15 Alternative Approaches to Cancer Treatment
Alternative approaches to Cancer Treatment
Statistics show are likely to be diagnosed with Cancer, and so instead of avoiding the subject, we’ve decided to explore the natural approaches to cancer treatment. We found a lot of interesting research and case studies about non toxic treatments being used as prevention as well as treatment (see below).
The Cancer statistics on survivorship using traditional cancer treatment show that nearly half the cancer survivors are people aged 70+, and only 5% are under 40, with specific cancer survival rates mostly between 2-9% in both women and men (1.2) and the side effects are difficult and serious. (2.1) Many are pressured to adopt radiation, surgery and chemo, without considering alternatives, despite chemo and radiation being intrinsicly carcinogenic (3)
However, research shows most cancers are not a result of genetic disposition, but of lifestyle and environment resulting in pollution in our bodies (1). Still, lifestyle and environmental cancer treatments are not the focus of current research.
Research indicates detoxing our bodies and our lifestyle of pollution is key for cancer treatment (1).
The following alternative treatments have been used as alternatives or alongside allopathic methods of surgery/chemo/radiation.
Mistletoe
Mistletoe, Viscum Album, was found to increase the wellbeing of gastric carcenoma cancer patients(4), Tumour remission was observed after high dosage and local application in some breast and gynecological cancers (5). Quality of life and longevity found to be improved on all scales with Mistletoe treatment. (6). Used often by injection under the skin or into the tumour. (6.1) Known to stimulate and strengthen the immune system.
Frankincense
This essential oil is used in cancer treatment and has powerful cancer healing properties that have been researched over the last decade. It’s also helpful for clearing inflammation, common in many chronic diseases, and in stimulating healing in many body systems, Frankinsense is used both diluted in massage oil, via drops on the tongue, and in oil diffusers. (7)
Curcumin
Turmeric contains curcumin, a powerful anti inflammatory healer, many are making their own curcumin capsules to get a high dose of this potent herb in their diet for prevention and treatment of a variety pf diseases, including cancer. (8)
4.Essiac tea
A blend of Burdock Root, Turkey Rhubarb (used in Chinese medicine to cleanse the colon), Sheep Sorrel (the whole plant including the root) and Slippery Elm. The resulting tea was used by nurse Caisse in Canada to heal over 70,000 terminally ill cancer patients. No side effects documented (10).These herbs all aid and regulate digestion. Find out how to make the tea (9).
CBD oil
Currently used successfully in many cases for management of chronic pain & seizures. CBD oil, often without any THC ( the ingredient that gives a ‘high’) has been used successfully for treating cancer. Uses have included oral and anal intake (mixed with coconut oil) to aid absorption and minimise THC effect if needed. Research shows CBD oil to be highly effective and more effective than drugs in it’s anti-tumour activity. (11)
Nutrition- what foods to eat and which to avoid?
Not covered in medical school- Nutrition! Fresh organic foods have healing phytonutrients, life giving enzymes and alkalising nutrients.
Fresh, organic and alkaline-Salads, smoothies,juices and superfoods- are your true friends.Also, organic fresh vegetables steamed and in soups and fish.
Avoid standard hospital food, it’s highly processed. Processed foods can contain multipe toxic preservatives and additives, hidden sugars and lack vital nutrients.
How to prepare foods for ill bodies and weak digestion systems? Fibre is important to aid digestion and remove toxins, but can
be hard for a weak body to break down the integrity of whole foods. Smoothies are easy to make, digest and assimilate and offers blended fibre, similar to chewing. Fresh juices are easier to digest, with no fibre and are more concentrated/potent food medicine. Recipes for juices containing at least 50% edible green leaf are recomended for their blood purifying properties.
7.Alkalize your Body
Alkaline foods from our diet buffer and balance the strong acids from medication, pollution, diet and metabolic waste products. A diet lacking in alkaline foods results in overly acid body tissues & blood, which weakens and imbalances us on a cellular and systemic level. All chronic conditions happen in overly acidic environments. (12)
Eating 80% alkaline foods with digestive enzymes with meals and regular short fast can help change conditions of excess acidity in the body.
pH strips can be purchased to test your 24 hr urine alkaline-acid balance and can help work towards a healthy pH.
8. Aid Digestion
Food combine carefully (avoid mixing starches, sugars and proteins in same meal- instead eat separately with vegetables), use digestive enzymes, and if needed blend foods into smoothies to aid digestion. Avoid foods you can’t digest as indigestion is costly and reduces immunity. Learn how to tell when your body feels good and what healthy bowel movements look ( and smell!) like!!
Immunity
Probiotics provide essential good bacteria to your gut, and consist of up to 65% of your first line immune system. Probiotics can be taken to strengthen immunity, prevent illness and support digestion.
Eating foods that contain Prebiotics (such as xylitol, bananas, asparagus etc) which feed the good bacteria allow them to thrive and keep you healthy. (13)
Cleansing your colon with fasting, colonic irrigation and herbs clears the bad bacteria, clears the system of wastes, toxins and pathogens & increases immunity.
10. Avoid Sugar
Avoid processed sugar (and all processed foods). White processed Sugar lowers your immunity within 20 min. Cancer cells have an abnormally high amount of sugar receptors on them, meaning sugar literally fuels cancer.(14)
Yoga, Pranayama and Meditation
Mindfulness and movement, relaxation and adaptation, breath (pranayama) including ujjayi breathing help release tension, reduce stress & regulate and balance blood pressure. (15) These techniques work with the psoas muscle, key to tension and trauma release, and with the nerve ‘switching on’ the parasympathetic rest & digest healing system. Studies show that parental yoga & meditation practice may even result in less cancer in offspring. (16)
Colon Cleansing/ Colonic Irrigation
Cleansing the large intestine with herbs or with Hydrotherapy (Colonic irrigation) cleanses out excess ‘bad’ bacteria, wastes, toxins and pathogens lodged in this elimination (and digestion) organ. It is good practice to follow a colonic irrigation with good bacteria (probiotics). Most people have 80% bad bacteria instead of 80% good bacteria, meaning their guts will be producing toxins instead of eliminating toxins. Clearing out these bad bacteria, other wastes, toxins and pathogens is an important step to take before detoxing other organs such as the liver. (17)
13.Fasting
Fasting is one of the key alternative treatments to cancer. Fasting triggers toxin release, called detoxification, and supervision is needed to regulate toxin elimination, avoiding accumulation, reabsorption and autointoxication.(19)
Restricting calories helps the body eliminate toxins, waste products and pathogens from the body, and can even help reduce the toxic effects of chemotherapy and radiation(18).
Note: It is important to have experienced supervisors during your fast. Using colonic irrigation helps clear detoxed toxins from the body and managment of diet using juices or solid foods helps manage the speed of release and slow it down if needed.
Green vegetable juices are useful to juice fasting for their blood cleansing properties.
Gratitude
Our feelings and experiences are also chemical realities in our body. Our body produces chemicals, biochemicals, which change our physicality. (20) Gratitude is known to have a positive impact on the systems within and plays an important part in healing. (21) Psychoimmunology is an exciting new field of study, exploring this mind-body immune connection (22).
Think of 3 things you are grateful for every morning and every evening to increase your positive biochemistry.
15. Other Actions We Can Take to Prevent Cancer
The logical conclusion that the study reaches is that cancer can be prevented by a major lifestyle change from one that promotes cancer to one that inhibits cancer. Naturally. (23)
- Stop smoking
- Increase amount of fruits and vegetables in the diet
- Limit alcohol intake
- Restrict calories (as in fasting or intermittent fasting)
- Exercise
- Lose Weight
- Reduce exposure to toxins via food & drink.
- Reduce absorption of toxins via using toxic products.
- Reduce Environmental pollution.
- Reduce Infections & Inflammation.
- Avoid excessive sunlight
- Eat much less meat
- Use Ginger, Curcumin & Other Spices.
- Eat wholegrains (23)
These major lifestyle changes are simply creating conditions for health to thrive by not overly burdening the body with excessive toxic input daily, as we’re encouraged to do.
See our retreat dates to join the program!
For an extensive exploration of these and more alternative cancer treatments, I recommend Ty Bollinger excellent documentary series on Cancer treatments (The Quest for Cancer).
About the author: Shoshana founded Karuna Detox Retreat mind body detox programs, providing people with a preventative approach to illness, including cancer.
