An
overwhelming body of evidence points to drastic changes in diet as the
primary explanation for the increase in cancer
Cancer: A Disease of Civilization?
by Ralph W. Moss,
Ph.D.
Even today, we find huge disparities in
the incidence of cancer worldwide, with increased rates seemingly tied
to the adoption of a refined diet and other harmful habits. Hungary,
for instance, has a cancer death rate of 272.2 per 100,000 (men) and
138.4 per 100,000 (women). Contrast this with Mexico, where the death
rate among men is 85.0 and among women 78.9 per 100,000.
"Civilization" is not only a chauvinistic
term but is such an all-encompassing concept that it is difficult to
pinpoint exactly what aspects of it have contributed to the dramatic
rise of cancer in the last century. Certainly tobacco has been a major
culprit. Hungary has the highest rate of lung cancer in the world. I
have visited that country four times and always came away shocked at
the amount of smoking. On one trip I visited a number of famous medical
facilities and never did my hosts fail to offer me cigarettes. When I
met with one of the country's highest ranking scientists, he
nonchalantly chain-smoked throughout the entire meeting. After the fall
of Communism, downtown Budapest became plastered with ads for American
cigarettes. Philip Morris, makers of Marlboro, sponsored televised rock
concerts and young women in Marlboro suits dispensed free samples of
Marlboro cigarettes. Concertgoers who agreed to smoke the cigarettes
received a complimentary pair of "designer Marlboro sunglasses." There
is no doubt that smoking has played a role in the rising rates of
cancer.
However, an overwhelming body of evidence
points to drastic changes in diet as the primary explanation for the
increase in cancer. Indigenous people of regions across the globe seem
protected so long as they eat the diet that their ancestors ate for
millennia. But once they adopt Western dietary habits, cancer appears
and then begins its inexorable climb towards the same astronomical
heights as are seen in the societies they emulate.
Some scholars who studied vegetarian
cultures have concluded that it was the high fruit and vegetable
content that kept these native peoples from getting cancer. Conversely,
some researchers who focused on northern populations in which meat was
prominent have advocated a meat-based diet for cancer protection.
Others have ascribed the healthfulness, longevity and lack of cancer in
indigenous populations to the intake of specific nutrients (such as the
"laetrile" found in such abundance in apricot kernels, a staple of the
Hunza diet).
But no single, simplistic answer will fit these tremendously varied
cultures. In my opinion, what these diverse populations ate is much
less important than what they did not eat (at least until recently):
"white" foods, specifically white sugar, white flour, and salt. The
addition of these foods to their diet was disastrous to their health,
as it has been to ours. White sugar and white flour are especially
harmful, because these "high glycemic" foods are quickly absorbed into
the bloodstream, where they wreak havoc with the regulation of insulin
and blood sugar levels. This is a major factor in increasing rates of
type 2 diabetes and obesity.
Unfortunately, white sugar, white flour,
and refined sweeteners are ubiquitous in the Western diet. They are
found in sodas and other sweet drinks, breads and snack foods, beer and
ice cream, you name it. But even "natural" forms of carbohydrates may
not be as innocent as once thought. Whole wheat flour, potatoes, and
other seemingly healthy foods also have a high glycemic index and may
not be safe to consume in anything except small quantities.
Atkins Vindicated
Robert Atkins, MD, has been preaching
against a high-carbohydrate diet for 30 years, much to the chagrin of
the medical establishment. A recent cover story in the New York Times
Magazine (7/7/02) vindicated the low-carbohydrate, high-protein and
high-fat diet advocated by Atkins, citing a growing body of research
which suggests that a diet of carbohydrate-rich foods is no guarantee
of good health, let alone weight loss. In fact, as the American public
has increased its consumption of carbohydrates and decreased its
consumption of fatty meat, obesity rates have skyrocketed. In 1998,
more than 50 percent of adults in the US were overweight. Obesity and
type II diabetes among American children have also increased. At the
same time, levels of physical activity have declined, further
contributing to soaring rates of obesity and obesity-related illnesses
in the US.
The list of diseases linked to obesity is
a lengthy one. According to the American Cancer Society, obesity
contributes to hypertension, lipid disorders, type 2 diabetes, coronary
heart disease, stroke, gallbladder disease, osteoarthritis, sleep apnea
and respiratory problems. And as body mass index goes up, rates of
cancer also increase, by as much as 80 percent in women.
The Key to Cancer Prevention
It seems clear to me that cancer was not
a major medical problem in recorded history until the last 150 years.
And even today, populations that eat an indigenous diet rarely, if
ever, get cancer. (Unfortunately, such populations are exceedingly
scarce in this century.) However, in reviewing the evidence from these
cultures as well as our own, the key issue for cancer prevention does
not seem to be whether the diet is vegetarian or meat-eating, or
whether it contains high quantities of fat and protein. The single most
drastic change in the Western diet, which has occurred simultaneously
with rising rates of cancer among those who consume it, has been the
cheap availability of white flour, white sugar, and refined sweeteners
such as corn syrup, as well as their inclusion in just about every food
in the marketplace. The key to cancer prevention may turn out to be
avoidance of the same foods that make your blood sugar run wild and
that cause a plethora of other illnesses.
References:
American Cancer Society. Cancer Facts and Figures 2001, p. 25.
Atkins RC. Dr. Atkins' New Diet Revolution. NY: Avon, 2002.
Taubes G. "What if it's all been a big fat lie?". New York Times
Magazine, July 7, 2002.
Ralph W. Moss, Ph.D. is an
internationally known medical writer who has written eleven books and
three film documentaries, mostly on the question of cancer research and
treatment. The former assistant director of public affairs at Memorial
Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York, for 25 years Moss has
independently evaluated the claims of various cancer treatments,
conventional and nonconventional. He currently directs The Moss
Reports, which are detailed written reports on 200 varieties of
cancer diagnoses. He is listed in Marquis Who's Who in America,
Who's Who in the World, Who's Who in HealthCare, etc.
Dr. Moss is the author of such groundbreaking books as Antioxidants
Against Cancer, Cancer Therapy, Questioning Chemotherapy, and The
Cancer Industry, as well as the award-winning PBS documentary The
Cancer War. He also wrote the 1994 Yearbook article on alternative
medicine for The Encyclopedia Britannica. For more information visit
www.cancerdecisions.com
IMPORTANT
DISCLAIMER
The news and other items in
this newsletter are intended for
informational purposes only. Nothing in this newsletter is intended to
be a substitute for professional medical advice
Copyright © 1996-2002
CancerDecisions®. Used with permission.
Cancer is a disease that has many causes.
One of the more recent culprits of cancer is asbestos which is linked
to mesothelioma
cancer. Many people feel that mesothelioma is something
that could have been prevented and have hired specialized mesothelioma
lawyers to see if they can build a case for compensation. The best
way to combat these allegations is with knowledge; knowledge about mesothelioma
symptoms and possible treatments. Cancer doesn't have to be
something that puts you into a legal battle, although beating cancer
should ultimately be your goal.
