I was recently asked, ” does antioxidants help or hurt cancer therapy?” I feel that antioxidants and cancer therapy are two different modalities. One does not discredit the other, in fact antioxidants can actually help in the healing process of cancer. Carcinogenicity, which is the process that leads to cancer has several stages before normal cells that now seem to be irreversible progress to the disease cancer.
What are antioxidants?
Antioxidants are the body’s major defense against free radicals. They help to fight free-radicals or molecules produced in the body by neutralizing them. Simply put, under normal circumstances our cells are constantly being regenerated and free radicals are formed in the body as a result of normal body functions or factors that are external to the body. However, not all free-radicals are bad because some of theme help to destroy bad bacteria and fight off infection. If these bad free-radicals are in excess of what our body can handle then disease may occur. There are various types of antioxidants: dietary antioxidants and those that the body produces itself.
Do I need to supplement my diet?
If you choose to take any form of supplementation it is very important to understand that antioxidants of this nature function best when they are taken together. If you are taking vitamin E then you would also take Selenium since they enhance each other. Vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients are excellent sources of antioxidants to help on the road to recovery or to minimize the effects of cancer therapy. Certain supplements can have toxic effects if taken in excess as well as have contraindications to pharmaceutical medicine. At SoNaturelle we can do the hard work for you.
Healing is at the tip of your fork
What you eat is extremely important for cancer prevention, to minimize your risk and to help your body build up a resistance to fight the battle ahead of you. Eating fruits, vegetables and whole grains gives our body the complete nutrition and fiber necessary to keep healthy, these are all considered cancer fighting foods. What goes in your mouth you can control! Statistics show that only 9 percent of the American population eat five servings of fruit and vegetables recommended by the National Cancer Institute. Adding supplements to your eating regimen can never take the place of a good diet.
Antioxidants and cancer
I would be inclined to say, ” YES” antioxidants can help with cancer therapy! Aggressive measures calls for aggressive actions. Research clearly shows that antioxidants help fight cancer as well as other problems such as heart disease, hypertension, arthritis, cataracts…etc. To live a long and healthy life, antioxidants should be the staple of any nutritional program. If you are unsure of what supplements you should be taking call our office and request the Nutri-Body Symptomology Analysis to find out.
….Stay BEAUTIFUL AND HEALTHY
