Is fasting a cure for cancer ??

[Sammy]

I was just surfing on the internet trying to find various alternatives for cancer cure. Is fasting really a cure ? I just happened to read this article on the net
http://communityrelations.berkeley.e...05/fasting.htm

Has anyone in this group given a thought to this ? I am not a medical professional ( IT) so , would really appreciate if someone could give their insight into this subject.

[Cathya]

Sammy;

I also looked into fasting. I have fasted in the past with excellent results and have seen medical improvements that could not have happened any other way with such ease. I consider it to be extremely healthy and a powerful way to rid the body of toxins built up over many years. It is a remarkabley easy, craving free way to stop smoking for instance. However, my research in its use to treat cancer has convinced me that it is not helpful. Unfortunately, by the time tumors have developed it is too late for fasting. The last time I fasted was around 6 years ago and for the first time it was a very painful experience for me. I thought at that time that the pain was from being older....around 50....but I am now convinced the cancer was likely in my body at that time. I would not recommend anyone fast if they have cancer given this experience.

Cathy

[R.B.]

Do you have a reference for the trial.

What was the source of the calories? What was the diet. How were the calories reduced. How excessive was the diet in calories before reduction?.

A suggestion that depriving the body of nutrients will cure cancer in part implies that nutients are feeding cancers.

Would a better approach not be to try and remove nutients from the diet that are reported as connected to fuelling cancer, and ensuring a good and varied supply of those that are reported to reduce risks.

This is an immensly complex condition. Single "bullets" are unlikely to provide whole solutions.

Have you thought about diet as an adjunct to treatment. There are several studies suggesting it reduces risks. For those who overload their bodies moderation in intake may be a factor, as might be exercise, and dietary change.

You might like to look at the posts on omega threes and sixes, which for me as part of a good diet are likely essential factors in a risk reduction strategy. Balancing the omega threes and six implies significant dietary changes towards a healty diet which is also reported as a risk reducing factor.

At the end of the days whilst there are lots of pointers and several books around the subject, trials on fats in diet have not been performed in sufficient depth or rigour to give definative arguments.

Such trials would be much cheaper than the amounts ploughed into drugs development but there are no huge profits in the answers they may yield - in fact they could potentially significantly reduce markets fro many existing treatments. Only when goverments decide to fund them will we see these trials happen.

I cannot give you any thoughts on fasts and BC as I have no looked at it to see what information exists. Looking at it from the view point of the impact of diet on breast cancer there are many reports which suggest diet may bring risk reduction.

Another question - where and if people have claimed benifit from fast what was their condition pre fast - I guess that if you are fasting you are living of your stores fat and otherwise - what if they represent the diet that contributed to your problem in the first place Eg high levels of omega six in body fat. Does the body treat fats differently in a fast. What happens to the eicosanoid pathways. What body mechanisms change in fast.

So many questions.

If you are looking for adjuncts to treatment diet might be a better trodden pathway to start. There are lots of thought provoking posts on omega three and six on this site, and some diet links to. Click on search above and enter your search term.

Please consult with your advisors in planning any significant dietary changes.

RB

[dogladybarks]

This sounds like a lot of hooey to me, and I elected to go the alternative route.

I opted to consult with an holistic nutritionist, not a regular one, as I found out when in the hospital, that their nutritionist/s were clueless as to the proper diet for cancer patients, and offered up a LOT of foods loaded with sugar, just as one example.

An honest and very knowledgeable holistic nutritionist will get you on the right track, and I found it was not terribly expensive...good thing, as I am buried with medical bills as it is. You NEED good solid nutrition, and the correct supplements (not the junk from the super markets or drugstores) tailored for you, not someone else.

I eat a LOT of dark green veggies, including the cabbages (such as a lot of broccoli.) However, when you have BC, you have to attack it aggressively, and you could not possibly get enough broccoli, or other veggies, etc., without some supplementation. Because of this, I take New Chapter's Broccolive daily, and also have a green drink 3 X daily (New Chapter's Berry Green) and have a diet tailored to someone who has had a history of yeast infections, fungal infections, shingles, etc., which is probably why I ended up with BC. (candida diet) and was put on Candex for a couple of months, and now am on a maintenance dose, as these problems NEVER leave you. I eat only organic..no meats, but have an occasional piece of Alaska Wild Salmon, and an occasional organic egg.

I found that finding the right diet, and supplements is not as simple as trying something you find on the net, or asking others what they eat or what supplements they take. What's right for one, can be terribly wrong for another.

I do a lot of different things, but what I do is what's right for me. Get to a professional, and find out what is right for you, and skip any fad stuff, things that claim to be a *cure* or generally sound too good to be true, because they probably aren't. My goal was to maintain quality of life, learn to "live with" BC, slow up the progression if possible, and whatever other benefits may come my way. So far, so good, but you never know when things can change, and that applies to conventional or alternative treatments.

Sue