Download Boost Your Anti-Cancer Diet

Boost Your Anti-Cancer Diet
You may not get enough sun to reap vitamin D's exceptional
cancer prevention benefits, and it's often difficult to get other
beneficial nutrients from your diet alone. That's where
supplements may come in.
By Marie Suszynski
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A variety of different nutrients are crucial for your body to fight cancer, but the problem is that
the American diet too often lacks what we need to stay in top health. “It’s the first time in
history that we have calorie malnutrition,” says Jacob Teitelbaum, MD, medical director of
the Fibromyalgia and Fatigue Centers in Kona, Hawaii, and a specialist in natural remedies.
That means calories aren’t in short supply, but nutrients can be. You can fill in the gaps with
dietary supplements.
Last Updated: 02/16/2011
Vitamin D
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Studies have found that people who have higher levels of vitamin D have significantly lower
rates of breast, ovarian, renal, colon, pancreatic, aggressive prostate, and other cancers.
Researchers have even predicted that raising vitamin D levels in the United States and
Canada would prevent 58,000 people from getting breast cancer and 49,000 from getting
colorectal cancer. However, Americans are woefully short on this essential nutrient. We get
more than 90 percent of vitamin D from sunshine, but people are avoiding the sun for fear of
getting skin cancer, Dr. Teitelbaum says. “Avoid sunburn, not sunshine,” he says. And take a
vitamin D nutritional supplement. He recommends that everyone take 1,000 to 2,000
international units of vitamin D a day, which you can find in a good multivitamin.
Last Updated: 02/16/2011
Next: Curcumin
Curcumin
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Curcumin has killed cancer cells in the laboratory, shrunk tumors in animals, and helped
prevent several forms of cancer from developing in animal studies. “Curcumin is a pretty
remarkable herb,” Teitelbaum says. There are more than 1,000 studies showing that it’s
effective for cancer, he says. But if you’re not eating foods made with curry every day
(because curcumin is derived from turmeric), you’re probably not getting enough for cancer
protection, he says. Should everyone take a dietary supplement? It’s probably only
necessary if you have a strong family history of cancer, Teitelbaum says. Be sure to find a
supplement specifically designed for easy absorption, such as the product Curamin.
Last Updated: 02/16/2011
B Vitamins
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Some research has shown that B vitamins, including folic acid (vitamin B9), can lower the
risk for some cancers, but the research hasn’t been conclusive. Observational studies have
found that people who get more folic acid may be less likely to get colon cancer, especially
compared to people who are deficient in folic acid, and that getting vitamin B6 may lower the
likelihood of getting colorectal cancer. But researchers haven’t done large clinical trials on
these vitamins. The best option is to choose a good multivitamin that includes B vitamins
rather than individual supplements.
Last Updated: 02/16/2011
Green Tea
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Studies done in the laboratory suggest that some compounds in antioxidant-rich green tea
may help stop cancer cells from growing by cutting off their blood supply. One study from
China found that people who drank green tea and did not smoke had a lower risk of getting
esophageal cancer than those who didn’t drink green tea, but the results from other studies
have been mixed. “It’s not the first place I reach to in terms of anti-cancer effect,” Teitelbaum
says. But there are other reasons to sip: It lowers anxiety and heart attack risk, he says.
Last Updated: 02/16/2011
Selenium
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In areas of the world where the soil has high levels of selenium, there are significantly fewer
deaths from cancer, including lung, breast, colon, ovarian, cervical, bladder, pancreatic, and
esophageal cancers. However, clinical trials that have looked at selenium’s role in cancer
prevention have been mixed. Because your body only needs a small amount of this mineral,
the American Cancer Society recommends eating a healthy diet with plenty of fruits and
vegetables rather than taking selenium in nutritional supplements. You can get selenium
from Brazil nuts, seafood, whole grains, cereal, meat and poultry, kidney, and liver.
Last Updated: 02/16/2011
Garlic
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Eating garlic may lower your risk for breast, colon, esophageal, pancreatic, and stomach
cancers, according to preliminary studies. When researchers looked at the results of seven
population studies, they found that those with higher amounts of garlic in their diet had lower
risk for stomach and colorectal cancer. But the results of clinical trials have been mixed, and
researchers don’t know how much garlic you may need for protection. The World Health
Organization recommends that people get about a clove of garlic a day in their diet.
Last Updated: 02/16/2011
Fish Oil
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Truth be told, fish oil’s strength is not cancer prevention, Teitelbaum says. Some research
has shown that women who eat fish twice a week have a lower risk for endometrial cancer,
but in general the research looking at cancer protection hasn’t shown much of a link.
However, fish oil can do so much for your health, including helping to prevent heart disease
or stroke and lowering rates of depression. There’s good reason to focus on getting fish in
your diet and consider taking fish oil nutritional supplements.
Last Updated: 02/16/2011
Beta Carotene
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Animal studies have suggested that vitamin A (which includes beta carotene) could shrink
tumors, slow down the growth of tumors, and enhance cancer treatments. However, getting
too much beta carotene or vitamin A can be toxic. When smokers took vitamin A dietary
supplements, their risk of dying from lung cancer and heart disease increased. If you take a
high dose of beta carotene, you can cause relative deficiency of other nutrients in the body,
Teitelbaum says. For that reason, don’t get more than 5,000 international units of beta
carotene a day.
Last Updated: 02/16/2011