Everyone has someone in their life that has been affected by cancer in some way, shape or form. It is almost unavoidable.

What if you knew there were some simple dietary changes you could make to help prevent it from affecting you? Dr. Brenda Tapp of the Peterborough Centre of Naturopathic Medicine specializes in complementary cancer care.

She is the only naturopath in town registered with the Oncology Association of Naturopathic Physicians (learn more about her in her first feature post with us here). In this column, she teaches us about cancer fighting foods supported by scientific research.

Nutrition therapy is playing a bigger role in cancer prevention and treatment. Research indicates that genetics causes only 5-10% of all cancers, while diet/lifestyle causes 90-95%. Diet alone accounts for up to 35%, which surprisingly surpasses tobacco as a cause. This means that 35% of cancers can be prevented by dietary changes alone! Specific cancers such as breast, prostate and colon cancer can be reduced by an even higher percentage of up to 75%.

Also, the National Cancer Institute states that patients who are well nourished before and during cancer treatment have a better prognosis, recover faster and reduced rate of complications. This is something so simple to work on and take control of.

7 TIPS FROM DR. TAPP ON CANCER FIGHTING FOODS TO TRY:

1. Consume Brassicas Daily: The brassica family of veggies includes cabbage, kale, broccoli, cauliflower, Brussel sprouts, turnip, radish, watercress, etc. All of these veggies contain several phytochemicals (plant based comounds) that reduce the risk of hormonally driven cancers, improves liver detoxification, and prevents DNA damage.
How much is needed? 1 cup per day is all that is required to benefit from these veggies.

2. Do Not Avoid Soy: Soy contains compounds that act as phyto-estrogens (plant based estrogens). Soy acts as a hormone buffer by displacing the body's stronger estrogen, reducing the risk of hormone sensitive cancers. Soy also contains a compound called genistein which inhibits the growth of blood vessels in tumours helping to starve them of nutrients.
How much is needed? 100 grams per day of organic soy (tofu, tempeh, soy milk).

3. Garlic, Onions, and Leeks: The garlic family of plants can actually prevent the initiation, promotion and recurrence of various cancers. The high concentration of selenium can inhibit cancer growth, and the high concentration of sulfur-compounds aids in liver detoxification.
How much is needed? 3 cloves of raw garlic per day. Try it in a salad, or mix things up with a stir fry!

4. Consume Flaxseeds: Studies have shown flax to reduce breast and prostate cancer cell proliferation, increase apoptosis (cell death), and decrease tumour size. It is also capable of increasing the success rate of Herceptin and Tamoxifen (medications prescribed in some cases of breast cancer). How much is needed? 2 tbsp per day. (Note: Seeds must be ground and can be added to cereal, smoothie, salad or yogurt.)

5. Consume Shiitake Mushrooms: This particular mushroom contains a compound that increases the number of macrophages, T-killer cells, and T-helper cells (3 different types of white blood cells), and prolongs the life of some cancer patients.
How much is needed? Consume 3 to 4 mushrooms per day.

6. Spice up Your Life: NF-kB (nuclear factor kappa B) is one of cancer’s master switches. These spices should all be incorporated into your daily diet to prevent this gene from being turned on: basil, pepper, caraway, cardamom, chilli pepper, cinnamon, clove, coriander, fennel, ginger, mint, nutmeg, oregano, parsley, rosemary and turmeric.
How much is needed? 1 tbsp per day.

7. Lycopene: Lycopene is a compound found in tomatoes, watermelon, and grapefruit. Lycopene is more bioavailable when lightly cooked. Tomatoes can worsen arthritis, so increasing other lycopene containing foods is beneficial.
How much is needed? 1 cup of lycopene containing food per day.

With all of this info, how can you not want to make even a few small delicious changes to benefit your health?

This is the second in a series with Dr. Brenda Tapp of of the Peterborough Centre of Naturopathic Medicine. Read her first column here.

If you have any questions about your health or about naturopathic medicine, Dr. Tapp would be happy to answer them. For more info on Dr. Tapp, go to:

Phone: 705.761.6596
Website: drbrendatapp.com
Twitter: @PtboNaturopath
Facebook: PeterboroughCentreOfNaturopathicMedicine
LinkedIn: Linkedin.com/in/drbrendatapp

**If your business/organization is interested in a PTBOCanada Featured Post Advertorial, email our Sales Director Aaron Elliott at aaron@ptbocanada.com for info!

The past 20 years have seen an overwhelming increase in consumer demand for safe and effective natural health care. Doctors trained in the science of natural health care at accredited medical schools are known as naturopathic doctors.

Why would you see a naturopathic doctor? Well, according to Dr. Brenda Tapp of the Peterborough Centre of Naturopathic Medicine (PCNM), the core of naturopathic intervention is to treat the root cause of illness instead of relying on bandaid solutions. More than 75% of all disease is a result of poor diet and lifestyle which conventional medicine fails to address. Improving one's diet can significantly improve one's health. Doctor comes from the latin word docere which means "to teach". Dr. Tapp takes this to heart and spends time with each of her patients, teaching them about their health.

NUTRITION AND LIFESTYLE CHANGES

The majority of family physicians just do not have the time to spend with their patients discussing nutrition and lifestyle changes pertinent to their health. This is where naturopathic doctors come in. Their training allows them to use food as medicine with their patients. Don't have a family physician? Naturopathic doctors are able to fill the gap in the physician shortage. They have 8 years of post secondary education at university and naturopathic medical school. They use industry standards for patient history taking and physical exams, as well as ordering blood work and referring for appropriate diagnostic imaging when indicated.

HOW TREATMENT WORKS

With regard to treatment, naturopathic doctors rely on natural therapies that are validated by scientific research. In fact, most pharmaceuticals on the market today come from plants. Naturopathic doctors prescribe these plants, which in most cases are just as effective with fewer side effects as a result of being consumed in their natural state. By adding naturopathic medicine to their health care options, patients are experiencing increased satisfaction and improved recovery time.

DR. BRENDA TAPP'S APPROACH

Dr. Tapp is incredibly passionate about this form of medicine and has dedicated much of her time to educating the community about it. Born and raised in Peterborough, she graduated from Trent University and then went on to Toronto to attend naturopathic medical school. After completing her schooling and internship, she wrote her board licensing exams and moved back to Peterborough to open PCNM—the city's only clinic that specializes in integrative cancer care as well as family medicine.

Dr. Tapp is a member of the Oncology Association of Naturopathic Physicians. She has brought back many therapies only available in integrative clinics in Toronto to improve the health of the Peterborough community. Dr. Tapp strives to promote local by integrating local organic farms, butchers, herbalists and the farmers' market into her treatment protocols. She wants health care to be sustainable, to support the local economy and to not harm the environment.

This is the first in a series with Dr. Brenda Tapp of of the Peterborough Centre of Naturopathic Medicine.

Facebook: PeterboroughCentreOfNaturopathicMedicine
LinkedIn: Linkedin.com/in/drbrendatapp

**If your business/organization is interested in a PTBOCanada Featured Post Advertorial, email our Sales Director Aaron Elliott at aaron@ptbocanada.com for info!