Would you be surprised to hear that 40 percent of women in their 40s have microscopic breast cancer, and that almost 100 percent of people in their 70s have microscopic cancer in their thyroid glands?
Recent research has shown that although microscopic cancer cells are widely prevalent in humans, our body contains a natural cancer-fighting system called anti-angiogenesis, which inhibits the growth of new blood vessels.
In an article on Oprah.com, William Li, MD, president and medical director of the Angiogenesis Foundation, says that angiogenesis is the key component in whether the microscopic cancers remain neutralized or become malignant.
"Angiogenesis is what makes the difference between a small, innocuous cancer and a runaway, dangerous disease," Dr Li says. ...controlling blood vessel growth has been proven to make a profound difference [in preventing cancer]."
While a dozen drugs that battle cancer by maintaining blood vessel growth are offered on the market, Li states that research has shown that adding certain foods to our diet can have an identical effect:
Initial study results are startling: Asian-American women who ate soy at least once a week throughout their lives reduced their risk of breast cancer by 60 percent; Chinese women who drank a cup of green tea at least three times a week cut their colon cancer risk by 34 percent.
