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I Wish I'd Asked My Doctor...Raw Diet for Cancer Treatment?
by Terri L. Pilcher, MSHS, PA-C (Terri's bio)
IMPORTANT!: Please read our legal notice regarding this health column by clicking here.
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"I've heard that the uncooked vegetarian diet works better than chemotherapy for cancer. I'm half a mind to think it's nuts. But SOMETHING must work and be safer than chemo. Ok, you've got cancer, let's flood your system with toxic compounds to make you better, but doesn't chemotherapy cause cancer too?" Steve P. (with cancer)
I love questions like this, because I rarely hear anyone give an honest answer. The appropriate answer from a medical standpoint is: there's no scientific proof that any of their claims are true. There's no reason to believe that anecdotal evidence will apply to anyone else. That isn't to say that it couldn't be true, just that until nutritional fads are scientifically proven, we'll keep doing what we have proved will work. Doctors will continue prescribing chemo.
Chemo is horrible stuff, and yes, some of it is carcinogenic. It isn't uncommon for children treated for cancer to return decades later with another form of cancer caused by the chemo and radiation. According to the M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, adults treated for Hodgkin's disease were most likely to develop another cancer, such as leukemia. The chance of being affected by chemo varies depending on the exact medication, dose, duration of treatment, and susceptibility of the patient.
If people are willing to go on a natural diet to prevent cancer, I think it's great. It definitely won't hurt them as long as they're careful to receive enough vitamins, minerals, proteins, and fats within that strict of a diet. They should be consulting their doctors if they have cancer and are considering this as treatment.
The raw diets you've seen on the internet usually involve lots of fiber. Fiber is difficult to digest, creating problems for some chemotherapy patients whose intestines tend toward constipation or diarrhea. Other options for increasing natural vitamins include juicing, whole food products such as Barley GreenTM, and tablets. These may be beneficial for those patients.
Does the diet actually work? It may. Science is finding that in addition to the antioxidant properties of Vitamins A and C, there are other molecules in plants that work together to enhance each other's effects.
The beneficial effects of some plant molecules are destroyed by heat, so if you're looking for a natural way to improve your health, consuming uncooked vitamins would be the most helpful. Unfortunately, the quantities you'd have to ingest to receive benefits would force you to eat pounds of fruits and vegetables every day.
What about juicing and tablets? They may help concentrate the molecules enough…or they may not.
The people who subscribe to a raw diet may be extremists, but they may also have a point. It will take decades to know for sure.
Be sure to talk to your doctor about all natural and herbal remedies, pills, and diets you are interested in, before you try them.
For more information on cancer therapies, side effects, and support groups, look at the M. D. Anderson Cancer Center Website at www.mdanderson.org
Have a question for Terri? Click here.
Copyright 2002, Terri L. Pilcher. All Rights Reserved. Used by permission.
THE CONTENT OF THE "I WISH I'D ASKED MY DOCTOR" COLUMN IS PRESENTED IN SUMMARY FORM, IS GENERAL IN NATURE, AND IS PROVIDED FOR INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY. THE CONTENT IS NOT INTENDED IN ANY WAY TO BE A SUBSTITUTE FOR FACE-TO-FACE, IN-PERSON, PROFESSIONAL, MEDICAL, PSYCHIATRIC, OR PHARMACEUTICAL HEALTH CARE ADVICE. ALWAYS SEEK THE ADVICE OF YOUR PHYSICIAN OR OTHER QUALIFIED HEALTH CARE PROVIDER WITH ANY QUESTIONS YOU MAY HAVE REGARDING A MEDICAL CONDITION, HEALTH DIAGNOSIS, OR TREATMENT. NEVER DISREGARD MEDICAL ADVICE OR DELAY IN SEEKING IT BECAUSE OF SOMETHING YOU HAVE READ IN THE "I WISH I'D ASKED MY DOCTOR…" COLUMN. Please read our full legal notice.
| About Terri L. Pilcher: Terri L. Pilcher, MSHS, PA-C is a physician assistant with a Masters of Science in Health Sciences. She has worked in the fields of family practice medicine and occupational health. Her articles have appeared in Physician Assistant and JAAPA. Currently, she stays home with her daughters and writes. Contact her at AskthePA@prodigy.net. |
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