Benefits of Juicing for Cancer Patients

COLD PRESSED JUICES & CANCER 

We all know someone with cancer. It is getting more common and statistics are getting higher year by year. Cancer has been found to be the fourth most common cause of death in Malaysia, the Health Ministry has said in its latest report called the Malaysian Study on Cancer Survival (MySCan). The most common cancer in Malaysia for men is colorectal cancer, followed by lung cancer and nasopharynx cancer. Meanwhile, for women, breast cancer is the most common cancer, followed by colorectal cancer and cervix cancer.

It was revealed that cancer is responsible for 12.6 per cent of all deaths in government hospitals — but the rate was more than doubled in private hospitals, at 26.7 per cent. 

One of the major cause of cancer is our choice of diet. Just as diet can cause cancer, the right diet can also reverse and prevent. There are 3 stages of cancer; Initiation, Promotion, Progression. Promotion stage is REVERSIBLE and mainly respond to NUTRITIONAL FACTORS. Animal-based diet is proven as one of the cancer-promoting factors, and on the other hand, plant-based foods acting as anti-promoting factors. 

Diet intake recommendations to prevent cancer includes:

• Emphasize on plant foods
• Choose vegetables, whole fruits and other low calories foods
• Limit processed meat, red meat and sugar-sweetened beverages
• At least 2.5 cups of vegetables and fruits per day
• Limit alcohol to less than 1 drink/day for women and less than 2 drinks per day for men

(Reference: American Cancer Society Guidelines on Nutrition and Physical Activity for Cancer Prevention, 2012)

Many cancer patients struggle with nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite, chewing difficulty and altered taste, especially after chemotherapy. That is why juicing is important as it can be part of their diet to gain extra energy and nutrients.

Benefits of Cold-pressed juices in cancer cases: 

The best in addressing the daily requirements of fruits and vegetables (400g/day) which can be equal to only 2.5 glass of juices. 

World Health Organization has recommended consuming more than 400g of fruits and vegetables per day to prevent various diseases. Meanwhile, to prevent cancer, the American Cancer Society has recommended drinking 2.5 cups of fruits and vegetable juice per day.

No added sugar 

Juices contain no added sugar as it is 100% extracted from vegetables and fruits. It is important to note that being overweight or obese increases the risk of 13 different types of cancer. Hence, by having less fruit and more vegetables in the juice, cancer patients can reap the benefits from juicing.

Varieties of vitamins and minerals packed in one glass

Apart from eating at least 5 servings of fruits and vegetables per day, 5 spectrums of colours of fruits and vegetables should also be consumed to get all those different nutrients. By incorporating different colours of fruits and vegetables, your body receives different types of nutrients in just a glass of juice.

No heat that can affect the nutrient content

Most of the vitamins are sensitive with the presence of heat as it will destroy the vitamins, especially vitamin C. However, a slow juicer does not use a blade to crush the fruits and vegetables, hence no heat present. 

Faster absorption rate and easier to digest as the plant cell wall has been broken down

Note that juice is in the simplest form, hence the body doesn’t need enzymes to break down and digest the juice. That is why it is 12 times faster to be absorbed by the body when drinking juice as compared when you ingest raw ingredients.

Ease the strain of detoxification in the body

The juicing method has stripped out the insoluble fibre in the juice, hence the body doesn’t have to break down the fibre in the digestive system. All the nutrients are immediately entering the body and easier for other organs to release a buildup of toxins in our body system.

These are the top 8 ingredients for cancer:

• Kale : Prevents apoptosis, tumour formation and activated carcinogens.
• Spinach : Reverses the side effects of carcinogens caused by higher cooked meat consumption.
• Broccoli : Keeps liver in a good condition.
• Pineapple : Has powerful anti-tumoural properties and strengthens the immune system.
• Ginger : Protects healthy tissue against adverse effects (radiotherapy, chemotherapy).
• Cucumber : Prohibits cancer cells from metastasizing
• Grapefruit : Encourage DNA repair
• Beetroot : Increase the level of blood oxygen by 400% and protect anti-cancer nutrients. 

Embrace varieties of complex carbohydrate, protein, good fat, the fibre in your daily diet. However, it is important to note that juice is to boost your nutrient intake, but not a meal replacement.