According to the National Cancer Institute, cancer has now surpassed cardiac disease as the largest killer in the United States. The incidence of cancer increases with age, with approximately 80 percent of cancers occurring in people over the age of 55.
However, according to researchers at the Queensland Institute of Medical Research, preventing cancer may be as simple as eating pineapple.
Pineapple Fights Cancer Growth
While analyzing bromelain, an extract of crushed pineapple stems, researchers found that two molecules isolated from the extract showed promise in fighting cancer growth:
One molecule, known as CCS, blocks a protein called Ras, which is defective in approximately 30 percent of all cancers.
The other, called CCZ, stimulates the body's own immune system to target and destroy cancer cells.
Researchers discovered these two molecules work simultaneously to block the growth of a broad range of tumor cells including breast, lung, colon, ovarian and melanoma.
And while CCS and CCZ are protease enzymes (usually associated with breaking down proteins, as in the digestive process), the above findings distinguish the molecules as a new way of treating disease and potentially a whole new class of anti-cancer agents.
What's more, bromelain, a rich source of enzymes, has also been found to modulate immunological responses and has been proposed to be of clinical use.
BBC News July 22, 2005
Earlier this year, cancer passed heart disease as the leading cause of death in the United States. This disease that is so common today was actually a rarity for our ancient ancestors. Even the American Cancer Society says that more than 60 percent of the 2005 cancer deaths could have been prevented if Americans adopted healthier lifestyles, such as these 12 changes that will cut your cancer risk in half.
But the sad reality, as evidenced by the recent statistics of 175 Americans being newly diagnosed with cancer every HOUR, is that most people will not implement the changes I and many others have been advocating for many years. They will not be motivated to action until it is too late and they already have that dreaded "C"-word diagnosis.
Fortunately, for most cancers, if they are caught early on, it is possible to reverse them. However, like any chronic degenerative illness, if the disease progresses too far it may very well be too late. So that is one of the reasons why you and your family will want to implement the recommendations advocated in these pages. Most people who apply these recommendations will never get diagnosed with cancer.
However, if you or one of your family members already have been diagnosed with cancer, then you will still certainly want to apply the guidelines that I posted earlier this year on how to treat and prevent cancer.
Further, you will want to take additional aggressive measures to tackle this frequently terminal illness. You will certainly want to focus on natural therapies, but the problem is that when you take a natural product and highly process it, it may not work the way it was designed to and could actually make the problem worse. This is certainly the case for interferons for the treatment of autoimmune diseases like MS and RA. These drugs are loaded with problems and actually seem to make the disease worse in the long run, not better, for the majority who use them.
So the take-home message is to be very cautious when you consider therapies, as even "natural" therapies, especially if promoted by the drug companies, many not be your best bet. They may actually better serve the drug company to make a profit rather than improve your ability to recover from a serious illness.
Related Articles:
Should Vitamin D be Given to Cancer Patients?Seven Ways to Protect Your Heart With Anti-Inflammatory AlternativesThe Man Who Questions Chemotherapy : Dr. Ralph Moss
Should Vitamin D be Given to Cancer Patients?
Seven Ways to Protect Your Heart With Anti-Inflammatory Alternatives
The Man Who Questions Chemotherapy : Dr. Ralph Moss