Steps to Cancer Prevention

(Article first published as Best Cancer Prevention Steps on Technorati.)

Cancer is the second leading cause of death among Americans, yet many people are unaware of the cause of this devastating disease, and that they can control the risk factors which lead to cancer initiation and development. Cancer is a disease caused largely by poor lifestyle choices and external factors. While genetics can play a role by influencing a predisposition toward cancer, disease prevention is within our control.

Sugar and Fructose Feed Cancer Cells

Doctors and medical researchers have known for years that cancer cells thrive on simple table sugar, or glucose, but information published in the journal Cancer Research indicates that fructose (fruit sugar) not only helps cancer cells to survive, but allows them to proliferate and multiply at a much higher rate.

High fructose corn syrup is a supercharged form of fructose used in virtually all sweetened soft drinks and processed foods which fuels cancer growth, particularly pancreatic cancer, a lethal form of the disease. Fructose is just one of the many lifestyle choices and environmental factors we’re exposed to which lead to toxic overload and the development of cancer.

Immune System Overload Leads to Cancer

Our immune system is quite effective at detecting and snuffing out rogue cancer cells which are present in our bodies every day. As we age, and tax our natural defenses with a never ending assault of chemical food additives and nutrient-poor diet, our immunity breaks down, allowing cancer cells to develop. Many people have adopted a strategy to clean up their diet and environment in an effort to lower the risk of cancer by following these steps.

Step 1: Sweep out the Sugar

Information from this study makes it clear that eliminating sugar, and specifically fructose, can dramatically lower your cancer risk by limiting the cancer cells preferred energy source. It’s important to note that many processed carbohydrates quickly turn to glucose after eating, and provide a ready source of glucose to fuel cancer growth. It’s necessary to severely limit or eliminate sugars and refined carbs in all their different forms to lower cancer risk.

Step 2: Make it Organic, Cut the Chemicals

When purchasing fruits and vegetables, you should choose organic whenever possible. Many types of produce are laced with pesticides, herbicides, fungicides and other toxins which must be filtered by your body when eaten. The body stores these poisons in fat cells where they remain for decades Eventually, your immune system is no longer able to fight off a lifetime of toxic assaults and cancer is allowed to progress.

Step 3: Live Clean, Breathe Clean, Drink Clean

Tap water in many communities is a significant source of contamination. EPA levels for heavy metal and chlorine allow a continual source of poisons to filter through our cells. Install a reverse osmosis filter system for all drinking water and use a carbon-based shower head filter to lower the effect of breathing evaporated chemicals found in most public water systems.

We’re continually exposed to a barrage of potentially harmful chemicals from household cleaning products to personal care items and vehicle emissions in the air we breathe. While a small amount of exposure is inevitable, it’s possible to reduce the amount of contaminant exposure by choosing naturally produced cleaners and cosmetics, and be sure to read labels carefully. Chances are if you can’t pronounce an ingredient, it’s a cause for concern.

The amount of sugar in our diet is a controllable risk factor for the development of cancer. Identifying and eliminating sugar and other environmental and chemical risk factors is not an easy task, yet the health benefits are enormous. Cancer takes the lives of hundreds of thousands of people much too early each year. Every person can feel assured by the knowledge that cancer risk is within their control, and that it’s never too late start a campaign toward a clean and healthy cancer-free lifestyle.