The Immune Connection

Cancer. The C word. The word that strikes fear into all that hear it. According to the Canadian Cancer Society, nearly 1 in 2 Canadians (45% of men and 43% of women) is expected to develop cancer during their lifetime and about 1 out of 4 Canadians (26% of men and 23% of women) is expected to die from cancer. I do not know about you, but those stats are terrifying. I cannot help but think what those stats will be when my kids grow up. Will cancer eventually become inevitable?

When it hits close to home

The first time cancer really hit close to home was when my husband’s uncle died. He had complained of back problems and went to a doctor, and was told that he had cancer and that it had metastasized throughout his body. It was too late for chemotherapy, too late for radiation and too late for surgery. I was confused. How could this have happened? He was an active, sixty-year-old chef who was not overweight and had no previous health conditions. He died within a few weeks of diagnosis.

Re-thinking the “C" word

I would like to challenge you to think of cancer in a different way. What if cancer was a symptom and NOT a disease. What if cancer cell growth was indicative of a bigger problem. Your immune system is built to kill cancer cells, and everyone has cancer cells in their body. The reason some of us do not get cancer is because a well-functioning immune system will kill those cancer cells. Our natural killer cells can track down and destroy cancer cells before they become a problem but for someone whose immune system is not working properly, the cancer cells are left to multiply and eventually form a tumor. So, is cancer a disease or is it a symptom of a malfunctioning immune system?

The immune system, especially our T-cells, macrophage cells and natural killer cells, plays three primary roles in the prevention of cancer:

1)         It protects us from virus-induced tumors by eliminating or suppressing viral infections

2)         It prevents the establishment of an inflammatory environment conducive to cancer growth

3)         It can specifically identify cancerous and/or precancerous cells and eliminate them before they cause harm.

The importance of diet

Cancer used to be associated with the elderly but that is changing rapidly. So why are we seeing it more and more in younger people? Most people are aware that exposure to toxic substances and lifestyle choices like smoking and stress can increase your risk of cancer, but I feel strongly that diet is more involved in the progression of cancer than most of us think. Optimal immune function is reliant on a healthy immune system so good nutrition is vital to ensure your body is getting the macronutrients and micronutrients required for the development, maintenance, and expression of the immune response. Various micronutrients are essential for proper immune function, specifically vitamins A, C, D, E, B2, B6, and B12, folic acid, iron, selenium, and zinc.

In a study done on the influence of diet on anti-cancer immune responsiveness, one group of children ate a Mediterranean diet and the other group ate a “junk food” diet. At the end of the trial, the first group of children’s salivary levels of the anti-inflammatory cytokine, Interleukin-10, increased, while levels of inflammatory Interleukin-17 decreased. (Interleukins are cytokine signaling molecules that regulate the activities of white blood cells that are responsible for immunity.) In the latter group of children, who mostly ate “junk food”, a dramatic increase in IL-17 was observed at the expense of IL-10. (1) IL-10 has multiple functions in the body including immune regulation, B-cell activation, and antibody production but the most exciting function is that it has been shown to inhibit tumor metastasis. (2) IL-17, on the other hand, is a pro-inflammatory cytokine that has been linked to autoimmune disease and increased risk of other inflammatory diseases.

Reducing your risk of cancer

So, what is the key to preventing and beating cancer? This may seem simple but … just make your body inhospitable to cancer cells. Dr. Otto Warburg won the Nobel peace prize in 1931 for proving that cancer cannot survive in an alkaline, oxygen rich environment yet it thrives in an acidic low oxygen environment. Blood that is less alkaline than it should be is the root of cancer cells survival. To create an anti-cancer, more alkaline type of environment, our diet needs to be full of fresh fruit and vegetables, good quality protein and healthy fats. More specifically, we need to be ingesting lots of antioxidants to fight free radical damage, anti-inflammatory foods to reduce inflammation and avoid processed foods, refined carbohydrates, and added sugar. There are other factors to be considered but I will cover those in later posts. 

Here are some foods that fight cancer:

Broccoli Sprouts

Broccoli sprouts are an amazing anti-cancer food. I sprout my own in mason jars on my counter which is easy and inexpensive.

• Broccoli sprouts are a great source of Indole-3-carbinol (I3C) and diindolylmethane (DIM) . Both I3C and DIM have been reported to possess pro-apoptotic, anti-proliferative and anti-carcinogenic properties via modulation of immune pathways (3) I3C and DIM are both found in cruciferous vegetables like broccoli sprouts, broccoli, cauliflower, and cabbage.

• Broccoli sprouts also contain large amounts of sulforaphane. Sulforaphane has been shown to target cancer cells while protecting healthy cells and has anti-carcinogenic properties due to its ability to induce phase II detoxification enzymes. (4)

Here are 3 easy ways to enjoy broccoli sprouts:

• Put them in salads

• Put them in smoothies

• Put them on avocado toast – click here for my recipe

Garlic

Garlic is a staple in most kitchens but most people don’t realize that it’s one of the top anti-cancer foods on the planet. Allicin is one of the active ingredients in garlic and it is created when it is crushed or chopped. Heat destroys this enzyme so to get the full benefit, eat it raw.

• Garlic is antibacterial, antiviral, anti-fungal and anti-diabetic.

• Allicin which is a product of alliinase and alliin has anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anti-tumoral, and antibacterial properties.

• Garlic contains bioactive sulfur. These compounds have effects at each stage of carcinogenesis and affect many physiological processes that modify cancer risk. (5)

Here are 3 easy ways to enjoy garlic:

• Add it to salad dressings

• Eat garlic stuffed olives (make sure it doesn’t have any additives)

• Crush it and eat it raw. I suggest washing it down with juice or water

Green Tea

According to www.beatcancer.org’s 2012 Special issue of the Immune Perspectives 5 which is based on 100 scientific studies, green tea is a cancer-fighting powerhouse:

• Green tea modulates gene expression of enzymes responsible for carcinogen metabolism

• Green tea inhibits tumor promoters

• Green tea inhibits the synthesis of inflammatory enzymes.

• Green tea catechins are antioxidants against free radicals, thus reducing DNA damage by carcinogens.

• Green tea induces apoptosis (cancer cell death)

• Green tea inhibits angiogenesis(the development of new blood vessels that feed the cancer cells)

• Green tea boosts the anticancer effects of chemotherapy

Not all green tea is created equal so make sure to buy a good quality green tea (whole loose leaf and organic) and use an oxygen exclusion tea steeper to get 15-20% more antioxidants out of your tea.

Here are some easy ways to enjoy green tea:

• Add matcha green tea powder to a smoothie or oatmeal

• Use cold green tea as a base for smoothies

• Use it in rubs and marinades

I try to eat all three every day but that doesn’t always happen. Hopefully now you have some easy ways to add these amazing anti-cancer foods to your diet.

Stay Awesome,

Eva

References:

(1)   Soldati L, Jirillo E, Ascierto P, Marincola F, De Loenzo F. The influence of diet on anti-cancer immune responsiveness. Journal of Translational Medicine. 2018;16:75

(2)   Zheng L, Ojcius D, Garaud F, Roth C, Maxwell E, Li Z, Rong H, Wang X, Catino J, King I. Interleukin-10 inhibits tumor metastasis through an NK cell-dependent mechanism. Journal of Experimental Medicine. 1996;184(2):579-584

(3)   Liu M, Yasmeen R, Fukagawa N, Yu L, Kim Y, Wang T. Dose-Dependent Responses of I3C and DIM on T-Cell Activation in the Human T Lymphocyte Jurkat Cell Line. International Journal of Molecular Sciences. 2017;18(7):1409

(4)   Clarke J, Dashwood R, Ho E. Multi-targeted prevention of cancer by sulforaphane. HHS Author Manuscripts. 2008;269(2):291-304

(5)   Nicastro H, Ross S, Milner J. Garlic and onions: Their cancer prevention properties. HHS Author Manuscripts. 2015;8(3):181-189