Rethinking Cancer Newsletter #24

With the Rethinking Cancer Newsletter #24, we’re taking the liberty of wishing ourselves a Happy Two Year Anniversary!

It was October 2009 when the newsletter and our website, RethinkingCancer.org, were born, though the gestation period began 4 decades earlier, in 1971 when F.A.C.T. was established. Our work with clinicians and patients worldwide has enabled us to amass the knowledge that you find on the site, so now seems as good a time as any to talk about what exactly is the point of it all? (See article below.)

To your health,
Foundation for Advancement in Cancer Therapy (F.A.C.T.)

P.S. Thank you for your donations and support! Please join us on Twitter and Facebook!

What Is the Point of RethinkingCancer.org?

We get many emails from people seeking individual medical help, but, as stated in our disclaimer, as a nonprofit, educational organization, F.A.C.T. cannot dispense specific medical advice. Moreover, our global presence now on the web renders individual phone contact impossible. In our “brick and mortar” days, we could handle quite a number of calls, but, in this digital incarnation, we simply do not have the facilities to manage the large volume. So how should someone, perhaps in the throes of a cancer diagnosis, take advantage of all that’s here? Read More

Dangers of Long-Term Supplement Use

There’s been a media flurry lately about two new studies revealing dangers associated with long-term use of food supplements. As reported in the Archives of Internal Medicine, The Iowa Women’s Health Study found that older women (age 62 plus), who had routinely taken a variety of vitamin/mineral supplements over 20 years or more, had an increased mortality risk, compared to nonusers. An international team, funded by National Cancer Institute (NCI) concluded that men using Vitamin E and selenium supplements had a slightly higher risk of developing prostate cancer.

Without getting into the minutiae of these studies, F.A.C.T.’s position has always been that supplements should be used very selectively and only of the highest quality. Today, too many people are popping pills promiscuously, that is, without evidence of a particular deficiency or attention to quality, misguidedly thinking, perhaps, that this “kitchen sink” approach might have some disease preventing effect down the line. The opposite may be true. Read More

Spice of the Month: Mustard

Originally, mustard was just the name for the pungent sauce made by grinding the seeds of the senvy plant into a paste and mixing it with “must” (unfermented wine). The condiment was so popular that, inevitably, it just became easier to call the whole thing “mustard” – seeds and all! The English name, mustard, comes from the Latin mustum ardens meaning burning must.

The mustard plant is a crucifer, the cancer-fighting plant family that includes broccoli, Brussels sprouts, arugula, kale, cabbage. The seeds contain concentrated amounts of the same anti-cancer compounds found in those greens. When the seed is broken or soaked, it releases an oily, fiery compound, allyl isothiocyanates (AITC) that gives mustard its distinctive bite and a lot of its healing power. Read More

Basic Mustard and Beyond

3 tablespoons yellow mustard seeds
1 tablespoon brown mustard seeds
1/4 cup cold water, or more
2 tablespoons raw, unfiltered apple cider vinegar
1/4 teaspoon seasalt (opt.)

1. Whirl the mustard seeds in a blender to a coarse powder.
2. Transfer to a bowl and add the cold water to release the “bite.” Be sure to add enough water to completely cover and saturate the powdered seeds. Mix well and let stand for no more than 10 minutes to preserve peak of flavor.
3. Add the vinegar and stir well. You may need to add more water to make a slightly soupy consistency; the liquid will be absorbed and the mix will thicken considerably as it sits. If desired, add seasalt, which acts as a preservative, as well as seasoning. Pour into a glass jar and store in the fridge. Wait at least 24 hours before using. Mustard made this way will last several months in the fridge. Makes about 3/4 cup.

Now, the “beyond” part! Try substituting grape juice, cider, a good dark beer or wine in place of water. Before storing for 24 hours, stir in a little raw honey, minced onion, ground almonds or pine nuts (as the ancient Romans did), allspice, turmeric, or whatever. To make vinaigrette: add a teaspoon or more of prepared mustard to a mix of olive oil, fresh herbs, lemon juice. If you need more “hot” in your mustard, use fewer yellow seeds and more brown, even black – and watch out! Be brave, be bold! Have fun!

With love and thanks to Steve Jobs (1955-2011), Apple co-founder and visionary, who came alive doing the things he loved and, along the way, helped make this world a better place. The world could use more of that…