Cancer Basics: Part II
BY DERYA SONER (MBG/IV)
a_soner@ug.bilkent.edu.tr
Cancer is perhaps the most sinister disease of our age; modern living exposes us to many carcinogens. In my last article I tried to explain what cancer is, and I recommended some healthy food that has been shown to help fight cancer. This week, I will try and explain how we can avoid some of the evil contributors of this disease.
Throw away your cigarette and go dancing or exercise!
Addicts do not want to believe this, but there is a scientifically proven relationship between smoking and cancer. Smoking is the single biggest cause of cancer in the world; it causes nine in ten cases of lung cancer, and sadly, lung cancer can cause quite a painful death. If you can manage to quit, your risk of lung cancer can be back to minimum in 10 to 20 years. Young people who hear this often think "I am still young then, I can quit when I'm forty; I'm not addicted anyways," but the longer you smoke, the more addicted you will become.
People tend to think smoking makes them feel relaxed and happier, but this effect is actually only an illusion; nicotine prolongs the effect of dopamine, which increases your heart rate and blood pressure. Serotonin is the real neurotransmitter that causes the feeling of happiness, and endurance sports are a great trigger for serotonin. If you can replace your smoking with sports, you are guaranteed to feel real happiness.
If you can't quit, at least try and reduce your daily use of cigarettes, do not inhale the smoke too deeply, and take walks in fresh air to help clear your lungs.
Keep your cell phone away from your body
What cell phones do to your brain is not too different from what a microwave oven does to your food. The radiation from your mobile phone causes breaks in your DNA, which can lead to tumor formation. The younger the age of the user, the more the harmful radiations will penetrate the skull because children's skulls are thinner and softer compared to an adult. We cannot completely give up using cell phones, but with a few simple tips, we can minimize their harm;
* Opt for cell phones with low SAR values; you can find the SAR value of a mobile phone by simply entering "model of the cell phone + 'SAR value'" in an Internet search engine. Blackberries and iPhones tend to have the highest radiation rates, while Samsung phones often tend to have the lowest, but check the value for the model you want before you buy it.
* Use headphones, or at least keep the phone about 3-5 centimeters away from your ear when you are talking; even this can seriously reduce the radiation your brain is exposed to.
* When you are dialing a number, keep the phone away from your body when you are waiting for someone to answer.
* Keep your phone away from your body when you are going to sleep; it is best to put it away, on your desk perhaps.
* If you have to carry your mobile phone on you, keep the screen towards your body, and the back of the phone away from you.
Avoid Unhealthy Food
Sugar, energy drinks, and sugary drinks are evil supporters of cancerous cells; cancer cells feed on glucose much more than normal cells do. Excess glucose has many more devastating effects on the body, such as causing faster aging and increasing body fat.
Alcoholic beverages are dangerous for two reasons; for their high sugar content, and because of the damage they cause to liver and brain cells. The liver can regenerate, but the more you force it to regenerate itself, the higher the risk of developing cancer will be because it will accumulate more mutations.
Try and avoid eating processed meats and too much salt, as well as eating too much red meat. Red meat creates a risk of colon cancer. Also, never eat foods that have started to rot or have mold on them - if a piece of bread, fruit, or vegetable has mold growing, throw it away, even if you can remove the parts with mould because the cancerous agents are likely to be all around the food.
Although still controversial, there is evidence suggesting that aspartame (the artificial sweetener found in light drinks and food) and muscle enhancers may cause cancer.
The trick is to remember that the more you get away from what's natural, the closer you unfortunately get to cancer. Take care!