We
asked a list of macrobiotic counselors and educators below about macrobiotics
and cancer and Cheryl Rock
comment that;
"It's a big stretch
to call the macrobiotic diet an anticancer diet. While the diet does call for
a lot of vegetables,
It's low in fruit, It's low in calcium and vitamin D."
It's low in energy and protein,
She noted. "Over time, protein
and calorie deficits can harm the immune system, which may impair the body's ability
to fight cancer." Extract
from a report by Cheryl Rock,
a University of Michigan expert
on nutrition and cancer. Click on the names below Gale
Jack - Rosemary Traill - Mina Dobic
Gordon Alan Saxe, MD, PhD - Carl
Ferre, for gomf
Sandra Goodman
I have had personal experience with macrobiotics, not for cancer, over 20 years
ago, with profound effects and feel that macrobiotics, properly interpreted and
understood by the individual, offers many therapeutic benefits.
As the
decades have passed and my expertise in the field of nutrition and cancer has
expanded, I have come to the conclusion that, just as every individual is biochemically
and metabolically unique, and just as cancers are such diverse entities, that
macrobiotics for the appropriate person, applied in its truly intended form, i.e.
balance, can be very effective.
I agree with much of what the individuals
below have said, particularly with regard to flexibility, and feel that much work
could be done to rehabilitate the somewhat lowly position macrobiotics has for
cancer outside of the macrobiotic community.
Sandra Goodman, Ph.D. Top^
Regarding Dr. Cheryl Rock: I
know Dr. Rock very well. We were colleagues many years ago at the University of
Michigan and are now both faculty members in the Department of Family and Preventive
Medicine at the University of California, San Diego. I have worked with her on
a couple of studies and we have co-authored a few publications over the years.
She is a nationally renowned expert in the area of nutrition and cancer as well
as in carotenoid research. While she and I bring different philosophies and perspectives
on the issue of nutrition and cancer to the table, she has supported me in my
work and I greatly respect and admire the work she is doing. While we debate issues,
I value her ideas and opinions and readily acknowledge that she has challenged
me to reconsider many of my own views. Regarding macrobiotics as an
"anti-cancer diet": I do not think of macrobiotics as an "anti-cancer
diet." I believe this is anathema to the spirit of macrobiotics (as expressed
by Ohsawa, Kushi, and many others) and, technically, is also not scientifically
correct. We need to discuss this issue from both Eastern and Western perspectives
to arrive at a deeper and more precise understanding. Regarding issues
of the nutritional soundness of "the diet": 1. This
is an absurd issue! As you know, macrobiotics is far more than a fixed dietary
plan for cancer. I think we degrade it when we compare a fixed version of it with
current fad diets (Atkins Plan, the South Beach Diet, Eat Right for Your Type,
etc. 2. If we are talking about the "Standard Macrobiotic Diet"
(as proposed by Kushi), I agree with some, but not all, of Dr. Rock's critiques.
It probably is too high in grain and too low in fruit for most people, especially
here in San Diego! 3. While it is certainly possible to obtain adequate
calcium and vitamin D following a wide macro diet, the rigid practices of some
people may result in deficiencies of these nutrients. Robert Pirello, the husband
of the macrobiotic chef Christina Pirello, is writing a book on this issues and
addressing the barely discussed problem of osteoporosis in long-time practitioners
of narrow macrobiotic diets. 4. In some cancers, calcium may be protective
(possibly colon?) whereas in others, it may be harmful (prostate?). The scientific
jury is still out, however. 5. Regarding protein: Protein malnutrition
(kwashiorkor) and protein/energy malnutrition (marasmus) can be seen in starvation
and in cachexia (wasting seen in late stage cancer). They are indeed associated
with immune impairment. However, these deficiency states are not seen in otherwise
healthy individuals following well-balanced macro diets (although they could,
in theory, develop in those on very narrow macro diets). In our society, the problems
of overnutrition and obesity are of far greater concern. Still, cancer patients
are extremely vulnerable and need very careful guidance, not rigidity and dogma! 6.
Regarding energy (calories), less may be preferable - at least as far as cancer
goes. It is well established that the single most effective nutritional intervention
for preventing or slowing cancer growth in lab animals is caloric restriction.
It is hard to study this in humans because it is difficult to maintain the level
of control over people's diets needed to investigate this. To the extent that
macro diets are low in energy, they may offer a practical means to achieve caloric
restriction in humans. This may provide at least one scientific explanation for
some of the documented cancer remissions in patients who have adopted macro diets.
Further, caloric restriction results in fuller development and maturation of the
immune system and a slower drop off of immunity with aging. My experiences
with macrobiotics and cancer: I have been studying this area for over
20 years. I got into it in 1981 to help my dad who was suffering from cancer.
I formally studied and received certification in macrobiotics from the East-West
Foundation (before the Kushi Institute even existed). My teachers included Murray
and Pam Snyder, Michael Rossoff, Denny Waxman, Bill Spear, Bill Tara, Shizuko
Yamamoto, Michio and Aveline Kushi, and many others. I also attempted to verify
whether macrobiotics was scientifically supported. I spent much time at macrobiotic
conferences surveying cancer patients and in medical libraries scouring the literature. My
Master's Thesis at Tulane University, on macrobiotics and pancreatic cancer, was
the first and, to date, only systematic published study of macrobiotics and cancer.
Admittedly, this study was flawed scientifically but was nonetheless published
in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition in 1992 (the first author
was my department Chair, Dr. James Carter). There have been a few published reports
of documented best cases (such as those presented at the National Cancer Institute
in 2002), but these constituted selected anecdotes, not systematic research. While
at the University of Michigan, I conducted my PhD dissertation on nutrition and
breast cancer, focusing on diet as a predictor of tumor characteristics. This
study was published in the journal Nutrition and Cancer in 1994 (Dr. Rock was
the first author
While in medical school at Michigan State University, I did
additional work on breast cancer, examining diet and body weight as predictors
of the risk of recurrence and survival. This study was published in the journal
Breast Cancer Research and Treatment in 1999 (Dr. Rock was a co-author on this
study as well After medical school and during my residency in Preventive
Medicine at the University of Massachusetts, I completed a small pilot intervention
study, inspired by my earlier experiences with macrobiotics, on the effects of
a macro-like diet and stress reduction on tumor progression in recurrent prostate
cancer. We observed universal weight loss (averaging 14 pounds over 4 months)
and a 75% reduction in the rate of disease progression (as assessed by changes
in the rate of increase in prostate specific antigen blood levels). This study
was published in the Journal of Urology in 2001. Building on the earlier
work at the University of Massachusetts, I am currently conducting a randomized
clinical trial here at UCSD on diet and stress reduction in recurrent prostate
cancer. We are teaching a diet based primarily on increased whole cereal grains
and phytonutrient-rich vegetables and secondarily on increased beans/legumes/soyfoods
and fruit/seeds/nuts. We are limiting red meat, poultry, dairy foods, and refined
carbohydrates. Stress reduction includes meditation, yoga, and chi gong. This
study should be completed in about two years. If successful, we may expand it
into a multi-center trial and focus on other stages of prostate cancer as well
as other cancers. Even though I question and challenge dogmatic
interpretations,
I continue to stay involved with macrobiotics, present regularly
at macrobiotic conferences, carry out research inspired by it, and counsel patients
on how to practice it alone or integrate it with conventional medicine. Gordon
Alan Saxe, MD, PhD
Top^
In response to your question, I'll first quote or summarize
some thoughts from George Ohsawa's _Macrobiotic Guidebook for Living. He states,
"Throughout history, men have lived happy lives without complicated analytical
concepts of nutrition. Although our ancestors gave little thought to apples, they
were healthier, happier, and wiser than we are. Even beasts seem to be able to
live joyfully without concerning themselves with chemistry or scientific detail.
Perhaps there is hope for us too."
If we use an analytical approach to
the right food, the right quantity, the right method of preparation and the right
manner in which to eat, it's a difficult question to answer. Who can say how much
protein, fat, carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals and calories each person needs?
Now my words: To put our health in the hands of anyone is risky. The macrobiotic
way is to educate each individual in the understanding of the energy of food and
how to choose by yin and yang, according to environment, constitution, age, condition
and what you wish to accomplish in life. (For example, if you're doing heavy physical
work you will want to take in more protein than if you want to write a book or
do other mental activity.) Initially we need to be guided by others as to how
to choose and take our food but, unlike the modern way, in time this leads to
freedom so that we can ultimately judge according to our intuition - by seeing
how our digestion goes, how peaceful we feel, how much energy we have, etc.
The macrobiotic way strengthens the immune system rather than weakens it.
In the case of cancer, I have known people who have fully recovered and gone
on to live 20 years or more and are still living. In other cases I have seen people
extend their lives for 4 or 5 years. And, unfortunately, I have seen people who
tried macrobiotics briefly and passed on. What we are doing with macrobiotics
is regaining our judgement and intuition and that takes time and a supportive
environment and the will to develop our cooking and persist in this way in spite
of great opposition from modern society. Narrow is the way and straight is the
path and few there are who can understand and follow it once they have cancer.
Furthermore, though all cancers that I know of are caused by extremes of both
yin and yang, the spread of cancer is yin so often very careful guidance and very
strict application of the principles is necessary during the recovery period.
Just the addition of fruit or oil to people with certain types of cancer
such as leukemia can prevent their recovery.
Many cancers are caused by excess
fat and protein so initially the diet to bring the body into balance should contain
much less of both and the quality of protein needs to be all plant quality. On
the other hand, people with yang types cancer such as prostate can sometimes have
a bit of fruit and white meat fish. And taking vitamins as supplements can often
upset the body's balance because all vitamins and minerals work in harmony. If
we take one vitamin, it may cause a deficiency in others--for example, vitamin
B is a more yang vitamin and it may discharge vitamin C in the body. But plants
have a natural balance so it's best to correct any deficiency through good quality
foods.
Finally, some medical treatments have a more yinnizing effect
- such as radiation; others have a more yangizing effect - such as chemotherapy..so
yin and yang are good to know in choosing medical treatment as well. Gale
Jack Top^
I think you should ask this question
to the thousands of people who have healed themselves on the macro diet, including
Elaine Nussbaum (Recovery from Cancer), or the people in Ann Fawcett's book, (30
Stories of Cancer Recovery), or Michio Kushi's book, The Cancer Prevention Book.
Christina Pirello, also recovered from leukemia and wrote Cooking the Whole Foods
Way. Fruit does have vitamins and minerals, but it also has sugar and is
very acidic. I think even the medical profession knows that an acidic condition
can excaserbate any condition in the body. So, fruit is wonderful in moderation
for people in good health, but someone with cancer needs to be very careful. We
get tons of calcium from green leafy vegetables, sesame seeds and sea vegetables.
Too much protein has been linked to osteoporosis, which is highest in the US,
the Uk and the Scandinavian countries, which ironically get more protein and calcium
than people in the poor countries and the Asian countries, where osteoporosis
is practically non-existant.
As far as energy and calories are concerned,
I think most of us feel better and have more energy on the macro diet, than we
ever had in our lives. I'm working with a young lady right now, who's cancer
is not only in remission, but who's allergies and asthma have cleared up and who
is also off her thyroid mediction.
Her children's allergies have cleared up,
her husband has lost 25 lbs. and her mother has lost 20 lbs Also, the China
Project, which was headed by Dr. Colin Cambell from Cornell U. in NY and other
studies have shown that people from the Asian countries have a much lower rate
of cancer as well as all other degenerative diseases than we do in the West, because
they're not eating this very high fat diet that we do here in the US.
They
still eat mostly grains, vegetables and a little fish or other animal food in
small amounts, more like a side dish.
Rosemary Traill
Top^
I
am a macrobiotic educator and counselor and certified nutritionist. I am also
18 years macrobiotic and a cancer survivor. It’s no stretch for me to call
macrobiotics an anticancer diet. Regarding protein: my entire family,
husband and 2 children adopted MACROBIOTIC LIFESTYLE the same time I did. At that
time my daughter was 6 years old, she’s now 23. And son was 16 and now 32.
They have no complaints about anything being missing in their life – both
are healthy and happy young people. They are also cooking for themselves, even
though they are both full time students. None of us has seen a doctor in 17 years.
Our kitchen is our pharmacy of life. And it’s open and busy all day long.
We create our health and we become our own doctor. People who eat out a lot, don’t
want to spend time in the kitchen where they can find the cure, they complain
the most, are looking for something else. More than 75% of all food on market
today is genetically modified and radically interferes with natural balance of
the body, mind and spirit. Many of their friends who ate a lot of
animal protein were suffering from allergies, insomnia, depression, and PMS until
they stopped eating eggs, meat, dairy, sugar. They are today happy young people,
very successful in all their pursuits and they improved their people skills. I
have met hundreds of them and am speaking from personal experience. People
who think we don’t get enough protein, are overeating protein. Please read
The Macrobiotic Way, page 206 – proves that macrobiotic people eating rice
and beans, vegetables, sea vegetables GET MORE PROTEIN EACH DAY (without the adverse
side effects of animal products) - than Americans eating standard American diet.
There is protein in grains, beans, soy products, sea vegetables, Bancha Tea, vegetables.
They are all rich in protein and all amino acids. Short grain brown rice is first,
soy products second in amount of protein. Diet is only part of the
macrobiotic way of life. Living in harmony with nature is the highest achievement
for mankind. How could anyone complain about having a long and happy life which
is the meaning of macrobiotics. Please read a new release which is one of
the best books every written on the subject of macrobiotics, entitled The
Macrobiotic Path to Total Health
Mina Dobic Top^
In the early 1990s at a meeting of macrobiotic
educators in Miami, Florida, many argued for testing of "the macrobiotic
diet" to show its worthiness in countering diseases, including cancer. I
argued against it then and I am still opposed to such a ridiculous undertaking.
The so-called "the macrobiotic diet" has very little to do with true
macrobiotics. In the interest of space I will not write here how and why this
has occurred other than to point those interested to my series published in Macrobiotics
Today magazine in four installments under the tile, "The Real Macrobiotic
Diet." The bottom line is that macrobiotics is a set of universal (and
dietary) principles used for one's benefit physically, emotionally, mentally,
and spiritually depending on the level of understanding and use. One of the goals
of macrobiotic practitioners is to elevate consciousness in order to make the
most appropriate daily choices for whatever one wants to accomplish, including
a remedy for any disorder. There simply are as many appropriate macrobiotic
diets as there are people in the world. Every person is different. Every disease
is different, even though it may be called by the same name. Two people with lung
cancer may need very different approaches in terms of diet, lifestyle changes,
attitude and spiritual adjustments, and so on. And, the approach most likely would
need to change over time. If one truly needs fruit in order to heal, the
macrobiotic thing to do would be to eat fruit. The choice of which fruit to choose
would be made based on many macrobiotic principles - likewise with calcium, vitamin
D, protein, and calories. If one is practicing macrobiotics appropriately, she
or he would not overly restrict themselves to the point of harming the immune
system or impairing their body in any way. Of course, if one is practicing
macrobiotics inappropriately, experience has shown that harm can be done. Whatever
can be of benefit also can be of harm - what has a front has a back in macrobiotic
terms. Over the years I have seen many people who have had great success using
macrobiotic principles to counter cancer and many other ailments. To be fair I
have also seen some who did not fare so well. However, everyone I have known with
more than an introductory macrobiotic understanding who has recovered from whatever
disease they had using appropriate macrobiotic choices.
George Ohsawa
said that any disease, including cancer, could be "cured" in ten days
if the appropriate action were taken. However, he went on to say that some people
can never be "cured." The longer I study Ohsawa, the more I understand
what he meant. For Ohsawa, the "cure" occurs when one's mentality changes
and when one accepts total responsibility for their disease. True healing occurs
at a much deeper level than the physical cessation of symptoms. I invite nutritionists
and those beginning a macrobiotic practice to study macrobiotics more intently
in order to deepen their understanding and the roots of true healing.
Carl
Ferre
for George Ohsawa Macrobiotic Foundation
Top^ |
