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Page 1 of 2  A panel of health experts says we should turn to whole foods and not dietary pill and powder supplements to help protect us from cancer.
But wait! Don’t throw them out quite yet. Those same supplements can prove very useful in thwarting other conditions, according to the American Institute for Cancer Research in Washington, D.C.
A review of more than 50 supplements trials and studies was simply too inconsistent to recommend using them to protect against cancer. Under certain conditions, some high-dose supplements seemed protective at specific doses, some did nothing, and some actually increased the risk of cancer, says Karen Collins, a registered dietitian and the institute’s nutrition advisor.
In contrast, she adds, the research was much more consistent when panelists examined more than 440 studies on cancer risk and foods that contained specific vitamins, minerals and phytochemicals.
No way to reliability predict Panelists noted that much of the research showing high-dose dietary supplements influencing cancer risk was conducted among people who were already at high risk for cancer. For instance, beta-carotene supplements may cause lung cancer in current smokers, Collins says.
The panel concluded that there is no way to reliably predict the risks and benefits that widespread use of such supplements could produce, including unexpected and unfavorable side effects.
Of all the supplements reviewed by the panel, only two—selenium and calcium—seemingly protected against cancer, and even then the research was less than clear. According to the panel, selenium and calcium may protect against prostate cancer and colorectal cancer respectively, but too much calcium may increase your risk for prostate cancer.
Collins notes, however, that that supplements can have a place in a healthy diet. Certain groups, such as women of child-bearing age, may even receive health benefits from taking specific dietary supplements.
“Let’s be clear: although some people have misread the recommendation as simply, ‘Don’t take supplements ever,’ that’s not what the expert panel concluded,” Collins says. “The panel members were careful to make an important distinction, namely: Don’t rely on supplements to protect you from cancer.” The stuff in foods
Collins says the panel found more consistent data on foods that contain many of the same vitamins, minerals and other substances that are often sold in supplement form. Here are some examples of substances found in everyday foods and what they may thwart: • Folate—pancreatic cancer;
• Carotenoids—cancers of the mouth, pharynx, larynx and lung;
• Beta-carotene—esophageal cancer, despite the study affecting smokers;
• Lycopene—prostate cancer;
• Vitamin C—esophageal cancer.
The panel also concluded that non-starchy vegetables, allium vegetables (onions, leeks, etc.), garlic and fruits in general may protect against seven types of cancer. The bottom line
“Exactly why this is so remains unclear,” Collins says. “Perhaps other substances in whole foods actually provide the cancer protection, perhaps the substances in question interact in unknown synergistic ways to reduce risk, or perhaps diets high in these foods simply tend to be lower in foods linked to increased risk, such as red and processed meat.
“But the bottom line remains: diets high in plant foods are associated with greater protection against many different kinds of cancer.”
According to Nutrition Review, researchers at George Mason University say plant-based diets may help men who already have prostate cancer. Black tea, soy, broccoli, cauliflower, tomatoes, salmon and other fish rich in omega-3 fatty acids, fruits, pomegranate juice, a hot pepper’s capsaicin, among other substances and foods, get the nod from researchers for lowering the risk of prostate cancer and affecting the progression of the disease’s aggressive tumors. Body fat and cancer What’s more, the cancer institute says a new British study that links excess body fat to cancer keeps in line with what dietitians have been saying all along.
Staying lean may be the most important thing we can do to protect against cancer, says Sarah Wally, a registered dietitian and association nutritionist. In a recent issue of the British medical journal The Lancet, researchers found that obesity doubled the risk for several common cancers, and that excess body fat also may play a role in some rare cancers. Last November, another panel from the American Institute for Cancer Research concluded that carrying excess body fat is now “convincingly linked” to cancers of the colon, rectum, pancreas, kidney, esophagus, endometrium, and breast.
The metabolically active nature of body fat is thought to be a main reason for the cancer link. Fat cells constantly pump a variety of proteins and hormones into the bloodstream. Over time, these substances can raise risk for cancer, Wally says. That word 'may'
However, the jury is still out on whether the researchers have stumbled upon something unique. They take extra efforts to say such-and-such mineral may help lower your risk—and “may” is one of the dictionary's biggest weasel words, used by folks when they're not 100% sure.
However, other experts wholeheartedly concur with the institute’s findings. For instance, June Chan, an associate professor at the University of California, San Francisco, says people with a low-risk of prostate cancer suddenly see their risk become high once they move to other countries where diets are dramatically different.
For instance, Chinese men in China had risk of prostate cancer at the rate of 3 per 100,000, but that risk three generations later after they moved to the U.S. increased to 100-120 per 100,000, according to UROTODAY.com.
Chen says Chinese people 20 years ago used low-fat, low-protein and little meat in their diets, rather piling their plates with grains and veggies. But Americans use diets high in fat, protein and refined sugar, which she and other researchers insist may have an effect on the risk of prostate cancer for Chinese people who have moved to the U.S.
Curious for more information? Then check out Vitamin Basics and Mineral Basics, which I created last year on Nubella. I also wrote numerous articles on Nubella regarding the protective effects of many foods, which you can find by doing a search using the name of the foods.
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