Food preparation techniques for cancer

Many people have heard that searing meats-that is, cooking meats over an open flame or allowing them to burn-increases the risk of cancer. The presence of powerfully carcinogenic com pounds in seared meat was first discovered in 1977 when mate rial was extracted from the charred surfaces of fish and beef and tested for its ability to mutate genes. The mutagenic compounds are called heterocyclic amines.

When analyzed, these carcinogenic compounds were found to be formed from several chemicals in meat (creatine, certain amino acids, and sugar)." When exposed to high temperatures, these chemicals can form a series of compounds that can dam age the DNA, eventually resulting in cancer.

In one report, high consumption of hot dogs was associated with an almost tenfold increase in the risk of childhood leukemia when compared with low consumption. In another report, maternal consumption of hot dogs and childhood consumption of hamburgers or hot dogs at least once per week were associated with a doubling of the risk of cancers in children. A review of nine studies found an association between consumption by pregnant women of cured meat and the risk of brain cancer in their offspring. These associations do not yet constitute proof that eating hot dogs or hamburgers causes cancer in children, and evidence linking cured meat consumption to childhood cancers remains somewhat inconsistent. In the report studying the effects of eating hot dogs and hamburgers, the association between meat eating and leukemia was weakest among children who took vitamin supplements. Processed meats, such as hot dogs, contain nitrates and nitrites— precursors to carcinogens. Antioxidants found in multivitamins keep nitrates and nitrites from converting into those carcinogens. Therefore, the association between vitamin consumption in children and protection against childhood cancers remains plausible, though unproven.

In general, grilling and panfrying (but not broiling) at high temperatures can produce significant amounts of heterocyclic amines in meats and fish.13 Deep-frying, baking, and roasting meats and fish also produce carcinogens, but in general the amounts are low. Barbecuing produces among the highest levels of heterocyclic amines, especially when done over a grill. Exactly how many of these dangerous compounds are produced depends on the degree of the heat, the cooking time, and if the cooking is done over wood, the type of wood used. The worst type of wood to use is mesquite, which produces large amounts of these carcinogens during cooking. Hardwoods burn cleaner and are less likely to cause a problem.
Heterocyclic amines have been shown to cause cancer in a large number of animal species. While most of the cancers they cause involve the gastrointestinal tract and liver, they can also increase the incidence of tumors in the lungs, breast, and blood vessels, and can produce lymphomas as well. One particularly frightening finding was that even the children of mothers who eat diets containing high levels of these compounds during pregnancy suffer a high risk of cancer later in life.
In one study, researchers found a strong association between a mother's prenatal vitamin C intake and a lower risk of brain tumors in the child.1s In addition, they found that the women in the study who took high doses of folate, multivitamins, and vitamin C and ate the most fruits and vegetables, especially during the first six weeks of pregnancy, had the lowest incidence of brain cancers in their children. Especially frightening was the finding that the children who did not eat any fruit in the first year of life had a 430 percent increased risk of developing a brain cancer, especially of the neuroectodermal type, such as the horrifying medulloblastoma.
There is also evidence that searing the fats in vegetables, such as when panfrying, can increase the production of these cancer causing chemicals. Fortunately, vegetables contain many com pounds that block these carcinogens. For example, green tea, consumed as either a tea or a supplement, has been shown to dramatically reduce the cancer-causing ability of heterocyclic amines.

Another set of compounds found in foods that can increase cancer risk are the nitrite food additives, used as food preservatives. When ingested, they are converted into nitrosamine com pounds, which have been shown to produce cancer in animals and are suspected to do so in humans as well. A diet high in foods containing these preservatives has been recognized as a major risk of stomach cancer and possibly also of other cancers, including brain tumors. The artificial sweetener aspartame is also converted into a mutagen in the stomach by this process. 16
So, what can you do to reduce the danger from seared meats and fish? Most important is to give up eating meats and fish pre pared over an open flame, grilled, or panfried. People from the Deep South may find it difficult to completely give up barbecue. For those times when you may be
tempted to break ranks and sneak a little seared meat or fish, there are a few things you can do to greatly reduce your risk.

Edible plants contain complex chemicals called flavonoids that have been shown to be very efficient at blocking these cancer promoting chemicals. In fact, one way to reduce your risk from nitrites is to take vitamin C with the seared food. The vitamin C will prevent their conversion to nitrosamines.17 Unfortunately, as we shall see, vitamin C also greatly increases iron absorption, something we do not want in the face of cancer.

Fortunately, there is an alternative. Two flavonoids com monly found in vegetables, caffeic acid and ferulic acid, have been shown to powerfully block nitrosamine formation. Caffeic acid is found in plums, apples, and blueberries, while ferulic acid is commonly found in all fruits. Ellagic acid, another flavonoid, is even more powerful-in fact, it is some 80 to 300 times more potent than vitamin C. Ellagic acid is commonly found in straw berries, raspberries, and blackberries.

Sometimes, we like to break the boredom of eating all our meats broiled. Frying can be made much safer through the use of extra virgin olive oil, which contains some powerful antioxidant, anticancer flavonoids. To boost your protection even more, add turmeric to the oil. Several pinches will go a long way toward making your mealtless of a cancer risk. Many spices, such as sage and rosemary, have antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and anticancer effects.

PREPARING YOUR FOOD

Another problem faced by cancer patients is how to prepare their fruits and vegetables. Some authorities insist that all fruits and vegetables be eaten raw, mainly to preserve the enzymes and prevent a loss of nutrients by heating. While there is some validity to this, I am not an absolutist. Instead, I think you should mix raw and cooked vegetables in your diet.
As I have stated previously, eating raw vegetables limits the amount of the nutritional components you can absorb. This is because they are locked within the cells of the plant by tough cell walls that we can't digest. To unlock the nutrients, you need to chew your vegetables until they are mush, cook them, or liquefy them in a blender.
The problem with the first option-chewing to a fine mush is that most people are not that patient. Most people chew a few times and then swallow. Furthermore, some studies have shown that chewing vegetables allows only 30 percent of the nutrients to he absorbed. This means you have to eat a lot more vegetables to get the full amount of the nutrients. Using a blender or juicer releases about 90 percent of the nutrients. The other advantage is that you are consuming raw fruits and vegetables.

So, what about cooking? Will it destroy all the nutrients? Careful studies have shown that it varies with the food type. A considerable loss of anticancer (antimutagenic) activity was seen when the following foods were heated: apples, apricots, kiwi, pineapple, beets, cabbage, cauliflower, leafy lettuce, cucumber, onions, radishes, and rubarb.

Foods that maintained their anticancer power when cooked included blackberries, blueberries, sweet and sour cherries, honey dew melons, plums, strawberries, Brussels sprouts, chicory greens, eggplant, garden cress, pumpkin, and spinach.

Cooking vegetables in tap water has two disadvantages. First, most of a vegetable's water-soluble nutrients-such as its minerals, B vitamins, and ascorbate-are lost in water. Second, if the water is fluoridated, the amount of fluoride in the water becomes more and more concentrated as the water evaporates until a very concentrated solution of fluoride remains. The fluoride, being a very reactive chemical, will then bind with the vegetable and cannot be washed off. Fluoride is a carcinogenic compound.

When cooking vegetables, either steam them or cook them in extra virgin olive oil. I say cook, but actually you should just heat them in a pan for a few minutes. This will break down some of the plant cells, but not as thoroughly as when you fully cook the vegetable. If you use distilled water to cook your vegetables, you can drink the juices, since they will contain a high concentration of nutrients. Southerners call this pot liquor.

When it comes to fruits and vegetables, keep the following important points in mind:
● Eat a mixture of raw and cooked vegetables based on the above heat stability information.
● Always eat vegetables when you eat meat. The flavonoids in the vegetables will neutralize the carcinogens in the meat, especially in seared meats. They will also reduce the absorp tion of iron, so that you absorb only enough to maintain your body's needs.
● Eat only a small amount of fruit a day, preferably no more than half a cup. Eat the fruit only after you have finished a meal. This prevents hypoglycemia, a sudden drop in blood sugar, which can be quite severe in some people. (Until your cancer is under control, I would recommend avoiding fruits altogether.)
● If you cook your vegetables in water, use only distilled water or water purified by a reverse osmosis filter.
Keep the following points in mind about food in general:
● Avoid red meats such as beef and pork, which are high in two powerful cancer promoters. Choose chicken orr turkey that has been minimally processed and has not been painted or injected with broth, hydrolyzed protein, or other mono sodium glutamate (MSG)-containing products. Also, if using chicken, remove the skin and wash the meat thoroughly, since most chicken is sprayed with chlorine bleach at the processing plant.
● Avoid all commercially prepared foods. Try to make all your foods from fresh ingredients. Do not use commercial sauces, mixes, or seasonings unless they are made with pure herbs or spices.
● Avoid cow's milk, cheese, and other milk-based products, especially if low in fat. Low-fat milk products have a higher concentration of glutamate (an excitotoxin). In addition, milk allergies, which can be subtle, will impair your immune system. Allergies to milk are some of the most common food allergies.
● Avoid foods containing aspartame, MSG, hydrolyzed vegetable protein, soy protein, or the additive carrageenan. Carrageenan, commonly used in ice cream and baked goods, is an especially powerful promoter of cancer growth and spread. The name will be listed on the product label. Also, avoid all of the newer sweeteners, since they have not been adequately tested for safety. Sweet'N Low can be used, but only in limited amounts. Stevia can also be used
● While in today's world this can be very difficult, try to avoid all foods and drinks in plastic containers, especially if the plastic has a pungent odor. Plastic releases estrogenic-like compounds, which can promote estrogen-sensitive cancers such as breast cancer, colon cancer, some brain tumors, renal cancers, and possibly prostate cancer. If possible, use only glass containers. Granted, these are harder and harder to come by.
● Avoid sugar, no matter what the source. Honey is sugar. Sure, there are a few flavonoids included, but it is still sugar and can be used by the cancer. Fructose, while it does not promote insulin release, is not a good choice. For one thing, it increases the free radical damage to cells, thereby increasing the risk of cancer.
● Avoid fruit juices. While fruit juices contain many anti cancer flavonoids and vitamins, especially folate, they also are high in sugar and many have high levels of fluoride. This is especially true for most commercial grape juices.
Excitotoxins, such as MSG and hydrolyzed protein, can cause nausea, diarrhea, and stomach cramping, especially in people who are undergoing, or who have undergone, chemotherapy or radiation treatments." In addition, they can cause irregularities of the heart beat (arrhythmia). This is important when taking chemotherapy drugs that are known to damage the heart, such as adriamycin, daunorubicin, Ara-C, Doxorubicin, Mitoxantrone, cyclophosphamide, and Taxol.

JUICING AND BLENDERIZING YOUR FRUITS AND VEGETABLES

As I discussed previously, one of the best ways to release the 10,000 phytonutrients in fruits and vegetables is to mechanically break open the cells.
Most people have heard of juicing. Juicing entails loading fruits and vegetables into a machine that grinds them up, sepa rating the juice from the pulp, which is usually discarded. As many people who have tried juicing know, it takes a countertop of vegetables to make one 10-ounce glass of juice. I always feel that by throwing away all that vegetable bulk, we discard im portant nutrients and phytochemicals-which, in fact, we do. In addition, there is the cleanup. With many juicing ma chines, this is a daunting task, to say the least. After each use, you have to take the machine apart, clean it thoroughly, lubricate its parts, and reassemble it. To do that even twice a day usually discourages most people, especially if they have busy lives. Shop around when looking for a juicing machine. Some are much easier to use and maintain than others.

Despite the cleanup necessitated by many juicing machines, however, it has been obvious to me that this process of mechanically breaking down fruits and vegetables is responsible for more miraculous cures of advanced cancers than any other thing people can do. But if you truly do not have the time to de vote to cleaning up a juicing machine, there is a wonderful alternative: the vegetable blender.

Vegetable blenders have two real advantages over juicers. First, they do not waste anything. In addition to the thousands of nutrients inside them., plants contain numerous, often powerful phytochemicals on the outside of their leaves and stems. Among these phytochemicals are glycoproteins and polysaccha rides, which regulate immunity. Furthermore, plant pulp contains a lot of fiber. Second, vegetable blenders are a snap to clean. Not any blender will do, however. Rather, the machine must be powerful enough to turn vegetables and fruits into liquids. The vegetable blender that I have in my kitchen is the Vita-Mix 5000.
When juicing or blenderizing fruits or vegetables, of even more importance than using the right machine is choosing the right ingredients. In addition, you need to thoroughly clean the fruits and vegetables with a vegetable wash before putting them in the machine.

One of the common mistakes people make when preparing juice is using only their favorite vegetables or fruits, usually based on taste. For example, many people use only carrots. They will drink carrot juice until they turn orange-not that turning or ange is bad, even though it may attract rabbits.

Using only one vegetable, such as carrots, is wrong for two reasons. First, some vegetables are very high in sugar, which, as we have seen, can stimulate tumor growth. Second, you miss important phytochemicals found in other plants. Some special anticancer flavonoids are found only in certain vegetables and not others. Only by mixing various types of vegetables can you take full advantage of these potent anticancer chemicals.

For example, onions, teas, and apples contain a powerful cancer inhibitor called quercetin. Parsley and celery contain an anticancer flavonoid called apigenin, while green tea has a series of chemicals, including epigallocatechin gallate, catechin, and epicatechin, that not only suppress tumors, but also protect the heart and blood vessels. The more of these vegetables you mix together, the more likely your cancer will be either suppressed or eliminated, especially if you combine this dietary therapy with conventional treatments.

Something I often do personally is to make myself a salad with a large variety of vegetables, but instead of eating it, I throw it into my vegetable blender, blenderize it, and drink it. That way, I get a much higher intake of the salad's healthful phytochemicals than if I simply ate it. I find I can juice my salad and drink it quicker than I could just eat it in the normal way.

To blenderize or juice vegetables, first clean them thoroughly with a vegetable wash, then put them in the machine. Add a cup of distilled water and process on a low setting. Slowly increase the speed to full. Most machines have a special power switch that significantly boosts the speed; turn this switch on for a few seconds several times during the mixing procedure. You can keep adding water until the mixture is a consistency you can drink.

When preparing your own salad to drink, choose at least five vegetables from the list below. If possible, use all the vegetables on the list. In general, especially when first starting your conventional therapy, avoid fruits, or at least use just a mini mum amount. If you wish, empty the contents of a multivitamin capsule into the blender as well and mix with the juice. Some vitamins are bitter and can affect the taste; experiment until you find a good balance.

For people who do not eat enough fiber, drinking vegetables may cause diarrhea or bloating. To avoid these effects, first start off with a dilute solution of vegetable juice-a good combination is half vegetable juice and half distilled water. Drink this for a week. Slowly increase the percentage of vegetable juice and decrease the percentage of water, until you are drinking almost 100 percent juice. (You may still need water just for consistency's sake.) Drink one 10-ounce glass of vegetable juice twice a day. What to Include in Your Fresh Juice
Vegetables
Beets Kale
Broccoli Parsley
Brussels sprouts Purple cabbage
Carrots Spinach
Cauliflower Tomatoes
Celery Turnip greens

FRESH VERSUS FROZEN JUICE

One of the major controversies regarding juicing or blenderizing fruits and vegetables is whether the juice needs to be consumed right away or can be stored in the refrigerator. Both sides have good arguments. Purists say that only freshly made juice is effective, since it preserves the enzymes. This means you would have to make juice twice daily.

The problem is that some people just don't have the time or desire to prepare fresh juice twice a day. Over time, they stop doing it altogether. In reality, many enzymes are preserved if the juice is kept cold in the refrigerator. Enzyme survival and activity are temperature dependent. Add heat, and they will quickly be destroyed.

For cancer patients who are unable to make juice daily, I suggest preparing a large batch over the weekend, when most people have more time. Freeze half of the juice and keep about a three-day supply available in the refrigerator for immediate use. Another option is to divide the prepared juice into daily amounts and keep all but a day's supply in the freezer. You just have to remember to thaw out your day's supply every morning. When juice is frozen, all of its phytonutrients and enzymes are pre served.