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How Our Bodies Stop Cancer Before it Starts Posted 3 August 2008 Blowing Out the Fuse: How Our Bodies Stop Cancer Before It Starts from the American Institute for Cancer Research   A lot of things can potentially spark the cancer process – cigarette smoke, alcohol, certain viruses and bacteria, UV radiation and even substances found in the food we eat.    Luckily, our bodies are equipped with specific enzymes that identify these potential cancer-sparkers and get rid of them before they can do any damage. A diet high in plant foods – for example, cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage and kale – provides compounds that help keep our anti-cancer enzymes running at peak efficiency.   Even the oxygen our bodies naturally produce as a by-product while turning food into energy can cause damage that can light the fuse. That’s where antioxidants come in. These substances attach to the potentially damaging forms of oxygen called free-radicals and render them safe. Plant-rich diets supply our bodies with a combination of different antioxidants that provide protection.   But sometimes a cancer-sparker makes it through those first lines of defense. If, over time, a cell gets exposed to potential cancer sparkers repeatedly, its DNA can suffer damage that alters its set of instructions.   Think about DNA as the cell’s owner’s manual. Then imagine the chapter titled “Only Reproduce When These Conditions Are Met” is rewritten to read “Reproduce Like Crazy, Whenever Possible.”  That’s the spark that potentially leads to cancer.    The Long, Long Fuse Next comes a long and crucial stage in cancer development when what we eat, how much we eat and how much we move seem to make the biggest difference. The fuse has been lit, but the choices we make help determine whether the fuse burns faster, slower or even gets doused completely.      Just as it can take many years for a cell to get sparked, it can take decades for sparked cells to become a tumor. Happily, most never do, because over the course of our lifetimes we get so many chances to blow out the fuse.    Some things that make the fuse burn faster:  Excess body fat. Fat cells, especially around the waist, secrete low levels of hormones and hormone-like substances that encourage cells to grow and develop. They don’t much care if the cells they’re encouraging are sparked or unsparked. Alcohol. It can spark cancer and encourage it to grow. Poor nutrition. Long-term deficiencies of several basic nutrients and amino acids can cause the fuse to burn faster. Some things that can slow the fuse down or help put it out: Physical activity. Being active helps the body control the levels of hormones and hormone-like substances to which cells are exposed. Diets high in a wide variety of plant foods.  Good genes. Some of us inherit a set of defenses that help us resist cancer; some of us are born with less effective defenses that need all the help we can give them. Our bodies are built to defend against cancer. With a combination of a healthy diet, physical activity and weight management, we’ve got plenty of opportunities to help them stop cancer before it starts.  For more information, please call dietitians at your local hospital or medical center.

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