Cancer Fighters Thrive is a quarterly print and online magazine bringing readers practical, innovative and inspirational information about cancer treatment and survivorship.
Issue link: http://cancerfightersthrive.epubxp.com/i/103434
NATUROPATHIC AVOIDING EXPOSURE TO ENVIRONMENTAL RISK FACTORS There are plenty of steps you can take to limit your exposure to environmental risk factors. • Avoid tobacco. The best advice is to abstain from all tobacco products, including cigarettes. If you live with a smoker, have him or her smoke outside; install an air filtration system in the home and wash clothes frequently, especially before holding a baby because clothing can carry the toxic compounds. • Maintain a healthy body weight and get three to four hours of moderate physical activity per week. • Minimize alcohol intake, which for most adults means no more than one or two alcoholic beverages per day (and preferably less). "TOBACCO IS BY FAR THE GREATEST CAUSE OF CANCER CASES AND DEATH." Lifestyle Factors "When you take that broader view, tobacco in all of its forms is still the greatest environmental risk factor for cancer, whether you use it yourself or are exposed to it by others," Dr. Wascher notes. "At least one-third of all cancer deaths are directly or • Cook meats at low temperatures to avoid charring. • Minimize your intake of meat and other animal products and increase your intake of whole grains and fresh fruits and vegetables. indirectly related to tobacco exposure." The next biggest category, which also accounts for one-third of cancer deaths, is a group of lifestyle factors lumped together: obesity, alcohol intake, physical inactivity, and dietary exposure to food-related carcinogens. In other words, when you look at • Comply with cancer screening guidelines and recommended vaccinations. • Avoid electromagnetic fields (EMFs). In the home two of the biggest sources of EMFs are hairdryers and electric blankets. • Clean house. Remove shoes before entering the house and dust, vacuum, and mop frequently to cut down on chemicals that can accumulate in dust. • Use natural or homemade cleaning products. Most cleaning products are loaded with chemicals, and manufacturers are not required to disclose ingredients on the label. Read labels carefully and buy products that disclose their ingredients. these two main categories of cancer risk factors, 60 percent of cancer diagnoses could be avoided through modification of these lifestyle factors. These environmental factors are modifiable, but what about the other 40 percent? Are there other cancer risk factors that we might be able to avoid? Maybe—and some of them are more modifiable than others. Identifying Risk Factors "There are a number of compounds in the air, water supply, and food supply that carry potential risk," explains Dr. Wascher. "Some of these environmental factors are still not well understood. However, occupational exposure to known carcinogens probably accounts for two to five percent of cancer • Get a radon detector. If you have particularly high levels of radon in your home, you may want to seek the services of a radon specialist. You may benefit from sealing off your basement and installing a radon remediation system. Sometimes these things are even covered by homeowner's insurance. cases and cancer-associated deaths, but it's hard to accurately measure environmental exposure to carcinogens outside of certain work environments." There's the catch: how do we measure exposure and assess risk when we aren't sure what we're even measuring? In the scientific community, randomized controlled clinical trials • Avoid BPA. BPA is found in plastic, canned foods, and even on receipts. 32 cancer fighters thrive | spring 2013 are the gold standard—meaning that one group is given some sort of intervention (like exposure to a type of medication) and cfthrive.com