{"id":14188,"date":"2019-02-18T11:26:51","date_gmt":"2019-02-18T17:26:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wholehealthchicago.com\/?p=14188"},"modified":"2022-03-21T15:18:34","modified_gmt":"2022-03-21T20:18:34","slug":"taking-steps-toward-cancer-prevention-part-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wholehealthchicago.com\/blog\/2019\/02\/18\/taking-steps-toward-cancer-prevention-part-2","title":{"rendered":"Taking Steps Toward Cancer Prevention, Part 2"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Last week we began a short series on preventing cancer<\/a>. Obviously there are no guarantees when it comes to your health. You can do everything exactly right and still get cancer while the next guy lives a life on the edge and dies at 104 with a whisky in one hand and a cigar in the other.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, over the past several years research scientists have identified some recognized risks and genetic predispositions that you can act on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Genetics first
<\/strong>Being a BRCA gene carrier<\/a> or a carrier of Lynch syndrome<\/a> can place you at risk for breast, ovarian, colon, or endometrial (uterine) cancer. If your family has a high number of these cancers, your primary care doctor can test you and then refer you to a genetic counselor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you want to skip that step, last week I referred to an interesting and modestly priced test called DNA Health<\/a>, which checks for groups of genes associated with poor detoxification, antioxidation, and inflammation systems.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since the development of cancer is known to increase when the human body is exposed to environmental toxins, especially those the body can\u2019t clear efficiently, people who genetically have issues with detoxification literally can\u2019t clear potentially cancer-causing poisons from their bodies. For this group, periodic detoxification (see below) is probably the best route to cancer prevention.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I also mentioned last week a test called ELISA-ACT<\/a>, which actually measures your exposure to a variety of cancer-causing materials. I\u2019ll also add an older test we use from Genova Labs called Oxidative Stress<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s take the worst-case scenario, cancer risk-wise
<\/strong>Listing all your blood relatives, let\u2019s say you have an uncomfortable number of people who\u2019ve had cancer. These don\u2019t necessarily have to be cancer deaths. They can also curable skin cancers, positive Pap smears, and precancerous colon polyps.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

–You\u2019ve ordered your DNA Health genetic profile (click through for a sample report) and find to your dismay that you\u2019re at high risk in the gene categories Detoxification and Oxidative Stress.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

–The results from your ELISA-ACT curl your toes, especially when the DNA Detox is marked \u201chigh priority.\u201d You knew it was a toxic world out there, but you didn\u2019t know your body was a magnet for it all.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

–Since your DNA Antioxidation results are also marked \u201chigh priority,\u201d your next step would be to order the Genova Oxidative Stress Profile<\/a>. Click through and bring the kit to your doctor or schedule a lab-only at WholeHealth Chicago. Don\u2019t be surprised if your results confirm what your genes are saying: that they\u2019ve got problems in this area.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Before you start wondering if you should tell your friends goodbye, cancel your automatic bill payments, and get your affairs in order, let me pause and say that even with poor genes and mediocre detox and antioxidant systems, you can take charge and with relatively few steps maintain a detoxed body with a high antioxidant profile and very likely a significantly reduced cancer risk.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although I recommend some supplements, most thorough detoxes can be performed via (pleasant, healthy, undramatic) dietary changes. Marla Feingold and Olivia<\/a> <\/a>Wagner<\/a> can help you with that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Your liver is the detox master
<\/strong>The main organ of detoxification\u2014and also your largest single organ\u2014is your liver. Operationally, your liver is so complicated that the late physician writer Lewis Thomas<\/a> wrote that he\u2019d be more comfortable flying a Boeing 747 blindfolded than attempting to operate someone\u2019s liver. Just think about your daily intake of buffalo wings, Tanqueray, birth control pills, nicotine pods, and the fumes from the #57 bus you\u2019re biking behind. All these are being rendered fairly harmless by your liver, which dumps the garbage into your intestine, circling it back to your kidneys for you to pee out. Sort of makes you want to take a long hot shower, doesn\u2019t it?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are two phases of liver detoxification, unimaginatively named Phase I and Phase II. With Phase I, envision gathering up the garbage in your body into big plastic bags and taking them outside for pick up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With Phase II, the garbagemen come, load the bags onto their trucks and drive off. Click here<\/a> for a lot of detailed information on these stages, if you\u2019re interested.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Your cancer detox
<\/strong>Patients who know me are aware that I try to keep it simple when it comes to health and preventive maintenance. I\u2019ve read through many detoxification programs over the years that were so complicated and so discouraging that you needed a martini just to deal with the stress of it all. Click below to evaluate your cancer risk in each of the areas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Age<\/a>
Alcohol<\/a>
Cancer-causing substances<\/a>
Chronic inflammation<\/a>
Diet<\/a>
Hormones<\/a>
Immunosuppression<\/a>
Infectious agents<\/a>
Obesity<\/a>
Radi<\/a>a<\/a>tion<\/a>
Sunlight<\/a>
Tobacco<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you find that you don\u2019t have any particular risks, just cool it, eat a healthful whole-food organic diet, exercise, keep stress under control, and enjoy your life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re from a cancer-prone family, eat organic whole foods, avoid obvious carcinogens, and avoid processed foods. Take the next steps too. I\u2019m lifting these from last week\u2019s Health Tip because it doesn\u2019t hurt to say it twice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Take these steps
<\/strong>Here\u2019s a list of commonsense steps you can take to avoid exposure to environmental toxins:
\u2013Use chemical-free household products (click here <\/a><\/u><\/strong>for the Environmental Working Group\u2019s recommendations).
\u2013Use chemical-free cosmetics and personal care products (click here <\/a><\/u><\/strong>for EWG\u2019s main page).
\u2013Eat whole foods rather than chemically laced processed ones (here\u2019s EWG\u2019s guide <\/a><\/u><\/strong>to the most and least pesticide-laden whole foods).
\u2013Limit yourself to organically raised (pesticide\/herbicide free) produce and ethically raised, hormone\/antibiotic free meat and<\/a> dairy<\/a><\/u><\/strong>.
\u2014Avoid foods with additives and preservatives (virtually all processed foods)<\/a><\/u><\/strong>.
\u2013Avoid seafood <\/a><\/u><\/strong>from areas laced with heavy metals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Finally, take a look at EWG\u2019s Cancer Defense Diet.<\/a><\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Also\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

–Get the DNA Health Test (Nordic) to determine if you have specific issues with detoxification, antioxidation, and\/or inflammation.
–Get the ELISA-ACT Test to see if you\u2019re a magnet for the world\u2019s chemical sludge.
–Get the Genova Oxidative Stress Test to check your antioxidant status.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once you\u2019ve had your test results explained by one of our practitioners (me<\/a> or Drs. Sharma, Gemelas, or Scott<\/a> or nutritionists Marla Feingold and Olivia Wagner), we\u2019ll likely recommend that every six months or so you engage in a formal ten-day detoxification.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Many of us prefer the Clear Change 10-Day Program by Metagenics. It\u2019s simple and straightforward with clear instructions and an accompanying webinar that generally answers all questions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once you\u2019ve completed your semiannual detoxification, I suggest as daily maintenance two specific supplements to support detoxification and antioxidative systems. Personally (and the apothecary manager can attest to this), I\u2019ve been taking both of these for (yikes) more than 20 years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

—Detoxication Factors<\/a><\/strong> <\/strong><\/a>(Integrative Therapeutics) to support my somewhat elderly liver, which faced many challenges in its younger days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

—Cyto Redoxin<\/a><\/strong> <\/strong><\/a>(Integrative Therapeutics), a potent blend of antioxidants.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And that\u2019s all. You\u2019re now doing everything right in the cancer prevention scheme of things.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Be well,
David Edelberg, MD<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Last week we began a short series on preventing cancer. Obviously there are no guarantees when it comes to your health. 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