The Bible and Cancer
Can the vegetables name in the Bible fight cancer?
Ettore Piroso MD
Copyright 2018 Ettore Piroso
All rights reserved.
ISBN : 9781676022886
Genesis 1:29
God also told them, "Look! I have given you every seed-bearing plant that grows throughout the earth, along with every tree that grows seed-bearing fruit. They will produce your food.
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Table of CONTENTS
1.Introduction 1
2.Almonds 3
3.Apples 7
4.Barley 11
5.Cucumbers 15
6.Cumin 22
7.Date Palm 29
8.Dill 34
9.Figs 39
10. Grapes 43
11. Leeks 47
12. Lentils 51
13. Mint 55
14. Wheat 59
1 introduction
The essence of this book is about finding an answer to a particular question: can the vegetables named in the Bible fight cancer?
The Bible has an infinite number of spiritual and moral lessons, teachings of all sorts involving every aspect of the human experience.
Therefore, it would be reasonable to wonder if there are also lessons for keeping ourselves free of conditions such as cancer.
Could it be possible that Gods explicit reference to plants in Genesis or the consistent naming of certain vegetables throughout other chapters represents a way of pointing to foods that could improve our physical health?
Could all these be an invitation to look at those vegetables from another perspective: a healing tool?
But do vegetables have anti-cancer properties? Is any scientific evidence proving that they can fight malignancies, or it is all a myth?
Numerous population-based studies have consistently shown that individuals with a diet rich in certain vegetables have less incidence of some types of cancer.
Scientists always wondered what gives vegetables such powers. Most of them agree today that the phytochemicals inside vegetables are the most likely explanation. Phytochemicals are compounds found in almost every plant.
They do not have any nutritional value for humans but, they are central to the plant's health and survival. In some cases, they are pigments essential to attract pollinators or they are part of the plant defenses against fungus and infections. Even, they may be critical components in vital functions like photosynthesis.
This book is a concise review of the scientific data generated from researchers around the world studying the relationships between cancer and phytochemicals.
Only references and citations from peer-reviewed medical journals were taken into account. Every assertion about the anti-cancer properties of the vegetables is the result of published clinical data and not from personal opinions.
The information presented here will allow readers to reach their own conclusions about the value of dietary vegetables. But, it is important to remember that the data supporting the protective effects of vegetables against cancer, is in constant revision and that many authorities in the field believe that it does not exist or, at most, is very weak.
Finally, up to date, there is no scientific evidence that diet alone can cure, delay, or stop cancers of any kind.
2 Almonds
Genesis 43:11
And their father Israel said unto them, If it must be so now, do this; take of the best fruits in the land in your vessels and carry down the man a present, a little balm, and a little honey, spices, and myrrh, nuts, and almonds.
To Ancient Egyptians, death was not the end, but just passing from one place to another; it was an invisible bridge connecting two worlds.
Once someone had crossed the thin line and gained the title of dead body, a treacherous journey through the underworld would begin. The newly graduated would take the trip by boat and would have to sort several obstacles before reaching the Hall of Judgement. A place where their hearts would be weighed in the presence of Osiris and over 40 other deities.
Their final eternal destiny would be defined by how the scale would tip, if not in perfect balance.
Everyone, alive or soon-to-be-death, wanted to take some preparatory measurements for the long trip. Therefore, tombs would include not only the corpse but also several things that the dead could use during their afterlife travels. Of course, the bodies of rich and powerful would be the ones with more artifacts around.
Many of these objects would be for the solace of the departed soul, but others would have a more practical purpose, like food. Howard Carter, an English archaeologist, discovered the intact tomb of King Tut in 1922. Over 5000 artifacts accompanied the mummified body of the King. Among them were seeds of watermelon, persea (from the avocado family), and almonds.
Almond trees were not a common finding in Ancient Egypt. Historians are not sure if almonds were a typical food for all or just a luxury item for a few. What is known is that almonds were an essential ingredient in a particular bread served to Pharos.
Scholars believe that wild almond trees originated somewhere in Central Asia, China and/or North Africa. Once domesticated, they moved to the Mediterranean area, where they took a stronghold.
Early Christian paintings included an almond-shaped aureole around the head of Christ, the Virgin Mary, and Saints. The artist of the era referred to this particular element of the composition as mandorla, the Italian word for almond.
Almonds trees are one of the first in awakening from the dormant winter state. Their branches pack in dense white flowers that open even before leaves start to show. Christian authors had interpreted the life cycle of the tree as a symbol of the resurrection. For Catholics in particular, almonds represent the Divine approval and the embodiment of the Virgin Mary.
Kaempferol
In terms of cancer, almonds are of particular interest to researchers due to Kaempferol a yellow, crystalline, and solid flavonoid, abundant in colorful vegetables and flowers.
In experiments conducted in different research centers, kaempferol has shown a marked inhibitory effect on the growth of bone, liver, oral cavity, and breast cancer cell colonies. Similar results were reached when the compound was tested against bladder, ovarian, and esophageal cancer cell lines.
This body of research suggests that perhaps kaempferol interacts with an intracellular pathway common to all cancer types, such as apoptosis or self-programmed cell death. All mammalian cells are equipped with the means to activate apoptosis, ending their own existence quickly and effectively. There is more than one circuit to achieve that; in fact, there are several. Regardless of how or from which intracellular organelle the order originates, once activated, the process is irreversible.
Caspases are a family of proteins that play essential roles in programmed cell death, for which they have been termed executioner proteins. Several pathways of activation for caspases have been discovered. The two best known are the cell surface death receptor pathway and the mitochondrial initiated pathway. Researchers from Korea found that kaempferol kills colon cancer cells by activating not just one pathway, but both, a double hit of sorts.
Another intracellular process recognized to promote apoptosis is autophagy, a mechanism that involves systematic self-destruction of all intracellular organelles. This pathway is known as autophagic programmed cell death. Investigators from the China Medical University in Taiwan reported that, in a laboratory setting, kaempferol destroyed human hepatic cancer cell colonies by activating their autophagy mechanisms.
