For advertising information call 859.368.0778 or email brian@rockpointpublishing.com | October 2017
The pancreas is a 5.9-inch-long gland found behind the stomach and in front of the spine.
Preventing Pancreatic Cancer
By Harleena Singh, Staff Writer The pancreas is a 5.9-inch-long gland found behind the stomach and in front of the spine. It has a head, a middle section called the body and a narrow end called the tail. Exocrine cells in the pancreas produce digestive enzymes that help break down and digest food. The endocrine cells produce hormones such as insulin and glucagon that help control blood sugar levels. Most pancreatic cancers start in the exocrine cells. Pancreatic cancer is among the deadliest of cancers. It is hard to detect and quick to spread. Nearly 50,000 new cases are diagnosed every year in the United States, making it the fourth leading cause of cancer death. It mostly affects men and women aged over 50 years. Symptoms of pancreatic cancer include weight loss and abdominal pain that radiates to the back. It sometimes causes patients to itch all over their bodies. Risk factors for pancreatic cancer include smoking or using tobacco and medical conditions such as diabetes. According to research, being overweight or obese and carrying extra weight around the waist also increases your risk. A study
published in the Journal of the American Medical Association says obese people with a sedentary lifestyle have twice the risk of developing pancreatic cancer as those who are active and not obese. Fifteen percent of pancreatic cancer cases could be avoided with proper diet and physical activity. The pancreas produces alkaline pancreatic juice, which has a pH level between 7.8 and 8.0. It may be possible to turn pancreatic cancer around by including more alkaline foods in your diet. Here are some more tips to lower your risk of developing pancreatic cancer: • Make healthy lifestyle choices. Reducing or quitting smoking may also lower the risk of developing stomach, lung, esophagal, head, neck and other cancers. The American Cancer Society recommends reducing the fat in your diet and eating more fruits and vegetables. Avoid gaining too much weight and exercise regularly. • Be careful of exposure to certain chemicals. • Choose low-glycemic foods such as non-starchy vegetables, legumes and fruits. • Avoid excess protein. High protein keeps the pancreatic enzymes busy digesting so they cannot focus on their key task of eradicating cancer.
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• Avoid foods containing nitrates. These natural substances are present in the air, soil, water and plants. The body can convert nitrates in food into nitrites, which can form nitrosamines. These are considered potential human carcinogens; they have been found to induce pancreatic cancer in animals. • Be sure to get enough vitamin D. A daily intake of 300 to 449 International units (IUs) per day could reduce the risk of pancreatic cancer by 43 percent. • Eat foods that have ellagic acid. It can activate detoxifying enzymes in the liver, resulting in the clearing of cancer-causing substances in the serum. It can also prevent carcinogens from attaching to cellular DNA. Foods that have significant amounts of ellagic acid include strawberries, raspberries, cranberries, pomegranates, pecans and walnuts, according to HealWithFood.org. Pancreatic cancer has been called a silent disease because it doesn’t have many symptoms till the cancer has spread. Early symptoms may not be specific to the pancreas, such as back pain. Your doctor will do a series of tests to ensure it is pancreatic cancer or something else. References • • • • • • • •
ABC News (www.abcnews.go.com) American Cancer Society (www.cancer.org) BeatCancer (www.beatcancer.org) Harvard Health Publications (www.health.harvard.edu) Heal with Food (www.healwithfood.org) Stanford Heatlh Care (www.stanfordhealthcare.org) WebMD (www.webmd.com) World Cancer Research Fund (www.wcrf-uk.org)
About the Author Harleena Singh is a freelance writer and blogger who has a keen interest in health and wellness. She can be approached through her blog (www.aha-now.com) and Web site, www.harleenasingh.com. Connect with her on Twitter, Facebook and Google+.
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