Stephen Fry has prostate cancer, will he heed my advice?

[andyswarbs]

I go on and on about my style of living. This is not to gain some moral higher ground, rather I don't want anyone else to get as low on the health ladder as I descended. Well it seems that Stephen Fry is heading that way since today he has revealed he has prostate cancer. What is his diet? He has had what he describes as a DIY diet where he only discloses that he has cut back on red meat. Well, that's fine as far as it goes in the sense that red & even worse processed meat is a probable carcinogen as defined by World Health Organisation.

Now cancer takes around 10 years to develop before it can be detected, based on the doubling of cancer cells and the time taken for cells to develop. So that's why I think I need at least 10 years on my whole-food plant-based diet to feel totally free of the risk (even though I haven't had red meat or indeed any meat for 40+ years.)

My point is that signs that a whole food plant based diet can not only halt but reverse cancer are powerful. Dr Greger goes through the subject regarding prostate cancer at nutritionfacts.org/video/tr...

The story he tells is how Dean Ornish showed tentative signs in early stage prostate, but recent research showed how those following a high fibre diet actually reversed progression in cases of people with life-threatening, ie they had had cancers "totally" removed and were still showing advanced prostate cancer progression. The conclusion - the more fibre, the more reversal. And the study covers the effect in just 4 months on this magic diet.

nutritionfacts.org/video/tr... in another study shows that genetics plays a minimal part and that for at least some people, that simply put the more fibre you eat the better your prostate cancer diagnosis.

Now I know Stephen Fry won't pay attention to me, someone who has never had cancer (afaik). For others here at least you might awaken to thinking about a high-fibre high-carb diet sooner rather than awaiting similar outcome to Mr Fry.

[BadHare]

It's sad that people won't alter their diet or lifestyle until after a diagnosis, though few do so after a warning. Even sadder that the generation being born now are likely to have a shorter life expectency than my, or my parents generation.

[andyswarbs in reply to BadHare]

Even worse, imo, is suffering chronically in later years for more years since that puts so much more burden on family and friends. My wife is spending almost half of February over 65 miles away to look after her mother who has dimentia, and I am joining her tomorrow. We have been doing this mostly monthly for four years to Alvechurch from Oxford. Before that it was Oxford to Northwich, 150 miles through Birmingham. The mileage we have put on our car is huge. Spare time tasks like digging my allotment does not happen. Don't get me wrong, I would not have it any other way. But whilst dimentia cannot be reversed by a WFPB diet research shows its progression, especially if caught early, can be effectively reduced. And, supported by her medication, this could go on for another 10 years or more.

When she was first diagnosed I advocated removing eggs & meat from her diet. The fact that she lives with a sister and husband who eat that way meant my suggestions fell on deaf ears. And so I have stopped my suggestions. She loves her morning egg, toast and lashings of butter with a cup of tea with cows milk. Lunch is probably a cheese sandwich. Evening meal is probably something meaty with perhaps a few peas on the side.

I look at that diet and think that is how her dimentia was brought about.

What do I feel? That my silence is increasing her progression of dimentia. She has no powers of conversation. My wife bought her a robotic cat that acts like a real cat. I swear my mother in law thinks it is a real cat as she sits stroking it for hours on end.

[BadHare in reply to andyswarbs]

I'm so sorry to hear about your mother-in-law. That is a lot for you & your wife to cope with, & you're good people to make such an effort.

I wish all cat people would get robotic ones for the sake of the fish & wildlife! Good that it's keeping her happy.

[Hidden]

My Dad lost his 9 month battle with bowel cancer two years ago. He also had a diagnosis of prostate cancer many years before the bowel cancer. He ate a predominantly meat orientated diet, had a fry up most mornings, ate giblets and is one the main reasons I became vegetarian 36 years ago.

It is well known about the link between a low fibre diet and bowel cancer so one can assume that link exists with other forms of cancer.

[Knotty in reply to Hidden]

I can understand the connection between a low fibre diet and bowel cancer - the fibre passes through the bowels. But why assume an automatic link with other cancers which haven't started as secondary to bowel cancer?

[andyswarbs in reply to Knotty]

It is more that there is peer-reviewed research showing the benefits of WFPB diet on a range of cancers. For instance breast cancer has been linked to dairy.

[Penel in reply to andyswarbs]

The link between dairy and breast cancer is inconclusive. It is unlikely that any cancer has only one definitive cause. Genetics will also play a part.

ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articl...

[andyswarbs in reply to Penel]

Genetics are a predisposition and so a risk factor, that is true.

[junior19]

What would you consider to be a high fibre diet? I ask as I would like to get more fibre into my diet.

[andyswarbs in reply to junior19]

Fibre comes entirely from plant foods. Animal products contain absolutely none. So to increase fibre increase plant foods and reduce animal foods. All plant foods have fibre, so any plant foods are great. When you are entirely plant based then you are getting enough fibre, nothing less.

Next to distinguish plant foods...

I do not consider eating wholewheat pasta, bran flakes etc or any other processed food as wholewheat. Not saying they are bad for you, they are certainly better than white flour products. To be truly wholegrain then that's what it is the whole grain. Wholewheat flour works because to make it digestible and bio-available you can only get that from the flour. "Whole wheat" without any processing would simply pass through the body with nothing digested and pooed out.

Vegetables juiced (not smoothies) have the fibre removed. This is done for nutrient concentration and easier digestion for people hoping to resolve particular health issues. Because of mine I juice regularly. I eat so much fibre that is not my problem. My body needs concentrated nutrition. And juiced plants deliver that in huge amounts and variety.

Nuts of course also need de-shelling. When I was a kid the only nut I ever ate I shelled myself. That's how the shops sold them. Very different to buying a big bag of shelled walnuts on any high st. I remember walnut shells could be extremely hard verging on the impossible to shell!

ALWAYS REMEMBER. When you are almost or entirely plant based you MUST get enough calories. This is an absolute must. Enough calories for your body, age, gender, exercise etc GUARANTEES enough energy, enough protein, enough all round nutrition. All excepting B12, which I recommend everyone gets including omnivores as supplements because of the hygienic society we live in. Eat until you feel full and you will be happy and increasingly healthy each and every day.

The only caveat is for people with all chronic illnesses & health challenges. As an example my own rheumatoid arthritis means not only did I need a WFPB diet I needed... Well that's a big subject.

[junior19]

Thank you.