Cancer has become one of the top three causes of death in many developed countries. It is also one of the most complex diseases of our time.
Sebastian Liew
ND, MNHAA,
MHS (University of New England)
Medical Herbalist, Doctor of Naturopathy
Cancer is more prevalent today than previous generations. The overall incidence of cancer is 40% greater than it was 40 years ago, and there are significant deaths from breast, lung, bowel and prostate cancer. Obviously, the environment and lifestyle are great contributors to the increase in incidence of cancer.
In the medical world, we give chemotherapy, surgery, and radiation to get rid of cancer. There has been no real advancement in success of cancer treatment in the last 80 years. I believe it has poor success because it aims at treating the tumour while ignoring the whole- body system – immunity, digestion, lifestyle, diet, mental health etc. Nevertheless, conventional medicine should not be shunned and phytotherapy can be used alongside with conventional medicine for a better outcome. This should be done under the supervision of a qualified, professional, and experienced naturopath or herbalist. Self-prescribed or over the counter health supplements are not encouraged.
It is not my intention here to debate whether conventional or natural medicine is a better option to treat cancer. I believe there is a role to play in each healing method and the objective should always be the interest of the patient – quality of life, survival rate, improved health status etc. It should not be about politics of medicine.
What we need to know is the fact that it takes 20 over years for cancer to develop. Many cases of spontaneous remission from cancer without conventional treatment suggest that there are other forces at play in cancer prevention. These forces may be diet, mental health, exercise, spiritual health etc.
If this is the case, prevention is of utmost importance. Why start eating organic or healthy food only after cancer diagnosis? Prevention is often associated with regular screening. Diagnosing cancer at its earliest stage may be helpful to increase survival. However, the question is – how early is early?
Therefore, instead of just prevention, we should look at promotion of health on a continuous basis, targeting areas of our life which need improvement. When we should start doing this? It is NOW. Please do not assume that cancer only strikes older adults. There is increasing incidences in the younger population.
There are many theories regarding the causes of cancer such as viral, genetic, pollution, chemicals in our food, stress etc. They may be valid and are risk factors. However, each of these may not be the prime cause of cancer.
Perhaps, the late Nobel Prize winner Dr Otto Warburg gave us a clue to the prime cause of cancer – lack of cellular oxygenation or simply lack of oxygen in the cells. To date, no scientists disputed his hypothesis and theory.
One of the key promoters of cancer is inflammation. Chronic low grade inflammation damage the tissue environment and thus cellular oxygenation. Inflammation can be induced by exposure to smoking, excessive alcohol intake, radiation, carcinogens and obesity.
Interestingly, traditional Western herbal medicine also taught us that cancer often develops on old injuries (unresolved inflammation) and thrives when blood is poorly oxygenated. The old herbalist doctors called it stagnation or tissue depression and the person often has a dark or purplish red tongue body. He or she is highly reactive to stress and has chronic slow digestion or metabolism. Digestion and assimilation are so important factors in many diseases prevention such as cancer and therefore I listed it as the 3rd Sacred Letter of Wellness, illustrated in my book Leaf to Life: Unlock nature’s secrets to true health.
In a cancer prevention protocol, we need to work on improving and enhancing the whole body particularly the gut, liver, lymphatics and the thyroid as well as lifestyle factors such as quality of sleep and inner peace.
Eleuthero is an ideal herb to build non -specific resistance to stress of all kinds – physical, chemical, and biological. This herb is confirmed to be one of the best herbs to counter ill effects of stress, as documented in numerous Russian and European studies. It is also an ideal herb to prevent or treat hyperthyroidism or hypothyroidism, thus suggesting its normalising effect on the body.
Garlic (not garlic oil) is also preventive against colon and gastrointestinal related cancer. Garlic also enhances phase II liver activity. This is an important step in cancer prevention. Other herbs that enhances liver detoxification are rosemary, St Mary’s thistle, and broccoli.
Calendula is a lymphatic remedy the helps to remove blood stasis, and helps resolve inflammation and infections. Together with yarrow herb, they play a role in enhancing good blood circulation, lymphatic cleansing and thus oxygenation of the cells.
Dandelion root is a bitter her that clears damp heat and is a powerful liver remedy. It is traditionally used to prevent breast and liver cancer.
Another good remedy for cancer prevention is an elixir made from duckweed. It is an old German recipe by the famed 12th century abbess Hildegard VonBingen. It ‘cleanse’ the blood via lymphatic channels, enhance liver function, and immunity.
Circulation and cellular oxygenation also depends on the presence of essential fatty acids found in plant oils such as flax, pumpkin, and coconut oil. I do not recommend fish oils for the long term as the sources of fish oils nowadays is controversial. In addition, by consuming any one oil in high concentration will cause an imbalance in others. It is better to consume various plant oils as food or in supplement form. It is essential to avoid or minimise food cooked with refined oils, deep fried, and sugar, as these increase inflammations and reduces cellular oxygenation.
In my opinion, when you work on preventing cancer holistically, you are also preventing other common top killer diseases – diabetes, high blood pressure, and arteriosclerosis.
Therefore, I invite you to begin a journey of healing with herbs and if possible, work with a healing centred naturopath or herbalist towards a holistic approach to promoting overall health of body and mind.
Copyright © Sebastian Liew, 2016
About Sebastian Liew:
Dr Sebastian Liew is the first Singaporean medical herbalist and doctor of naturopathy accredited with the Naturopaths and Herbalists Association of Australia. He has over a decade clinical experiences in treating and preventing diseases with phytotherapy (Western herbal medicine). He is also the author of the book Leaf to Life: Unlock nature’s secrets to true health. Please visit http://slnaturopath.com or find us in face book http://facebook.com/slnaturopath. Email: sebastianliew@slnaturopath.com. He is also the co-founder of a herb based vegetarian restaurant Seeds Garden in Melaka (http://seedsgarden.com.my)
