BLOG #48 THE TOP TEN CAUSES OF CANCER

BLOG #47 THE SECRET TRICK FOR NEVER GETTING OLD
Dr. Spiker Davis D.D.S.  713-781-2800    Dr. Matt Guerre D.D.S. 713-781-2800
In collaboration with Dr. John Seger M.D. Cardiologist 713-791-9444
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Every day I read about something new that causes cancer. And last month I read that it didn’t cause cancer! WhenI was in dental school, I was taught that about 10% of all cancer was in the mouth. Fortunately, I haven’t seen that much in my practice. So, What is the deal? I decided to look up the top documented causes of cancer, and here’s what I found. I was surprised at what I found. Listed below is my order of preference.

1. The number one cause of cancer is SMOKING! In our dental office, it is also the number one cause of gum disease. Lots of research indicates that gum disease can be related also to heart attacks, strokes, and lots of other issues. Last year, 600,000 people died of cancer (about the same as Covid-19 deaths) and probably 50% of that could have been prevented if people would quit smoking! QUIT!
2. This is one that I personally harp on all the time! EATING TOO MUCH SUGAR! Eating too much sugar can lead to obesity, gum disease, and inflammation. Gum disease is now considered as a comorbidity in Covid-19! All of those conditions increase your risk of getting cancer! The American Heart Association recommends consuming no more than about 6 teaspoons of sugar per day and most Americans are consuming 17 teaspoons per day! The problem is that sugar is in almost everything that is in a can or a package, but they hid it by calling it Dextrose, Fructose, or corn syrup. I found Dextrose the other day as an ingredient in Morton’s salt!! Are you kidding? Sugar in Salt! Please read the labels and try to stick with 6 teaspoons per day or less! It is hard to do!
3. POOR ORAL HYGIENE- Several studies have linked gum disease to a 25% increased risk of colon cancer and lung cancer (not to mention a 25% increased risk of Heart Disease and Stroke). So please, floss and brush daily. I have an article that I give to my patients called “FLOSS OR DIE”. It’s true!
4. EATING PROCESSED FOOD– In my opinion, processed food is just about anything that is in a can or a package. Processed food means that chemicals of some kind have been added to the contents to help preserve them while they are being transported or sitting on the shelf waiting for you to buy them. This time frame can sometimes be several months. Those chemicals can cause inflammation-another cause of cancer. Do you see a pattern here? Things that cause inflammation can do damage to the body and make it more susceptible to cancer. I read that eating 1.8 ounces of processed meat (Hot dogs, sandwich meat pepperoni, sausage, etc.) increases your risk of colon cancer by 18%!
5. EATING CHIPS AND FRENCH FRIES-Chips, fries, crackers, breads, cookies, and breakfast cereals are heated in their manufacture, and chemicals are added during their processing and this can do damage to your DNA-another cancer-causing risk factor.
6. TOO MUCH ALCOHOL– We all love to have a drink occasionally (some daily) but according to the National Cancer Institute, drinking alcohol can increase your risk of cancer of the mouth, throat, liver, and breast. The more you drink, the higher the risk. American Cancer Society recommends no more than one drink per day for women and 2 drinks per day for men.
7. OBESITY– go to this link to calculate your BMI (Body Mass Index) https://www.cdc.gov/healthyweight/assessing/bmi/index.html If your number is 30 or higher, you are considered Obese! 18-24.9 is considered normal. You want to be normal as obesity is considered an inflammatory response that leads to all kinds of health issues.
8. NOT EXERCISING– There are tons of studies showing that exercise helps us fight off all the bad things we do and are exposed to. Most professionals recommend at least 150 minutes per week of aerobic exercise. Exercise also helps the body to eliminate harmful toxins that cause cancer.
9. EXCESSIVE SUN-Sunlight is good for you and helps to produce vitamin D which is essential for a lot of reasons. But excessive sun means we are getting too much UV light which is the number one cause of skin cancer. Getting sunburned just once every two years can triple the risk of melanoma.
10. NOT EATING ENOUGH FRUITS AND VEGETABLES-Several studies show that lack of fruits and vegetables is associated with several different types of cancer. Fruits and vegetables have a lot of fiber and scientists believe this helps to fight cancer. The Paleo diet prefers that your plate be filled with 50% organic fruits and vegetables!

SUMMARY-As you can see there are several things in life that if you made a change, you would see a big improvement in your health and life. My scientific mind has boiled it down to basics. Don’t smoke, follow preventive dentistry (brush, floss, and see your dentist), follow the paleo diet, don’t get sunburned, and do aerobic exercise for 30 minutes 5 times per week!

RANT AND RAVE-I get SO MAD when I see people just gorge themselves every day with sugar. 6 Teaspoons is all you are allowed. Read the labels and cut back or eliminate sugar. Just try it for 1 month! If you just have to have some sugar, try replacing it with organic honey. Honey is still considered a sugar, but it is NOT TABLE SUGAR and it does at least have some nutrients. I personally put a teaspoon of honey in my coffee.

“THE MOUTH IS THE WINDOW TO YOUR HEALTH”. BRUSH AND FLOSS TWICE DAILY, AVOID SUGAR FOR 2021 AND SEE YOUR DENTIST AND PHYSICIAN ON A REGULAR BASIS.
Spiker Davis D.D.S. spiker@thepaleodentist.com John Seger M.D. Matt Guerre D.D.S.
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