Is Stopping Angiogenesis The Key To Stopping Cancer?
Angiogenesis And Cancer
A friend recently sent me several articles and a Ted Talk video about how inhibiting angiogenesis might make it possible to stop the growth of cancer. So I figured it was worth taking a look at to figure out what it’s all about and if there’s any credence to the idea.
What Is Angiogenesis?
For starters, let’s talk about just what angiogenesis is. We’ll just take the concise Wikipedia definition:
Angiogenesis is a physiological process involving the growth of new blood vessels from pre-existing vessels….Angiogenesis is a normal and vital process in growth and development, as well as in wound healing. However, it is also a fundamental step in the transition of tumors from a dormant state to a malignant one.
So on the one hand, we have “normal and vital” and on the other hand, we have cancer. Basically, tumors secrete several growth factors that promote angiogenesis, allowing capillaries to grow into the tumor and supply the essential nutrients the tumor needs to keep growing. Further, this blood vessel growth is essential to a tumor metastasizing.
Basically, it begs the question, “what if we could stop angiogenesis? Could we stop cancer?” Okay, that’s two questions.
Anti-Angiogenesis For Cancer Therapy
So if angiogenesis is the creation of new blood vessels, anti-angiogenesis is anything that stops the creation of new blood vessels. It could be food or drugs. There are already drugs out there that inhibit angiogenesis to starve cancer cells, some of which are FDA approved. It seems that the proof is there that inhibiting angiogenesis works to stop the unrestricted growth of cancer’s food supply. (One study even showed that it could stop fat tissue growth in mice.)Can food do the same thing without the negative side effects of drugs?
Can We Eat To Stop Cancer?
Here is a video of Dr. William Li presenting at Ted Talks about using various foods to prevent angiogenesis. It’s a good 20 minute watch, but if you prefer, I’ll summarize after the video.
So if certain foods can promote cancer, it makes sense to me that certain foods can help fight it. Of course, as Dr. Li points out, food alone might not be enough once you’re actually diagnosed with cancer, but it certainly can’t hurt. The goal, though, is to do things that hopefully keep us from getting cancer in the first place. Luckily, it’s not the inevitability that so many think it is.
For those of us that are seemingly healthy, I don’t really think it’s something to obsess about though. Just eat a normal diet loaded with real foods. It’s really that simple. I think people don’t like to consider that lifestyle is a major component of cancer, but for most, it is. The reality is that people have been using food as medicine for a long, long time…long before there were anti-angiogenic drugs and chemotherapy.
Here’s a graph from the video showing the contribution of various lifestyle factors and genes into cancer.
A little back of the envelope math says that between 1/4 and 1/3 of the cause of cancer is diet-related. That’s big and that’s one that’s much easier to change than your genes. Stop smoking and lose weight and you knock off another huge chunk.
Anti-Angiogenic Foods
Take a look at this table from Dr. Li’s Ted Talks page. It shows a long list of foods that have been found to have anti-angiogenic properties.
What was interesting in the video was when he talked about how combining the foods made for an even stronger anti-angiogenic response. It looks like these foods have a symbiotic relationship in the body. Red, red wine and dark chocolate, anyone (while listening to UB40 perhaps)? I’m guessing that plenty of other natural foods also help the body combat cancer. No telling what’s in that “Others” category.One thing is for sure…the fruit cocktail at your next family picnic sure looks a whole lot better.
Don’t We Need Angiogenesis?
So this question was on my mind while I was looking at all of this, but it seems that what Dr. Li proposes is that eating the right foods doesn’t stop normal angiogenesis completely. They keep angiogenesis at a normal level while stopping the unrestricted growth of blood vessels present in cancer and other diseases. They basically keep the body operating properly. At least, that’s my take from it.
Real Foods To The Rescue
In the past couple years that I’ve been running this blog (and my prior blog, The Modern Forager), I’ve kind of made it my mission to get people to stop obsessing about nutrition and just focus on eating real food. I mean, obviously I enjoy the science of it all as much as the next guy and gal, but I think some of us get a little too twisted up in it. There’s really no need to wear your diet like a “Hi My Name Is…” tag or a badge of honor.
The past couple years, I’ve realized that it’s not about low-carb and low-fat. It’s just about eating real foods. I doubt that someone with a normal, healthy metabolism is going to see any issues from eating all the fruit, sweet potatoes and other tubers, and rice (yes, even rice), they want as long as enough protein and fat is included for health. I am pretty sure that the healthiest, longest-lived people in the world eat all manner of real food (and none of them Zone). So really, stop freaking out about it and just learn to enjoy cooking and eating.
What do you think? Can food alone prevent or reverse cancer or are there other factors at work? Where do we take it from here?
About Scott
Scott Kustes loves to cook and loves to eat. He started Real Food University to help you get maximum enjoyment out of the meals that you eat. To find out more about how he has rebelled against the fast food culture and counting calories or carbs, join the Real Food Revolution.
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Great post, Scott! I work for the largest cancer-fighting org in the world, and I can tell you that there is not enough work going on anywhere to stress the importance of eating real foods to fight cancer and maintain our health. Along with eating a good diet, we know that obesity plays a HUGE role in cancer prevention. In all of the arguments in Washington about health care reform, the fundamental point was missed – we have a personal responsibility to eat well to be well. So many people think it’s “too hard” or takes too much time or money, but they’re missing the shift that happens when you have your health and can enjoy so much more of life because of good health!
The great awareness battle we face is helping people realize that their actions either help or hurt them in health. If people can look at foods and how their impact on their health will be, true understanding and action can be taken. This is true prevention. Good stuff!
Good post Scott. I completely agree about scaling back the micromanaging of diet. I used to obsess over sweet potatoes and fruit, but lately I’ve been going to town on them especially post workout with no ill effects. In fact, it’s boosted my energy and performance. After reading about the Kitavans, I’m almost 100% convinced that gluten and fructose is the real culprit and that as long as you avoid them, you have free reign to eat fibrous glucose like tubers even if though they’re high in CHO.
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The video by William Li is amazing. Goes to show that food is really where good health lies and not supplements. Once people start to really believe in the consequences of a bad diet and how much it contributes to illness I think the changes will start to happen.Thanks for decoding the whole Angiogenesis deal!
Real food, real simple. That’s one of the key elements I work on with my health and wellness clients. We as a society, have made being well such a complicated process without thinking of all the consequences and it has hurt us. Moving forward is really bringing it all back to basics. Great Post.
While I agree that a paleo-esque diet is crucial for maintaining long term health, I would argue that inhibiting angiogenesis is NOT the cure-all for cancer. Certainly, limiting blood flow to the tumor inhibits its size, but more importantly, it decreases the possibility of metastasis. So, I would suggest that while angiogenesis is a tremendous piece of the puzzle, it is by far not the whole picture.
Dr. Li’s and his colleagues are truly groundbreaking scientists.While I am intersted in what these compounds/foods can do for people I must admit that my first love is for animals.Being a veterinarian, we see tremendous numbers of patients affected by cancer.I would hope that some of these compounds are priced such that pet owner’s cam afford them for their pets.If any of you out there are pet lovers who know how/where to obtain compounds for pets please share them with me.Pets heal people,Sammy Vaughn, DVM
[...] Wednesday, July 7th: Angiogenesis and Cancer Angiogenesis is the medical term meaning the growth of new blood vessels. An important process to be sure, but surprisingly, most of your blood vessels are in place when you’re born. New blood vessels are grown only in some special circumstances, and normal angiogenesis is a helpful process. However, cancerous cells can turn this beneficial process against us and use it to feed the tumor itself. In fact, anti-angiogenic therapies have been used effectively to slow or reverse malignant tumors. However, the best idea is to stop the tumors before they develop a blood supply, right? If only we didn’t have to resort to drugs to prevent abnormal angiogenesis… Oh wait, strawberries, grapes, parsley, tomatoes… They stop abnormal angiogenesis? Sweet. Looks like if you just eat lots of fruits and veggies you’re helping to protect yourself against cancer (along with all the other benefits). Not that we needed any more reason to eat natural foods, but it’s nice to know. Check out the below video with a presentation with Dr. Li, who presents the info very well. It’s extraordinarily refreshing to see a doctor interested in preventing disease in the first place, on top of that, he’s interested in doing it without drugs. It’s a little long, but really worth it. Found via the Fitness Spotlight. [...]
Fascinating Article, and a really good summary.I’m often asked about ‘anti oxidants’ and other supplements which are health giving, and I’ve always had a gut feeling that without the basics (i.e. a natural whole food diet) these things will make little or no difference – apart from to the bank balance of the sellers.I guess it’s not a fashionable message that to get something right you need to start from the ground up, and not fix it after it’s already gone wrong.
Very good article. Thanks for highlighting several good points from the video.We already know fruits and veggies are good for us but understanding why i.e. exactly what transpires in the body – re blood vessel growth regulation drives the message deeper.Note that tumeric is a great spice on the list. I keep seeing that spice come up in different studies re being such a great cancer fighter. I always sprinkle this spice into soups and stews.Another great cancer healing tip is the Dr. Budwig protocol. The combination of flaxseed oil and cottage cheese (sulphur protein) is the powerful driver here. Just google it for lots of good info.
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Wow! You hit on the head! You can’t even get into Australia if you are obese. Health Care Starts with Self Care. Take responsibility-right on!!!!
[...] Here is a very interesting article about angiogenesis and cancer. Who knew there was a connection? [...]
[...] red meat is healthier. A diet high in fat is not fattening. A ted talk on using diet to stop angiogenesis. And a diet high in carbohydrates is linked to cancer. So while low carb seems better for reducing [...]