New research underscores the significant health benefits of steering clear of smoking, excessive drinking, and obesity: these behaviors are the top preventable causes of cancer in adults.
A study by the American Cancer Society, published this week, reveals that 40% of new cancer cases and 44% of cancer deaths in people aged 30 and over could be avoided by eliminating high-risk behaviors like smoking and drinking. Experts highlight that this study provides compelling evidence for public health leaders to promote healthier lifestyles as a way to reduce cancer risk and stresses the importance of individuals taking proactive steps to prevent it.
The study delved into cancer cases and deaths that could have been prevented through behavioral and dietary changes which lower the risk of cancer-causing infections.
Certain behaviors can significantly raise your cancer risk, such as smoking, exposure to second-hand smoke, drinking alcohol, and being overweight.
Overeating red or processed meat and not getting enough fruits, vegetables, dietary fiber, or calcium also increases the odds of developing cancer. The study also highlights cancer risks from infections like hepatitis B, Epstein-Barr virus, HIV, human papillomavirus, and Kaposi sarcoma herpes virus.
In 2019, the study estimated that 40% of the nearly 1.8 million cancers in adults 30 and older were linked to “potentially modifiable risk factors.” It examined 30 types of cancer, excluding non-melanoma skin cancers. Here’s how the preventable causes of cancer broke down:
- Cigarette smoking: The top risk factor, accounting for 19.3% of cases.
- Excess body weight: A risk factor in 7.6% of cases.
- Alcohol consumption: Linked to 5.4% of cases.
- Ultraviolet radiation: Caused 4.6% of cases.
Lung cancer had the highest number of cases tied to preventable risk factors, with 104,410 preventable lung cancers in men and 97,250 in women. The next most common preventable cancers included 50,570 cases of skin melanoma and 44,310 colorectal cancers.
“Despite considerable declines in smoking prevalence over the past few decades, the number of lung cancer deaths attributable to cigarette smoking in the United States is alarming,” said Farad Islami, the American Cancer Society’s senior scientific director of cancer disparity research and the study’s lead author.
The Real Cause of Cancer: Mitochondrial Failure
I have talked about the alarming rise in cancer among younger people recently. This study aligns with those concerns, focusing on the most obvious causes. The root cause of cancer is a decline in mitochondrial health. When our mitochondria are healthy and producing plenty of ATP, our cells and, by extension, our bodies, function optimally. It’s that simple: we are only as healthy as our cells. Contrary to popular belief, cancer cells are actually weak cells. They proliferate because our immune system is too weak to fight them off.
The goal in fighting cancer is to eliminate the obvious causes that degrade mitochondrial health and to use diet, supplements, and lifestyle changes to optimize mitochondrial health.
How Protein Boosts Mitochondrial Health
Proteins are crucial for almost everything our bodies do, including keeping our mitochondria—the powerhouses of our cells—in top shape. Here’s how protein supports these vital structures and helps us stay energized and healthy:
- Building and Repairing Mitochondria
- Structural Support: Mitochondria need various proteins to build and maintain their structure. Proteins make up the outer and inner membranes and the matrix, where important biochemical reactions occur. Key proteins like cytochrome c and ATP synthase are essential for the electron transport chain and ATP production.
- Repair and Maintenance: Proteins play a big role in repairing mitochondria when they get damaged, keeping them working efficiently. Enzymes that help fix mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) are proteins that ensure the mitochondria stay healthy.
- Enhancing Energy Production
- Enzymatic Action: Proteins act as enzymes in the mitochondria, driving the reactions in the citric acid cycle (Krebs cycle) and the electron transport chain that produces ATP. Enzymes like NADH dehydrogenase and cytochrome c oxidase are crucial for converting nutrients into energy.
- Amino Acid Supply: When we eat protein, it breaks down into amino acids, necessary for making new mitochondrial proteins. Amino acids like leucine and glutamine are particularly important, and some amino acids feed directly into the citric acid cycle, boosting ATP production.
- Supporting Mitochondrial Biogenesis
- Growth and Multiplication: Proteins like PGC-1α help create new mitochondria. This process, called mitochondrial biogenesis, turns on genes involved in energy metabolism, helping to form new mitochondria and boosting ATP production.
- Hormonal Influence: Protein intake can affect hormones like insulin and growth factors, which play a role in mitochondrial biogenesis. Insulin, for example, helps cells take in glucose, providing the fuel needed for energy production.
- Antioxidant Defense and Detoxification
- Antioxidant Protection: Mitochondria produce reactive oxygen species (ROS) as byproducts of ATP production. Antioxidant proteins like superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase, and glutathione peroxidase neutralize ROS and protect mitochondria from damage.
- Detoxification: Detoxifying proteins, such as glutathione-S-transferases, help remove harmful substances that could damage mitochondria, keeping them functioning properly.
- Improving Overall Cellular Function
- Protein Turnover: Regular protein turnover and synthesis are essential for maintaining mitochondrial health. A steady intake of dietary protein ensures that old, damaged proteins are replaced with new, functional ones.
- Cell Signaling: Proteins involved in signaling pathways help coordinate mitochondrial activities with other cellular processes. For instance, mTOR regulates cell growth and metabolism based on nutrient availability, affecting mitochondrial function.
For optimal ATP and mitochondrial health, focus on wild animal protein with minimal amyloid proteins and linoleic acid compared to meats like chicken, poultry, and conventionally raised beef.
Eliminate Processed Foods
Processed foods can severely limit ATP production, reducing it to just 2 ATP per mitochondrion, compared to the optimal 36 per mitochondrion. These foods create excess “waste,” halting mitochondrial biogenesis and overwhelming the body’s cleanup efforts, resulting in less ATP, decreased mitochondrial biogenesis, and less energy at the cellular level.
Eliminate PUFAs
Polyunsaturated fats (PUFAs) are everywhere—found in processed foods, imitation butter, salad dressings, fried foods, poultry, pork, nuts, seeds, seed oils, and fatty fish. These include oils like safflower, grapeseed, sunflower, corn, cottonseed, soybean, rice bran, peanut, and canola. The biggest culprit is linoleic acid (LA).
Reduce the Wrong Estrogen
Bad estrogen, or estrogen dominance, can mess with your mitochondria. When your body has too much estrogen, it creates a hormonal imbalance impacting cellular health, including mitochondria.
Mitigate Endotoxin
Endotoxins, those nasty toxins released by harmful bacteria in your gut, can wreak havoc on your mitochondria. When your gut lining is compromised, these endotoxins leak into your bloodstream, triggering inflammation throughout your body.
Avoid Sulfur-Rich Vegetables
Skip sulfur-rich veggies because they can overload your body’s detox pathways, slowing down your metabolism, ATP production, and fat burning while increasing inflammation. This means saying no to broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, kale, onions, garlic, and egg yolks. Watch out for hidden sulfur in medications and supplements too.
Eliminate Oxalate-Rich Foods
Remove oxalate-heavy foods from your diet, such as spinach, almonds, berries, kale, and most nuts. Oxalates can slow down your thyroid function, which in turn slows down ATP production, metabolism, and immune function.
Reduce Histamine-Rich Foods
Avoid high-histamine foods to reduce the histamine load on your body. This helps your digestive system heal, supports better insulin regulation, reduces inflammation, and allows for better mitochondrial function.
Additional Tips for Mitochondrial Health
- Exercise Regularly: Physical activity stimulates the production of new mitochondria and enhances their function. High-intensity interval training (HIIT) and strength training are particularly effective.
- Avoid Toxins: Limit exposure to environmental toxins like pesticides and heavy metals, which can damage mitochondria. Choose organic foods and use natural cleaning products when possible.
- Stay Hydrated: Water is essential for all cellular processes, including those in mitochondria. Ensure you’re drinking enough water daily.
- Get Enough Sleep: Sleep is when your body repairs and recharges. Lack of sleep can disrupt energy production and lead to fatigue and poor health.
- Manage Stress: Chronic stress can deplete your energy reserves and lower thyroid health and metabolism, degrading mitochondrial function and ATP production. Practices like mindfulness, meditation, and relaxation techniques can help maintain a healthy balance.
Maintaining mitochondrial health is key to preventing chronic diseases including cancer. By focusing on a diet rich in high-quality proteins, avoiding processed foods and harmful fats, and adopting a healthy lifestyle, you can support your mitochondria and enhance your overall well-being.
Supplements to Support Optimal Mitochondrial Health
There are some key supplements that can help optimize the immune system and mitochondrial health.
Acceleradine® Iodine: Essential for Addressing Iodine Deficiency
If you’re looking to tackle iodine deficiency, which affects a whopping 96% of the U.S. population, Acceleradine® Iodine is a game-changer. This deficiency can severely hinder mitochondrial function, reducing ATP production from an ideal 36 to a mere 2, leading to sluggish metabolism and weight gain.
Why You Need Iodine:
- Optimal Thyroid Function: Iodine is crucial for thyroid health and necessary for producing the hormones T2, T3, and T4. Modern diets fall short, and even iodized salt doesn’t provide enough. Plus, iodized salt risks mineral depletion and microplastic contamination.
- Boosts ATP Production: By significantly increasing ATP production in mitochondria, iodine enhances energy levels and supports a more active metabolism.
- Cellular Detoxification: Iodine helps detoxify cells from heavy metals, toxins, and radiation that can hinder mitochondrial function, metabolism, and weight loss.
- Displaces Harmful Substances: Iodine effectively removes harmful substances like fluoride, chlorine, and bromide from cells, which are known to contribute to hypothyroidism, lowered ATP, and a sluggish metabolism.
- Prevents Toxic Overload: With high-dose administration, iodine prevents new toxins from binding to cells’ receptor sites, protecting against negative effects.
- Mitigates Spike Protein Damage: It may alleviate damage caused by the Spike Protein, linked to mitochondrial damage, metabolic slowdowns, and weight gain.
- Blood Cleansing and Hormonal Balance: Iodine aids in cleansing the blood and supporting liver detoxification, helping to eliminate toxins linked to lowered ATP and weight gain. It also helps regulate estrogen, promoting hormonal balance and reducing estrogen dominance.
Why Choose Acceleradine® Iodine? Acceleradine® Iodine stands out as the only pure, natural singlet active iodine (I-) suspended in alcohol and enhanced with scalar frequencies. Because it’s a single atom of iodine without attachments to other atoms, it achieves increased bioavailability and absorbability. This means that even if your body is weak, it can efficiently absorb this iodine in every cell, ensuring you get the maximum benefits. Most iodine supplements only achieve 10 to 20 percent absorption.
Accelerated Fast™
Accelerated Fast™ is more than just a metabolism booster and fat burner. By ramping up ATP production, the ingredients may speed up your metabolism and aid in weight loss. The ingredients help cleanse your liver daily, reducing fatty liver and detoxifying your system. Since your liver is crucial for converting T4 to the active T3 thyroid hormone, keeping it clean helps optimize this process, promoting thyroid health, ATP production, and boosting fat metabolism.
Why Accelerated Fast™ Stands Out:
- Curbs Cravings: The ingredients help curb cravings for sugar and processed foods, which can drain your ATP levels, energy, and metabolism. By pushing your body into ketosis, they help you tap into your fat stores for energy, providing a steady and sustainable energy source.
- Optimizes Thyroid Hormone Conversion: By promoting ketosis and optimizing thyroid hormone conversion, the formula may keep your metabolism running smoothly and support your overall well-being.
- Prevents Metabolic Slowdown: Relying on glucose for energy and restricting calories can put your body into survival mode, converting T4 into Reverse T3, lowering ATP to 2 per mitochondrion versus 36, slowing down your metabolism, encouraging fat storage, and signaling to your body that it’s under threat. The ingredients in Accelerated Fast™ help keep your metabolism running smoothly by promoting ketosis and optimizing thyroid hormone conversion.
Accelerated Thyroid®
Accelerated Thyroid® is a cutting-edge natural thyroid supplement designed to comprehensively boost thyroid function. Without a healthy thyroid, ATP and mitochondrial health will suffer. The formula combines the power of grass-fed thyroid glandular, essential peptides, amino acids, and crucial nutrients for thyroid health. Plus, it includes the ancient Ayurvedic herb Kanchanara, famous for its detoxifying and thyroid-supporting properties. The formula also includes extra amino acids to optimize thyroid function.
Benefits of the Ingredients:
- Prevents Fatty Liver: Supports metabolism and aids in weight loss.
- Accelerates Wound Healing: Promotes faster recovery.
- Strengthens Connective Tissue and Bones: Enhances structural integrity.
- Elevates Mood: Boosts your overall outlook.
- Improves Digestion: Optimizes nutrient absorption.
- Enhances B12 Production: Supports overall health and vitality.
Why Choose Accelerated Thyroid®? Accelerated Thyroid® is enhanced with scalar frequencies designed to help:
- Clear emotional and physical shock from your body, promoting holistic well-being.
- Support the overall health and function of your thyroid gland.
- Facilitate detoxification from halogens, heavy metals, and radiation, further strengthening your thyroid health.
- Keep your thyroid and parathyroid glands balanced, ensuring overall hormonal equilibrium. With Accelerated Thyroid®, you get a powerful blend that supports not only your thyroid but also promotes your overall well-being.
Accelerated Cellular Detox® Powder
This powder combines the cleansing properties of Micronized Zeolite, Diatomaceous Earth, Activated Charcoal, Triphala, Chitosan, and Slippery Elm. These ingredients help take the toxic burden off the liver and kidneys, while soaking up and eliminating the toxins quickly and safely from the body. Detoxification of toxins and radiation is key to achieving optimal ATP production. It’s 100% certified organic and embedded with scalar frequencies to help detox from heavy metals, radiation, pesticides, and food poisoning. The ingredients also help with regularity, reduce bloat, and address gastrointestinal issues.
HeaWea Microgen Frequency Healing Device
The HeaWea Microgen Frequency Healing Device is a portable, frequency-based wellness device designed to promote health and well-being through the use of microcurrent and bioresonance technology. It has over 60,000 programs to address almost every issue you could think of.
Benefits of the HeaWea Microgen Frequency Healing Device:
- Immunity: There are programs to boost overall immunity and ones that target specific foreign pathogens or health conditions.
- Pain Management: The microcurrent therapy can help alleviate chronic pain and reduce inflammation by promoting better cellular function.
- Stress Reduction: Specific frequency programs aim to reduce stress and promote relaxation, enhancing mental clarity and emotional well-being.
- Detoxification: The device can support the body’s natural detoxification processes, helping to eliminate toxins and improve overall health.
- Energy and Vitality: Regular use of the device can boost energy levels and improve physical vitality, making users feel more active and vibrant.
- Support for Chronic Conditions: It may aid in managing symptoms associated with chronic health conditions by supporting the body’s natural healing processes.
Supporting mitochondrial health is key to feeling energized and maintaining overall wellness. These dietary changes, supplements, and devices offer powerful tools to optimize ATP production, enhance cellular function, and promote a healthy metabolism.
Sara Banta
Sara Banta is a Stanford University Graduate with a Degree in Economics and Psychology, and a certified Natural Supplement Expert & Graduate of the Institute for Integrative Nutrition. Sara is the Founder of Accelerated Health Products and host of the health & wellness podcast, Accelerated Health Radio.
