Natural Diet and Mesothelioma

Can a natural diet help manage a disease like mesothelioma? The idea that a natural diet is good for health has been around for a very long time.  

For millennia, cultures throughout the world have understood that food possesses healing powers. The ancient Greek physician, Hippocrates, said more than 2,000 years ago, “Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food.” 

Natural Diet Depends on Natural Foods

A natural diet is typically a diet that involves whole or natural foods. Whole foods are foods that come from nature and have not been heated or processed. Why is processed food less nutritious? Because the processing of foods usually strips the food of valuable nutrients, fiber or water. Natural foods or whole foods include: wholegrains, vegetables, fruits, seeds, nuts, and legumes. These foods are also full the enzymes, amino acids, phytonutrients and other elements that are bodies need to survive and thrive. In contrast, man-made or processed foods that come from a factory and not from nature, are usually highly sugared, salted and are missing key nutrients that our bodies need to be healthy.  

Can Diet Affect Mesothelioma?

There is some incomplete evidence that suggests there may be a connection. A 1988 study in Louisiana performed by the National Cancer Institute found that mesothelioma patients ate less homegrown cruciferous vegetables and all vegetables combined before they were diagnosed. In another study (1966) from the Division of Epidemiology of the American Health Foundation, the researchers concluded that vitamin A may decrease the risk of mesothelioma.

Studies Prove the Health Value of a Natural Diet

While the connection between mesothelioma and diet have not been proven, there is plenty of proof that there is value in having a healthy diet. For example, the Mediterranean diet has been studied. This diet relies on less processed foods and has a high intake of fiber, moderate alcohol and meat intake, and a lot of antioxidants and polyphenols. People who consume this diet typically have better cardiovascular health and less cancer than people who eat more processed foods.

However, the biggest study of diet and health was the “China Study.” In the early 1980’s, biochemist T. Colin Campbell of Cornell University worked with researchers at Oxford University and the Chinese Academy of Preventive Medicine. The group studied dietary, lifestyle and diseases of 6,500 in 65 counties in rural China in 1983-84. In 1989-90, over 10,000 people were surveyed. The study discovered that counties with a high consumption of animal-based foods were more likely to have higher death rates from “Western” diseases like cancer and heart disease. And counties that ate more plant-based foods had lower death rates from these diseases.

Here are some more tips how health in benefitted from a natural diet:  

Eat Less Meat

As suggested by the China Study, cutting back on meat is healthier for you. Eating more plant-based foods helps increase the fiber, healthy fats and vitamins and minerals in your diet.

Eat Turmeric (Curcuma longa)

Turmeric is a famous medicinal food. It is a spice most commonly used in Indian curry. Studies suggest it is beneficial to the liver, helps digestion, and can decrease rheumatism. 

Eat Raw Garlic

Garlic has been used medicinally for thousands of years. It is antibacterial and antiviral and studies have shown that it can help digestion, help clear plaque from the arteries and help lower blood pressure.

References: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC318470/ https://www.consciouslifestylemag.com/medicinal-foods/ https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/in-depth/mediterranean-diet/art-20047801 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/3359447 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8624274 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_China_Study https://nutritionstudies.org/the-china-study/