Decades ago, cancer did occur, but at nowhere near the rate seen today. The last few generations have seen such an explosion in diagnoses of cancer that people describe it as a cancer epidemic, even though cancer is not contagious. For many of those who have lost a loved one to cancer, their greatest fear is contracting some form of cancer themselves and they live a life of dread between doctors’ visits.
Worldwide, billions are spent annually on cancer research. Medical researchers look for causes, triggers, clusters, and commonality. They test drugs, foods, and other methods to reduce or remove tumor growth. Many people not in the medical field talk hopefully of a cure for cancer as if one day there will be either a surgical procedure or a drug that will magically stop and reverse all the different types of cancer. Many people have overcome cancer; they usually speak of being in remission, rather than cured; hopefully, the remission will last the rest of their lives.
Researchers crunch the data to discover a common theme or cause for the exponential increase in cancer incidence. They are finding that in step, in time is the change of diet in those societies where cancer is increasing. In so-called advanced societies, over the last eighty years or so, diets have changed dramatically.
Why Cancer Incidences are Increasing
What is also entering public consciousness is that the increasing incidence of cancer may also be related to these changes in diet. This doesn’t necessarily mean that diet is the cause of cancer. The likelihood of contracting cancer may be greatly influenced by genetics and environmental causes. However, most non-accident illnesses have components of both breeding (genetic predisposition) and feeding (environmental and dietary influences).
Currently one of the largest health risks is the growing number of people making really poor dietary choices. People are attracted to the time-saving instant gratification aspect of drive-thru meals and heat and serve foods. This tendency to overconsume highly processed nutritionally deficient foods are causing a raft of lifestyle diseases.
A previously normal diet of reasonably sized servings of mainly vegetables and meat (complex carbs, protein, and meat-derived fat) with plain water as the main or only drink has morphed into a daily diet of extra-large servings of an incredible variety of pre-cooked and processed foods. In addition to eating some highly processed meat and maybe some vegetables, often containing taste enhancers such as sauces, crumbing, etc. (simple carbs and modified vegetable fats) most people also consume desserts (simple carbs) and snacks (simple carbs) with a soft drink (more simple carbs) as their main fluid source.
The Link Between Diet and Disease
There are indisputable parallels in the dietary changes and the health problems in western societies. Obesity, type two diabetes, and cancer appear to be commonly linked, not only to one another, but to diet. Data studies prove that increased cancer incidence is linked to obesity. If type two diabetes is confirmed the incidence is even higher.
Observations of indigenous societies and those who have maintained traditional diets show no noticeable increase in markers for these diseases. Where western influences have changed the diets of others, their disease rates have exploded within a single generation. There is an incredibly strong correlation between diet and the incidence of cancer, as well as diabetes and obesity.
Moving Forward
Relevant studies are ongoing, but research costs money and the big money is to be made in the production, sale, and promotion of foods that are based on taste and therefore repeat sales rather than health. Cancer is a disease where prevention is a million times better than a cure, as anyone who has dealt with cancer can attest.
Regardless of whether you have a genetic predisposition or environmental influences to contend with, you still have the ability to hugely reduce your likelihood of developing cancer by taking positive control over the food you consume. You literally are what you eat. Anyone who is serious about avoiding cancer should take steps to largely eliminate simple sugar foods and highly processed foods from their diet. There are plenty of healthy unrefined choices available as replacements.