As a nerd, I spend a lot of my time reading science news every day. I hate that I know so many people touched by cancer over the past year, so I put this together hoping it might help.
A lot of this is bleeding-edge research, but scientists have discovered several compounds in common foods that can inhibit and/or kill cancer cells via various pathways. These supplements are cheap and are very well tolerated. I’ve been taking many of them myself daily for years with no side-effects.
If you or someone you know have cancer, these are *not* a substitute for medical treatment, or to be taken against your doctor’s advice. These are intended to compliment your medical treatment (on the theory that every little bit helps), or to help prevent cancer in the first place.
- Quercetin (apples and onions) [research] [supplement]
- Curcumin (found in curry) [research] [supplement]
- Resveratrol (grapes, blueberries, raspberries) [research] [supplement]
- Green tea catechins [research] [supplement]
- Sulforaphane (broccoli, Brussel sprouts, or cabbage) [research] [supplement]
- Honokiol (Magnolia Bark) [research] [supplement]
- Diallyl disulfide (garlic) [research] [supplement]
- Ginger [research] [supplement]
- Baby aspirin [research] [supplement]
- Vitamin D (fatty fish, cheese, milk, eggs, sunlight) [research] [supplement]
- Tocotrienols (a rare form of Vitamin E) [research] [supplement]
- Baicalin (found in Chinese Skullcap) [research] [supplement]
- Capsacin (found in hot peppers) [research] [supplement]
- Bifidobacterium (probiotic supplements) [research] [supplement]
Not all of these may be helpful for a particular type of cancer, so Google the compound above + your particular cancer to see if it helps.
This isn’t something you can do yourself, but something to ask your doctor about. High dose intravenous vitamin C has been shown to have a positive effect on some cancers. You should talk to your doctor to see if it’s appropriate for you, but it’s one of those “can’t hurt, but cheap and might help” things.
Exercise has been found to have a strong effect on cancer, and helps keep your attitude up. So take a walk, run a race, go on a hike, or go bike somewhere.
Stop drinking alcohol. Alcohol is rocket fuel for cancer. And lay off the sugars and processed carbs for the same reason.
Stop using tobacco in any form. The tobacco plant, for reasons unknown, concentrates a radioactive element (Polonium 210) that is often found in fertilizers. Plus, it has all other manner of bad things in it known to cause or promote cancer.
The second leading cause of lung cancers is radon, and unfortunately middle Tennessee has some of the highest radon levels in the country. You should go to Home Depot or Lowes and buy a radon test and test your home and place of work. If the test shows more than 4 picocuries per liter, you need to get a radon remediation. There is *no* safe level of radon.
I will add to this list whenever I find something new and useful that is backed up by actual science (not “granola” science). If you find something new and interesting, please let me know.
Thanks to Alison Anderson for pointing out Honokiol to me.