Did you know that cancer rates have doubled in the last 30 years and some cancers have tripled in people under 16 year olds?
For our young children and teenagers, this rise has occurred at a frightening 7% per year. Several causative factors have been implicated in this rise and it is vital that more is done to prevent cancer and halt this growing trend.
Here’s what you can do:
1. Don’t use pesticides on your lawn or garden and eat only organic food. Pesticides can cause cancer. According to the journal Cancer Causes Control, “In animal studies, many pesticides are carcinogenic, (e.g., organochlorines, creosote, and sulfallate) while others (notably, the organochlorines DDT, chlordane, and lindane) are tumor promoters... Human data, however, is limited by the small number of studies that evaluate individual pesticides. Epidemiologic studies, although sometimes contradictory, have linked phenoxy acid herbicides or contaminants in them with soft tissue sarcoma (STS) and malignant lymphoma; organochlorine insecticides are linked with STS, non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL), leukemia, and, less consistently, with cancers of the lung and breast; organophosphorous compounds are linked with NHL and leukemia; and triazine herbicides with ovarian cancer.”
2. Cut out toxic cleaners for your home. Many cleaners contain formaldehyde, phenols, ammonia and other harmful products known to cause cancer. Go back to basics and use good old fashioned white vinegar to clean your home!
3. Cut out toxic toiletries – many cosmetics also contain harmful chemicals like formaldehyde, sodium lauryl Sulphate (SLS), which when added to other ingredients like those in shampoo, can form nitrosamines that are carcinogenic. Talc has been known to cause ovarian cancer if it is used on the genital area. Buy only environmentally friendly toiletries.
4. Weigh up the pros and cons carefully before you have a vaccine. All vaccines have never been tested for their carcinogenic affect. For instance, the Gardasil vaccine manufacturer’s data sheet says 'Gardasil has not been evaluated for the potential to cause carcinogenicity'. Vaccines also contain cancer causing agents like formaldehyde, aluminium, thimerosal (a 50% mercury compound) and sodium borate.
5. Reduce the amount on time you spend on your cell phone or at your computer. Too much exposure to electromagnetic fields created by these items are known to trigger cancer. This is because electromagnetic fields suppress the production of melatonin, allowing tumors to grow. Melatonin stops cancer and regulates sleep. Children are more susceptible to the affects of computers and cell phones than adults.
Sources: Cancer Causes Control. 1997 May;8(3):420-43.
Merck and Co. Inc, data sheet for Gardasil, July 2007
Breastcancerfund.org
Canceractive.com
Joanna is a freelance health writer for The Mother magazine and Suite 101 with a column on infertility, http://infertility.suite101.com/
She is author of the book, 'Breast Milk: A Natural Immunisation' and co-author of an educational resource on disabled parenting, in addition to running a charity for people damaged by vaccines or medical mistakes.