HEALTH MATTERS
Nutrition And Cancer
By Kepha Nyanumba
C
ancer is probably one of the
most fearful diseases that affect
humanity. According to World
Health Organization, Cancer is the
second leading cause of death globally,
and was responsible for an estimated
9.6 million deaths in 2018. Globally,
about 1 in 6 deaths is due to cancer
and approximately 70% of deaths from
cancer occur in low and middle income
countries. as diet, tobacco, genetics, environmental
pollution, alcohol, solar radiation and
viruses among others.
Cancer is a generic term for a large group
of diseases that can affect any part of the
body. Other terms used are malignant
tumours and neoplasms. One defining
feature of cancer is the rapid reproduction
of abnormal cells that grow beyond their
usual boundaries, and which can then
invade adjoining parts of the body and
spread to other organs. Most people have adopted the tendency
of consuming highly refined or processed
products and this in the long run has
reduced the intake of vitamins, certain
minerals and other beneficial substances
such as fiber contained in foods in their
most natural state.
Enormous efforts are made throughout
the world in order to discover the causal
effects. There are several factors that have
been linked to the cause of cancer such
Several studies have pointed toward
certain foods that contribute to certain
types of cancer. These foods comprise the
modern diet, which is not only energy
dense and nutrient-deficient, but also
lacks the nutritional diversity fundamental
to healthy human biochemistry.
The Immune System and
Cancer
The immune system is our body's
protective network designed to fend off
The benefits of getting your daily dose of
fruits and vegetables are numerous! Fruits
and vegetables provide the body with an
added source of antioxidants that is needed
to properly wage war against free radicals.
A study at Harvard University found that
men who ate antioxidant rich foods had a
35% lower risk of developing prostate can-
cer than those who ate the least amount of
these foods.
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invasion by harmful substances, including
bacteria, viruses, and harmful chemicals,
and to act as a surveillance system
against the development of diseases. An
important function in the defense against
cancer is surveillance and identification of
foreign or 'non-self ' substances. Foreign
antigens may be exogenous microbes or
endogenous altered cells.
The immune system, which recognizes
foreign micro-organisms as 'non-self '
and mounts a response to destroy these
disease-causing agents, plays a similar role
in protecting the body from malignancy.
The damaged DNA in cancer cells
frequently directs the mutated cell to
produce abnormal proteins known as
tumour antigens. These abnormal tumour
proteins mark cancer cells as 'non-self '.
The immune system likely encounters and
eliminates cancer cells on a daily basis.
However, it is apparent that cancer cells
possess mechanisms that allow them
to escape the immune responses that
ordinarily prevent the development of
malignant tumours. When the immune
system loses its function of surveillance,
tumour cells have the ability to form a
tumour.
Nutrients that Boost the
Immune System
Marginal nutrient deficiencies in the diet
can weaken the immune system. Marginal
deficiency is a state of gradual vitamin loss
that can lead to a general lack of wellbeing
and impairment of certain biochemical