Dean Ornish Shows How to Reverse Prostate Cancer with Nutrigenomics

28 Feb

You can reverse prostate cancer and many of the diseases
associated with aging by changing your diet.

Sounds unbelievable, but it’s true.

It’s a finding reported by Dr. Dean Ornish in his new book The
Spectrum.

I’ve already told you how Dr. Ornish showed 30 years ago that
it’s possible to reverse heart disease by eating a plant-based
diet, exercising, meditating, yoga, and being part of a
supportive group.

In The Spectrum, he goes even further.

He shows that these same principles of healthy living can also
reverse cancer and other diseases of aging.

And he explains exactly why this is possible.

His findings are nothing short of groundbreaking. And with the
current dismal state of our healthcare system, they’re more
urgently needed than ever before.

This country pays $100 billion a year for invasive bypass
surgeries that aren’t very effective and don’t even extend
life. We spend $15 billion a year for Lipitor, which comes with
plenty of unpleasant side effects.

But now Dr. Ornish has shown that his program of lifestyle
changes is more effective and a lot cheaper than drugs and
surgery. And the side effects — like weight loss and extra
energy — are positive ones.

Astounding Results

Patients everywhere — including my own — have been seeing real
results from Dr. Ornish’s program.

One of my patients is a 65-year-old man who had both heart
disease (which was being “treated” with drugs and angioplasties)
and prostate cancer.

But we got him working to improve his nutrition and exercise.
After 5 years, tests showed that the blocked arteries in his
heart were dramatically better. And his prostate cancer was gone,
too.

He even called me on his birthday that year to say that he felt
healthier at age 70 than he had at 60. He was off all medications
and feeling great.

This is what’s possible when you change your lifestyle.

Because, as Dr. Ornish explains in The Spectrum, when you change
your lifestyle — the foods you eat, the activity you get, the
way you manage stress and relationships — you also change your
genes.

Compelling Research

Dr. Ornish’s program really works — and he’s done the research
to prove it.

For example, he studied 93 men with prostate cancer who were
practicing “watchful waiting” (waiting to see if their cancer
worsened before getting conventional treatment).

Half the group kept their usual lifestyle. The other half
followed the lifestyle program described in The Spectrum.

The results were stunning. Dr. Ornish found that prostate cancer
growth was reduced by 70 percent in the group that followed his
program.

Four years later, only six of the lifestyle program patients
needed conventional treatment — compared to 21 control
patients.

Those results are impressive, but even more intriguing is the
evidence that Dr. Ornish’s approach can actually affect your
genes.

As I’ve explained before, changing your lifestyle can switch
different genes on and off. Using food to do is called
nutrigenomics.

In The Spectrum, Dr. Ornish talks about research on telemores –
the little repair systems on the end of your chromosomes that
protect your DNA. The shorter the telomeres, the shorter your
life.

The research he describes found that mothers who felt the most
stressed actually had the shortest telomeres — equal to about an
extra decade of aging!

So Dr. Ornish applied his comprehensive lifestyle changes and
found that the telomerase (the enzyme that keeps telomeres
healthy) was higher.

The result? Reversal of the aging effects of chronic stress!

Let me repeat: You can reverse the effects of stress on your
genes — and on the aging process – just by changing your
lifestyle.

As Dr. Ornish describes in The Spectrum, this means eating a
plant-based diet of whole foods, getting regular exercise, and
managing stress.

I could continue to tell you how instrumental Dr. Ornish’s work
has been, or how it has arrived at the time when we need it
most.

I could tell you that he has been a fearless advocate for good
health and that he’s overcome countless obstacles to change
medicine, healthcare policy, and the insurance industry.

On a personal level, I could tell you that I’ve rarely met a
more courageous person with a more generous heart.

But don’t take it from me. Take a look at his work.

It’s all there, in his new book, The Spectrum.

Again, I urge you to read this powerful account of Dr. Ornish’s
research. While you’re at it, share a copy with your doctor,
your loved ones, and even your congressperson.

Remember, you can change your genes — and your life – simply by
changing the way you live.

Mark Hyman, MD is a pioneer in functional medicine, practicing
physician and best-selling author. A sneak preview of his book
“The UltraSimple Diet” is available. See The UltraWellness Blog
for more on Nutrigenomics: http://www.ultrawellness.com/blog/