Risk Factors for Cancer

Health Issues · Aug 24, 2022

It is essential that more people understand why cancer exists and the risk factors for developing it, so we are informed to make better decisions for our health. I truly feel the need of talking about this topic because the rate of cancer is increasing rapidly and I’m seeing this every day in my private practice with clients themselves and their family members.

Yes, 5-10% of cancer cases are the result of genetic inheritance, BUT, just because there is a susceptibility gene, it does not mean cancer needs to develop. The genes load the gun, the environment pulls the trigger.

Make sure you share this blog with as many people as possible so you and your loved ones can make lifestyle and diet changes to avoid this deadly disease.

Chronic Inflammation & Diet

Not all diseases are caused by chronic inflammation, but all diseases result in chronic inflammation. Once this occurs, you are stuck in a vicious cycle of inflammation and illness. Unfortunately, chronic inflammation makes everything worse and can lead to developing even more serious health issues, such as cancer.

When someone has Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis, as examples, this can make you more prone to mutations in the cells, which can lead to cancerous changes in the bowel.

Chronic gastritis and H. pylori infections in the stomach can also predispose gastric cancer. This is because they cause inflammation, which, again, makes you more prone to cell mutations.

This can occur all over the body. If you have chronic acid reflux, the chronic regurgitation of acid (creating an acidic environment where cancer thrives) can increase the risk of oesophageal cancer.

What people don’t realise is that things don’t need to feel drastically wrong to experience chronic inflammation, regularly eating inflammatory foods such as dairy and gluten is enough to create the problem.

You need to adopt an anti-inflammatory diet and, unfortunately, not enough people are doing this. ‘5 a day’ is what is recommended for fruits and veg here in the UK, which is not enough, yet shockingly people don’t even get that!

In the diet I have adopted, I find it incredibly easy to eat 7-10 servings of fruits and vegetables a day, which is a good, recommended amount. You need this for vitamins, minerals, antioxidants AND because they’re anti-inflammatory. If you need help getting some inspiration for anti-inflammatory recipes and nutrition, head over to Synergised Nutrition, as I make it easy for you.

Radiation

Radiation is unfortunately everywhere, such as mobile phones and microwaves, and branded as ‘safe.’ Yet, there is clear links between having your phone in your pocket and testicular cancer. The same with women putting their phones in their bra and then developing breast cancer. This is correlation, not cause, but it is enough to recognise the evident risk.

Remember to put your phone and wearable technology on airplane mode when you are not using them!

Toxic Cosmetics

Don’t put anything on your face or skin that you wouldn’t happily eat. This is essential for long-term health. There are so many chemicals in cosmetics that have been linked to cancer, especially breast cancer and sometimes it is the combination of chemicals together. Either way, toxic cosmetics can lead to so many health issues, including cancer.

Many cosmetics contain parabens, which are known for causing cancer. We see women with breast cancer having their tumours analysed and actually finding parabens in the breast tumour.

Parabens are particularly dangerous for cancers caused by estrogen, such as breast cancer or ovarian cancer, because parabens can mimic estrogen.

There is a lot of ‘marketing’ around protecting your skin from cancer by using SPF to protect yourself from the sun, however, there are very little warnings in the public domain about the toxic ingredients in many sunscreens that have been linked to cancer. Seems counterintuitive, no? Money talks.

Liver, Gut Function & The Immune System

It is essential to have optimal liver and gut function, as you need to be able to detoxify your body and have a balanced gut to ensure a healthy body and immune system. The liver is one of the most important organs in the body, due to its role in detoxification. The liver can convert harmful toxic compounds into molecules that are not toxic, and therefore harmless. When this is misfiring, toxins can begin to accumulate in the body and cause issues. This can result in cancer.

Poor liver function can predispose you to cancer, so the liver needs to be supported by a health gut because remember that all the blood from the gut is transferred to the liver through the portal vein which aids in eliminating toxins. The intestines help excrete waste from the body. However, if you are constipated, this will slow down the digestive tract AND slow down the excretion of toxins, therefore increasing your risk of cell mutation and the development of cancerous cells.

Therefore, fibre in your diet is SO important to drag waste products and hormones out of the bowels. If someone has a low fibre diet, it can result in constipation and reabsorption of waste, such as estrogen. This estrogen can trigger different types of cancer.

Additionally, the intestines host most of the body’s immune system, which is essential for overcoming cancer cells, or preventing mutation in the first place. Cervical cancer is linked to the HPV virus, and lots of people who have a depleted immune system cannot shift this virus. The longer it hangs around, the more likely it is to cause abnormal cells. Poor gut health will lead to poor immune health, so we need to heal the gut to ensure the environment can stop cancer cells forming in the first place.

Be wary of lots of medications that suppress your immune system. This includes antibiotics because, whilst it doesn’t directly suppress your immune system, antibiotics do wipe out your microbiome, which is essential for a health, functioning immune system. Medication is incredible, life-saving stuff, but I will only take pharmaceutical medication if it is a life-or-death scenario, due to the negative impact it can have on my health.

Thyroid Disorders

If you have an underactive thyroid that is not being managed or healed, then your metabolism will be affected. This will impact every cell in the body, whilst having a huge impact on your immune system. So, it is important that the thyroid is functioning optimally because it regulates the metabolism of every cell.

Chronic Stress

I have spoken extensively in my previous posts about the impact stress can have on your health – it’s not pretty so I really recommend getting your stress levels in check! This is because, as soon as we are chronically stressed, our cortisol levels rise considerably. This suppresses the immune system – not what you want when you want to defend yourself from cancerous changes in the body!!

Alcohol & Obesity

Alcohol has been linked to oesophageal cancer, breast cancer and colorectal cancer because of its heavily toxic make up and carcinogenic substances. Avoid!

Obesity is an issue mostly with cancers that are estrogen-related. This is because excess fat, the adipose tissue, can result in an increase in estrogen levels, which will drive estrogen-related cancers.

Top Tips to Reduce Risk:

Eat an anti-inflammatory diet, go to Synergised Nutrition for recipes and advice
Educate yourself. The ‘Learn’ section of Synergised Nutrition empowers you to make good lifestyle and diet choices to optimise your health.
Don’t smoke or drink alcohol excessively
Use natural cosmetics and cleaning products
Exercise and remain a healthy weight
Support your liver by doing a functional medicine detoxification. I recommend the 21 Day Reset once a year and then a 7 Day Reset every quarter.
Heal your gut to boost your immune system, the GI Protocol is the fastest and most effective way to do this.