Foods that can help you prevent head and neck cancer

Over 80% of head and neck cancers are related to smoking, the active ingredients in turmeric, green tea, pomegranate, orange and dark green vegetables .

Head and neck cancer accounts for 3-5% of all cancers. Statistics in 2009 in the United States has more than 48,000 people suffering from head and neck cancer, the estimated death rate is over 11,200 cases. Over 80% of head and neck cancers are related to smoking. Both smoking and drinking alcohol increase your risk. Therefore, to prevent cancer in general and head and neck cancer in particular, the first thing to do is eliminate these two risk factors.

Despite many advances in diagnosis, early detection as well as treatment of head and neck cancer, the survival of this cancer patient has only improved in the last 3 decades. To date, many studies have identified the role of certain substances in nature or synthesized to inhibit, delay or reverse the steps of the process of switching from "precancerous injury" to cancer. invade. These substances also work to prevent primary cancer and prevent relapse after treatment.

There are more than 200 substances that have been studied to help prevent cancer. Some natural or synthetic substances that are widely used to prevent head and neck cancer are as follows:

Retinoids

Some foods rich in vitamin A. (Photo: betterhealth).

Retinoids include vitamin A and its derivatives. Retinoids have long been studied as a substance that can prevent cancer. They bind to specific receptors and regulate gene expression, thereby affecting cancer cell growth, pre-cancer, differentiation and programmed cell death. Study synthetic retinoids in oral leukemia patients, resulting in a 43% reduction in total lesions.

Retinoids are found in many animal-derived foods such as meat, fish, liver, eggs, butter, whole milk .

Beta carotene

Beta carotene (vitamin A precursor) is an antioxidant that is abundant in yellow, orange, green vegetables, such as dark green vegetables, gac fruit, carrots, pumpkin . The study on oral leukemia patients used beta carotene 30 mg daily with vitamin C and vitamin E for a period of nine months, helping to improve injury by 56%.

Vitamin E

Is a fat-soluble vitamin and has antioxidant properties. Vitamin E is found in many foods such as nuts, vegetable oil, olive oil, and pear.

Studies show that vitamin E has the ability to inhibit the development of certain types of cancer such as breast, prostate and head and neck cancer. Experimental studies for oral hyperkeratosis showed that 46% of lesions were regressive and tolerated very well.

Selenium

Selenium is a rare micronutrient necessary for cell function. Once absorbed, they combine with proteins to form selenoproteins. This is an antioxidant that prevents cell damage from free radicals. Selenoprotein also plays a role in regulating thyroid and immune function, preventing or slowing cell growth by increasing cellular immunity and tumor proliferation.

In India, patients on low-dose selenium had higher rates of cancer than patients taking high doses of selenium. Patients undergoing cancer treatment are given 200 mg of selenium to enhance cell immunity and effectively cytotoxic on the tumor.

Using selenium requires a doctor's prescription because large amounts of selenium can cause poisoning. In plants, selenium is found in legumes, coffee, garlic, apples, pears, cereals, white radish, cabbage, wheat and some mushrooms. In selenium animals are abundant in fish, shrimp, crabs, shellfish, snails, meat. In particular, the skin and liver of fish species contain the most selenium content, followed by copper shrimp, lean pork and chicken egg yolk.

Green tea extract

Green tea contains active ingredients resistant to tumors.(Photo: bbcgoodfood).

In green tea contains EGCG, which is resistant to tumors because it prevents common EGFR phosphorylation in most types of cancer. Excessive expression of EGFR occurs in 80-90% of head and neck cancers, increasing invasiveness of cancer cells, increasing resistance to chemotherapy and reducing survival.

Some other active ingredients are able to prevent cancer in the head of the neck that contains much in turmeric, black raspberry, pomegranate .

Bowman-Birkman inhibitor

In the 1940s, Bowman discovered serine protease inhibitor, soybean extract. Birk then refined and named Bowman-Birkman inhibitor.

Some studies have found that regions in Japan that consume a lot of soy, the incidence of cancer such as breast, colon and prostate is low. This substance is now in essence and concentrated from soybeans for use as an anti-cancer agent and to prevent cancer.