Integrative Holistic Nutritional Oncology

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Despite significant progress in the treatment of certain forms of cancer (such as leukemia in children), cancer in general remains a major cause of death. The war on cancer is currently being fought with chemotherapy, radiation and surgery, but sadly this process is devastating for the patient and the battle oftentimes is lost. However, nutritional therapy is an exciting, new holistic medical approach with a prominent role in cancer prevention as well as cancer treatment within Integrative Holistic Nutritional Oncology Programs.

The literature points to genetic causes of cancer at only five to ten percent, while environmental influence is attributable to a dramatic ninety to ninety five percent of all cancers. Diet alone accounts for up to thirty-five percent of all environmental influencers, which surprisingly exceeds tobacco (thirty percent). Cancer prevention therapies for at-risk patients are increasingly incorporating nutrition and diet to improve overall wellness, keep body tissues healthy, fend off infection, promote a strong immune system and manage body weight. It is now well understood that factors like nutrition, obesity and physical activity can promote or inhibit cancer development and progression. For example, excess body weight affects the immune system and inflammatory process, increases insulin and estrogen hormone levels, interferes with cell division and insulin-like growth factor (IGF-1) and affects protein synthesis.

For those patients with cancer, nutritional therapy has been shown to promote cellular health, boost energy and stamina, and slow or stop cancer. Other benefits include improving quality of life by increasing tolerance and response to therapies, reducing the ill-wanted side effects that may impede recovery, decreasing the rate of complications, and offsetting the deadly catch-22 of conventional treatments (which by themselves cause inflammation) setting the stage for the cancer to recur.

Our bodies can be nutritionally influenced to prevent and defeat cancer.

Cancer cells do not exist in isolation; they are a part of an environment. New research finds tumors contain a collection of recruited, generally normal cells that create the “tumor microenvironment.” Each exists in the extracellular matrix of a tumor and can produce growth factors, cytokines and inflammatory mediators, which provide a support system for malignant cell transformation, tumor growth and DNA damage. The ability for a cell to effectively prevent or repair DNA damage is dependent on the extracellular and intracellular microenvironment (including macro and micronutrients) and adequate energy.

Integrative Holistic Nutritional Oncology targets the OncoMetabolic Milieu to influence the tumor microenvironment in the war against cancer. The OncoMetabolic Milieu is a cluster of nutritional, metabolic and hormonal factors which interact with cancer cells. Those interactions are multifactorial in nature, including epigenetics, which is the environment ‘speaking’ to the cancer cell genes and immune cell genes.  Therefore, it is important to 1) evaluate the environment, 2) analyze nutritional, metabolic and hormonal influences and 3) optimize immune competence making it unfavorable for cancer progression.

Nutritional therapy is an important component of the Integrative Holistic Nutritional Oncology Program at The Centre For Vibrant Health And Wellness because of its far reaching impact on cellular health. Dr. Christine Salter MD, DC, ND, designs programs for patients, who have had cancer, are at high risk for cancer or who currently have cancer. The overall goal is to strengthen the client’s immune system and remove metabolic factors that promote tumor growth or metastasis by employing multiple cutting edge holistic and biomedical approaches tailored for cellular restoration. The program is personalized and multifaceted. It includes evidence-based whole food nutrition and supplementation, homeopathy, essential oils, targeted lifestyle modification, the intelligent off-label use of FDA approved medications, as well as bioenergetic modalities giving the body, mind and spirit the ability to prevent and fight cancer. This program can work alongside standard, conventional therapies for cancer.

Controlling tumor environment and OncoMetabolic Milieu terrain by utilizing nutritional therapies could help more of us avoid cancer entirely and may improve outcomes as well as quality of life during both treatment and survivorship. Dr. Salter has had some amazing results; clients not only survive, but also thrive.