Page 24 - 7-1-16 Friday's Edition

Health News
Keeping Colon Cancer At Bay
The Misunderstood And Misdiagnosed Thyroid
Colon Cancer stubbornly remains the third most com- mon cancer in American adults, as well as he second leading cause of cancer-re- lated death in both men and women.
The Good News? This type of cancer can be greatly in- fluenced by some key diet and lifestyle changes. In fact, colon cancer is one of the most preventable cancers, as well as being slow-growing and treatable.
Many of the same recom- mendations that promote overall health align with minimizing your risk of colon cancer; specifically, eat less red meat (no more than once or twice a week), in- clude fish in your diet, focus on a variety of colorful fruits and vegetables, maintain a healthy body weight, exer- cise regularly, don’t use to- bacco, and limit alcohol.
Tending Your Gut
Colon cancer generally starts as tiny growths called polyps, along the lining of the large intestine. These polyps, over a period of 10 years of slow growth and change, can morph into can- cer.
Colonoscopies generally aim to find and remove colon polyps in order to block can- cer development.
Of course, preventing polyp formation in the first place means that cancer doesn’t take root at all.
Your gut serves is the front line when it comes to exposure to cancer-promot- ers in foods—but anticancer substances in food can also exert a strong effect here.
Take garlic. The potential of garlic as a cancer fighter has been known since an- cient times. This pungent herb fights cancer at several sites in the body, including the colon. A review of nu- merous studies of garlic in- take determined that a diet
rich in garlic correlates to a much lower chance of devel- oping polyps-and thus a lower overall risk of colon cancer.
Garlic is a great addition to many dishes, although some people might experi- ence heartburn after in- dulging in it. And for those with a sensitive nose it’s good to know that odor-con- trolled garlic supplements are available.
If you are following the prudent advice to avoid red meat, you can readily turn to fish to take its place on your plate. Scientific research demonstrates a consistent pattern of cancer protection when even small amounts of fish are included in a per- son’s diet on a regular basis.
The essential fatty acids in fish called Omega 3s (specif- ically EPA and DHA) ac- count in large part, for this colon-friendly benefit. Supe- rior sources of omega 3s in- clude salmon, herring, sardines, cod, tuna, and mackerel.
But if eating fish isn’t to your liking, turn to Omega 3 supplements (derived from
either fish or plant sources).
Brewing Up Good Health
Coffee just might be a colon cancer fighter in a “to go” cup. In the latest of a growing list of studies, re- searchers found that in a group of men being screened for colon cancer, those drinking the most coffee ended up least likely to have precancerous tumors found by the screening. With cof- fee, as daily servings go up, so do the protective anti- cancer benefits. This perk of coffee appears to be related to antioxidants and other cancer-fighting substances found in coffee, as well as coffee’s speeding-up effect of transit time in the colon.
Gut-Friendly Supplements
The friendly bacteria in probiotics continue to rack up health benefits, including for a lower risk of colon can- cer. Probiotics (as well as prebiotics) alter acidity in the colon toward a level less favorable to cancer develop- ment. Since probiotics also encourage regular bowel movements these supple- ments help prevent cancer by literally sweeping out car- cinogens that might be pres- ent in waste matter so they aren’t in contact with the lower intestine where they could otherwise trigger can- cerous changes.
BY DR. ALEXA PARKER
In today’s world, diagnosis of thyroid malfunction is on the rise. Oftentimes, those being treated continue to suf- fer with symptoms as the ac- tual cause has not been addressed. It is important to know that in 90 to 95 percent instances, it is NOT the thy- roid that is the problem, but something else malfunction- ing.
Doctors continue using the 50-year-old model of diagnosing and treating for thyroid and not look- ing for the something else.
Out of the 9 thyroid tests required in order to effec- tively diagnose what is caus- ing malfunction, only two are commonly done.
List Of Other Conditions
Listed below are multiple conditions which can be ad- dressed by a healthcare provider who understands and uses inclusive thyroid testing, unveiling the com- plexities and implementing means to remedy them.
Autoimmune Condi- tions- Inflammation – Im- mune system attacks itself, cells/tissues. Symptoms in- clude fatigue, achy muscles/joints, neuropathy, exacerbation of pain, fi- bromyalgia, systemic inflam- mation, brain fog.
Digestive System Mal- function/Leaky Gut – Heartburn, irritable bowel, bloating, burping, abdominal pain, gas, constipation or loose bowels. Digestive mal- function can also lead to in- crease inflammation, swelling asthma, allergies, depression.
Chronic/Acute Infec- tions – History of candida/yeast infections; UTIs’ virus like hepatitis, Ep- stein Barr, herpes; parasites bacteria. These will cause chronic inflammation due to increased immune response.
Liver Toxicity – Fatigue; intolerance to high fat foods; abdominal pain hours after eating; dry, itchy skin; nau- sea; pitting edema; joint pain; easy bruising; diabetes; headaches. Liver is always in- volved due to the amount of toxins we are exposed to daily.
Anemia – usually in the form of B12/folate anemia/pernicious anemia/iron deficiency ane- mia, Fatigue and weakness due to low oxygen are com- mon symptoms. If anemic, due to lack of oxygen in tis- sue, it is impossible to heal.
Blood Sugar Imbalance
– Too low = irritable/light- headed if meals missed; jit- tery/anxious if meals missed; poor memory; blurred vision; craving sweets; slow starter in the a.m. Too high = fatigue after eating; inability to lose weight despite low calorie diet; craving sweets; in- creased frequency of urina- tion; increased thirst; high cholesterol.
Adrenal Malfunction – Fatigue, inability to deal with stress, feeling worn out, in- ability to lose weight, anxious, blood sugar issues, sleep is- sues (insomnia), muscle wasting/fat deposition, de- pression, tired upon waking even with long sleep, after- noon fatigue, weak nails, craving salt, dizziness when standing.
Thyroid Malfunction – Fatigue, depression, consti- pation difficulty losing weight/weight gain, lack of motivation/mental sluggish- ness, thinning hair, dry hair/skin/nails, hair loss, cold hands/feet, etc.
Hormone Imbalances - Anxiety, depression, fat dep- osition, mood swings, hot flashes, headaches/mi- graines, loss of motivation or zest for life, PMS, etc.
Brain Malfunction – Brain fog depression, poor memory anxiety, chronic fa- tigue.
PAGE 12-B FLORIDA SENTINEL BULLETIN PUBLISHED EVERY TUESDAY AND FRIDAY FRIDAY, JULY 1, 2016