I grew up with cancer in my family. When I was six months old, my father was diagnosed with colon cancer and had the left side of his colon removed. In 1951, he had a permanent colostomy placed so that he could have bowel movements through the side of his abdomen. In those days, my father was the only person I can recall surviving cancer. He lived another 40 years.
Growing up, I always wondered why there was no cure for cancer. This is why I became a doctor and why I serve as associate chair of the Department of Complementary and Alternative Medicine at the University of Hawaii School of Medicine.
Cancer is the second leading cause of death in the U.S. and soon will be first. Through my medical training, I kept looking for alternatives to surgery, chemotherapy and radiation — standard treatments offered to cancer patients. Though sometimes needed to remove and shrink tumors, these approaches are harsh and can cause debilitation and even death. I always thought there should be other ways to deal with cancer.
Now, we are finding additional treatments that are not so toxic: hormone therapy, immunotherapy, nutritional therapy and dietary supplements. Right now the University of Hawaii Department of Complementary and Alternative Medicine is seeking funding to do cancer research on fermented Noni and the Ganoderma mushroom.
Look at this graph that compares protein con- sumption and death from breast cancer. It should be obvious that nutrition plays a pivotal role in cancer. Similar graphs show the relationship between dietary fats and colon, prostate and breast cancer mortality. The China Study by Dr. T. Colin Campbell suggests that dairy products promote the growth of cancer. Another shows that insulin and IGF-1 (insulin-like growth factor) also promote the growth of cancerous cells. Further research finds that eating processed carbohydrates raises insulin and animal products raise IGF-1.
Several U.S. doctors are applying these concepts in a dietary approach to help control cancer. I explain this modality in Chapter VIII of the Peace Diet book at www.peacediet.org. Basically, cancer responds to a balance between your immune system and factors that promote cancer growth. Whether you receive conventional therapy or not, it makes sense to tip the balance toward a healthy immune system and away from tumors or disease by adopting a healthy diet and lifestyle.
WELLNESS CENTER Complimentary & Alternative Medicine
600 Queen St., Ste. C2, Honolulu HI 96813
808-628-8784 | www.drshintani.com
According to the American Society of Consultant Pharmacists, people 60 – 69 years old take nearly 14 prescriptions per year, and those 80 – 84 take an average of 18. While medications do help improve the quality of life for seniors, so do pharmacists. A pharmacist can help you understand when and how to take your medicines, what side effects you might expect and what interactions may occur between drugs. A pharmacist can answer your questions privately in the pharmacy or over the telephone:
Many confuse rheumatoid arthritis (RA) with osteoarthritis (OA), which stems from different causes and demands a separate therapeutic program. Unlike OA, RA is an autoimmune disorder that affects any age. Onset and loss of mobility may appear almost overnight.
Hearing loss is so gradual that many are not aware their hearing has deteriorated, due to medical conditions, ear infections, ear infections, illness, traumatic injury or prolonged exposure to noise. Hearing loss is not like listening with the volume turned down. Instead, you may notice that certain spoken sounds, like “sh,” “th,” and “f” are more difficult to hear. That’s why people often say they can hear, but can’t understand what is being said.
Every health food store has products containing Noni, also called Indian mulberry. It grows throughout Southeast Asia, Australia and the Pacific Islands. Hawaiians used noni to heal a variety of health problems, like wrapping noni leaves around sore joints to relieve pain. The ancestors took it by mouth for colic, and urinary problems, digestive problems and also high blood pressure.
Some say water is water.
Statistics show that a majority of U.S. patients who require an amputation are age 65 and older. Amputation will likely intensify feelings of dependency, depression and helplessness: I’m too old now to learn to live without a limb. Who cares anyway? Who knows how many years I have to live?
Years ago, I pioneered a concept of eating more to lose weight. The effectiveness of this approach has withstood the test of time. Some of my patients report losing over 50 to 100 pounds over the years simply by using my food “Mass Index” table that shows which foods will help you to lose weight. This table can be found in most of my books, such as the Eat More, Weigh LessR Diet and my latest book. the “Peace Diet™.” For a sample of this table, go to 
In Japan, they say we should first “eat with our eyes.” In other words, food should be presented in a visually pleasing manner. This turns out to be great advice to help slow and reverse the aging process. The more colorful your food, the more anti-aging nutrients it is likely to contain. For example, green foods tend to have lutein and zeaxanthin, powerful antioxidant nutrients that prevent aging. Yellow and orange vegetables and fruit tend to have lot of carotenoids that help with vision, skin, heart and the immune system. Red vegetables tend to have lycopene, which can protect against some cancers — notably prostate cancer — and may also help to protect the brain. Blue and purple vegetables and fruit have anthocyanins, also known to help prevent memory loss. Purple-red vegetables and fruit such as grapes and blueberries have resveratrol in them that can protect the heart. In future articles, I’ll cover these nutrients in detail and explain what foods are rich in these and other anti-aging nutrients.
Cancer is now close to becoming the No. 1 cause of death in the U.S. It seems like we see more cases of cancer than ever before. In addition to smoking and alcohol consumption, diet and lifestyle factors may play as great or greater roles in causing cancer. Recently, the World Health Organization (WHO) came out with a statement that processed meats increase the risk of cancer. So avoiding processed meats would be a good health habit, in addition to eating colorful food.
Dropless Cataract Surgery is a new option for cataract patients that reduces the need for eye drops after surgery.