​So You Want to Prevent Cancer?

The FDA is currently testing samples of the diabetes drug metformin for the carcinogen—N-Nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA). There was a recall of heartburn and blood pressure medications in the last two years contaminated with this same substance. 
 
Metformin is generally the first medication prescribed for people with type 2 diabetes, and the fourth most prescribed drug in the U.S. More than 30 million people in the U.S. have diabetes, and 90 to 95% are type 2. 
 
As we investigate a possible carcinogenic contaminate for a drug used to manage diabetes—I think it’s also important to create awareness of known human carcinogens that many of us may consume or are exposed to often, either knowingly or unknowingly. Here are a few that may sound familiar to you and if they are not, for your enlightenment then.
 
List of known human carcinogens:

• Alcoholic beverages
• Acetaldehyde (from consuming alcoholic beverages)
• Tobacco, smokeless
• Tobacco smoke, secondhand
• Tobacco smoking
• Wood dust 
• Benzene (plastics, gasoline, paints, detergents, etc)
• Estrogens, steroidal (estrogen replacement therapy in postmenopausal women, for example) 
• Processed meat (consumption of)
• Solar radiation (yep, from the sun)
• Diesel fuel pollution (it’s in the air)

 
Probable human carcinogens:

• Nitrates and Nitrites
• Very hot beverages (above 65 degrees Celsius)

 
Additionally, most of us know that obesity and overweight are related to chronic disease including diabetes and cancer. But “knowing” does not always correlate with making change, yet awareness may move the needle in a positive direction.
 
What we know is that:

1. Smoking causes type 2 diabetes. Smokers are 30-40% more likely to develop type 2 diabetes than nonsmokers. About 15 percent of the US population still smokes, and tobacco use is the leading preventable cause of cancer and cancer deaths.
2. Weight gain and BMI are central to the formation of rising incidence of both type 1 and type 2 diabetes. Not all overweight people become diabetic and the mechanisms continue to be studied. Yet, most patients with type 2 diabetes are obese.
3. Cancers associated with obesity make up 40% of cancers diagnosed in the United States. That is, overweight and obesity are associated with increased risk of 13 types of cancer. As a matter of fact, 55 percent of all cancers diagnosed in women and 24 percent in men, are associated with overweight and obesity. It is the excess body fat that increases your risk for several cancers, yet all of the mechanisms are still not clearly understood.
4. More than 30 million Americans have diabetes and more than 84 million US adults ( 1 in every 3 adults) have prediabetes. For those with pre-diabetes, studies show that if you lose five to 10 percent of your body weight, it is likely that you can turn back the clock and never get diabetes! And if you have diabetes, you can lessen your medications and manage the disease better.
5. Adults with diabetes are nearly twice as likely to die from heart disease or stroke than people without diabetes. Add on the risk of kidney failure and blindness.

 
It’s unfortunate that some grow up in environments that do not promote health. And we know that healthy habits created in our youth are much easier to carry into adulthood than trying to break less healthy habits as adults. To make healthy changes,  we must start with something that we are willing to do to build upon. Here is a list of suggestions.

1. Go for at least a ten minute walk. Start any exercise that appeals to you. Start today.
2. Choose a piece of fruit or bright colored veggie for a snack instead of packaged processed foods.
3. Take a 20 minute nap if you are tired instead of junk snacking or drinking a mid-day coffee.
4. Eliminate soda. Or start reducing consumption. Stop buying Starbucks sugar laden beverages! Replace it with something healthier so you still get the reward without the junk. 
5. Drink water. 
6. Call a friend, walk with a friend, have a walking meeting rather than meeting for coffee.
7. Fifty percent of people who quit smoking do so cold turkey. The other half who quit used a quit program. Both sides have support of some kind. It’s possible!
8. Drink less alcohol. If you don’t drink, don’t start. 
9. Eliminate lunch meats and make sandwiches from leftover meat such as chicken and green leafy salads. Choose whole wheat or whole grain breads. 
10. Try eliminating processed food for at least one day to create self-awareness of what foods you might be consuming more than you are aware of. Then decide what you are willing to change. Food tracking helps here as well.
11. Add leafy greens to meals. Make leafy greens a meal. Toss in other bright veggies, beans, small amounts of nuts or seeds, avocado. 
12. Cook healthy meals ahead of time so healthy food is available when you get hungry. It absolutely needs to be available. 
13. Here are one and two of my personal favorites to have around. 
14. Chase a dream. It will put your mind on healthier things, make you happy and give you less time to do less healthy things. 

 
We can reduce our cancer risk by taking healthy steps toward a healthier tomorrow. Find what motivates you and tie it to something you value. There are strong reasons to help cultivate health, but they have to be strong meaningful reasons to you. Find your why. 
 
©Health Inspires, LLC
©Kathryn Scoblick 
www.healthinspires.com

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