The High Cost Of Cancer Meds Have Some Cancer Patients Down

The cost of cancer medication has become astronomical. Being unable to afford access to good health coverage used to rest solely on the impoverished populations of our nation. Today, it’s hitting the middle class and affluent just as hard, if not harder. I know that sounds awry, but I believe I’m right.

Taxpayers absorb much of the bill because most cancer patients are covered by government insurance programs such as Medicare. And who normally foots those bills, but the middle-to-upper class in our society? So for them, it’s a double whammy.

But, because cancer is such a non-discriminatory illness, the slate of ease for the financially fit has been wiped clean. Today, there are people trying to decide if they will buy groceries or their medications, and it’s not just the poor anymore.

Isn’t someone scratching their heads wondering why? They should be! How come people who have to deal with the heartache of receiving a cancer diagnosis have the extra pain of figuring out how they will afford the very medications that will help extend their lives? Especially when the treatments of cancer, such as chemo, so tire a person out that they are unable to continue working and earning an income.

Something seems horrifically wrong with that picture, and up until now, I had wondered what the answer could be to such a mind-boggling problem. To illustrate the maniacal heights some of the prices of cancer meds can reach, take a look at this list:

Tarceva, a drug used to treat lung cancer, which happens to be the number one cancer in America that claims the most lives, is priced at $2,400 to $2,700 a month! That’s more than most people’s take home salary in a month’s time!

And what about Gleevec? It’s a cancer medication that is used for those suffering with Chronic myeloid leukemia (CML). How much does it cost? It rolls in at a hefty $2,600 a month. Again, out of range for most Americans’ monthly budget.

How about Nexavar? Where does it rank in this stout list of cancer medications? Try $4,300 a month! That’s $51,600 a year! Take this drug for a couple of years, and you’re well over the $100,000 mark!

And who have I found is the grand puba of the group? Weighing in at about $10,000 a month is the cancer medication, heavy weight champion, Erbitux! If you take this medication for ten years, and you have a million dollar cap on your health insurance, you’ve maxed it out with the high cost of this med. Unbelievable, right?

Now, we know that will never happen because if you factor in the cost of care in addition to the cost of the cancer medication, you’d be over your insurance cap a lot faster, which is another fear of cancer patients: outliving their benefits.

It’s no wonder the high cost of cancer medications have some cancer patients down. And it gets even more frustrating when you think that not one of the drugs listed actually cures cancer. Not that it would make it right, but I think most could understand if someone charged that much for “the cure”. If I had cancer, I’d certainly pay it.

But for those who do, and especially those who aren’t in a position to afford their medication costs, what can they do?

Thank God for patient assistance programs because they provide a way to get your expensive cancer medications for free! The very drugs that were listed for thousands of dollars a month can be free to you, if you know where to look. Don’t be discouraged; there are alternatives. The high cost of cancer meds don’t have to have you down any longer, and that’s good news.

Cancer Survivor Turns Cancer Information Specialist

This makes EFA's an important part of your diet. Other sources of these fats are fish and nuts. Most of the fat in my diet comes from a combination of nuts and flax seed oil.

The best manner of extracting the oil while maintaining all the health benefits of the omega-3 fatty acids is by cold pressing the seed. In this form of oil extraction the flax seed oil is pressed out of the seed and not exposed to heat.

But now let’s talk about the nutritional values of flax seed. They are the best source for Omega 3 fatty acids, which is great for the brain and concentration. Adding flax seeds to your diet can increase your ability to concentrate better and think faster.

A comprehensive approach to treating cognitive disorders should include foods and supplements that benefit the overall health of brain cells. These include omega-3 fatty acids found in flaxseed and fish. In one study men with prostate cancer who ate an ounce of ground flaxseeds (almost three tablespoons) a day as part of a very-low-fat diet were able to slow the progress of their cancers between the time they were diagnosed and the time of surgery.

Cancer Survivor Turns Cancer Information Specialist

When callers to the Canadian Cancer Society's information service connect with Isabelle Wilson, they're talking to someone who's been there herself.

The Christmas of 1997 was turned upside down for the Montreal mother of three. Days before the holiday she learned she had a rare tumour on her left lung. The lung was removed on Christmas Eve. Wilson was a 30-year-old non-smoker and had a six-month-old baby at home. Even her doctors were stunned.

"Everything went so fast," she says. "I didn't know what was happening to me."

Like the omega-3s found in fish, it appears to reduce the risk of heart disease and numerous other ailments.

Flax Hull Lignans are very beneficial for many health conditions. Studies have shown that SDG or lignan (secoisolariciresinol diglycoside, but for simplicity this substance will be referred to as lignans)

In large doses, or when taken with inadequate water, flaxseed may precipitate bowel obstruction via a mass effect. The effects of flaxseed on blood glucose levels are not clear, although hyperglycemic effects have been reported in one case series. Omega-3 fatty acids are long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (18-22 carbon atoms in chain length) with the first of many double bonds beginning with the third carbon atom (when counting from the methyl end of the fatty acid molecule). Read on for more details on flax seed benefits.

Flax Seed muffins pregents Cancer? Find Flax Seed Recipe today! Omega-3 for health! There are also many ways of consuming the seeds. You can simply just chew them. You can grind the seeds to make a power.

Worse, Wilson had to recuperate during the infamous ice storm, which knocked out power and heat to her home for days. Eventually she turned to the Canadian Cancer Society's information service for support and help in understanding her condition. It was a life-changing call. Three years later, Wilson joined the service herself.

"Knowing there was a professional there who was with me and researching this disease too meant a lot. I felt a lot less isolated," says Wilson, a biologist and former health services worker. "One morning I woke up and said, 'I have to do this job.'"

The service is Canada's toll-free bilingual source of cancer information. Trained and caring specialists provide information about cancer and community resources. This helps newly diagnosed patients and their families understand their condition and act as informed members of their healthcare team.

There is nothing as profitable to a drug company as a patient who is forced to take some drug for the rest of his life - heart medications fit in that category. In this Omega-3 benefits and facts section you will learn the basics about omega-3 essential fatty acids (EFA) from fish oils and their function in our bodies.

Flax Seed Oil is a rich balanced source of essential fatty acids. The high content of omega-3 fatty acids in flax seed oil is one of its positive attributes.

Let me first address the issue of fat. Fat seems to receive a lot of reprimand but the fact is we all need fat; fat helps nutrient absorption, nerve transmission, maintaining cell membrane integrity etc. However, when consumed in excess amount, fat contributes to weight gain, heart disease and certain types of cancer.

Support Cancer Research, Wear Cancer Wristbands

Cancer is a very serious illness. This dreaded disease has caused many deaths; cancer is a disease that’s characterized by uncontrollable cell division and the danger of these mutant cells to invade the neighboring healthy cells and infect them. There are many types of cancer and most of them are deadly which can cause death, while there are some treatments available; there has been no known cure that’s potently effective just yet. Some treatments can kill the cancerous cells while some control the symptoms such as pain. Millions every year gets afflicted with different types of cancer and millions more die every year all over the world. Cancer has been a serious predicament in the medical world and there are concerns on the probability of finding a cure soon.

There are some major efforts being done to correct this but funds have been dwindling making these researches an effort that needs the aid of many people. Many foundations, colleges and other medical groups are doing intensive scientific endeavors to understand fully the development of cancer and what possible treatments, therapies and cure could be done to prevent cancer and its growth. They are called cancer research. In cancer research they discover new methods of treating cancer with the development of new technology and new discoveries about the disease. With proper funding, cancer researches would be able to flourish and hopefully find the perfect cure.

Many organizations have been doing their best to help fund this research facilities, doing fund raising projects and programs for public awareness. It is essential for the public to take notice of this programs because anyone from anywhere can be afflicted with cancer. Gradually, more and more people have found ways in doing both, raising funds for cancer and spreading awareness. When doing such, you hit the head of a nail twice making it more beneficial for cancer victims. Any method is appreciated as long as it spread awareness and help bring in money to aid cancer research. The current popular method is by selling cancer wristbands, which are inscribed with inspiring and informing statements.

Cancer wristbands have been the craze lately, many are wearing them because they are cool and fashionable and yet they help out in finding a cure for cancer. Remember the ribbons everybody used to wear for AIDS. Cancer Wristbands now are what the AIDS ribbons were then. This stretchy cancer wristbands, usually made from either from rubber or silicone, are a great way to do fundraising. They are one size fits all and don’t cost too much. There is a 100 percent profit in cancer wristbands, which may be donated to cancer researches and also boost cancer awareness. In doing so, you not only get a cool looking cancer wristband, you are also helping out the countless cancer victims all over the world.

Many say that this trend started out when Lance Armstrong came out yellow “LiveStrong” wristband to promote and fund cancer research. That promotion had all the right ingredients to capture the people’s interest. Present was the revered American icon asking the people for help, the item was very affordable, was a good conversation peace and it showed that if you were wearing it, you were concerned about other people and their needs. It was also for a cause everyone wanted to help in and deserved all the help t can get. Soon enough, everyone was wearing them, from high profile people, to entertainers with big names straight to the president.

After that, many cancer wristbands went into the market spreading the word, many organizations joined the bandwagon and produced their own cancer wristbands. It has come to be that the color of the cancer wristband represented which type of cancer was to be benefited; for example, pink bracelets were in aid for breast cancer. Messages and statements would be inscribed in the bracelets empowering the knowledge of the people about cancer and tugging their hearts and the hearts of others to help out for the worthy cause.

Cancer wristbands are not only cool, they also help out, many small organizations can help out by browsing the internet and order them from reputable manufacturers who pledge assistance for every cancer wristband you purchase. You may also do your own fundraising; some sites offer very low prices for wholesale purchases so that you can sell them at a markup price so you can have earnings to donate to research facilities. Be aware, support cancer wristbands to help cancer research.

Effects And Benefits Of Alternative Cancer Treatments For Breast Cancer

There is no doubt that breast cancer is a frightening diagnosis for any woman or man. From the moment those two words are uttered, feelings of uncertainty and fear begin to mount. Uncertainty about the future and whether there’s a way to better the chances of survival collide with feelings of life without one or both breasts. Concern about surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy treatment, as well as whether or not survival is possible at all, is what usually swirls through the mind of any person moments after hearing those two dreaded words.

But there is a silver lining around this dark cloud of bad news. The good news is that tremendous advances in cancer detection and traditional as well as alternative cancer treatments have taken place over the past few decades. As a result, the prognosis for surviving breast cancer, and even avoiding radical surgery, has never been better.

Following the advice and course of treatment recommended by your doctor is of utmost importance. But interestingly, many men and women diagnosed with breast cancer report that their symptoms have been improved, and in some cases reversed, by pursuing one of the many medically-approved alternative breast cancer treatments available today.

Of course, no “one-size-fits-all” alternative cancer treatment exists so finding the right one requires the advice of a physician who is trained in alternative cancer therapies. These physicians take a holistic approach to treating breast cancer. Simply stated, they’ll decide on one or more alternative breast cancer treatments depending on the specific type of breast cancer and the stage of the disease.

Perhaps the most essential alternative cancer treatment involves making specific dietary changes in order to boost the body’s ability to combat malnutrition. Malnutrition is a common consequence of breast cancer, responsible for up to 40% of all cancer-related deaths. Proper nutrition also helps people suffering from the side effects of chemotherapy and radiation treatment by reducing nausea and hair loss, boosting the immune system, and combating the symptoms of organ toxicity.

Only a trained physician who understands the role of proper nutrition in alternative breast cancer treatments can make specific dietary recommendations. However, the general guidelines below typically form the basis of any beneficial physician-approved nutritional plan.

Medical and nutritional research now proves that Zinc is an essential ingredient for anyone seeking alternative cancer treatments. Zinc supports the immune system by increasing antibody production and providing essential nutrition to the macrophage, a critical cell that plays a pivotal role in the immune system.

Foods that are high in Zinc include:

• Oysters
• Red meat
• Poultry
• Beans
• Nuts
• Whole grains
• Zinc-fortified breakfast cereals
• Dairy products

The body absorbs Zinc better with a diet that is high in animal protein than one that is high in plant protein.

Vitamin A is another essential ingredient in nutrition-based alternative cancer treatments. This vitamin contributes to the support of the immune system by assisting in the development of T both-helper (Th) cells and B-cells.

Foods that are high in Vitamin A include:

• Milk
• Margarine
• Eggs
• Beef and chicken liver
• Vitamin A-fortified breakfast cereals
• Carrots
• Cantaloupes
• Sweet potatoes
• Spinach

Selenium is a trace mineral used by proteins to make antioxidant enzymes called selenoproteins. These selenoproteins combat cell damage caused by free radicals; key contributors to the development of cancer as well as heart disease. Only a small amount of Selenium is required by the body.

Foods that are high in Selenium include:

• Brazil nuts
• Walnuts
• Light tuna packed in oil
• Beef
• Turkey
• Fortified oatmeal
• Enriched whole wheat bread
• Long grain white rice
• Eggs
• Cottage cheese
• Cheddar cheese

Vegetables grown in Selenium-rich soils, as well as animals that have been fed grain grown in Selenium-rich soils are also good sources of this essential element.

Besides food, it’s possible to get the required amounts of Zinc, Vitamin A and Selenium by taking food supplements and vitamin pills. Remember though, there is more to consider than these three nutrients when developing nutritional-based alternative breast cancer treatments.

Introducing these nutrients in the wrong quantities, or overlooking other essential ingredients when developing alternative cancer therapies, can actually negate the otherwise beneficial results of a good nutritional plan. That’s why it’s so important to consult a medical professional who specializes in alternative cancer treatments.

Another Way To Heal Yourself Of Cancer Today!!! Demonstration That Evening News Can Cause Cancer

Stay away from the news. I know that in the 21st century, it sounds like an incredible idea to suggest that you stay away from the news. But the news that you read in the newspapers or that you hear on the evening news will make you sick. Guaranteed!

You see, scientists and biochemists are finding that when we’re happy, our brain secretes endorphins that support and strengthen our immune system. And when we’re unhappy, our brain secretes endorphins that send negative messages all through the immune system and make it weaker. And rather than fighting infection, bacteria, or even cancer, when your brain sends a negative message to your immune system via the endorphins, then the immune system loses the defence battle against the invaders. Now, I don’t know about you, but the evening news or the newspaper news are rarely exciting, stimulating or joy provoking.

The way your body works is that your thoughts and emotions trigger a chemical reaction in the brain, which then sends a message to all parts of your body via the bloodstream. That message is carried through transmitters that are neuropeptides, chains of amino acids. The blood reaches every single nook and cranny of your body and if there is a part that is already weakened by past injuries, constant stress of chronic fragility, the chemicals are more likely to deliver their negative message to that area, and reinforce that past trauma.

And the evening news tend to depress your immune system. Studies conducted at Stanford University on students taking final exams showed that their T-cells, the cells that normally fight colds, disease and cancer, were severely reduced during the time of exam stress. The students were more likely to get sick during exam season.

The same occurs in your body when you are exposed to depressing news or events. Think about it for a moment. What would really happen if you missed the latest evening news report?

Through the years, I have stayed away voluntarily from the news of any kind and I have noticed that if the news is important enough, it will reach me anyway. Either people around me will discuss it and inform me, or there will be headlines on the news stand. I find that I have missed really little of importance through the decades I have ‘missed’ the news. You might try maybe a day at a time, then two. Then an entire week without news. You could even occupy the extra time you gain for some stress reducing techniques.

Think of the brain as a machine for not merely filtering and storing this sensory input, but for associating it with other events or stimuli occurring simultaneously at any synapse or receptor along the way—this is learning. Let’s look at how this occurs in the process of vision, which is very advanced and complex in humans. After a visual signal hits the retina, the light-sensitive part of the eye, it must make its way across five more synapses as it moves from the back of the brain to the frontal cortex.

Cruciferous Vegetables, Cancer Beater – a Real Cancer Prevention Diet

If you smoke, or ever have, and you eat lots of broccoli (or other cruciferous veggies such as cabbage, cauliflower, kale, turnip greens, mustard greens or collard greens), you might be doing yourself a great favor in terms of lung cancer. This according to research just presented at the American Association of Cancer Research meeting held last week in Washington D.C. by a team from Roswell Park Cancer Institute of Buffalo, NY when they concluded cruciferous vegetables can helpful as part of a cancer prevention diet.

Li Tang, Ph.D., a post-doctoral fellow at Roswell Park Cancer Institute and colleagues conducted a hospital-based, case-controlled study of lung cancer cases matched with smoking status controls.

The study wasn't focused on broccoli alone, but allowed for eating all the commonly consumed cruciferous vegetables - in either their raw or cooked forms. The study found that among smokers - and especially former smokers - higher intake of cruciferous vegetables was associated with a lower risk of lung cancer. Smokers who ate raw veggies saw the most benefit.

Researchers divided their findings into four subtypes of lung cancer. The strongest risk reduction was seen among subjects with squamous or small-cell carcinoma, the two types most strongly associated with heavy smoking.

"Broccoli is not a therapeutic drug, but for smokers who believe they cannot quit nor do anything about their risk, this is something positive," Tang said. "People who quit smoking will definitely benefit more from intake of cruciferous vegetables."

The percentage of Americans who smoke has fallen below 20% for the first time since the mid 1960s. If you smoke and you're concerned about lung cancer risk, first and foremost, you need to stop. Get help quitting from support groups, nicotine replacement therapy, hypnosis or the variety of medications now available. If you have the will (or even if you're not sure you do) getting cigarettes out of your life for good can save you not only money, but help you take solid, real-world steps to improve your health, today and over the long haul as well.

When you do quit, your lung capacity goes up and your bronchial tubes relax which makes breathing easier. Not only this, the poisonous carbon monoxide in your blood goes down so that your blood can carry more oxygen. Of course your sense of smell, the discoloration of your teeth, fingers and clothing will also improve noticeably. Best of all, the second hand smoke you're sending into the environment will be eliminated - a healthy gift to everyone around you.

If you're trying to quit, or can't quite get there yet... eat as many of the cruciferous veggies as you enjoy from the list above, especially in their raw state as heating damages an important enzyme thought to activate the cancer fighting properties.

Earlier work released in February 2008 backed up these findings with results showing that compounds called isothiocyanates from these veggies could have cancer fighting properties. The research was on bladder cancer and supported animal studies that suggest broccoli and the other cruciferous vegetables have some cancer protecting abilities. Another study, out in July 2008, suggested a link between men who ate broccoli four times a week and a protective effect against prostate cancer.

So the real story here is that we should all try to increase our consumption of cruciferous vegetables whether we smoke or not as part of a cancer prevention diet.

Cancer, Diet and Global Warming With the Producer of Healing Cancer From the Inside Out

This interview is an excerpt from Kevin Gianni's Renegade Roundtable, which can be found at http://www.RenegadeRoundtable.com. In this excerpt, Mike Anderson shares on cancer, diet and global warming.

Renegade Water Secrets with Mike Anderson, is a medical researcher, author of The Rave Diet and film maker/producer of “Eating” and “Healing Cancer from the Inside Out.”

Kevin: So, Mike. If all this stuff isn’t working, what is?

Mike: Food. I site some studies in the film... the Office of Technology Assessment funded the Gerson Therapy. It beat the pants off conventional treatments. This was in different stages of melanoma. It just beat the pants off of conventional treatments. They don’t like these studies. They don’t want to fund them. It’s very hard.

Macrobiotics went in front of the NIH, National Institute of Health and they tried to get funding because they presented six terminal cases, cancer cases, where the cancers were totally reversed. They were all biopsied and they were all confirmed and everything. Now, wouldn’t you think that people should be interested in this? That they should fund more studies? No, they can’t get any money for anymore funding for any.

You know allopathic medicine doesn’t, their history is to shut down any nutritional approach because they are so threatened by it. Even, this was around the turn of the century, 2001 or so. It’s on the website, the Sushi Institute. Anyway, they're totally threatened because it does work. It is more effective. Instead of destroying the body, you're trying to build it up.

I specifically included Macrobiotics because they have a long history, 100- year history. In fact, the founder of Macrobiotics reversed cancer. But they have a long history of reversing cancers. So I look at Macrobiotics and that’s almost 100% cooked. Then I look at raw, and that’s 100% raw, uncooked. And I think the bottom line here is that, the common ground is that they are all plant-based, 100% plant-based. They are all organic. Organic is very, very important because organic food is much higher in micronutrients, the anti-oxidant families. Those are the ones that are going to fight cancer effectively. It’s a whole-foods organic diet and that’s it. Whether it’s raw or whether it’s cooked is partly personal preference, in terms of case and stuff.

Kevin: You knew that this film was going to cause some waves. So, one, how did you prepare for it? Two, what kind of feedback have you gotten from people who were not happy?

Mike: I actually did not prepare very much for it. What I did was try and make it as credible as I can and close the loop on all the arguments. To make it as tight as possible. I’ll tell you a story. I don’t know if Brian Clement wants me to tell this or not, he was interviewed in the film, but he and his wife watched it for seven hours, seven hours looking for a loophole. They were primarily looking at some angle conventional doctors could use to attack me and they couldn’t find it. So my approach was just make it as tight as possible and as credible as possible. As a result of that, I haven’t had much negative feedback except that people don’t want to talk to me.

I have been on KPFK, they are a nonprofit, local station here in L.A. I've been on there and they were very receptive and so was the audience. I mean, people are hungry for this new. But getting it out there is very, very difficult.

People will say, “Oh, my gosh. You should be on major news shows,” and stuff like that. And I say, “Well, have you looked at the sponsors of those news shows? They'll never have me on.” You know, you've got meat and dairy and drugs and I’m preaching against all of those. So, it’s difficult to get it out, but word of mouth is extraordinarily strong; it’s pushing this whole thing. And thanks to shows like your and others, more and more people are getting on the bandwagon.

I was at the Raw Spirit Festival in Sedona this weekend and I had a lady and her husband come out, specifically to see me. They flew out from Tampa. And it was because they saw “Healing Cancer” a month ago. Her father started off with colon cancer, it spread to his liver, now it’s in his lungs. He’s had one round of chemo; he couldn’t take it anymore. So they were looking for something. They put him on the diet and within a month all of his cancer markers had dropped dramatically. They were just thrilled by the whole thing. They wanted to fly out and just thank me because of it.

The strange thing is most people they have it in their mind that cancer is this dreaded disease that kills people. Well, you know, cardio vascular disease kills over twice as many people a cancer, that’s a pretty scary disease. But people have it in their minds that cancer is more scary, but it’s not. It can be controlled through food. People have this idea that, well, gee, cancer’s a dangerous disease you need strong medicine. You need something that will make people’s hair fall out and make them throw up all day for days on end and make them just sick. That’s strong medicine. You need just the opposite. You need something that’s going to build up the body. People, if they'll get off this toxic diet they're on and get on a good diet, they'll see miraculous things happening. Not just with cancer, but the whole body will be healing.

Kevin: Let’s talk a little bit about the Rave diet. There’s a lot of people who are on this call who don’t know what that is. So, let’s give a little bit of information on that and...

Mike: OK. I wrote the book primarily because people were asking me for something to accompany the “Eating” DVD. Because after they see the “Eating” DVD, they'll say, “OK, I’m ready to change my diet, but what do I do?” And even though I list, at the end of the film, all kinds of books, and on the website even more, they wanted something from me. So, I put it together primarily as a very short, it reads very easily, very short guide, if you will, to how to change to this diet.

I have a transitional diet, too, because sometimes it’s difficult for people to go on the full Rave diet. So I have an easier transitional diet so they can evolve into it. One guy, for example, it was too much for him because he had been eating processed foods all of his life and he had horrendous gas because of all the fiber. So I tell people, “Ease up on it. You can go slowly,” you know, unless you have some terrible disease you're fighting. But what it stands for, Rave is an acronym, it means no refined foods. The A is no animal foods, the V, which gets me in trouble with most people all the time, means no vegetable oils; the E means no exceptions and exercise. There are a number of sub-rules within that. It’s not just that acronym alone. Like, eat at least half of your food uncooked type of thing. Also ingredients lists, it’s got a whole explanation of how to read ingredient lists and so forth. But it’s done very well.

Diets And Cancer: 3 Reasons Why You Could Be Creating More Cancer Cells To Your Body Everyday

A lot of people believe cancers just happen. Cancers develop if you follow an unhealthy diet full of cancer causing food over a prolonged period of time. Certain food have a lot of cancer promoting substances called carcinogens. In this article, we shall explore 3 common types of carcinogens present in a typical person's diet, what food we should eat and shouldn't eat to prevent cancer.

Acrylamide In Food: Should I Be Worried?

Acrylamide has been used in industries that specialize in the creation of plastic, manufacturing of food packaging and treatment of contaminated water. Unknown to most of us, scientists recently discoverd that acrylamide can be created during high temperature cooking methods like microwaving, frying, roasting and baking. Acrylamide has been attested to cause cancer in animals but no concrete link has been found to indicate this happens in human beings even though acrylamide is extremely unhealthly for our bodies. French fries have been tested to contain the greatest levels of acrylamide, followed by certain brands of potato chips, breakfast cereals, cookies, brewed coffee and toast bread according to the US FDA/CFSAN 2006 Exposure Assessment for Acrylamide.

Sodium Nitrate: Why You Should Avoid It

Sodium nitrate is a standard food additive of processed meat. It is used to prolong the reddish color of meat to make it look more delicious to eat at the expense of your health. During the digestion process of sodium nitrate, nitrosamine is created and this is what promotes the development of cancer cells. Sodium nitrate can be found in processed meat like hot dogs, bacon, ham, bologna, luncheon meat and pepperoni.

Trans Fat: The Worst Fat In The World

Trans fat or trans-fatty acids (TFAs) ranks as the worst kind of fat. The problem with trans fat is because it was transformed from it's vegetable oil form to a semi-solid state through the use of hydrogen. Some companies do this to save money, to improve flavor stability and to extend the shelf life of their products. Our bodies do not readily take in these hydrogenated oils and it takes a lot of extra energy to try to digest it effectively, as a result, sections of it sticks to our arteries if we do not burn it off through exercise. What's worse, trans fat promotes the development of bad cholesterol and reduces the levels of good cholesterol, increasing your risk of heart disease. Trans fat is frequently found in hydrogenated oils, commercially deep-fried food, food with vegetable shortening, partially hydrogenated oils and pastries.

Eating To Prevent Cancer

It is ideal for all of us to restrict or eliminate our consumption of processed food that contain the 3 carcinogens above and other unhealthy substances such as salt, sugar, cigarettes and alcohol. However, it is not easy for people to choose to have a healthy body over the enjoyment of good food. The decision is up to you to decide which is more important to you. At the minimum, consume as much organic vegetables, fruit and meat as you can. Having a diet made of antioxidants, fiber and nutrients from raw vegetables and fruit should help you steer clear from cancer. As a general rule, eat what nature intended us to eat and avoid man-made food.