Several
McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine
faculty members agree: Consuming nourishing foods, using self-discipline, and incorporating healthy eating habits into our lives can be easy, fun, and delicious! Blair Jobe, MD, associate professor of surgery in the Heart, Lung and Esophageal Surgery Institute at the University of Pittsburgh and UPMC, and David Whitcomb, MD, PhD, professor of Medicine, Cell Biology and Physiology, and Human Genetics at the University of Pittsburgh, chief of the Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition, and founder and director of the Center for Genomic Sciences, recently reviewed the book, “The Anti-Cancer Cookbook,” subtitled “How to Cut Your Risk With the Most Powerful, Cancer-Fighting Foods.” The book was written by Julia Greer, MD, MPH—a UPMC physician, cancer researcher, and food enthusiast.
Dr. Jobe says Dr. Greer's cookbook not only “puts principles into action,” but “empowers our patients to take control of their health through evidence-based recommendations for cancer prevention through diet. As a first, there is a comprehensive, yet easily accessible, review of the foods which prevent specific malignancies, such as lung, breast, and colon cancer.”
In the book Dr. Greer explains what cancer is and how antioxidants work to prevent pre-cancerous mutations in your body's cells, and then describes in detail which foods have been scientifically shown to help prevent which types of cancer. She then shares her collection of more than 250 scrumptious recipes for soups, sauces, main courses, vegetarian dishes, sandwiches, breads, desserts, and beverages, all loaded with nutritious ingredients chock-full of powerful antioxidants that may significantly slash your risk of a broad range of cancer types, including lung, colon, breast, prostate, pancreatic, bladder, stomach, leukemia, and others. Dr. Greer even includes tips on how to cook foods to protect their valuable antioxidants and nutrients and how to make healthy anti-cancer choices when eating out.
“This resource will be particularly useful to patients who have a very strong family history and, thus, a genetic predisposition to a certain type of cancer,” Dr. Jobe says. “It enables them to 'do something,' even though the cards are stacked against them genetically.”
"Some people have a higher risk of getting cancers because of a combination of genetics and environmental factors," says Dr. Whitcomb. "We can't change the genetics," he says, "so one other thing we can do is change the environment," which includes what people eat.
"If you're eating right, chances are, you'll have a lower chance of something bad happening," he says.
Illustration: Microsoft clipart.
Read more…
Pittsburgh Tribune-Review (02/10/09)
Bio: Dr. Blair Jobe
Bio: Dr. David Whitcomb