Our entire DNA contains the equivalent of about 500,000 typewritten pages of information. And like any complicated system, the more parts there are, the higher the chance that something will go wrong. Our normal cells, therefore, in the course of cell division, encounter thousands of DNA "errors", which are fortunately usually detected and repaired. You see, our DNA is under a life-long attack - zapped up to 1,000 times a day by toxins that are in the environment and in the foods we eat. An overall measure of the daily seige that DNA undergoes is called its "oxidative load." Without getting into too much detail, when a chemical reaction occurs in our body that uses oxygen, elements called "free radicals" are the by-product. These elements cut and hack away at DNA at a furious pace. Inside our bodies, they are created through the process of fat metabolism. External sources include cigarette smoke, pollutants, pesticides, and food additives. Fortunately, the body has a mechanism to protect against damage from free radicals. And that mechanism makes use of - you guessed it - antioxidants. Antioxidant nutrients squelch free radicals by lowering our oxidative load before they can injure our bodies. The lower our oxidative load, the lower our risk of cancer.
Yes, it's a lot to bite off, so to speak, but it makes sense when you think about it. We have been told that carrying too much weight, especially around our back and middle, predisposes us to certain cancers. Well, if free radicals are created through fat metabolism, that makes a lot of sense. And think back to the disaster at Love Canal if you don't think that pesticides and other pollutants can mess up our systems. Besides the fact that ducks and geese were born with their wings on backwards or with their intestines on the outsides of their bodies, the cancer rate at Love Canal was far above the "National Average". As it was in the neighborhood where I grew up. I am convinced that 4 out of the 5 of us in my family got cancer because our home was upwind from Mobil Oil refineries that spewed out so many noxious fumes that our schools had to be closed on the days that the air was "unbreathable". But there is something you can do - it has a lot to do with why I changed my diet.
Stay tuned tomorrow for Part 2 of Cancer Prevention 101 - "Antioxidants: A Simple Primer"....
Until then, happy and healthy eating!!
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