Dr. Michael Roizen: Cancer Prevention 101

From the author of the best-selling books You, The Owner’s Manual and You, The Smart Patient comes the latest addition to the series, You, Staying Young (release: Oct. 30, 2007). Dr. Michael Roizen has teamed up once again with Dr. Mehmet C. Oz to translate cutting-edge information to help their readers. Just as they do in their other books, they achieve this goal by giving readers what they call the best weapon: knowledge. CANCEL OUT CANCER Even though more cures for cancers are being researched and there are a lot more treatments available, our job is to avoid getting cancer in the first place. In his soon-to-be-released new book Dr. Roizen writes about how to prevent cancer. The main thing you can do to decrease your chances of cancer is reducing repetitive injury to your normal cells. This is so that the gene, "p53" (which has the job of recognizing when your cells are at risk of developing into cancer and doing what it can to stop it) can protect the body properly and not kill off any good cells. Dr. Roizen and Dr. Oz describe the "p53" gene like a biological guard dog and computer spell checker in one. There are two types of genes that when mutated, can cause a cell to become cancerous. Unfortunately, having one of these mutations can actually increase a cell's risk of having the second kind of mutation. How can you prevent the biological guard dog gene "p53" from making a mistake and allowing cancers to kill off a weakened but necessary cell and then grow and spread? By being aware and taking steps to protect yourself against many of the "Major Agers," like toxins, infections, mitochondrial damage from free oxygen radicals, and genetic defects. Taking these steps can also help prevent the birth and spread of cancer cells. TIPS TO PREVENT CANCER Here are some other practical tips to prevent cancer: Get the aspirin advantage – Taking 162mg of aspirin a day (2 baby aspirins or half of a regular) can decrease the risk of getting certain types of cancers (colon, esophageal, prostate, ovarian and breast) – all by 40 percent. Fortify Yourself with D - Vitamin D decreases the risk of cancer, perhaps because it's toxic to cancer cells. If you're younger than 60, you should get 800IU a day. If you're over 60, you should get 1000IU a day. You can't get it by food alone. Don't get more than 2000IU a day. Protect Your Liver – Your liver is the main detox organ, so keep it performing at its best. Some things to keep your liver healthy are broccoli sprouts, seaweed, dark greens, choline (which can be found in cabbage, cauliflower, and soybeans), 500 mg of N-acetyl cysteine, 200mg of milk thistle, 1 TBSP daily of lecithin, and 150mg of rosemary extract. Take Your B Vitamins (folate) – Research has shown that folate (part of the B complex vitamins) deficiency is linked to cancer. Foods like tomatoes, spinach, and orange juice contain folate. Through food, you may get 275-375 micrograms of folate, so you need to supplement 525 micrograms to reduce your risk of cancer. Tomato Sauce – Eating 10 or more tablespoons of tomato sauce can decrease the risk of certain types of cancers. Many believe the active ingredient is lycopene, but it's more available to your body when it's cooked. Olive Oil – Olive oil rich in monounsaturated fat helps your heart and also may help to deter cancer. Green Tea Selenium