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"Overeating is the most lethal form of malnutrition"
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DAIRY
DAIRY (promoters)
Dairy has been reported to increase the risk of
developing prostate cancer in numerous studies.
Other research indicates that it may be a
prostate cancer promoter, while some see it as
marginally or modestly associated. Interestingly
enough, we could find only one study done by the
American Cancer Society in 2003 that reported no
association between dairy and prostate cancer
risk. Because no studies found a decreased risk
of prostate cancer, for our purposes dairy is a
promoter, and people relying on dairy for
protein can consider less processed and more
traditional forms of protein, while people
relying on calcium from dairy can rely on other
less processed sources such as acorn squash,
almonds, brighter fish, broccoli, dried figs,
kale, legumes, okra, old-fashioned oatmeal,
sesame seeds, turnip greens, walnuts, and
watercress and decrease their animal protein
intake to about 25 percent of their total
calories, as percentages above 30 percent have
been linked to osteoporosis. Billions of people
throughout the world do not consume excess dairy
after weaning and have strong bones, and
Americans eating large amounts of dairy and
calcium supplements are not less likely to
develop osteoporosis. Let’s take a walk down the
dairy isle and see how each type of dairy
affects risk.
Milk (promoter)
Milk was found to increase the risk of prostate
cancer in some studies, marginally in others,
modestly in another, and possibly modestly in
another. But data regarding the risks associated
with different types of milk are limited and
just beginning to emerge. Skim milk was found to
have preventative properties regarding colon and
ovarian cancers, but no such association was
found for prostate cancer. Because low-fat milk
was associated with an increased risk while skim
and whole milk were not, there may be some
agents besides saturated fat that is found in
different concentrations or ratios in low-fat
milk, such as calcium, phosphorous, and vitamin
D (a processed vitamin added to milk), that may
make low fat a promoter. Perhaps the milk
protein casein may be a cofactor since a
precancerous enlarged prostate gland secretes
casein, a test for the detection of benign
prostate hyperplasia. But this is unlikely
because casein is found more abundantly in skim
than in low-fat and whole milk. Until more is
known, males over the age of 40 wishing to
reduce their risk would be wise to limit their
use to modest amounts of skim milk and avoid
products containing low-fat and whole milk,
being mindful that dairy is not essential to
adult life. For this reason, dairy occupies the
least amount of space inside the BRIGHT FOODS
Pyramid.
Butter, Cheese, and Yogurt (promoters)
Information about the risk of specific dairy
products other than milk is even slimmer, as
this is a relatively new discovery. Butter was
found to possibly increase the risk of prostate
cancer. While cheese had protective qualities
for colon cancer, it was not found to increase
the risk for prostate cancer, but more studies
are needed. Yogurt, on the other hand, was found
to be a promoter but with an interesting twist;
the more yogurt eaten, the higher the risk,
possibly because yogurt, unlike milk, contains
no vitamin D and more calcium.
More Vitamin D (protector)
There is considerable agreement among
researchers that vitamin D, which is actually a
hormone, decreases the risk of developing
prostate cancer. Vitamin D is added as a
supplement to milk at the factory. Because it
dissolves well in fat, reduced-fat milk contains
less of the prostate-saving hormone. But do we
need vitamin D from milk? No, because most of
the vitamin D we need is made inside our bodies
when sunlight is absorbed. With as little as 15
minutes exposure to our arms and face a few
times a week, vitamin D can be stored for months.
Other natural sources of vitamin D include fatty
fish and fish oils. Besides helping to prevent
prostate cancer, vitamin D helps us absorb
calcium.
More Calcium (promoter)
Calcium may be one of the components of dairy
products that increase the risk of developing
prostate cancer. This is believed to occur
because calcium and vitamin D are playmates on a
seesaw. When calcium intake is increased,
vitamin D is down. Preliminary theories around
why low-fat milk is more of a promoter include
the presence of an intermediate amount of
vitamin D accelerating the absorption of larger
amounts of calcium, four times as much as human
milk. In either case, milk is not the only
source of calcium in the grocery store as
mentioned previously. Remember, milk cows don’t
drink milk, and huge amounts of calcium get into
their milk from the food they eat. Although
calcium from dairy is thought to increase
prostate cancer risk, increased calcium intake
from non-dietary sources may also increase risk,
although one study found 1,200 mg of calcium
carbonate supplements per day may give marginal
protection with no signs of being a promoter.
Regarding osteoporosis, calcium and vitamin D
supplementation was not found to be useful in
preventing fractures in the elderly. BRIGHTFOODS
recommends calcium from whole-food sources, not
processed supplements or foods.
Less Phosphorus (protector)
Decreased phosphate blood levels may decrease
the risk for prostate cancer, although other
scientists have found no association. Because
cow’s milk contains eight times more phosphate
than human milk, it may be a
yet-to-be-identified prostate cancer promoter.
Understanding the way phosphate works in the
body helps us understand how decreased phosphate
may decrease risk. It’s because phosphate sits
on a seesaw with vitamin D so that when
phosphate is down, prostate protector vitamin D
is up, and high phosphate levels deplete vitamin
D. But there is more that helps us understand
why high phosphate levels in our blood could
increase risk. Sugar from slowly absorbed fruit
such as fresh mango and pear, which is called
fructose, is a prostate protector. Like three
billiard balls, fructose produces a decrease in
phosphate, which results in an increase of
vitamin D. The end result of increasing vitamin
D may be one reason why fruit has protective
qualities.
Information presented thus far is based on
recent medical research specific to prostate
cancer. The Prostate Cancer Prevention Diet is
based on the information in this article,
combined with scientifically generated
information regarding several different types of
cancer.
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