“The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at a time of challenge and controversy.” – Dr Martin Luther King Jr.
Cancer is an ever increasing scourge on our society. We hear of new diagnoses every day. According to the National Cancer Society, in 2017, more than 1.6 million people will be diagnosed with cancer in the USA. That is a staggering number! Furthermore, the costs of caring for cancer patients places a burden on the federal government, the patients themselves, and their families. Therefore, it makes sense to try in prevent cancer rather than treating it once it has been diagnosed.
Causes and prevention
In a nutshell, cancer prevention is any “action taken to lower the chance of getting cancer.” Before we take a look at how we can slow down or stop the onset of cancer, let’s take an in-depth look at cancer:
The term cancer is used to describe a group of related diseases. Common cancers are breast cancer, lung cancer, prostate cancer, colon and rectum cancer, melanoma, leukaemia, and thyroid cancer. Cancer is also one of the leading causes of death worldwide.
Research has shown that cancerous cells are initially normal cells; however, their DNA contained within the cell nucleus is damaged. When the DNA is damaged, the cell either dies or repairs itself. In some cases, these cells do not die, nor are they repaired. Consequently, they mutate into cancerous cells. Ergo, cancer cells are formed from mutated cells with damaged DNA.
No one is quite sure what causes healthy cells to mutate into cancerous growths; however, scientists have pinpointed several risk factors:
- Tobacco and Alcohol use
- Nutritionally deficient diet
- Environmental factors
- Physical inactivity
- Genetical predisposition
Natural ways to prevent cancer
Even though we might not be able to do much about our predisposition towards certain cancers, we can still minimize the risk of developing cancer by taking note of the following points:
Eat a nutritionally rich diet
It is important to eat a diet which is rich in essential vitamins and minerals in order to provide your body with the correct building blocks to generate new and healthy cells, as well as to repair damaged cells.
Supplement with cancer-prevention vitamins and minerals
I believe it is important to take a daily supplement of vitamins and minerals. Because of the ways most foods are processed and transported, the nutritional value might not be as high as it should be. Furthermore, there are nutrients such has vitamin B17 which are known to reduce the chances of developing cancer. For vitamin B17 resources, look at either taking a daily capsule made from natural foods, or eating foods such as barley and apricot kernels.
The importance of regular exercise cannot be over-emphasised. Not only is it helpful for stress-relief and body-weight control, but it builds muscles and reduces the risk of cancer development.
Cancer prevention is a holistic approach. Finally, in order to stave off cancer, we need to ensure that we live a healthy lifestyle.