Cancer: Natural Cures Using Plants

Research Paper

Topic: Cancer: Natural Cures Using Plants

ANGIE FERNANDEZ

DATE: May 10, 2015

A large debate currently stirring in the world right now is whether or not it is possible to use natural remedies to cure or even prevent certain diseases. According to “World Cancer Research Fund International”, United States ranks number six among the highest rates of cancer worldwide. In today’s society, we are used to taking synthetic medications for everything, therefore, people do not realize preventing something is better than curing it, and by following the doctor’s, or even Google’s advice we may be doing more harm than reaching a solution. Society is unaware of the fact that a high consumption of fruits and vegetables is associated with a reduced risk of cancer, (Damle, S. 2015).

 There are ancient records from Egyptians and Sumerians using natural recipes to prevent ailments or even cure certain diseases; there is a wide range of information from curing stomach aches to sleepless nights, or in some cases even providing beauty tips. Taking a look at history, scientists believe humans got the knowledge of medicinal plants by observing animals. A study mentioned in A Treasury of Plants explains how the Bluetit bird chooses aromatic herbs to decorate its nest. The Bluetit bird uses herbs such as lavender, thyme, mint, among other seven herbs to fight illness; surprisingly, these same herbs have been used by humans for centuries to fight bacteria, parasites, and infections. Also, when observing a chimpanzee infected with intestinal worms, it showed how this chimpanzee consumed Veronia, a plant that usually is not part of their diet to cleanse his body from intestinal worms. This showed optimum results twenty-four hours after consumption. According to A Treasury of Plants, eighty percent of people in developing countries still regularly use traditional medicines from plants instead of, or in addition to, conventional medicine. There are many and different herbal substances humans can use, from the most common known vegetables and fruits to the most exotic ones.

Some fruits and vegetables that we can find common to us and are very beneficial to our health are cabbage, broccoli, garlic, onion, green tea, citrus fruits, soybeans, tomatoes, berries, and ginger. According to Damle, S. (2015) those fruits and vegetables are cancer chemopreventive, meaning that they help slow the development of cancer. Other study shows that walnuts, marijuana, and regular exercise are in the top list of prostate cancer natural cures (Muanya, C. 2014). There are also exotic fruits that are used for a wide range of treatments and preventions. The fruit called “Graviola” which grows in the rain forests of Africa, South America, and Southeast Asia, is used in treatments for infections with viruses or parasites, rheumatism arthritis, depression, high blood pressure, stress, nervous disorders, and sickness; Graviola is commonly known for the name of soursop in English, and scientists have been interested in this fruit because it has strong anticancer effects. Doctors recommend a well-balanced diet, eating lots of fruits and vegetables, eating organic if possible, and exercise regularly for the prevention of sickness, and to also have a higher rate of cancer survival.

Research suggests that there is a difference when we provide our body with natural based substances, like natural antioxidants, versus synthetic compounds. Our bodies are chronically exposed to oxidative stresses from the environment; different conditions come along with oxidative processes including the development of sunburn cells, apoptosis, inflammation, photo aging, damage of cellular DNA and cell membrane, and skin cancer among others. Overexposure to oxidative stresses can cause our skin to be overwhelmed with oxidation products. Due to constant exposure to oxidants, scientists have been looking for anti-oxidation products for chemo-protection, photo-protection, or to help the prevention of aging, help hair growth, anti-inflammation, and anti-irritant. Even though antioxidants can be very beneficial to us, the source of the antioxidant plays a role as well.

Sometimes when people think of antioxidants they think of longer life, or looking young forever. The truth is that synthetic antioxidants can actually shorten your lifespan. According to Organic Consumers Association, people who took Beta Carotene, vitamin A, and vitamin E pills instead of eating fruits and vegetables with high amounts of these antioxidants have an increased mortality. Taking synthetic antioxidants is a little contradicting because even though synthetic antioxidants provides the right molecules these molecules can produce secondary radicals in the process of absorption while being used by the body, therefore, it’s a conflicting issue. On the other hand natural antioxidants prevent the development of secondary radicals in the body.

Breast cancer affects many women, usually women older than sixty are at the highest risks, but there is an increased risk of breast cancer development in women who had their first child after age of thirty years old. There could be different reasons for developing breast cancer, but one common environmental reason is the exposure to xenoestrogens which are synthetic compounds that mimic estrogen. Another environmental factor is pesticides. Nutrition wise, women who consume fewer amounts of legumes, nuts, seeds, fruits and vegetables are also at higher risk of developing breast cancer.

In the 1970s certain diseases were thought to be eliminated with antibiotics and vaccines, but the rapid dynamic change, rapid reproduction rate, and adaptation to the environment of these infectious agents just made those diseases more resistant to medicine instead of eliminating them. For example, this is seen in more resistant strands of HIV virus and pneumonia.  Right after World War Two, chemists discovered Aspirin, a huge development at the time. Shortly thereafter they started producing Aspirin in massive amounts for the public. According to A Treasury of Plants, Americans consume eight billion of Aspirin tablets a year and the French consume 1.7 billion. But Aspirin was not the only treatment made.

Nowadays we have many diseases and many treatments for almost everything. For example, there are treatments such as chemotherapy for cancer, and although some people may be thankful for this treatment, it is known that chemotherapy is a very invasive procedure, and has a lot of negative side effects including general weakness, anemia, hair loss, bleeding problems, diarrhea, infections, nausea and vomiting, sexual and fertility changes, appetite changes, and many others, even death. This is because while chemotherapy tries to kill abnormal cells (cancer cells), it also kills healthy ones. Some people decide to not get chemotherapy treatment and they live for many years, but this ultimately depends on the type of cancer they have and how fast it’s growing. Cancer patients should have an education of the foods that are good for them, along with good lifestyles habits in general. Modern medicine helps many people, but I believe it should be used along with traditional medicine.

 People may think that modern medicine is more accessible in the US than traditional medicine; this belief may arise simply because people are unaware of all the traditional medicine that surrounds them. However, when choosing what to eat people should be careful on their decisions because many “healthy” things might be genetically modified or processed. Even though there is no scientific research proving that GMOs are actually harmful for people, there is no evidence they are good either. GMO research has not been tested long enough to prove anything solid because GMOs are relatively new to humans; GMOs commercialization only recently started in 1995. According to the Institute for Responsible Technology, health problems have increased among Americans since GMOs started in the market, “the percentage with Americans with three or more chronic illness jumped from 7% to 13% in just nine years”. This is a big leap for illness for only nine years but why is this? Some people blame it on GM foods. Disorders that have increased are Autism, reproductive disorders, digestive problems, and others are still increasing. We cannot forget Europe already banned GMOs, and they require all US products that are GM to be labeled as such. If Europe is banning this why is the US government not making companies at least label their products as GM? We as consumers should have the right to know which products are genetically modified and which aren’t. Maybe they do not require companies to label such items because then, citizens will realize the large amount of foods are consumed are genetically modified.

Have you ever heard that processed foods are bad for you? There is actually a big difference between consuming whole foods and processed foods.  This is mainly due to the fact that most processed foods do not have the same amount of healthy nutrients that whole foods have. In some whole foods we can find good antioxidants, mentioned previously, are good for disease prevention. Also, processed foods tend to be linked to certain diseases because of the high amounts of salts and sugars they contain. We can determine through all this information that we as Americans, live a life of choices, and we need to choose everyday what to consume. It is hard, or even expensive, for most people to eat healthy foods, GM free foods and organic foods.

This text is not meant to convince people to stop going to the doctor. Instead, it is showing that taking care of ourselves by using traditional medicine along with modern medicine is the best choice. While having a healthy body, people should make the choice to eat as healthy as possible, exercise, and be aware of their consumerism. As it is mentioned, some people use natural remedies from plants to prevent diseases, or even cure symptoms. And scientists do agree that the best choice to prevent cancer and other disorders is to have a healthy eating in addition to a healthy lifestyle.

References

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