A brief discussion on the vitamins central to a cancer diet. Includes information on the little known but crucial vitamin B17, plus natural sources of these essential nutrients.
A cancer diet needs particular emphasis on the following vitamins.
Vitamin A
Role: as an anti-oxidant and important for healing.
Natural sources: green and yellow fruits and vegetables, organic animal liver but be careful, a non-organically raised animal’s liver could be full of chemicals!
Beta-carotene – very important in a cancer diet – from carrots in particular, is converted to Vitamin A by the liver, and is a far safer way to get a really good boost of this vitamin, with no dangers of overdosing.
Vitamin B Complex
Role: particularly important to the health of nerves and the production of energy.
Natural sources are chicken, eggs, brewer’s yeast, whole grains, leafy green vegetables, fish.
Vitamin B17 – almost unheard of, but critical in a cancer diet.
B17 interacts with the very large amounts of beta-glucosidase in cancer cells to produce hydrogen cyanide and benzaldehyde. These two poisons combine into an extremely deadly poison that targets cancer cells. The reason that it doesn’t target healthy cells is that although they have small quantities of beta-glucosidase, they also contain rodonase, a substance that cancer cells do not have, that breaks the poison down into compounds that actually assist the bodies immune system!
Natural sources are flaxseed oil, brown rice, brewer’s yeast, lentils, macadamia nuts, pecans, raspberries, strawberries, walnuts, watercress and yams.
Vitamin C
Role: Antioxidant needed to assist over 300 metabolic functions of the body.
Natural sources are citrus fruits, most yellow or red fruits and vegetables, leafy green vegetables.
The body cannot store this very essential nutrient so we need to ingest it daily. As it is not stored it cannot be overdosed.
A word of warning though – do not take Vitamin C supplements at the same time as aspirin – the combination is very irritant to the stomach lining. Also it taking a supplement, look for a buffered form which is digested over a longer period of time and far less irritant. Also avoid chewable tablets – the acidity is not good for the teeth!
Vitamin E, again crucial in a cancer diet.
Role: Antioxidant, used in circulation and tissue repair.
Natural sources include coldpressed vegetable oils, leafy green vegetables, legumes, nuts, seeds and wholegrains. Brown rice, eggs, kelp, oatmeal and sweet potatoes are also good sources.
Just a note – the body needs zinc to maintain levels of Vitamin E in the blood, also take iron supplements at a different time from Vitamin E as some forms of iron will destroy Vitamin E.
As always a diet that draws from all food groups, fruit, vegetable, meat, fish, chicken, grains, nuts, seeds and oils, all eaten as close to the way nature made them is the best cancer diet possible.
