REVISITING CANCER SURVIVOR DR WU'S RECIPES FOR CONQUERING CANCER

I have posted the above image not to promote Dr Tom Wu's book as it needs no promotion, but rather, to revisit it and find out why my blog article about him written in June 2009 has consistently remained the most read and with the most comments. It has garnered close to 121,400 page views to date (and counting) with 66 comments, mostly seeking to know more.

I first came across Dr Wu while researching on cancer. Here was a doctor who was diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer at age 30. Instead of resigning himself to his fate, he embarked on a strict diet of fruit and vegetable juices. When his recipes proved effective in fighting the cancer, he shared them in his first books published in Mandarin and Thai. The books became bestsellers. When the English translation by Dr Constance Vincent was finally available, of course I had to get a copy.

Youtube videos of Dr Wu on a speaking tour in Bangkok in 2016 show him looking a picture of youthful health. He recently celebrated his 80th birthday in November 2019 - a testament that his recipes do work, not just for him but for many cancer patients who have followed his natural healing recipes, including Dr Constance Vincent's husband who was cured of his lung cancer with Dr Wu's cancer treatment. (See video below).

Regular readers and followers of my FB and blog posts would have noticed a paucity of articles on cures or treatment for various diseases. It is deliberate. I intentionally shy away from posting about 'miracle cures'. I do not want to be held guilty of sharing cures that later turn out to be fake or to have caused serious side effects. To me, there has to be reliable research-based data to support any cure. It is not enough for it to be widely circulated on social media or via word-of-mouth.

True, there are success stories of individuals who have experienced miraculous recovery from end-stage cancers, but these stories are few and far between, and therefore, cannot be considered as definitive cures per se. A popular one that has been circulating for years now is the efficacy of coconut oil to cure patients with Alzheimer's. I don't doubt that it has worked for some people but I would hesitate to recommend it till I see more evidence of its efficacy.

Coconut oil worked for this man, but will it work for others? Can AD be reversed?

I have always believed that what works for one patient may not work for another. Treatment should be personalised as the body's immune system differs from one person to another. If one's immune system is strong, he has a higher chance of healing and recovery. There is also the question of underlying health issues. Finally, how the patient feels is also a determinant in his chances of recovery. A positive mindset and a strong belief in the power of prayer can work miracles too.

Another more recent supposed 'cure' making its rounds on social media is the cure for people afflicted with the Wuhan virus. Apparently, all they need to do is boil 8 pieces of garlic in 7 cups of water for 3-5 mins. Then drink all the water while it is hot/warm and eat all the garlic. Continue doing this every day until full recovery. If only it were that simple....I am sure there are health benefits of drinking boiled garlic water, especially if you add a slice of lemon. But as a cure for the Wuhan coronavirus? Tell that to the China health authorities.

Dr Wu believes firmly in the body's power to heal itself, but this natural immune system has to be built over the years and strengthened with a diet of simple whole foods, regular exercise and a healthy lifestyle. "People get sick because they eat the wrong foods. Fried food, for example, causes blockage in the arteries, bad circulation, cholesterol, and heart disease. Instead of taking a cholesterol lowering drug, I would urge them to stop eating greasy food. My suggestion is to eat clean food, which is high in phytochemicals," he says.

"Phytochemicals are natural cleansing agents that will help rid plaque from your arteries. They come from natural foods such as vegetables, fruits with their seeds, and common garden herbs. Phytochemicals will nourish the body's cells so they can fight against any foreign substances that invade your body."

Last month I attended Dr Christine Gonzales' excellent talk on Eating Natural Foods to Starve & Defeat Cancer. Her message was an echo of Dr Wu's - eat more natural foods for good health and to ward off diseases. If you want to know what foods she recommends, click HERE. 

Of late I have been hearing about friends being diagnosed with cancer. Two have lost the fight, three are undergoing chemotherapy while one has been blessed with full recovery. As we age, we can't help but feel the closeness of our mortality. Longer life expectancy is only a blessing if it comes with good health and it is our responsibility to take care of our health. Writing this article serves a reminder to myself that knowing what to eat is not enough, it is actually doing it that counts. 

If you would like to learn more about cancer, here are two free events you may want to check out:

1. Sat 15 Feb, 9am to 1pm talk on cancer to mark World Cancer Day at Prince Court Medical Centre, Jalan Kia Peng, KL

2. Sat 22 Feb, 8.00am to 5.30pm forum organised by Cansurvive at Manchester Hall Level 3 , Block 2 VSQ @ PJ City Centre Jalan Utara, PJ. More info HERE. 

MIRACLE CURES AND REMEDIES - MYTH OR FACT?

I am often asked why there are few articles on health and medicine on SeniorsAloud blog and SeniorsAloud FB. Surely, at our age health issues are uppermost in our minds. In our daily sourcing for news and info to share with our readers, we often come across articles on miracle cures and quick-fix health tips. We read all the articles, but hesitate to re-post or share them. The same with similar info that comes to us via Whatsapp chat groups.

Cures like this are shared on WhatsApp 
& FB. Where's the source of reference?

Why? It is so easy to share info via social media. So why do we think twice before we click on 'Publish', 'Post' or 'Send'?

The reason is simple. We are mindful of our responsibility to share only health and medical info that is backed by credible sources, and/or supported by reliable research data. We triple-check so-called miracle cures, test out certain health claims and refer to medical professionals before we share the info. If in doubt, we don't. A simple rule but one that we adhere to strictly. We do not want anyone to take our advice, and later inform us that it doesn't work. Or worse, that they suffered terrible side effects!

A case in point. Many of you would have seen the video that has gone viral recently of this lady demonstrating tongue exercises. Apparently doing this daily will prevent Alzheimer's Disease. Is this based on scientific fact? Where is the research data? How come there is no mention of it from world-renown cancer research universities like Johns Hopkins or from Azheimer's Disease Organizations? For sure, you won't see this video posted on our SeniorsAloud blog or FB.

This cancer update keeps re-surfacing and circulating on the internet. It's a hoax!

When in doubt, always check the source to see if a claim is a fact or a hoax. With Google search, we can verify almost anything. Having said that, the internet is also often the source of much misinformation and untruths. We just have to broaden our search coverage, do some investigative work and apply a bit of common sense to conclude whether this piece of info is genuine, or not.

Now that we have made our stand clear, allow us to offer some advice to well-meaning folks out there who routinely share info on health and nutrition, and remedies for all kinds of ailments and diseases. For all your good intentions, you may be doing more harm than good. Take the example of bananas. It is recommended for a multitude of medical conditions. But for people with diabetes, it is advisable as a precautionary measure to know how much to take, as bananas have high sugar content.

The claims may have some basis, but be suspicious of any single food or wonder medicine that is a cure-all.

Here are some questions to reflect on before we circulate info on the health benefits and curative effects of certain foods:

1. Do we have any medical qualifications that allow us to share medical advice with others? 
2. Do we have any background training or experience in healthcare?
3. Have we checked out if a miracle cure is genuine or a hoax? 
4. Have we personally tried out a natural cure, or know someone who has?
5. Some of us may have underlying health issues that could cause complications if we take unverified miracle cures or wonder drugs. What works for one person may not work for another. We are all different. Are we ready to offer advice based on hearsay and claims? 

By circulating medical or dietary advice that is forwarded to us by friends or that is sourced from dubious websites, we are no better than armchair travellers who have never ventured beyond the comfort of their homes, but who would readily dish out travel tips to back-packers travelling to India for the first time, or to retirees on their maiden holiday cruise to the Caribbean.

This blogger did the right thing by inserting a disclaimer, so readers are forewarned.

Are you prepared to be held responsible if someone suffers adverse effects from following the advice that you share? At least put in a disclaimer that anyone who follows the advice does so at his own risk. 

IS CANCER DUE TO BAD LUCK TOO?

(Photo from the researchers: C.Tomasetti, B.Vogelstein; Illustrator: Elizabeth Cook. Source: Johns Hopkins)

At our age, that is, 60s and 70s, we probably know of at least two or more people who have lost their battle against cancer. Everyone fears the big "C". The good news is many types of cancer are no longer terminal if diagnosed and treated early. Still, no one wants to hear a cancer prognosis from their doctor. The mere mention of the word is enough to invoke strong emotions of disbelief and despair in the patient.

I lost one of my aunts to lung cancer a while back. She never smoked in her entire life, but years of living with a chain smoker and inhaling secondary smoke probably contributed to her cancer. Her husband my uncle lived a longer life than she did. The irony of it.

That's a whole lot of smoke being exhaled. Imagine the damage that can do to our lungs over the years. 

We all know people who practise healthy living, meditate daily and faithfully go for regular medical check-ups. Yet they end up with cancer. On the other hand, there are those who break all the rules of clean, healthy living, and still live to a ripe old age, virtually disease-free, and with no major health problems.

Doesn't make sense, does it? It begs the questions - who gets cancer, who doesn't, and who recovers and who doesn't? Does God have a say in this? Or is it karma at work?

Perhaps the answer lies in the latest findings of a research study carried out by Dr B.Vogelstein and C.Tomasetti and published in Science on 1 January 2015.

The researchers: (left) Dr. Bert Vogelstein is professor of oncology at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, co-director of the Ludwig Center at Johns Hopkins and an investigator at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute; (right) Cristian Tomasetti is a biomathematician and assistant professor of oncology at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and Bloomberg School of Public Health.

“All cancers are caused by a combination of bad luck, the environment and heredity, and we’ve created a model that may help quantify how much of these three factors contribute to cancer development,” says Dr Vogelstein. (Click HERE to read about the methodology used.)

Bad luck? Hardly a scientific explanation, is it? A convenient answer, but not good enough to satisfy those who ask "Why me?"

According to the researchers, it is possible to mathematically quantify one's cancer risk by plotting the number of times a stem cell divides. The higher the number of divisons, the more likely the cells will mutate into cancer cells. However, they weren't able to include some major forms of cancer, such as breast and prostate cancer, due to a lack of reliable research on the rate of stem cell division in those areas.

Pity, because I have lost more friends and relatives from these two cancers than from other types of cancer.

Sabah snake grass (clinacanthus nutans) - a cure
for cancer? Doctors have warned against taking it. 

While still on the subject of cancer, I owe an explanation to the many well-meaning people who forward to me articles and videos about the latest cures for cancer. They wonder why I do not post the information on SeniorsAloud blog or facebook page to share with others.

I sincerely thank them for their thoughtful gesture, but conventional wisdom tells me since I have no medical background, I am in no position to support any claims of a cancer cure.

What works for one person may not necessarily work for another. I certainly do not want to be guilty of causing anyone to suffer complications arising from my sharing of a particular so-called cancer cure. And they are many such dubious cures on the Internet.

One example is the above. Would I want to share information about this herb that carries a '98%' cure claim? How much do I personally know about the efficacy of this herb? What if someone took the herb and suffered adverse side effects? Would I be held responsible to some extent? Yet articles about miracle cancer cures are popping up everywhere on Facebook.

The point to make is this. Let's do the research before sharing or recommending anything that claims to be good for our health, especially health products and supplements that carry a hefty price tag.

BOMBARDED WITH HEALTH TIPS AND MIRACLE CURES

I always hesitate when it comes to re-posting or sharing articles on health tips and miracle cures. The internet is replete with websites and YouTube videos that tout the perfect answer to our medical conditions, for example, the most effective way to remove kidney stones or the best way to detox. On average I get at least 4-5 such emails a day. I read them all, save the more credible ones, and delete the rest.

There is a valid reason for this hesitation. Most of these articles bear no mention of the original source. Even if a name is stated, and the writer is a medical professional, how do we know if he is not a fictitious person or using a pseudonym? Some of these health remedies claim to be backed by reputed and respectable institutions. Do we fall for these claims line, hook and sinker without doing some research on their authenticity?

An email about a cancer cure purportedly sent by Johns Hopkins Hospital has been making its rounds since 2004. I have lost count of the number of times it has been forwarded to me over the years. The article is in fact a hoax. Yet there are people who have circulated it among their friends or posted it on their Facebook page, thus garnering more believers and keeping the hoax alive. They should do some homework first before sharing the content with their friends. One of the more reliable websites to check whether a piece of information is a hoax or not is Snopes.

Would you believe a website post that claims a 100% scientifically-proven way to help you get rid of diabetes in three weeks? Or that wearing a scalar pendant made of volcanic ash will improve blood circulation, enhance memory and energy? Or that taking soursop can slow down the growth of cancer cells?

Snake grass is in high demand as a cancer cure. It is now available as a drink and as pills.

While certain natural foods may work for some people, they may not be as effective for others. Indeed, they may even have disastrous results or cause serious side-effects. We are all made differently with different DNA. Drinking a glass of prune juice every day may relieve constipation for some people, but may have little or no effect for others. Be wary too of claims that Sabah snake grass can cure cancer. Again, it may prove to be the magical cure for some, but for others the same snake grass offers only false hopes.

There are bad habits that are detrimental to our health yet some folks don't seem to be affected by these habits. Take smoking. No one can deny that smoking is hazardous to health, but having said that we all know of folks who have lived to a ripe old age puffing away on a pack or two of cigarettes a day. Cigar-chomping George Burns lived to a 100, and died of cardiac arrest in 1996, not lung cancer. On the other hand, Wayne McLaren, one of the Malboro men, died of lung cancer at the age of 51. So how does one explain this? No wonder die-hard smokers throw caution to the wind, and anti-smoking campaigns show little success.

There is also the confusion created by conflicting reports, including those issued by doctors and medical researchers. Coffee, tea, milk - is drinking these good or bad for health? What about egg yolk - eat it or avoid it at all costs? There are opposing views on these, and all claim to be backed by extensive research and years of study. What should we believe? Who should we listen to?

When you have dengue, you will try anything. It's easy to be
cynical about the efficacy of a cure when we are in good health.

Too good to be true? One glass is not enough.

Let's not forget businesses that stand to reap big profits from news of any study that shows health benefits of a particular food or juice. Reports about the benefits of drinking coffee gave Starbucks a huge boost in earnings. And if enough people claim that eating egg yolk strengthens the heart muscles, it's a sure bet the price of eggs will soar in response to a hike in demand, never mind the lack of creditable studies to prove the veracity of such claims.

Now you know why this blog does not carry many posts on health claims, like consuming green papaya to get rid of uric acid, or drinking celery juice to lower blood pressure. In the first place, I have no way of verifying the information unless the original source is mentioned. In the second place, I am not medically qualified to make any statement to support these claims. Neither have I tested any of them to vouch for its effectiveness. Have you?

And the final reason is, of course, to maintain the integrity of this blog.