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Cancer |
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Below
is the text of an interview with Dr. Hari Sharma, this outlines
in detail the Ayurvedic perspective on cancer. Although many of
the statistics refer to America, they no doubt reflect the
situation in Ireland.
Total Health News brings you an
insightful interview with Hari Sharma, M.D., pre-eminent author,
scientist and researcher, on The Answer to Cancer, a new book
written by him in conjunction with ayurvedic expert Rama Kant
Mishra and with James G. Meade and published by Select Books.
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Total
Health News: |
What
prompted you to undertake this project of writing a book on
cancer-prevention? |
Dr.
Sharma: |
The present state of
Western medicine does not involve prevention. At best, early
detection is encouraged through mammograms, Pap tests,
prostate screenings, etc. However, all the information
available suggests that the majority of cancers are, in
fact, preventable. It is estimated that 60-70% of cancers
can be averted by implementing simple changes in one's diet
and lifestyle. Why wait until cancer attacks when you can
easily make sure the disease never gets a chance to start?
For this reason we have written a how-to book of easy,
uncomplicated steps that anyone can use to modify his or her
diet and lifestyle. Small changes that prevent cancer and
also promote overall health and well-being.
|
Total
Health News: |
Give us some
statistics on cancer in America today. |
Dr.
Sharma: |
According to the
American Cancer Society, men in the U.S. have a 1 in 2
chance of developing this dreaded disease in their lifetime.
Women are slightly better off, with a 1 in 3 chance of
falling victim to cancer. There are 8.9 million Americans
living with cancer today. In the 12 years between 1990 and
2002, doctors diagnosed 16 million cancer cases in the U.S.
An estimated 555,000 Americans are expected to die of cancer
in 2002, more than 1,500 a day.
According to the
recent reports from the federal health agencies and the
American Cancer Society, it is predicted that the number of
Americans diagnosed with cancer each year will double within
the next 50 years, due to more people living long enough to
develop the disease. The number of cancer patients that are
85 years and older is expected to increase fourfold within
this same time period. The good news is that death rates
from cancer continue to fall, about 1% throughout the late
1990s.
According to the National Institutes of
Health estimates, cancer is costing the U.S. $157 billion a
year. The cancer burden is rising and will strain Medicare.
The numbers are quite mind-numbing, but it's important to
make clear that we are addressing an epidemic here and not
just some minor complaint. The figures are similar around
the world.
For smokers, the American Cancer
Society offered these sobering numbers in a 1996
publication:
 Chance of dying in single airline trip: 1 in 815,000
Chance of dying in a skydiving jump: 1 in 96,296
Chance of being killed in a car accident before his/her 65th
birthday: 1 in 143
Chance that smoking will kill him/her by the age of 65: 1 in
5
In 2002 it is estimated that approximately 1.3
million new cancer cases will be diagnosed.
The main
categories are as follows:
Breast cancer: 205,000
Prostate
cancer: 189,000
Lung cancer: 169,400
Colon cancer: 107,300
Skin cancer: 58,300
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Total
Health News: |
Those are
disturbing numbers. What would you consider top risk
factors? |
Dr.
Sharma: |
Cancer generally
develops slowly, over a period of ten years or more, and it
can arise from a single factor or a combination of factors.
The three major risk factors for developing cancer are
smoking, alcohol, and diet. Most people are aware that
smoking is linked to cancer. However, they may not realize
that it is linked to one-third of all cancer deaths in the
United States. Alcohol increases the chances of getting
cancer of the mouth, larynx, throat, esophagus, pancreas,
and liver. Alcohol, in combination with smoking, heightens
the risk of developing cancer of the digestive and urinary
tracts. Young women who consume alcohol and are on
estrogen-containing birth control pills are at a higher risk
of developing breast cancer. Estrogen causes breast cells to
divide. The young cells are more susceptible to the damage
caused by free radicals generated by alcohol. Alcohol is a
potent generator of free radicals, which are implicated in
damage to the DNA that can result in initiation and
promotion of cancer formation.
In the area of
diet, high-fat foods can increase the chances of getting
cancer (e.g. colon, rectum, prostate, endometrium). Cancer
develops frequently if you eat too many smoked, cured,
pickled, or charred foods. Some sources are also linking
sugar to cancer. Cancer cells thrive on sugar. By using more
sugar, the cancer cells produce lactic acid, which seems to
help the body produce new blood vessels. This, in turn,
helps the cancer to spread. Sugar also weakens the immune
system and increases insulin, which causes cells to
reproduce quickly. This can contribute to more rapid growth
of the cancer.
Being overweight is a risk factor
for cancer. Those who are 40% overweight have a much higher
risk of developing colon, breast, prostate, gallbladder,
ovarian, and uterine cancers.
Some risk factors
for cancer come from within the body. Hormones, immune
conditions, and inherited mutations disrupt normal
functioning of the DNA. The female hormone estrogen may
contribute to breast cancer, as I mentioned, as well as
other cancers in women. Some cancers appear to run in
families. The environment also poses risks, e.g. pollution,
excessive exposure to sunlight, radiation, pesticides,
chemical carcinogens, asbestos, arsenic, etc.
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Total
Health News: |
With so many
diverse factors involved, does a prevention-based approach
really reduce the risk? |
Dr.
Sharma: |
Yes, prevention really
works. According to the American Cancer Society, prevention
works in a startlingly high percentage of cases, as high as
60%. But the percentage could even be higher, perhaps even
as high as 90%.. A prevention-based approach focuses on the
overall well-being of the body and mind. Instead of worrying
about what carcinogen is affecting your skin or what drug
has the least side effects, prevention allows a person to
concentrate on feeling good and increasing his or her
immunity. You focus on building a stronger physiology so
that not only cancer but many other illnesses and diseases
are no longer a threat. And all this can be achieved through
gentle, easy steps that pale in comparison to the
overwhelming bombardment of chemotherapy, radiation, and
surgery.
Prevention is basically disregarded in
Western medicine. The main emphasis is on treatment of
cancer (i.e. chemotherapy, radiation, and surgery). What is
considered 'prevention' is actually early detection, e.g.
mammogram, Pap test, prostate specific antigen, and tests
for colon and rectal cancer in those over the age of 50.
However, Western medicine does provide a few guidelines for
prevention that are helpful:
Don't smoke
Be moderate in drinking alcohol
Eat fruits, vegetables, and whole grains
Avoid high-fat foods, especially from animal sources.
|
Total
Health News: |
What would be the
components of a prevention-based approach, e.g. diet,
lifestyle, herbs, etc.? |
Dr.
Sharma: |
The simple and powerful
prevention-based approach is multifaceted. It can be
summarized as follows:
a) Diet and
digestion: Eat a diet that is rich in natural
cancer-fighting chemicals. Add beneficial spices to your
diet to fight cancer. Avoid the toxic load to the physiology
that makes the body susceptible to cancer. Keep digestion
working properly to enhance immunity, build up beneficial
chemicals, and reduce toxin accumulation. Reduce sugar
intake.
b) Enhance immunity by simple
lifestyle changes, such as sleeping at the right time,
reducing stress, emphasizing positive emotions, etc.
c) Avoid smoking, alcohol, and environmental pollutants.
Detoxify your system using easy methods.
d) Add herbal formulations when necessary, to aid digestion,
improve sleep, enhance immunity, etc.
e) Bring harmony and peace into your life through meditation.
The Transcendental Meditation(r) technique has been shown in
numerous research studies to positively influence the
physiology.
In this new book, The Answer to
Cancer, we describe the components of a healthy diet,
including several simple recipes. We also have a section on
various foods that should be avoided, and a list of
'contradictory foods' that should not be eaten at the same
time. Herbal preparations that help improve digestion and
boost immunity are also mentioned.
If the diet is
not proper or the digestion is poor, it results in the
accumulation of partially digested food in the body. This
partially digested food, in association with bile from the
gall bladder and the bowel bacteria, results in the
formation of what ayurveda calls 'ama' or 'toxins.' These
toxic materials are absorbed in the physiology and, over
time, block different channels in the body through which
essential nutrients flow. Environmental toxins that we
encounter also react with these absorbed toxins, resulting
in very powerful toxic material that can initiate the
cancerous process and cause other serious problems in the
body. Thus, it is essential that our diet is proper,
digestion is optimal, and toxins are removed from the body.
There are a large number of toxins we are exposed
to in our day-to-day life. Some examples are:
Industrial toxins: lead, arsenic, DDT, aluminum
Mercury (from old dental fillings)
Pollution from water: chlorine, fluoride, gasoline solvents
Nicotine, carbon monoxide, and other harmful toxins from
smoking
Steroids such as cortisone used in cattle
Bovine growth hormone fed to cows and present in milk
Alcohol, caffeine, food additives
Due to the
harmful effects of the various internal and external toxins
we encounter, it is crucial that we detoxify our physiology.
In the book, we have described a multifaceted approach to
detoxification. The easy methods we describe include Vedic
yoga and breathing exercises. Both of these enhance
digestion, improve energy, purify and improve the
functioning of the nervous system, and assist in cancer
prevention. Another easy and effective technique for detox
is abhyanga-the daily sesame oil massage. It is revitalizing
and it neutralizes free radicals. We give a step-by-step
method for giving yourself this sesame oil massage. We also
discuss the herbs Liquorice and Indian Sarsaparilla, which
are excellent blood purifiers, and the herbal formulation
called Detox-Pitta, which helps liver metabolism, digestion,
and elimination. |
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Tel: 01-4789744 
