Download pdf - "Practical Ways to Live Longer and Healthier,” by Nicolas Martin. Bestways, June 1985

8/12/2019 "Practical Ways to Live Longer and Healthier, by Nicolas Martin. Bestways, June 1985

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LIFESPANSBy NICOLAS MART IN

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We humans have an under-standable inclination to becomeshrill when discussing mattersof health and death . ven amild mannered and sensible in-dividual can be driven to frenzyand foolishness when con-fronted with disability ormortality. With all its imperfec-tions we want to hang on tolife which seems pretty goodcompared to he alternatives.

THERE IS A GREAT DANGER, though, inraising our voices. When it happens wemay allow fear to replace rationalthought. And sometimes we lose lrack ofthe very tools which can save us fromharm. Occasionally, we even magnify thedamage we intended to prevent.

When it comes to cancer, the voiceshave gotten very loud. In recent years wehave been subjected to a chorus of horrorstories which have caused us to lose trackof scientific realities. This appallingdisease has become the focus of a masshysteria almost as dangerous as cancer it-

self. Repeatedly we are told of the hazardsof modern life and the corning cancer epidemic which our work and Lifestyles willproduce. The nightly news parrots a vi-sion of Americans held hostage to a worldof increasing suffering and death cau edby an industrial society gone berserk.Let us retreat for just a moment and ex-amine the evidence regarding cancer.What proof is there to support the doom'n' gloom view? What do lhe scientistsbelieve who perform cancer experimentsand collect data on disease and death? Dolhe available facts support the pessimisticview we usually encounter?According to official statistics, the incidence of most types of cancers has beenstable or declining over the past thirtyyears, which may seem astonishing to apublic accustomed to hearing only badnews. The evidence is confirmed by the influential cancer researcher Richard Petoof the University of Oxford, who notesthat there is contrary to what most people imagine, no evidence of any generalized increase in cancer rates in theUnited States .. ln the case of certaincancers, like that of the stomach and cervix the declines in death rates have beendramatic. Dr, Peto suggests that thesedeclines may be due to better food preservation and improved hygiene rather thanto medical advances.

t is true that total cancer deaths aremuch higher now than at the beginning ofthis century, which has led to the mistakenimpression that cancer is a modern disease. In reality, it is a disease related to aging. In earlier times most people justdidn't live long enough to develop cancer.We have profited from the eradication ofinfectious diseases and now have the dubious honor of contracting the diseases ofold age: cancer and heart disease. Where80 years ago an American might have expected to die at age 5 of pneumonia ortuberculosis, he might now Live to an advanced age where cancer is biologicallymore likely. Cancer among young peopleis as uncommon today as it was at the turnof the century.An American born in 1900 had a life ex-pectancy of less than 5 years, comparedto about 75 years today. Those extra 25years are essential to the formation ofmany cancers, which take decades to develop. The statistics show that each of ushas roughly the same likelihood of gettingcancer at any specific age as we wouldhave in 1900. The much-touted cancer epidemic is a myth.While there may be no general cancerepidemic, there certainly is an epidemicrelated to cigarette smoking. Since WorldWar II, the number of ann ual cancerdeaths due to smoking has almost doubled. In 1978, 85,000 Americans died

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LIFESPANS Continuedfrom lung cancer caused by cigarettesmoke. Another 40 ,000 people died fromother cancers probably caused by smoking. Thus, about one-third of all American cancer deaths are related to cigarettes,and the cigarette-related cancer toll is increasing by about 4,000 deaths annually.This dramatic increase in smoking-relatedmortality accounts for the overall increasein American cancer deaths, and it explainswhy most people think we are in the midstof a cancer epidemic. The facts are clear,there is no cancer epidemic except thatwhich is caused by smoking. Cancer re-

mains a critical and frustrating problem,but it has gotten slightly better, not worse.We can rest a bit more comfortablyknowing that cancer is not growing completely out of control, but there are stillabout 200,000.annual cancer deaths unrelated to smoking. We have been told thatthis makes America number one incancer, and that our predicament iscaused by the use of synthetic materialsand increased pollution. Government of ficials, broadcasters, and other nonscientists have complained loudly thatprogress is killing us. They say that the af-

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The great percentage of cancer deathaccording to Dr. Peto are caused by factors which are unrelated to modern technology. That is why most cancers haveneitht:r diminished nor increased in recentyear and why scientists are increasinglyinve tigating natural environmental anddietary cause of cancer. The e are themajor factor in mo t cancers.Far from number one, America iswell down the list in cancer mortality .

Twenty-three industrialized countrieshave higher cancer mortality rates thanthe United States including Luxembourg Poland and England. Eleven advancedsocieties have lower cancer mortality thanthe U.S. including Japan Norway andIsrael. Disturbingly American blackshave much higher cancer mortality thanwhites but this is usually the case withlower income groups in any society regardless of race. Among other reasons the poor are more likely to smoke cigarettes and have inferior diets.

cientistsare confidentthat we canavoid alarge numberof cancers.It is still very difficult to cure any of theommon deadly cancers. The best andmost optimistic answer recommends preention. We must be able to take trustworthy scientific data and apply it to reallife. We can eliminate one-third of allancers by stopping smoking. Scientistsare confident that we can avoid an evenlarger number of cancers by reducingdietary fats and by identifying andavoiding natural carcinogens in foodsuch as aldehydes in meat and aflatoxinin plants. By reducing viral diseases suchas hepatitis and by avoiding medical andnatural radiation it may be possible toreduce cancer even further. After that wemust come to grips with the undesirableeffects of man-made chemicals and pollutants which may cause up to five percent of cancer death .The solution to cancer will come notthrough fear and threats but from thediligent work of scientists. If we can avoidthe instinct for hysteria and hasty solutions we will succeed in the end. There isevery reason to be hopeful and to expectscientific breakthroughs in the near future.In the meantime there are several simpleand prudent measures which c n reduce

the risk of cancer today.

. Do not smoke. A void alcoholic drinks ormouthwashes

. Eat foods high in nutrients likebeta carotene and Vitamin C. Minimize exposure to sunlight

. Maintain good personalhygiene. A void radiation exposureunless medicaUy essential

By adhering to these few guidelines it ispossible to reduce the cancer risk by onethird and probably much more. It is astraightforward way to guarantee yourselfbetter health and a longer lifespan. Otherwise the best policy is to enjoy living asmuch as possible and feel thankful for being born in an age of such incredible abundance. We might not yet have immortality but we do have opportunities forachievement and comfort about whichour ancestors could only dream.

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BESTWAYS June 1985 9