mass and boost their energy in order to fight cachexia. Cachexia is a wasting condition with loss of muscle and fat tissue; and, is one of the reasons why some cancer patients succumb to their disease.

Note: Besides high-quality whey protein, other foods that help to increase glutathione levels include green vegetables like Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower and broccoli along with avocado, asparagus, chlorella, wheatgrass, grapefruit, strawberries, raw tomatoes, and oranges.

Zinc
This valuable mineral increases the production of white blood cells that fight infection and helps them fight more aggressively. It also increases killer cells that fight against cancer and helps white cells release more antibodies.

Zinc supplements have been shown to slow the growth of cancer. Zinc increases the number of infection-fighting T-cells, especially in elderly people who are often deficient in zinc, and whose immune system often weakens with age.

The anti-infection hype around zinc is controversial. While some studies claim that zinc supplements in the form of lozenges can lower the incidence and severity of infections, other studies have failed to show this correlation.

A word of caution: too much zinc in the form of supplements (more than 75 milligrams a day) can inhibit immune function. It’s safest to stick to getting zinc from your diet and aim for 15 to 25 milligrams a day.

For infants and children, there is some evidence that dietary zinc supplements may reduce the incidence of acute respiratory infections, but this is controversial.

Rich food sources of zinc include: oysters, cereals, crab, beef, turkey and beans.

Top Mistakes That Cancer Patients Make

Having cancer or any disease can be frightening and exhausting. But, education helps to reduce some of that fear. Unfortunately, too many people end up succumbing to their illness mostly due to the toxic chemicals of chemotherapy and radiation.

Here are some of the bigger mistakes that people with cancer tend to make:

Please Note: If you have been diagnosed with cancer, please don't beat yourself up! It's not your fault that you may have made some of these mistakes. It's the world around you that has let you down. But, now you can do something about it.
  
Not Doing Anything After Initial Diagnosis: Finding out you have cancer is a big shock and can be emotional, stressful and parallelizing.  However, you must go through the grief cycle and begin doing some research to figure out what to do next. If you delay, you'll end up making mistakes that you can't undo or correct later.

Opting for Chemotherapy Right Away: This is probably the biggest mistake that people with cancer make. Unfortunately, some doctors use fear tactics to convince many cancer patients that they need to get chemotherapy right away. Even though the doctors know that chemotherapy only works for 3 major cancers and has less than a 3% success rate!

The prospects of total recovery with natural methods are reduced considerably by mainstream oncology’s harsh chemotherapy/radiation that do harm and damage to your immune system. Even though there have been miraculous cancer reversals with those whose immune systems have been compromised by “conventional” therapies, why take the gamble with a drug therapy that has a 2.1% success rate?

Unfortunately, when diagnosed with any type of cancer, patients are sometimes pressured into starting treatments immediately or face imminent death. The types of cancer that are most rapidly threatening, such as pancreatic cancer, are beyond repair within mainstream medicine anyway. So why rush? Other types of cancer are not as imminently lethal. You have time to research what’s best for you. Start with an alternative cancer website such as the Cancer Tutor website if you’re clueless or confused about what’s out there.

Lack of Knowledge: People tend to rely on their doctors for all of their knowledge about cancer and their treatment options. Instead educate yourself about your cancer and the various treatment options that are available. We realize this is difficult and takes time while you're being pressured by your doctors to act now. If you feel rushed or you don't know how to research, then, find a naturopathic doctor in your area or use the Internet and/or Facebook to find someone in a cancer support group to answer your questions or give you some direction.

Relying on Just Chemotherapy: This is probably the second biggest mistake that people with cancer make. Many people with cancer go through the chemotherapy (and/or radiation and surgery) and after they've been given a clean bill of health, some patients believe that they don't have to do anything else!

Unfortunately, that usually leads to a relpase and the cancer eventually returns stronger than ever in more than 62% of cases. Either the same type of cancer returns or a new type of cancer is diagnosed.

If the same type of cancer returns, that usually means that the doctors didn't kill all of the cancer cells the first time; or, in some cases, the chemotherapy or radiation may have created a secondary cancer. Combining this with not making any dietary or lifestyle changes can set the stage for a relapse.

Wrong Diet or Not Making Any Major Diet Changes: This is the first and most important step to healing from cancer. Most oncologists will tell you that diet doesn’t matter because they were not trained in nutrition in medical school. However, diet definitely matters! Improper diet is what led to cancer in the first place. If you continue to eat sugar laden and processed foods when you have cancer, your chances of recovery will be slim to none. Sugar makes cancer proliferate at exponential levels, so if you think you can continue eating the same junk you ate prior to your diagnosis and heal, you are sadly mistaken.

Your diet must be overhauled completely and immediately. And, once you are healed, you must stick with your diet. If you go back to eating the same way you ate prior to cancer, the cancer will eventually come back.

Not Detoxing Sufficiently or Not Removing Any Toxins: Cancer carries a lot of toxic effects throughout the body that need to be removed through proper detoxification. These toxins overload and cause damage to the liver, kidneys and lymphatic system. This damage (especially to the liver) is further acerbated if you have opted for chemotherapy and radiation. Why? Because you are adding more toxins to your already toxic body.

No matter if you are using a traditional approach or alternative healing, detoxification is imperative to proper healing. You need to remove the toxins from the body in order of the colon, candida, parasites, kidney, and liver to heal properly. Some people have refused to detox their body and still expect to be healed completely. Leaving the toxins in your body can lead to many other diseases and cancers down the road.

Consequently, you must shift to an organic plant-based diet with raw juicing and stop eating all of the processed foods to start the detox process. Since the destroyed cancer cells create toxicity and burden the liver, you may need to add other detox methods. For example, the Gerson treatment protocol uses coffee enemas to detox the liver and so does Dr. Nicholas Gonzalez, who studied Dr. William Kelley’s successful 1970s protocol and refined it for today’s use.

Mixing/Changing Healing Protocols: Many with cancer will try anything to get well, naturally so. However, many alternative health protocols may be incompatible with one another. So, it is important to do the research to make sure that the alternative protocols you are using are compatible with one another.

Also, some people with cancer will change treatment protocols very rapidly if they notice they aren’t working immediately. Sometimes it takes a while to heal and you need to be patient and give the protocol time to work.

Selecting Doctor/Hospital: Sometimes people fail to do the research to find the best doctor and hospital in their area for their specific form of cancer. Hospital ratings are available to the public. Just google on "hospital ratings" or go to a website such as Health Insight.

Assuming No Medical Mistakes: Please don't assume that doctors and hospitals are infallible and don't make mistakes. Have your partner keep good records of all your testing and doctor conversations -- use your smartphone to cut down on the note-taking. Always ask for a second opinion, especially for a major surgery or new drug treatment protocol.

And, when you visit your doctor, come prepared -- don't just show up and expect your doctor to do everything. Do your research ahead of time. Bring your own notes and questions -- carry a notepad or use a tablet or your smartphone. If you show more interest, maybe your doctor will also.

Note: Did you know that doctor/hospital mistake account for at least 110,000 deaths each year in the U/S.? That's the Number 3 Killer behind heart disease and cancer!

Assuming Natural Alternative Treatment Is Safe and Works: Just because it's a natural treatment strategy doesn't mean that it's safe and that it will work. Just like conventional medicine, alternative medicine has their problems with competency, integrity and honesty.

Do your homework before you select a specific alternative treatment protocol. Talk to the experts in that field. Find a reputable naturopathic doctor or holistic healthcare practitioner in your area. Talk to cancer patients using that protocol. Make sure that you're not taking a supplement that may conflict with the protocol.

Not Having a System Treatment Strategy: Even if you're relying on conventional medicine and chemotherapy, you should still have a complete system/cellular treatment strategy that addresses the two key aspects of your cancer: the cancer cells and your normal cells.

Even if you're using chemotherapy to address the cancer cells, you still need a strategy to address your normal cells, e.g. a cancer diet/nutritional program.

Similarly, if you're using an alternative treatment strategy, you must have a strategy to address the cancer cells (e.g. Budwig Protocol, DMSO Protocol); and, you must have a strategy to address your normal cells, e.g. a cancer diet/nutritional program.

Solely Relying on Doctors & Drugs: Many people with cancer (or any disease for that matter) rely on their doctors and their drugs to solve their health problems. Drugs cannot cure your cancer! The best that they can do is to slow down the cancer's progress. Recent studies now show that chemotherapy only kills the weak cancer cells and make the remaining cancer cells more resistant and even stronger. At the same time, the chemotherapy weakens your immune system, the one part of your body that is designed to fight the cancer!

Any given drug has a single mechanism of action; that is, it acts in a one particular way to prevent disease.  However, cancer is never a disease with a single cause. A tumor may be the result of disrupted hormone balance, glucose/insulin balance, cortisol rhythm or immunity, to name a few.  Whatever drug you’re taking only provides a measure of prevention against one contributing factor. Your best cancer prevention plan is one that includes measures against multiple contributing factors, most of which are not effectively treated with drugs.

In addition, since most cancer cells produce lactic acid, this will lead to unbelievable pain and severe weight loss due to your body wasting away. Most doctors prescribe pain medication instead of explaining (before this happens) how to reduce an eventually stop the lactic acid cycle (a.k.a. cachexia cycle).

FYI: Lactic acid is produced as a byproduct of the cancer cells' fermentation and energy production process.

Taking any additional drugs only further weakens your liver. In fact, any drug you take, even if it's an OTC drug, will still add to your toxic load. In addition, some people in the end stages of cancer begin taking the pain killers that doctors prescribe. These toxic drugs add to the toxins within the body and can stop the liver from doing its job of removing toxins. These toxic drugs end up being the catalyst that leads to a quicker death. Try a safer method of relieving the pain from cancer. Did you know that coffee enemas help to rid the body of pain and remove the toxins from the liver?

Ceasing Physical Activity: Cancer will sap your energy or limit certain physical activities, but it’s vitally important to keep moving. Regular physical activity improves your overall health, stamina, and mood. Plus, it helps to get more oxygen into your cells. Remember: Cancer hates oxygen.

Letting Stress Get Out of Control: You can’t always avoid stress in your daily life. But, you can control how you respond to it. Proven stress-busters include yoga, meditation, exercise, positive thinking, and time with family and friends. Support groups and counseling may help, as well.

Anger can become an issue especially when you find out that your doctors haven't been honest with you. But, don't waste your energy on being angry with them. Instead, use that anger to educate and drive yourself to make the necessary changes to improve your health.

Join a local cancer support group and also join one or two online support groups. Once you realize that you're not alone, you'll feel some relief. And, when you hear some of the stories and testimonials, you'll realize that there is real hope. And, once you have benefited from the knowledge that you acquire, you'll be able to turn around and help others with cancer. And, there's nothing more therapeutic than being able to help someone else with cancer.

Denial and Stubbornness: Some people with cancer live in denial of their disease and refuse to take action. Or, they sit back and wait on God to heal them. But, God only helps those who help themselves.  Some people with cancer are too stubborn to change their diet and lifestyle -- until it's too late. Others are addicted to their comfort foods and refuse to give them up, not realizing that their bodies are biochemically addicted to the chemicals in the food!

Some people with cancer will make some minor changes like eat a salad or a bowl of vegetables, but, they still eat the toxic foods that caused the cancer in the first place! Or, they don't believe that food is part of the problem that caused their cancer despite all of the evidence.

Ignoring the Mental, Emotional, and Spiritual Aspects of Healing: There is nothing worse for your inner spirit than having a negative attitude or being full of anger and resentment. Even if you're not a spirutal person, you surely must realize that you must begin thinking posotively and taking positive actions to improve your health.

Now, if you are a spiritual person, that doesn't mean you should do nothing and just sit around and pray. I'm sure you've heard the phrase: "God helps those who help themselves." And, if you believe in God, wouldn't you think that He/She designed his food to heal us from disease?

Journalists and patients investigating alternative cancer clinics in Mexico are usually amazed at their friendly relaxed atmospheres. The attitude is uplifting instead of intimidating or stressful. It’s important to have that level of courage instead of fearfulness or a gotta fight this or I’ll die mentality. Believe it or not, light heartened humor is helpful.

Make sure that you work on clearing out the negative talk-track and the emotional losses, regrets in life, all of the stress, and resentments in your mind. These negative thoughts trigger the release of stress hormones such as cortisol, which cause harm to your cells and may have contributed to the acidosis that invited cancer in the first place.

Misplaced Priorities: Cancer causes us to change our priorities. But, some people with cancer focus on the wrong priorities -- doctors, drugs, chemotherapy, radiation, more drugs, etc. Instead, they should also set aside some time to learn about their cancer and other treatment strategies; or, find a local healthcare practitioner that is involved in alternative treatment strategies. Cancer conventional treatments make us tired and very sick and leads to severe pain. As a result, some people with cancer don't have the time and energy to change their diet or do the research because they're tired or sick or in a lot of pain because of the cancer and chemotherapy!

Believing Everything You Read On The Internet: The Internet is a fantastic tool -- it provides access to a lot of information -- good and bad. The Internet is a double-edged sword. On the one hand, it puts a vast amount of health information at your fingertips.  We have access to published science and the writings of experts like never before.  On the other hand, it’s often difficult to determine the validity of what we read because of some people who just want your money.

Here are some tips to help you use Internet health-related information more wisely:
Question the source:  who’s making the claim?  What are their credentials?  Have they actually helped real people? Is this the only piece the author has written on this topic, or has she been studying and writing about it for some time?

Look for supporting evidence:  What sources does the writer use to back up his/her information?  Is the supporting evidence broad, or sparse?  Is it recent, or might it be outdated?  Do other experts agree or differ with the claim? Even when something looks valid, question whether it’s appropriate for YOU:  you may find a supplement that looks intriguing, but there may be other supplements that would be a lot more helpful for your particular circumstances.

These are just a few of the many mistakes that people with cancer make because of what they've been told or not told by their doctors.  In order to heal from cancer, you must educate yourself; and, at a minimum, change your diet, detoxify your body, stick to a specific plan for healing, and don’t add toxic chemicals to the mix.

FYI: Some of these mistakes are not unique to cancer. In fact, some of these mistakes are associated with people who have Type 2 diabetes. Refer to the book Death to Diabetes or the CD titled "The 7 Mistakes That Diabetics Make" -- both authored by DeWayne McCulley, the engineer who almost died from a diabetic coma and weaned himself off of insulin and other drugs.

Some Diabetics May Develop Cancer

Most people are aware of the connection between diabetes and heart disease. At least 62% of diabetics will develop a cardiovascular disease of some kind, especially if they have poor blood glucose control and other comorbidities such as high blood pressure and obesity.

But, most people are not aware of the connection between diabetes and cancer. At least 31% of diabetics may develop some form of cancer, again if they have poor blood glucose control and other comorbidities such as chronic inflammation and obesity.

According to a report in the Journal of the American Medical Association, cancer patients who already have diabetes have a greater chance of dying of the disease than cancer patients who do not have diabetes.

According to a 2010 consensus report published jointly by the American Diabetes Association (ADA) and the American Cancer Society (ACS), the risk of a person with type 2 diabetes developing cancer is 20-50 percent higher than a person without diabetes. Research also indicates that people with type 2 diabetes who develop cancer may experience a shorter life expectancy. Being overweight increases the odds of cancer reoccurrence.

About 30 million people in the United States have diabetes, and about eight to 18 percent of newly diagnosed cancer patients also have the disease. Ref: Health.com: Top 10 diabetes stories of 2008.

Compared with Caucasian Americans, the risk of diagnosed diabetes is 77 percent higher among African Americans, 66 percent higher among Hispanics Americans, and 18 percent higher among Asian Americans.

Researchers found that people with diabetes had about a 1.4 times greater risk of dying of cancer than patients without diabetes. Mortality seemed to be higher for many types of cancer, but it was only statistically significant for three types: breast, endometrial, and colorectal. Ref: Health.com: What's your breast cancer IQ?

Obesity and type 2 diabetes increase the risk for endometrial (uterine) cancer by 39 percent, esophageal cancer by 37 percent, kidney cancer by 25 percent, colon cancer by 11 percent and post-menopausal cancer by 9 percent.

People with diabetes experience a higher prevalence of the following cancers:
    Bladder
    Breast cancer in women (postmenopausal)
    Colorectal
    Endometrial (the lining of the uterus in women)
    Liver
    Pancreatic (thought to be a risk factor for diabetes)

Biological and Lifestyle Factors
There are many reasons why people with diabetes might have a higher cancer-mortality risk. Here is a list of the major reasons:

Blood Sugar: High blood sugar in diabetics makes a person more prone to having damaged DNA. In addition, high blood sugar fuels cancer cells and enable tumors to grow faster.

Insulin: High insulin levels stimulate cell growth and insulin growth factors. This stimulates the growth of cancer cells, which in turn stimulate the formation of new blood vessels. The vessels then provide nourishment to cancerous tumors. 

Immunity: People with diabetes are more susceptible to infections and have a weaker immune system, which makes them susceptible to certain cancers.

Risk Factors: Some of the risk factors associated with diabetes are common to cancer, e.g. poor diet, sedentary lifestyle, obesity, vitamin deficiency (especially Vitamin D).

Obesity: Overweight people have higher levels of inflammation markers. Inflammation fuels cancer. Also, overweight people have lower levels of adiponectin, a hormone secreted by adipose tissue (fat), which may accelerate cancer growth. Adipose tissue is like an endocrine gland, putting out a number of hormone-like substances, which may play a role in turning normal cells into cancerous ones, or promote cancer cell growth.

Pancreas: In diabetics, the pancreas is over-stressed and inflamed while producing excess amounts of insulin to keep up with the glucoise demands. This weakens the pancreas and makes it more susceptible to becoming cancerous.

Note: In some cases, a sudden change in blood sugar levels in diabetics who previously had well-controlled diabetes may be a sign of pancreatic cancer. Therefore, see your physician as soon as possible for a checkup to ensure this is not the case.

Artificial Sweeteners:  Many diabetics were duped into using Splenda® in place of sugar. But,  Splenda® contains chlorine which is carcinogenic, this may cause cancer!  Refer to the Cancer & Nutrition post for more details.

Diabetic Medications: Recent studies now indicate that some diabetic drugs may trigger cancer in some people. Even the FDA is concerned about this. About 50% of Type 2 diabetics and all Type 1 diabetics take insulin daily, and insulin is known to stimulate cell growth.

Mental State: One other possible factor is depression. About 10 to 40 percent of people with diabetes also experience depression because of low serotonin and high cortisol levels. Studies have shown that depression can weaken the immune response.

Insomnia: Lack of quality REM sleep prevents the body from going into repair mode in diabetics and overweight people. This causes the body to delay or not produce the hormone melatonin, which is known to have anti-cancer benefits. 

Reports and References
Here are some documented reports and references concerning the link between diabetes and cancer.

Breast Cancer Advances More Quickly in Diabetes: Diabetes Forecast
http://www.diabetesforecast.org/2015/jul-aug/breast-cancer-advances-more.html

Breast cancer appears to advance more quickly in women with diabetes, a study found. When researchers compared records of women ages 20 to 105 diagnosed with breast cancer, including about 6,000 with diabetes and more than 32,000 without, they found that those with diabetes had larger tumors, a 14 to 21 percent greater risk for a more dangerous stage of tumor, and a 16 percent greater chance of the cancer having spread to the lymph nodes.

Diabetes increases late-life risk of thyroid cancer
http://www.endocrineweb.com/news/thyroid-cancer/7113-diabetes-increases-late-life-risk-thyroid-cancer

Researchers found that the presence of diabetes increased the 10-year risk of thyroid cancer by one-quarter among adults 50 to 71 years old. The team based its conclusions on data collected from the nearly 500,000 men and women who participated in the NIH-American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) Diet and Health Study, which was conducted in 1995 and 1996.

Published in the journal Thyroid, the investigation was conducted by epidemiologists associated with the National Cancer Institute (NCI) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

Probability of pancreatic cancer following diabetes: a population-based study.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16083707

Approximately 1% of diabetes subjects aged > or =50 years will be diagnosed with pancreatic cancer within 3 years of first meeting criteria for diabetes. The usefulness of new-onset diabetes as marker of early pancreatic cancer needs further evaluation.

Diabetics twice as likely to develop cancer, suggests new study - NaturalNews.com
http://www.naturalnews.com/032405_diabetics_cancer.html

A new study published in the journal Diabetes Care reveals that diabetics have a nearly doubled risk of developing certain types of cancer compared to those without the disease. Dr. Chaoyang Li from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta, Ga., and his colleagues found that 16 percent of diabetic men and 17 percent of diabetic women develop cancer, while only seven and ten percent of the general population, respectively, develop it.

The report explains that the most dramatic increase is seen in those with pancreatic cancer, as diabetic men appear to be 400 percent more likely to develop the cancer than others. And in women, those with diabetes tended to be up to three times more likely to develop blood cancer than women without the disease.

Research Dr. Brancati published in 2008 revealed that the death rate from cancer is about 40 percent higher in diabetics than it is in the general population as well, illustrating once again a clear connection between diabetes and compounded cancer risk.

Type 2 Diabetes Linked to Cancer Deaths
http://triangleendoscopy.com/news-article/sometimes-eye-drops-are-just-not-enough-03112014

A recent meta-analysis conducted by Dutch researchers shows that people with type 2 diabetes are not only more likely to develop these cancers, they are more likely to die from them as well. Their findings were presented at the 2013 European Cancer Congress.

The meta-analysis, which is a study that evaluates results from several independent studies, analyzed the results of 20 studies involving over 1.9 million people between 2007 and 2012. The findings showed that people with type 2 diabetes had a 23 percent increased risk of developing breast cancer and a 38 percent increased risk of breast cancer mortality. In addition, type 2 diabetics displayed a 26 percent increased risk of developing colon cancer and a 30 percent increased risk of dying from it.

Study: Diabetes Patients Are More Likely to Develop Lung Cancer
http://www.drugwatch.com/2012/10/30/study-diabetes-patients-are-more-likely-to-develop-lung-cancer/
 
Researchers at Mary Babb Randolph Cancer Center at West Virginia University report that women with type 2 diabetes were 27 percent more likely to be diagnosed with lung cancer compared with the general population. Women in the study who treated their diabetes with insulin had a 71 percent increased risk for lung cancer.

The study was published in Diabetes Care and tracked 145,765 postmenopausal women ages 50 to 79. Information about diabetes treatment was self-reported. J. Luo and his colleagues concluded that the increased risk did not apply to women with untreated diabetes or the length of time a patient had suffered from the disease.
Diabetes Linked to Several Types of Cancer
Earlier this year, another study associated the use of insulin and glinide drugs in type 2 diabetes patients with an increased risk of several types of cancer. C. H. Chang and his team at the Institute of Preventive Medicine at National Taiwan University linked the medicines to higher risks for liver cancer, colorectal cancer, lung cancer, stomach cancer and pancreas cancer.

A third study in 2012 found possible correlations between type 2 diabetes and an increased risk of cancer and also insulin use and higher rates of cancer. Researchers at Steno Diabetes Center in Gentofte, Denmark, analyzed data from the Danish National diabetes Register and Cancer Registry and concluded that diabetes patients who did not use insulin had a 100 percent increased risk of developing cancer at the time of their diagnosis. That risk dropped to 15 percent after two years.

B. Carstensen B and his colleagues also found that type 2 diabetes patients being treated with insulin had a 400 percent increased risk of developing cancer at the beginning of treatment. The risk dropped to 30 percent after five years of insulin therapy.

Diabetes and Bladder Cancer Risk
Type 2 diabetes patients already have a higher risk of bladder cancer — perhaps as much as a 40 percent increase over the general population, studies have shown. And diabetes patients who take the widely prescribed drug Actos may boost that risk by another 22 percent, for a total of a 62 percent increased risk, according to a study published July 3, 2012, in the Canadian Medical Association Journal.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration also has warned that the use of Actos for more than one year could be linked to a higher risk of bladder cancer. The agency based its June 2011 safety alert on the five-year interim results of a 10-year study being conducted by Actos manufacturer Takeda Pharmaceuticals. Final results of that study are expected next year.

Sugar the Reason Diabetics Have a Higher Risk of Aggressive Cancers
http://www.healthline.com/health-news/aging-sugar-the-reason-diabetics-are-prone-to-aggressive-cancers-080513

Cancer Cells Bypass Insulin Roadblocks
The report, published last week in the journal Cell, outlines Cagan's findings. Most importantly, it shows that even though a cancer cell's insulin pathways don't work in diabetics, cancerous tumors get around that roadblock and trigger the insulin receptors regardless. As a result, cancerous tumors metastasize and spread to other parts of the body.

Cagan, a professor of developmental and regenerative biology, explained that Ras and Src, “classic human cancer genes,” can act similarly in fruit flies. When dietary sugar combines with these genes, it activates a pathway that allows the cells to take in sugar. “Tumors love sugar,” Cagan said. “It helps them grow.”

The diabetes-cancer link is most often found in people with cancers of the pancreas, breast, liver, or colon, Cagan said.

Why Does Diabetes Raise Cancer Risk?
http://www.webmd.com/diabetes/news/20100616/why-does-diabetes-increase-cancer-risk

Diabetes doubles the risk of liver, pancreas, and endometrial cancer. It increases the risk of colorectal, breast, and bladder cancer by 20% to 50%.

People with diabetes tend to have some known risk factors for cancer: older age, obesity, poor diet, and physical inactivity. And problems common in diabetes -- too-high insulin levels, too-high blood sugar levels, and inflammation -- increase cancer risk.

Do Diabetes Treatments Raise Cancer Risk?
There is evidence, but not definitive proof, that diabetes treatments affect cancer risk.

Metformin, the most commonly used diabetes drug, seems to lower cancer risk. But there's also evidence from some studies -- contradicted by others -- that insulin, particularly long-acting insulin glargine (Lantus), may increase cancer risk.

Moreover, there are at least theoretical concerns that other relatively new diabetes drugs may affect cancer risk.

More About the Cancer-Diabetes Link
The following are just a few of the many articles and reports about the link between diabetes and cancer.

FDA Investigates Cancer Link to Popular Diabetes Drugs - Dr. Mercola
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2013/03/27/diabetes-drugs-cancer-link.aspx

Diabetes and Cancer Consensus Report
http://m.care.diabetesjournals.org/content/33/7/1674.long

Diabetes Increases Cancer Risk by 20 Percent
http://www.diabetesincontrol.com/articles/53-/14632-diabetes-increases-cancer-risk-by-20-percent

Prediabetes Linked to Higher Risk of Cancer, Study Finds
http://www.livescience.com/47746-prediabetes-higher-cancer-risk.html

Pre-diabetes Can Increase Risk Of Developing Certain Types Of Cancer By 15%
http://www.medicaldaily.com/prediabetes-can-increase-our-risk-developing-certain-types-cancer-15-301946

Linking Diabetes to Cancer: Changes for Prevention | American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR)
http://www.aicr.org/cancer-research-update/2012/march_21_2012/cru-linking-diabetes-to.html

Pancreatic Cancer | Everyday Health

http://www.everydayhealth.com/pancreatic-cancer/

The Diabetes and Cancer Connection | Diabetic Living Online

http://www.diabeticlivingonline.com/complications/other/diabetes-and-cancer-connection

Diabetes and Colon Cancer: An Emerging Link
http://www.cancer.org/research/acsresearchupdates/coloncancer/diabetes-and-colon-cancer-an-emerging-link

The Cancer, Diabetes, and Heart Disease Link
http://www.todaysdietitian.com/newarchives/030413p46.shtml

Lack of sleep increases risk of cancer, heart disease and diabetes | Daily Mail Online

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2626981/The-great-sleep-gamble-Arrogance-ignoring-need-shut-eye-increase-risk-cancer-heart-disease-diabetes.html

People with diabetes more likely to get cancer - Reuters

http://mobile.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE74B68220110512?irpc=932

Type 2 Diabetes Might Raise Risk of Liver Cancer
http://consumer.healthday.com/cancer-information-5/mis-cancer-news-102/type-2-diabetes-might-raise-risk-of-liver-cancer-682767.html

The Diabetes–Cancer Link: Coming to a Consensus
http://www.physiciansweekly.com/diabetes-cancer-link-coming-consensus/

Diabetes and Cancer: American Diabetes Association
http://www.diabetes.org/are-you-at-risk/lower-your-risk/diabetes-and-cancer.html

Diabetes and cancer: A shared biological basis -- ScienceDaily
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/09/110929122747.htm

Mysterious Link Connects Diabetes And Cancer : Shots - Health News : NPR
http://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2010/06/16/127877048/diabetes-and-cancer-connected-by-mysterious-link
 
Many Diabetes Drugs Under FDA Review, Linked to Cancer
http://www.ringoffireradio.com/2013/05/many-diabetes-drugs-under-fda-review-linked-to-cancer/

Januvia & Janumet – Pancreatic Cancer & Other Side Effects
http://www.drugwatch.com/januvia/

Diabetes drugs linked to cancer of the pancreas and other health problems | Daily Mail Online
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2338561/Diabetes-drugs-taken-thousands-linked-cancer-pancreas-health-problems.html

Diabetes drugs linked to pancreatic cancer risk
https://pancreaticcanceraction.org/news/diabetes-drugs-linked-pancreatic-cancer-risk/

Do Diabetes Drugs Cause Cancer? - The People's Pharmacy
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2013/03/17/do-diabetes-drugs-cause-cancer/

Diabetes Tied to Higher Risk of Pancreatic Cancer in Study
http://consumer.healthday.com/cancer-information-5/mis-cancer-news-102/diabetes-tied-to-higher-risk-of-pancreatic-cancer-in-study-686027.html

Cancer Recovery Plan

Here are some general guidelines for recovery from cancer whether you are using alternative medicine or conventional medicine.

These guidelines are only suggestions, so make sure that you do your research and make your own decisions about how to improve your chances for recovery based on more than one source of information.

Stop Eating Flour, Sugar and Processed Foods
All malignant cancer cells must have glucose to survive. This is because, unlike normal healthy cells, cancer cells must rely on the anaerobic pathway called “glycolysis” for producing energy for themselves. For this reason, malignant cancer cells are unable to survive without sugar.

Refined sugar goes into the bloodstream very quickly and is the most effective way to feed cancer cells exactly what they need to survive. Sugar promotes the growth of pleomorphic bacteris, yeast, fungus, and mold and suppresses the immune system response up to five hours

So, whenever a person with cancer eats refined sugar in any form (sugar, honey maple syrup, corn syrup, sucrose, rice syrup, barley malt; flour, cakes, cookies, candies, bottled juices, and processed foods), it fuels the cancer and prevents your immune system from fighting the cancer!

Avoid Trans Fats and Hydrogenated Oils
Hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oils like margarine, shortenings and vegetable oils are altered fat substances (trans fats) which are known to be detrimental to health because they interfere with normal biochemical processes. These oils have been shown to increase cholesterol, decrease beneficial high-density lipoprotein (HDL), interfere with our liver's detoxification system, interfere with essential fatty acid function, and alter the fat composition in neurons and other cells.

Avoid Artificial Sweeteners
New ground-breaking research reveals that SPLENDA® may cause diabetes  irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and cancer! This comes as a shock to many people in the diabetes and weight loss community who were told by the creators of Splenda that it would not affect their blood sugar and metabolism in any way.

Splenda has now been scientifically proven to harm your digestive system and cause insulin spikes that increase your risk of diabetes.

The ingredients that make up Splenda (sucralose) are chlorine, dextrose and maltodextrin (which are made from GMO corn). Splenda is made by replacing hydrogen atoms with chlorine atoms. Because of the large amount of chlorine you are getting when you consume sucralose, you can actually get chlorine poisoning and cellular toxicity!

Splenda Linked to Type 2 Diabetes
Does Splenda cause diabetes? A study published in the journal Diabetes Care discovered that if you are consuming Splenda, the risk of developing diabetes is profound.

According to the study, daily consumption of diet soda was associated with a 36 percent greater risk of metabolic syndrome and a 67 percent greater risk of having type 2 diabetes!

Diabetes Care published an article that evaluated this phenomenon for the first time with human subjects. Taking 17 obese individuals who were insulin sensitive, oral glucose tolerance tests were evaluated after consuming either sucralose or water 10 minutes before the test.

In addition to revealing that there was an “increase in peak plasma glucose concentrations” in these people, it was discovered that there was a 23 percent decrease in insulin sensitivity, which prevents glucose absorption in cells.

If that side effect of Splenda wasn’t bad enough, research also suggests that sucralose destroys probiotics and can lead to digestive disorders like IBS and leaky gut.

Splenda and Cancer
Can Splenda cause cancer? First, remember that chlorine is one of the its ingredients. Any animal or human that consumes chlorine on a regular basis is at risk for developing cancer. The Merk Manual and OSHA Harzardous Waste Handbook states that chlorine is carcinogenic (means causes cancer) and emergency measures should be taken when exposed via swallowing, inhaling or through the skin.

If you are only exposed to a small amount of chlorine on occasion, your body can eliminate chlorine through detoxification channels like your bowels, kidney’s and liver. But if you consume it daily, chlorine could increase cancer risk.

Also, a new study published in the journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health found that when you cook with sucralose (Splenda) at high temperatures, it generates chloropropanols — a toxin that has been linked to cancer.  So make sure you never cook with Splenda because it becomes even more harmful.

Splenda vs. Stevia
An article, published in the journal Appetite, took 19 healthy lean people and 12 obese individuals between 18 and 50 years old and had them complete three tests in which they consumed stevia, sucrose (table sugar) or aspartame before eating lunch and dinner.

It’s no surprise that when these people consumed stevia, they didn’t feel hungry and overeat during their meals like they did when they consumed sucrose.

Additionally, the researchers also reported that, “Stevia significantly reduced post-meal glucose levels compared to those who consumed sugar or aspartame.

In other words, they discovered that stevia literally helps normalize blood sugar levels and reduce your risk for diabetes compared to the blood sugar spike people experience when they drink sugary or diet beverages before, during or after meals.

Please Share This With Your Family & Friends: Many of our friends and family have been duped to believe that artificial sweeteners like SPLENDA® are the “savior” to prevent diabetes and obesity. But nothing is further from the truth. The health risks associated with these toxins are veritably limitless and as research continues to investigate the details, more negative effects are surfacing! 

Avoid Animal Meat
Most animal meat, especially beef and pork, contain antibiotics, growth hormones and other chemicals that are carcinogenic. They contain the fungi Aspergillus ochraceus which produces the mycotoxin Ochratoxin A associated with many different documented cancers.

If you do eat any meat, make sure that it's free range to avoid the antibiotics, growth hormones and other toxins. Even still, avoid meat intake during the first several months of recovery; and, then, limit your intake to no more than once or twice a week.

Avoid Cow’s Milk and Most Dairy
Though there is no complete agreement on this in the alternative cancer treatment field, a number of health experts suggest avoiding dairy products made from cow’s milk if you have cancer. The exception is if you are on the Flaxseed Oil/Cottage Cheese protocol, and in that case you should be using low fat organic rBGH-free cottage cheese in small amounts mixed well with organic flaxseed oil every day. The sulfur-based proteins in the cottage cheese combine with the essential fatty acids in the flaxseed oil to help normalize cancer cells.

Dairy products including milk, cheese, yogurt, cottage cheese, ice-cream, butter, etc. are fully colonized with fungi and contain the fungus Aspergillus ochraceus which produces the mycotoxin Ochratoxin A. These foods are also high in sugar which promotes the production of pleomorphic bacteria, yeast, and fungus.

Avoid All GMO Foods
Most soy and corn grown in the U.S. is now genetically modified and GMO foods have been linked to all kinds of health problems, including cancer. Corn and all associated products contain over 25 different strains of fungus, all disease causing including cancer.

Most canola oil is also genetically modified, along with  other food items. Your best chances for a full recovery will be aided by avoiding all genetically modified foods. If you’d like more details as to the history of this issue and why these types of foods are so dangerous, just google on GMO foods.

Eat Lots of Vegetables and Some Fruits
Eating lots of vegetables is one of the best ways to nourish the normal cells of your body and not feed too much sugar to the cancer cells. If you have trouble with eating a lot of vegetables, then, try raw juicing and green smoothies.

Vegetables such as Brussels sprouts, broccoli, and cabbage (cruciferous vegetables) contain powerful anti-cancer phytonutrients such as sulforaphane, indole-3-carbinol (I3C), and Diindolylmethane (DIM). And other vegetables such as onions and garlic (Allium family) contain  sulfur, which help to weaken cancer cells. 

Some mushrooms have anti-cancer benefits because they contain a large amount of beta glucan, a polysaccharide carbohydrate that builds the ability of macrophages in the blood to destroy cancer cells. Examples are Agaricus blazei murril, maitake, shitake, and reishi. These are powerful anti-tumor mushrooms.

But, keep in mind that mushrooms are not a vegetable but rather a fungal growth. So mushrooms can disperse their seed-like spores of the fungus throughout the blood and tissues. For example some edible mushrooms can induce bladder cancer.

Super Seeds
Eat super seeds such apple, apricot, chia, flax, grape, and/or hemp -- but, amke certain that they are organic.

Apricot seeds contain an anti-cancer compound called amagdylin, which kills cancer cells before they develop in a full-blown tumor. A primitive tribe, the Hunzas, were known to consume large amounts of apricot seed kernels and had no incidence of cancer -- ever. And they had long, healthy life spans. Laetrile (also known as Vitamin B17) was created by a Dr. Krebb, who extracted the amagdylin from the soft apricot kernels, purifying it and putting it into a concentrated form.

Other foods that provide a similar benefit are apple seeds and raw bitter almonds.

Chia seeds are rich in omega-3 oils, protein, anti-oxidants, calcium, and fiber; and, may reduce CRP levels. They are great for thickening smoothies.

Flaxseed (freshly ground) and flax hulls are great for smoothies because they contain lignans (super anti-oxidants that help fight cancer) plus a lot of fiber that can reduce your risk of heart disease, stroke, and diabetes. Cold-pressed organic flax oil is the best source of parent omega-3s. Flax can reduce hypertension and its lignans reduce oxidized LDL, an independent risk factor for heart disease.

Hemp seed is one of the few sources of stearidonic acid, an intermediate omega-3 fat in the conversion pathway from ALA to EPA with a knack for increasing the EPA content of red blood cells in humans. Hemp seeds contain a host of bioactive compounds with potentially beneficial health effects (PDF), including cannabidiol, beta-sitosterol, methyl-salicylate, tocopherols, and unique antioxidants.

Note: Avoid the peanut, because it can contain a carcinogenic mold called aflatoxin, and they are notorious for being one of the most pesticide-contaminated crops. Instead of peanut butter, eat organic nut butters like almond butter and walnut butter.

Tip 1: Buy a bunch of your favorite raw organic nuts and seeds and use Ziploc bags to create your own personalized trail mixes.

Tip 2: If you want to maximize the nutrients you get from nuts, soak them in distilled or purified water overnight. This helps neutralize enzyme inhibitors and phytic acid both of which may affect digestion and absorption of the nutrients in seeds and nuts. It can also help reduce the amount of pesticides on them if they are not organically grown.

Avoid Tap Water
Tap water contains cancer-causing agents including antibiotics, hormones, pesticides, fluoride, chloride, and many other contaminants. Unfortunately, most bottled waters are just as bad.

Instead get your own water filter, but, make sure that it can remove all of these contaminants, especially the fluoride and other carcinogenic chemicals.

It’s a sad fact that tap water from municipal water sources throughout the United States is increasingly becoming a health hazard. Part of the reason is due to pesticides and other toxic runoff from “factory farms” that produce the lion’s share of our nation’s food supply. Additionally, toxic residues of pharmaceutical drugs are increasingly being found in municipal tap water due to our nation’s dependence on such drugs. Frightening as these facts are, they are only the tip of the proverbial iceberg!

Any and all chemicals generated by human activity can and will find their way into water supplies. The types and quantities of carcinogens present in drinking water at the point of consumption will differ depending on whether they result from contamination of the source water, arise as a consequence of treatment processes, or enter as the water is conveyed to the user.

Source-water contaminants of concern include arsenic, asbestos, radon, agricultural chemicals, and hazardous waste. Of these, the strongest evidence for a cancer risk involves arsenic, which is linked to cancers of the liver, lung, bladder, and kidney.

The use of chlorine for water treatment to reduce the risk of infectious disease may account for a substantial portion of the cancer risk associated with drinking water. The by-products of chlorination are associated with increased risk of bladder and rectal cancer, possibly accounting for 5000 cases of bladder cancer and 8000 cases of rectal cancer per year in the United States. Fluoridation of water has received great scrutiny but appears to pose less of a cancer risk.

According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the tap water consumed by tens of millions of Americans likely contains hazardous levels of lead. In addition, 25% of all public water systems in the U.S. have been found to have violated federal standards for tap water.

Overall, municipal tap water is likely to contain at least one of the following cancer-causing contaminants, and often many of them in combination:
    Disease-causing bacteria
    Fecal waste
    Heavy metals
    Gasoline solvents
    Synthetic chemicals (benzene, trichloroethylene, etc)
    Industrial waste by-products
    Disinfectant by-products

Another source of polluted tap water can be the water lines into your home. Unless your home has new copper water lines, lead and other heavy metals can leach out of the older water pipes and plumbing to get into your water supply. These heavy metals, when consumed, accumulate in body tissues where, over time, they lead to a condition of chronic toxicity which, in turn, interferes with your body’s ability to detoxify itself and fight off disease, including cancer.

It’s also important to realize that drinking tap water is not the only risk to your health. It can also affect you in your bath and shower. In fact, approximately 70% of the cancer-causing toxins found in tap water enter the body through the skin during bathing and showering.

Further research is needed to identify and quantify risks posed by contaminants from drinking-water distribution pipes, linings, joints, and fixtures and by biologically active micropollutants, such as microbial agents. We need more cost-effective methods for monitoring drinking-water quality and further research on interventions to minimize cancer risks from drinking water.

Juicing and Green Smoothies
Drink raw juices at least 4 to 6 times a day, if possible. This is the quickest and easiest way to get critical nutrients into your cells to fight the cancer. Start with lots of organic carrots; and, then, add cruciferous and other green vegetables along with sulfur foods such as garlic, onions and leeks.

Use organic herbs such as ginger, turmeric and cayenne. Add high-quality whey protein and make green smoothies, especially if you don't feel like eating solid foods.

If you don't like to juice or if you tired of juicing, then, you can order frozen wheatgrass and have fresh wheatgrass within a minute! Just make sure that you're ordering from a reputable company.

Green Tea
Start drinking green tea (or white tea) every day. Green tea has epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) and catechins, as tough on cancer cells as they are on the tongue to pronounce. EGCG retards cancer growth; and stomach and lung cancer rates in Japan would likely be even higher considering all the cancer-promoting salty food and tobacco there.

Note that in the United States it is extremely difficult to get real green tea. What you are buying is green tea drink (sugar, water, and someone whispering the words "green tea" over the bottle) or green tea mix (a blend of teas to ease that natural bitterness of green tea). The most potent green tea comes from Japan; and Asian supermarkets carry many varieties, with the best brands being in boxes with letters you can't read. Note also that black teas lose healthy catechins in the fermentation process; and decaffeinated teas lose catechins in the washing process.

Cleanse/Detox
Because of how cancer and chemotherapy weaken your immune system, one of the key elements of a successful wellness recovery plan is to detox your liver, kidneys and colon to remove the toxins from the chemotherapy and the toxins/carcinogens from the foods that you've been eating for years.

In addition, it is imperative to detox your lymphatic system to help strengthen your immune system so that it can fight the cancer.

Eating raw vegetables and raw juicing will help with cleansing and detoxifying your liver and kidneys. But, given the large amount of toxins in your body, you may need to go through a comprehensive cleanse/detoxification process to help purge your liver, kidneys and colon of the various toxins.

Other detox methods include: eating organic, using organc herbs, colonic hydrotherapy, eating more fiber, exercise, enemas, Epsom salt baths, and using organic body products and cosmetics.

Note 1: Avoiding flour, sugar, trans fats, processed foods, dairy and animal meat helps to detox your body because you're no longer putting more toxins into your body that your liver, colon, kidneys have to handle.

Note 2: Relaxing, calming your mind and avoiding negative-thinking people are ways to "detox"" your mind and stabilize yourself emotionally. Calm your mind with yoga and meditation to reduce cortisol levels significantly (cortisol is linked to cancer risk). Relax by having a warm bath or by reading a funny book or watching a funny film. Find a hands-on healer; have a massage.

Exercise
Exercise 20-30 minutes every day to help with oxygen intake and detox (lymphatic system). If you don't like to exercise, go for a daily walk with a friend or visit the mall. Once you're comfortable with walking, add some weight resistance/strength training on alternate days for 15 to 20 minutes.

Supplements
Once you've implemented a nutritional program, then, you can add some supplementation, e.g. turmeric, ginger, cayenne, CoQ10, lipoic acid, whey protein, Vitamin D3. But, be very careful, since most supplements are synthetic and may contain lead and other heavy metals.

Tobacco/Alcohol
Tobacco contains yeasts and sugars which ferment the tobacco into the form which reaches the human blood and tissues causing disbiosis of the blood and tissues leading to every degenerative disease known including cancer, diabetes, arthritis, etc.

Alcohol is the second leading cause of cancer, right behind tobacco use. Excessive drinking is known to cause heart failure, stroke, and sudden death; and, is linked to cancers of the mouth, esophagus, liver, colon, rectum, and breast.

Alternative Cancer Protocol
Do your own research and find an alternative cancer treatment protocol that you're comfortable with and has online support of the protocol. Also, find people who have used the protocol and discuss with them what they liked and disliked about the protocol and the support.

Remember: Just eating a better diet is not sufficient as an alternative treatment strategy for most cancers.

Testing
Get tested frequently to monitor your progress.  Also, do your own home testing for things like blood pressure, cholesterol, blood sugar, A1C, weight, etc.

Support
Join a local support group and also join one or more online cancer support groups or forums. Connecting with other people who are struggling or have struggled with your disease can be educational and therapeutic. Learn about the successes and failures of other cancer patients to help you on your journey.

Work with a naturopathic doctor, holistic practitioner and/or an expert in the field of cancer alternative treatment -- especially for the specific protocol that you plan to use.

Education
Education is critical. There is nothing more empowering than learning about your disease, how it works and how it can be treated with and without drugs. This may seem daunting, but, once you get started, you'll gain invaluable insights into your disease, your doctors, Big Pharma, and so much more.

Journaling
Keep good records and notes of your daily activities, drug dosages, how you feel, what you eat, etc. Keeping track of your daily activities will take some of the load off of you mentally.

In addition, always ask your doctor's admin/secretary for a copy of your lab work after your doctor's appointment. This will be important, especially when you're working with other people in the healthcare industry.

Be Wary of Needle Biopsies
Unfortunately, needle biopsies are integral to diagnosing any unusual mass in mainstream medicine. Also, if you plan to do chemotherapy, a needle biopsy is required because oncologists need to know exactly what type of cancer cell you have in order to know which type of chemo to prescribe.

The primary problem with a needle biopsy is when the needle is drawn back out of a mass, if it is cancer, some malignant cells may escape along with the needle on the way out. This allows them to move into other areas of the body beyond the original cancer site.

An oncologist at the Cancer Control Convention in California strongly warned people about the dangers of needle biopsies. He showed a slide from a scan that was taken of a woman’s breast. She’d had a localized breast tumor (not yet metastasized) when the biopsy was first done. This scan, however, which was taken a while after the needle biopsy had been performed, showed cancer growing in a straight line between the tumor and the surface of her skin. It was growing right along the pathway of the needle that was pulled out of her! This meant that the needle biopsy procedure itself caused the mass to NOT be localized anymore, making the cancer suddenly more difficult to completely remove surgically via lumpectomy. There other accounts about the same thing happening to men with prostate cancer and it probably happens to people with other types of cancer as well who are subjected to needle biopsies.

Avoid Hormone-Blocking Drugs
Testosterone-blocking drugs (such as Lupron or Casodex) for men with prostate cancer tend to be ineffective and dangerous. A careful evaluation of scientific research showed that blocking testosterone is not at all helpful and that doing so can actually promote the growth and spread of prostate cancer! They can also cause life-threatening side effects. And there is some evidence that being on a testosterone-blocking drug may interfere with the effectiveness of alternative methods for cancer as well. There are a lot of misunderstandings in conventional medicine about treating prostate cancer, so do your research.

Estrogen-blocking drugs (such as Tamoxifen or Femara) for women with breast cancer, have no proven effectiveness for increasing long term cure rates and comes with devastating and life-threatening side effects including the possibility that it can cause a stroke, blindness, or even a secondary, more aggressive cancer in women taking it! And, as with men on testosterone-blocking drugs, women on an estrogen-blocking drug may not respond as well to alternative treatments that might otherwise give them at least a chance for full recovery.

Avoid Mammograms
There are numerous large-scale studies that have proven mammography is not only extremely ineffective at detecting cancer, resulting in many false positives as well as false negatives, but also can cause cancer or promote the spread of it if you have it! Though no early detection test is perfect, thermography (in the form of breast thermograms) is much more accurate than mammography, and perfectly safe and non-invasive. Any woman interested in thermography can search the Internet for explanations about how it works and to find a clinic near them that administers it.

Don’t Expect that Simply Alkalizing Your Body Will Make Your Cancer Go Away
A common misconception is that all a cancer patient has to do is make their body optimally alkaline through diet and health food store supplements and their cancer will go away. This, of course, is based on Nobel Prize winner Dr. Otto Warburg’s work with cancer cells. He proved that cancer cells cannot thrive in an optimally alkaline environment. This is absolutely true, but unfortunately many people have misunderstood how to use that information. The work that Dr. Warburg did involved cancer cells in vitro (such as in petri dishes) and they were small numbers of cells in an artificially alkalized environment.

When a person has malignant tumors in vivo (meaning in their body) they are dealing with many millions of cancer cells all in one place, maybe hundreds of millions, and each of those cells is producing lactic acid as a by-product of the anaerobic cell respiration that malignant cells use to produce energy for themselves. This lactic acid builds up around tumors and creates its own little acidic environment around the cancer. So, a healthy person can use optimum alkalizing techniques to help themselves avoid a cancer diagnosis, but once they have active cancer, most alkalizing techniques may simply alkalize the rest of their body but not be able to effectively alkalize the areas around the tumors.

For the most part, since the alkalizing diet helps to nourish the normal cells, it's important to have a strategy that specifically targets how to kill the cancer cells.

Don’t Wait Until All Conventional Treatment Has Failed To Try an Alternative Approach.
A common misconception is that alternative treatments are okay for cancers caught early, but for late-stage or metastasized cancer, conventional medicine is better because it’s more powerful. Just the opposite is true!

Unfortunately, approximately 75 percent of all people diagnosed with cancer in the U.S. already have metastasized cancer by the time they are first diagnosed. Once cancer has metastasized, most cancer patients have virtually no chance for a cure through conventional treatment and alternative medicine may be their only hope at that point. Of course there are no guarantees for alternative medicine curing late-stage cancer, but a person’s chances are at least a lot better with a strong alternative approach that has already proven to have a significant cure-rate, than with conventional methods.

Also, conventional treatments are notoriously toxic and the longer a person uses these toxic treatments, the more their chances for a long-term cure go down. Chemotherapy, radiation, and even hormone-blocking drugs can cause serious damage and changes to the body. This may then make it more difficult for a person to recover if they later choose to stop conventional treatment and try something else.

So, when someone goes with conventional medicine first and if that doesn’t work, then tries something alternative, the chance of success will be much smaller because the non-toxic alternative approach has to overcome the cancer and the damage caused by the conventional medicine approach (e.g. chemotherapy). A person may be so damaged by that time, due to either the cancer spreading further or the toxicity of the conventional treatments, that they may no longer have any chance for full recovery at that point. It is much better to know all your options in advance and start on a good non-toxic approach earlier rather than later, especially if your cancer has already metastasized.

Do Your Homework on the Alternative Approach You Have Chosen
Any person with cancer who decides to use an alternative non-toxic approach must do their homework and research about the treatment they have chosen in order to achieve optimum results. Read as much as you can about the approach, talk to consultants on that approach if there are any, or speak with other cancer survivors who used the approach successfully already. This is less critical if you are working with a doctor who is administering the alternative approach to you, but many people using alternative therapies are self-administering the method and basically treating themselves.

Even though some of the cancer successes reported on Internet and from other sources may sound like “miracle cures,” the reality is that alternative approaches are not magic, so don’t look at them that way and think all you have to do is take the basic recommended dose and not look into it anymore. Knowing how to use your chosen alternative approach for optimum results may make the difference between recovering completely or not.

Rely on More Than One Diagnostic Tool to Assess Your Progress
Use as many diagnostic tools as you can, including X-rays, MRIs, CT scans and PET scans, to assess the status of your cancer. Scans should be considered only one of several tools and may not always be accurate.

Dr. Mercola has written an article about the inherent inaccuracy of CT scans for lung cancer, for instance. In it, he states, “It’s important to understand that many medical procedures are not an exact science, and this includes CT scans used to measure cancer growth. In the case of CT scans for lung cancer, this new study showed that radiologists reviewing images of the same patient taken just minutes apart found substantial ‘changes’ in the tumors, in some cases noting they had gotten up to 31 percent bigger or 23 percent smaller.

In addition, all “alternative tests” are not perfect. For example, alternative tests such as the AMAS blood test and the HCG urine test are certainly better than anything conventional medicine has for detecting cancer early, but they are not perfectly accurate at assessing a patient’s progress after they have been treating their cancer for a while. Once again, use any of these tests as one of the tools in your diagnostic tool kit, but don’t rely completely on only one diagnostic test for verification of how you are doing, and use common sense whenever possible.

Keep Taking an Alternative Approach Long After the “All Clear” Remission Point
When it comes to the world of alternative medicine for cancer, one of the worst things that you can do is to stop your alternative approach too soon. It is heartbreaking to get onto a good alternative approach and go into complete remission, then stop the treatment too soon, before having gotten rid of all their cancer.

Please understand that remission just means all visible signs of cancer are gone and diagnostic tests cannot detect any cancer. Unfortunately, oncologists tend to mislead cancer patients into thinking that remission means they are cancer-free. They don’t tell their patients that up to about 10 million cancer cells can fit on the head of a pin! That’s how microscopically small they are, just like any other cell in the body. Such a small dot, which could be millions of cancer cells, will be impossible to see on any scan and the patient would not be showing any symptoms. So it is critical that people stay on the alternative approach that is working for them long after the remission point to be sure they get rid of every last cancer cell.

Note: This is possible with a non-toxic approach, but not possible with conventional methods because conventional treatments are too toxic to keep taking long after remission. As an example, cancer patients using Protocel are often advised to keep taking the Protocel for at a least a full year after they have reached the “all-clear” remission point. If the alternative approach that brought you to remission is too difficult or too expensive for you to continue, then at least switch to another non-toxic method that is easier for you after the remission point has been reached.

Unfortunately a lot of people who bring themselves into remission with an alternative approach get a false sense of security and start to think they are invincible and “done” with fighting cancer. They stop their alternative approach as soon as their diagnostic scans or other tests can’t find any cancer. Often this is understandably due to the desire to get back to a normal life again. Then the person finds out a year or two later that they did not get every last cancer cell in the first go-around and their cancer is now back and has spread, possibly at this point into their bones, brain or liver. This does not mean the alternative method they used did not work. It just means that they did not stay on it long enough to get rid of every last cancer cell. Make sure that you do not fall prey to this mistake!

Additional Website Resources
Here are some additional resources that explain what to do after your initial cancer diagnosis.

Cancer diagnosis? Advice for dealing with what comes next - Mayo Clinic
http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/cancer/in-depth/cancer-diagnosis/art-20046527

When the Doctor Says “Cancer”
http://www.cancer.net/navigating-cancer-care/diagnosing-cancer/when-doctor-says-cancer

Questions to Ask the Doctor

http://www.cancer.net/navigating-cancer-care/diagnosing-cancer/questions-ask-doctor

A Cancer Diagnosis: What to Do Next?
http://www.webmd.com/cancer/features/cancer-diagnosis-what-to-do-next

Cancer diagnosis: 11 tips for coping - Mayo Clinic
http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/cancer/in-depth/cancer-diagnosis/art-20044544

The emotional impact of a cancer diagnosis | American Cancer Society
http://www.cancer.org/treatment/treatmentsandsideeffects/emotionalsideeffects/copingwithcancerineverydaylife/a-message-of-hope-emotional-impact-of-cancer

If A Doctor Says You Have Cancer…
http://www.comingtogethertofightcancer.com/if-a-doctor-says-you-have-cancer/

So You Have Cancer: 10 Things to Do Now, Even if You're Not Warren Buffett
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/michael-solomon/cancer-advice_b_1447171.html

Cancer Clinic Dealing with Grief of Diagnosis

http://cancerclinic.com/blog/?p=57

Coping with a cancer diagnosis
http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/cancer/Pages/coping-with-cancer-diagnosis.aspx

Your Emotions After a Cancer Diagnosis | We Can Help | LIVESTRONG.org
http://www.livestrong.org/we-can-help/just-diagnosed/your-emotions-after-cancer-diagnosis/

Stages of Cancer Grief
http://www.livestrong.com/article/278518-stages-of-cancer-grief/

After cancer diagnosis, what comes next? - CNN.com
http://www.cnn.com/2008/HEALTH/conditions/05/21/ep.cancer.resources/ 

Coping with a cancer diagnosis - Cancer Council Australia
http://www.cancer.org.au/about-cancer/after-a-diagnosis/coping-with-a-cancer-diagnosis.html

Finding Your Cancer Cure - A basic guide to surviving cancer
http://www.energygrid.com/health/cancer-cure.html
 
Note: The majority of this information was taken from the following websites:
http://www.deathtodiabetes.com/ 
http://outsmartyourcancer.com/
http://www.livescience.com/health/
http://www.scientificamerican.com/author/myhealthnewsdaily/

Disclaimer

The information in this blog post (and throughout this blog) is not intended to prescribe any form of treatment for any illness or medical condition. This information should not be considered a substitute for expert medical opinion. Always consult with your doctor to determine your specific course of action for your health. The author shall have no liability or responsibility to any person or entity with respect to any loss, damage or injury, caused or alleged to be caused directly or indirectly by this information.