The rise in breast cancer cases among women has attracted much attention in this era of modern medicine. Researchers are spending more time in studying the disease and looking for a possible cure. One of the discoveries about breast cancer is that it is a lifestyle disease since it was unheard of in the past. The reason as to why breast cancer is on the rise is because of poor eating habits and lack of adherence to wholesome dietary practices. Several remedies focusing on eating habits have emerged, one of them being, the Paleo diet that is readily accessible through the Paleohacks cookbook. While some have adopted the diet, others still question how far Paleo diet can aid in breast cancer cure.
What is Paleo Diet?
Paleo diet is a meal plan that involves eating food that is similar to what the ancient people ate during their hunting and gathering lifestyle. Their meals were natural and consisted of nutrients in their original form. Some of the foods that were paid special attention to included meat, fish, fruits, and vegetables.
The modern Paleo diet consists of red meat, vegetables, fish, and fruits. While some suggest that one should avoid eating red meat, paleo diet emphasizes on eating red meat from grass eating animals. The natural meat contains a lower amount of fat hormones and better amino acids compared to the flesh from grain-fed animals.
Red meat is essential to the body since it has saturated fats that make steroid hormones such as estrogen. Food rich in saturated fats also helps promote insulin resistance. Meat from grass-fed animals also has better fatty acids and low contents of hormones. When referring to white meat, cold water fish is the best since it contains high levels of omega 3’s. Vegetables contain
micro nutrients, cancer-fighting substances such as antioxidants and trace minerals. Paleo diet discourages intake of processed vegetable oils since they contain omega-6 oils which cause inflammation and weakens the immune system.
How Paleo diet Works
One of the causes of breast cancer includes high levels of estrogen. Estrogen is a useful hormone in females since it gives them unique characteristics such as breasts and menstrual cycle. It also helps to promote growth and development. Estrogen works with progesterone to promote fertility in a human body. However, high estrogen levels as compared to the progesterone levels lead to a condition known as estrogen dominance which is known for causing breast cancer.
Too much estrogen in the body can be as a result of eating processed food and stress. Processed food is a common cause of obesity and overweight among many people. Those that have excess weight also have a high number of fat cells that converts testosterone to estrogen. The process of turning testosterone into estrogen is known as aromatization. On the other hand, stress decreases the production of progesterone in the body thus causing estrogen dominance. The Paleo diet, as it is constituted, emphasizes on the intake of parsley and cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli since they are natural aromatase inhibitors.
Another cause of breast cancer is poor feeding habits especially the intake of too many sugary products mostly from processed food. Carbs from cereal grains and cow’s milk are said to heighten the level of insulin in the body. Increase in insulin levels and insulin growth factor (IGF1) stimulate tumor growth. Sugar is acidic and provides cancer cells with an ideal
environment to thrive. Cancer patients benefit from paleo diet since it supplies the body with natural sugars. It leads to the low glucose level in the body, less insulin, and less inflammation thus help suppress the growth of the cancer cells.
The Paleo diet includes the intake of proteins, vegetables, and fruits. Proteins are rich in amino acids which help body cells perform actions such as repairing and making new body cells, creating hormones and enzymes. Proteins contribute to a healthy immune system while carbohydrates are the source of energy to the body. The vegetables in the Paleo diet contain micronutrients,
trace minerals, and antioxidants. The adoption of the Paleo diet heightens the body’s immunity and helps one to get rid of excess weight. The combination of proteins, vegetables, and fruits places Paleo diet at a good position in fighting lifestyle diseases such as cancer.
