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How Cancer Cells Spread in the Body
Cancer can sometimes be found in several parts of the body. Most of the time, these are not separate types of cancer. Rather, cancer has developed in one organ and spread to other areas. When cancer spreads, it’s called metastasis.
In metastasis,
cancer cells break away from where they first formed, travel through the blood or lymph system, and form new tumors in other parts of the body. Cancer can spread to almost anywhere in the body. But it commonly moves into bones, liver, or lungs.
When these metastasized tumors form, they are made of the same kind of cancer cells as the original tumor. For example, lung cancer cells that are found in the brain don’t look like brain cells. This disease would be called metastatic lung cancer, not brain cancer.
Why diet is important to block spreading the cancer?
Diet plays a major role in the prevention of cancer, cancer growth factors and cancer metastasis. In fact, 75%-85% of cancers diagnosed in one study in the United States showed that unhealthy lifestyle factors were the primary causes of cancer which may have been prevented with improved dietary changes. Researchers believe that 30% of deaths associated with cancer can be prevented from diet alone.
8 Nutrients That Help prevent Cancer Metastasis
Metastasis is responsible for more than 90% of cancer deaths due to its systemic nature and higher drug resistance. Therefore, new molecular or clinical strategies are needed to counteract metastasis, the aggressive feature of cancer.
**The following 8 nutrients are some of the best dietary compounds you can introduce into your diet daily to inhibit the spread of cancer. Incorporating foods containing these nutrients will help starve cancer growth, substantially reducing the risk of cancer development and may even reverse the progression of cancer that has already spread.
1.Fucoidan
Fucoidans are sulphated polysaccharides that can be obtained from brown seaweed and marine invertebrates. Fucoidan has anti-cancer properties such as targeting multiple signaling pathways and molecular systems within malignant cells to prevent cancer.
In cancer, many cells develop the ability to invade adjacent tissue components of its primary organ and spread to other organs. This process is called metastasis that involves several steps including altered cellular adhesions, cell motility, resistance to extracellular death signals, and disruption of the basement membrane. A recent study demonstrated that fucoidan from F. vesiculosus was able to inhibit the *EMT which is a critical step in the metastasis development.
In addition, fucoidan has been shown to decrease the activity or expression of transforming growth factor receptors (TGFRs). This activity blocks the process and its morphological changes and subsequently induce the inhibition of cancer migration and invasion.
*EMT: epithelial–mesenchymal transition is a process that cancer cells, which were epithelial cells, are transformed into mesenchymal cells. Through this process, the cells acquire mobility and invasiveness, promoting metastasis of cancer cells.
2. Ursolic Acid
Ursolic acid is a plant oil and phytonutrient. It is found in herbs like holy basil and oregano, the skin on apples, and bilberries.
Taking more ursolic acid may support the treatment of cancer in the pancreas, cervix, lung, colon, skin, and breast. Ursolic acid has been shown to disrupt cancerous activity by destroying the survival mechanisms that cancer cells are reliant upon. For instance, ursolic acid triggers apoptosis which is inhibiting the replication of damaged DNA and cancer metastasis.
3. Vitamin D
Vitamin D is a nutrient can be found in our daily diet such as tree ear mushroom, salmon, herring, mackerel, pacific saury, cheese, milk, and egg yolks. Vitamin D is critical to the production of a cancer-fighting protein called GcMAF which inhibits cancer metastasis and even has the capability to reverse the devastating effects of cancer on the body.
Receiving a healthy dose of vitamin D daily supports GcMAF synthesis and consequently shuts down pro-cancer receptors and enzymes that encourage metastasis.
4. Curcumin
Curcumin is a yellowish compound found in large amounts in turmeric (the main ingredient in curry). It is a powerful antioxidant that can prevent and treat diseases associated with chronic inflammation like cancer. Curcumin has been traditionally used as an herbal remedy in Chinese and Indian medicine for a variety of health ailments.
5. EGCG
The cancer-preventive effects of EGCG (epigallocatechin-3-gallate) have been closely studied for almost three decades now. EGCG is a polyphenolic compound that is commonly known for its concentration in green tea.
It is one of the primary nutrients associated with improving health and healing in ancient Chinese medicine. Consumption of EGCG is believed to suppress tumor growth associated with several tissues in the body such as the prostate, bladder, intestines, liver, pancreas, lungs, and oral cavity.
6. Sulforaphane
One of the best chemoprotective nutrients that prevents the formation of free radicals and growth of tumors is sulforaphane. This nutrient can be found from sulfur-rich vegetables, which are broccoli, cabbage, and water cress such as cruciferous vegetables. This nutrient reduces inflammation and protects against cancer growth by boosting the body’s natural detoxification pathways to eliminate toxins and support the immune response.
7. Quercetin
Quercetin can be found onion, apple, strawberry, grapes, like our daily diet. Quercetin is a super antioxidant that stimulates the body’s natural detoxification pathways and exhibits natural anti-cancer properties. High intake of quercetin in an individual’s diet suppresses cancer cell proliferation, reduces oxidative damage, and inhibits the activity of a mutant gene associated with tumor growth known as P53.
8. Apigenin
This flavonoid exhibit chemo preventive properties by inhibiting the invasion of cancer cells to new tissue and the growth of tumors. Apigenin can be found from apple, bean, parsley, tomato, onion, broccoli, cherry, grape, chamomile tea. Apigenin reduces free radical activity and aids in the elimination of toxins from the body. It has been extensively used to maintain the health of the stomach, kidneys, liver, and blood.
