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foods that fight cancer

mog
1 Recommendation

Hi everyone, I'm 40 with two small kids, just diagnosed with stage IV breast cancer, bone mets in 4 places. Needless to say, I am freaking out, but along with hormone treatment (Tamoxifen and zoladex) I have decided to try alternative treatments--starting with diet--now I have been told that conventional medicine can't cure me. I just went to a talk by Dr. Richard Belliveau, a Montreal Dr. who has shown that certain foods reduce breast cancer tumours in mice. Specifically a diet rich in grains and low in animal protein is good. Tumeric, garlic and green tea are the top anti-oxidants. Has anyone else had success in controlling the disease or side effects of chemo thorough diet?

Explore topics in this discussion:

Cancer Surgery Beta-carotene Radiation therapy Zoladex Meditation Hernia Chemotherapy Adriamycin Stress Hiatal hernia Allergies Avastin Breast cancer Taxotere Pain Weakness

53 replies

LindaLD

Hi, MOG-
I've read that we should be putting broccoli sprouts on everything and eating cruciferous vegetables by the bushel--which includes broccoli, Brussels Sprouts, Kale, etc.

I also eat salmon a couple of times per week and take 2,000 IU of Vit. D each day.

I try to eat as many raw vegetables as I can and choose fruit as my "sweets." There's very little refined sugar in my diet.

Favorite source of beta-carotene: Baked yams--baked until they collapse and their natural sugars carmelize. Excellent comfort food during chemo--and packed with nutrition.

All the best to you,
Linda

lynnwv

I have a book, The Anti-Cancer Book by David Servan-Schreiber, a doctor who had cancer and a recurrance. It talks about foods to eat, even has a chart of the vegis that work best. It is very similar to the ones you listed including tumeric, garlic and green tea and lost of cabbage and leafy greens. I've been trying to stick to it. It certainly can't hurt.

Good Luck

faithmena

I think nutrition is key. I only eat organic , mainly grains and super foods. I juice and make smoothie's with rice milk and include a multivitamin. No diary, no sugar. The exception is during my tough chemo days...then I just eat soft fruit ie bananas,canteloupe and sweet potatotes.

Janice54

The day I was dx with stage 4 with bone mets I changed my diet...no refined sugar, no white flour or rice, no meat, no dairy (I do use egg whites and skim milk), no soy (I am er+). I try to buy everything organic.
I sarted on tamoxifen also. Six months later to the surprise of my drs. all scans and test came back normal...NED! That was two years ago. Plus I have had no side effects from the tamoxifen. So I am a firm believer in the diet along wih my meds. Life is good :)

lmiller

Just an FYI: There is a great book out that talks about nutritional supplements as well as foods we should be eating. I did discuss some of the recommendations, but my dr. poo-pooed them. I still think our dr's are not educated on the value of foods that could help us!
The book is "Waking the Warrior Goddess" by Dr. Christine Horner. Her web address is "www.drchristinehorner.com"

njkim

My oncologist was cynical as well. I told him that I pretty much am a pesco-vegetarian now. Egg, but little dairy. I'm ER+ so I wish I could eat soy (good non-meat protein source) w/o apprehension. I read in many places that the phytoestrogens actually are a good thing in that they bind to the estrogen receptor in the tumor cell.

I heavily into sprouting now. I find the broccoli ones a bit sharp so I grow alfalfa sprouts in the mix to "water them down".

With all this 'healthy eating", though, no weight loss!

TwoGee

I too believe diet is very important. Personally, I try to only eat organics, plenty of greens, very little meat, lots of organic green tea, tumeric, B-12 and Vit. D all in supplements. My oncologist just gave me a prescription for 50,000 IU of Vit. D to take once a week, but now a report came out that says it was not beneficial in preventing cancer - who can keep up?? I will discuss with him on Thursday. I put Spirulina in shakes, with cinnamon, bananas, frozen yogurt and soy milk (I am ER-). Greek yogurt is great for digestion, I mix it with granola and berries. Attitude is important too, as you should feel nourished by your food, not thinking that you are depriving yourself of something but relishing the tastes of wholesome foods. Experiment and enjoy!

crinky

Hi,
I was diagnosed with State III cancer last February...I totally changed my diet. Went vegetarian, no dairy, no sugar or white starches. For breakfast - a green smoothie with organic spinach, kale, green swiss chard, organic yogurt (Aussie Vanilla Bean - only dairy I have), green apple, banana and ice cubes made from Poland Spring. Lunch - blueberries and veggies, maybe a whole wheat pasta or duram wheat. I do eat (since my double mastectomy in August) organic chicken and lots of salmon (wild no farmed)...you need protein in order to heal scars.
I take tumeric (curcumin), Vitamin D3, Coq10 (since I was on Adriamycin), Gotu Kola, a Mushroom pill combo, a multiple, Green Tea Extract pill, and Vitamin E (400IU) and a Garlic Pill on days I don't cook with garlic (which are rare). I also take a teaspoon of Olive Oil on the days I don't cook with it. I drink lots of green tea. Saw a nutritionist in the beginning who helped me and I was honest with my oncologist and radiologist about my supplements. The radiologist wanted me off the Vitamin E during her treatment which I did.
I had dose dense chemo with AC for four treatments and then four treatments of Taxotere - I lost my hair but that was about it. Shots of Neulasta every two weeks never gave me bone pain and I took anti nausea pills a few time throughout the entire chemo. I thrived on chemo and I swear it was my diet, reiki healing and yoga meditation. Radiation completed last week and I'm yet to be tired. I used Aloe Vera (from a plant) in addition to the Aquaflor and calendula/comfrey combo...skin looking pretty good.
I have several books to recommend but I'll write back on those. If you're not into meditation - start, keep a gratitude journal, try tai chi - great for moving energy.
I'm about to start Arimidex - and hoping that my diet and mindset with help alleviate side effects.
Mog - you're going to do great. You're already doing what conventional medicine has to offer and seeking out experts in alternative. Listen to your doctor about staying away from animal proteins - especially red meats - they cause inflammation. Now that I am a few months out from surgery, I will wean off the organic chicken....and remember cancer cells love sugar and alcohol...stay away. Tumeric is the best (curry)... eat lots of garlic and oregano and olive oil...and lots of raw foods. I'll send you my favorite books when I get back later today - Stay positive. You're naturally 'freaking out' now but you're also being proactive...that will keep you on the right track...chat later...Crinky

ihopeyousing

Hi, mog, I will soon begin year 5 of Stage IV. The chemo treatment I am on now prohibits taking vitamins, over the counter meds, or alcohol. There are ongoing studies, one at Cornell, that are discovering that sugar feeds cancer tumors, so I avoid sweets. This is difficult, but I find that when I stay off sugar, it loses its appeal.

Bear in mind that a doctor's training includes very little about nutrition. The nutritionist at Sloan recommended a low-fat diet, with very few other specific recommendations, after I had my bilateral mastectomy in 2000. I have heeded my oncologist's warnings about staying clear of phytoestrogens. I only recently learned that phytoestrogens not only include soy but also flax seeds. The phytoestrogen issue seems to be controversial among cancer practitioners, but I trust my oncologist.

Before I began a macrobiotic diet last year, I had read widely about the wonders of a macrobiotic diet in treating cancers, and the diet's implementation today has seemed to be relaxed a bit from the original diet that Kushi originally developed in the 1970s. There are some great books concerning the diet. I recommend, "The Hip Chick's Guide to Macrobiotics" by Jessica Porter. She not only demystifies the diet, she makes it accesible and practical.

It is sometimes a challenge for me to adhere strictly to the diet, but I do follow the no sugar, no meat, and no dairy part. We consume only organic foods. I do eat fish and sushi is my salvation! I am lucky because my husband loves to prepare food and the diet has been great for him as well (he has some food allergies). We eat lots of whole grains, almond milk, vegetables, some fruits. Nightshade vegetables (peppers, potatoes, tomatoes, eggplant) are also out because of their high amount of alkaloids and their tendency to leech calcium from the bones. The diet is about balance - the yin and yang of nutrition. Originally, the diet concerned eating foods in your locale, but unless you are a farmer this is difficult, if not impossible.

Travel always throws my diet out of whack, even though I sometimes bring food I can eat. Relatives and friends meals also present a challenge, so I never arrive starving.

This is not an easy diet, but I have to say it feels incredible. Our focus is totally on food for life! No more cans, or prepared foods- we know exactly what we eat. I have to say that living in NYC really helps - Whole Foods, Trader Joe's, macrobiotic restaurants, great organic produce markets - you get the drift.

I do recommend you stop taking caffeine. I drink green tea, water, and occasionally juices.

Whatever way of eating you decide to follow, I recommend that you change gradually. I began by weaning off of sugar, then gradually cut out coffee, etc. I have to say, too, that I shed 14 pounds over a period of the first 3 months, while eating everything macrobiotic in sight.

Best, Beth

susanrose55

"foods that fight cancer"

I just loved this topic because you all gave me insight about healthy foods
thank you all so much!
What a website!
I get alot of hope and courage from all of YOU!
With gratitude
SusanRose55

mog

Crinky, I don't know how you do it. Your diet is pretty amazing. But I have no excuse either as I live in Montreal within walking distance to several health food stores. I was just wondering if you could pass along your breakfast smoothy recipe. How much kale and spinach? And raw? in a blender? I'm ready to go green.

mog

Wow. thanks for all the great responses...and I thought my diet was healthy! I see I have a long way to go in improving it, even if I do eat organic and mostly vegetarian. I did ask Dr. Belliveau (BTW he is the main source in the The Anti-Cancer Book by David Servan-Schreiber) about phytoestrogens in soy and flax. Apparently the jury is still out on soy. But the lignans in flax seed--specifically the ground seed, and not the oil, are exceptionally good cancer-fighters. So he said eat lots of flax and avoid soy.

EWB

Diet makes a huge difference in overall health- regardless of ones opinion as to the ability of diet to cure cancer- it sure can't hurt. Just think of how much healthier and better cared for the body will be in general and how that can only help give us more to fight the cancer.
For those not able to make a radical change all at once- ANY CHANGE you make is for the better and in the right direction. There are so many easy ways to bulk or dense up the nutritional power of food by using herbs/spices/anti-oxidants. If $ are of concern all your shopping does not have to be in the health food store or organic section. Some foods are a higher risk so go organic with them but regular for the foods not at risk, ideally go for foods w/ 3 or less ingredients and that you can pronounce!

Just remember any change is good-

gpawelski

The hardest of all diet intervention studies are probably dietary intervention studies to reduce cancer. A study published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute was a watershed example of this.

Post-surgical patients with estrogen receptor negative breast cancer cut their recurrence rate by 60% when they stayed with a diet in which fewer than 20% of the calories were from fat. These women had a 2/3rds drop in mortality, which vastly exceeds that produced by any other therapeutic modality.

Nothing has ever achieved results like that before. Not chemotherapy. Not radiation therapy. If results like this were obtained with a newfangled drug, it would be the cancer treatment breakthrough of the decade.

If you have estrogen receptor negative breast cancer, you can wait for proof beyond reasonable doubt, or you can go with the preponderance of available evidence.

You can cut your chance of having cancer come back 60% if you cut the fat in your diet by 30%, by emphasizing vegetables, fruits, low fat dairy, controlled portions of healthy-type meats, etc.

We are talking about something which is completely non-toxic and inexpensive and which has hugh beneficial effects. Reducing fat in the diet would save cancer patients money, cost the system nothing at all, and make no money for anyone.

How much of an impact will this have on the medical practices of medical oncologists?

Chlebowski, R. et al, J Natl Cancer Inst, Dec 2006; 98: 1767 - 1776).

AJS

This is a GREAT discussion.
Crinky, I'm eager to hear about other books you'd recommend and would like to get the smoothie recipe as well. Will a juicer be best or will a blender suffice?
I've seen the result of eliminating red meat, dairy and sugar from my diet (an immediate increase in my energy level) and I'm ready to go to the next level.
It sounds as if many of you are eating in remarkably healthy ways and are thriving. Please keep sharing.
Anita

ihopeyousing

Is the phytoestrogen issue (to take or not to take) dependent upon what type of breast cancer one has? Does anyone know? It seems to be controversial among oncologists.

Personally, I don't miss the tofu and other soy products, although I know they're good for one. There is, however, soy lecithen everywhere, which makes healthful grocery shopping a bit tricky.

EWB

yes- if a food is a plant estrogen, the concern is that it will act as an estrogen in the body. Not good if your cancer is hormone positive. There is debate about this, most most seem to advocate caution and avoid planet estrogen until research/studies say otherwise. There are Soy free web sites out there (believe it or not there are people who are allergic or sensitive to soy), might get more info on soy free (or mostly free) diets.

crinky

Hi Mog.
I use a small handful of organic spinach, kale, green swiss chard, green apple, banana (half),a touch of organic parsley Guava juice (from Ceres- sometimes Medley of Fruit from Ceres...they're the juices sold in cartons...Whole Foods carries them), Wallaby's Organic Vanilla Bean Non-fat yogury..and use my own poland spring ice cubes...It's trial and error as to how much - I use the Vitamix Turbo Blend 4500 blender (they're expensive - but so worth it) - Sometimes I add fruit (blueberries or strawberries)...Everyday it tastes a little different but my three sons (ages 21-27) love them now and have all gotten in the habit. I don't like carrot juice but I love making a smoothie of organic carrots, the Wallaby yogurt, Guava juice (anitinflammatory) and ice cubes...tastes like a Creamsicle smoothie!
Here are some of the books I've loved...Green for Life by Victoria Boutenko (great green smoothie recipes) , How to Prevent and Treat Cancer with Natural Medicine by Dr. Michael Murray, Anti Cancer (which you are already familiar with), The Cancer Recovery Eating Plan (The right foods to help fuel your recovery) by Daniel W. Nixon, MD, and Beating Cancer with Nutrition by Patrick Quillin. One of the cook books I got recently and love is Raw Food/Real World by Matthew Kenney and Sarma Melngailis...you can pick and choose but so many wonderful raw food recipes. Saying all of the above, I still am happy that I also did mainstream medicine as well. Good luck Mog. I feel great and have more energy than ever. I was a huge sugar lover before and I can't emphasize enough how getting sugar out of my life has made me feel so much healthier.....Hope the above helps - I'll check back...C

susanrose55

HONEY

Is honey a good substitute for sugar?

Susan Rose

EWB

try steive or agave nectar -- these are from plants, use less that sugar since they are very sweet. I have found in local food stores but if you can't check out Whole Foods or health store.

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