Grandma Knew Best:
“Give ‘Em A Dose Of Cod Liver Oil!”
Why Fish Oil?
Omega 3 is medium chain triglyceride (MCT). In my last post, I discussed the reasons why MCT’s are particularly good for cancer patients. Now, let’s talk about Fish Oil as the best source of Omega 3 for cancer patients.
Omega 3 comes from plants (seeds and nuts), grain fed beef and fish. The active ingredients are EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) and DHA (docosahexaenoic acid).
Omega-3 from vegetables such as flax or perilla seeds (vegetable based omega-3) or beef requires significantly more enzyme activity to break down into DHA and EPA, and provide them in amounts helpful to the human body. In particular, a person with cancer may have inflammatory issues or metabolic problems (a person who is borderline or in Cachexia, perhaps) and, thus, can be lacking in the right kind or amount of enzymes to utilize vegetable based omega-3. Fish oil breaks down faster and easier, so fish oil is better. Seeds and nuts require time and a lot of enzymes for the food to be broken down into EPA and DHA.
Fish Oil 101
Okay — put on your biochemistry hat for a minute. Don’t turn away. If I can understand this, so can you. As Kris Carr says in her terrific book Crazy Sexy Cancer Tips (1), you have to send yourself to “cancer college” the minute you or your loved one is diagnosed with cancer. Knowledge is power. So, with a nod (and a cite) to Ms. Carr, think of this post as “Fish Oil 101.”
Love Your Fat
Even though we have been taught to hate fat, the body needs fat. Fats store nutrients and accumulated fat is burned for energy. There is, however, good fat and bad fat and — in the case of Omega 3 (the fat found in fish oil, nuts and seeds) — “essential” fat.(2)
Essential fats, or “essential fatty acids” (EFA) are nature’s primary healing fats. Omega 3, one of the most potent and pure forms of EFA, is a strong antioxident, an anti-viral and anti-fungal powerfood. Omega 3’s are the world’s best anti-infection agents.
Omega 3, and EFA in general, is absolutely essential for the storage of nutrients in the body. The body does not manufacture an EFA so you have to eat food containing EFA to have them in your body. Id.
Well, you might ask,we know we want to stay healthy but why are EFA’s essential for people with cancer? Good question. It requires a little explanation.
Coping with Chemo’s Powerhouse Veggie Smoothie Recipe
SMOOTHIE BASE:
1 package tofu (we like Mori-Nu Extra-Firm Silken Tofu)
6-8 baby carrots or one large carrot
1 cup whole milk
2-4 scoops of Weight Gain powder. We recommend Naturade.
VEGETABLES:
1 cup orange juice
3/4 fresh or frozen unsweetened apple juice
1 cup chopped vegetables (such as celery or tomatoes) or frozen fruit
Optional nutritional supplements*
Morning glory
I am not a doctor. My husband has cancer. He was diagnosed in October 2005. When I learned that John had cancer and that it was Stage IV lung cancer, I was devastated. I felt utterly powerless. I had no control over what was happening.
But I am not a wallower. I am constitutionally unable to stay sad. I prefer action. So, when I learned of the cancer, I began to look for ways to take control of the situation and make a difference. I make no claim that anything I am about to tell you will save your life or the life of someone you love. What I will tell you, however, is how you can take control of something; how you can make a difference.
For some scientific reasons that I don’t claim to understand, cancer kills people in a lot of different ways. The most obvious way is that the cancer invades a vital organ (like the lung, liver or pancreas) and stops it from functioning. What I did not realize, and what I learned from sifting through a mountain of information over the Internet, is that most people who die of cancer, die before that stage.
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