Cancer Prevention - Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons, GSTM1 deletion & Liver Health!

1 in 2 people are set to get cancer in their lifetime, by 2030 - Medical News Today

"The Typical Western Diet is a Fertiliser for Cancer" - D Servan-Schreiber

Only 5-10% of cancers are thought to be genetic in origin. That means 90-95% of cancers are likely to be environmentally driven! (1)

How do we define YOUR environment?

• Your body is the environment

• What you eat

• How you move

• Where you live

• Who you spend time with

• What media you consume

• How stressed you are

• How well you sleep

• Your routines

• Your work

• Whether you have faith

• Whether you live with a pet

• Toxic Exposures

• Past Trauma

What factors are known to affect your risk of cancer ?

• Smoking - 25-30%

• Diet - 30-35%

• Alcohol 4-6%

• Obesity 10-20%

• Others 10-15% (as follows)

• Infectious Agents - Viruses like HPV/EBV (see the chart below to see how these can affect individual cancers)

• Environmental Pollutants

• Radiation Exposure

• Stress

• Emotional issues / Trauma

Reference: Anand et al 2008

Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs)

Oxidative Stress and Inflammation are at the root of cancer.

There are any number of carcinogens in our environment but whether these trigger cancer, depends on the immune system of that individual.

Our immune system needs nutrients from our food and environment to function properly. We have a number of detoxification enzymes in our liver called CYP450 enzymes. They are responsible for many different processes including the metabolism (detoxification) of certain carginogens from our environment like Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs). Found in exhaust fumes, smoke from bonfires, cigarette smoke and any combustible fuel smoke, these toxins are ever present in the air in busy cities. They are also present on blackened foods from the BBQ and burned foods.

Certain people are more susceptible to the dangers of PAHs and other toxins. If you have a SNP (polymorphism/mutation) on the genes that detoxify PAH then these substances can be more dangerous for you.

Photo by Jacek Dylag on Unsplash