🥗 Whole plant nutrition cures cancer
Michael Greger in his materials cites several cases and studies showing how plant nutrition affects cancer. The most convincing example is the famous Dean Ornish study, which Greger often cites.
The blood of men on a plant-based diet suppressed the growth of prostate cancer cells by 70%, while on a standard diet — by only 9%. This made their blood almost 8 times less favorable for cancer. And in real life this resulted in the fact that over two years none of them required surgery.
🔬 The main study: Prostate cancer "under observation"
In a 2005 study led by Dr. Dean Ornish, which Greger analyzes in detail on his website NutritionFacts.org and in the book 📚 "How Not to Die: Food in the Fight for Life".
The essence of the experiment:
93 men with early-stage prostate cancer (Gleason < 7) participated, who decided not to have surgery immediately but to be under observation. They were divided into two groups:
1. Control group: continued to live as usual.
2. Lifestyle group: switched to a plant-based diet (mainly fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes), did moderate aerobic exercise (walking), yoga/meditation, and attended support groups.
Results cited by Greger:
- Blood became "8 times" stronger: This is perhaps the most impressive indicator. Researchers took blood from men in both groups and dripped it onto prostate cancer cells in a test tube. Blood from the control group suppressed cancer cell growth by only 9%. And blood from the plant-based group suppressed growth by 70%. Conclusion: The blood of people on a plant-based diet became almost 8 times less "hospitable" to cancer.
- PSA decreased: The level of prostate-specific antigen (PSA, a tumor marker) in the plant-based group decreased by 4%, while in the control group it increased by 6%.
- No one reached surgery: Over two years of observation, not a single man from the lifestyle-change group required surgical intervention or radiation therapy. In the control group, 6 people were forced to undergo surgery due to disease progression.
📖 Additional case from Greger (reader testimony)
Greger also published stories of people inspired by his book. One example is Betty's story about her husband.
Situation: A 70-year-old man was diagnosed with prostate cancer. PSA was 9.5.
Action: He and his wife switched to whole plant nutrition "overnight."
Result: After 4 months, PSA fell from 9.5 to 2.4 (the level of prostate-specific antigen — a tumor marker). The doctor was stunned. The cancer "froze" at a low stage, and no medical intervention was required.
🏃 Sports vs. plant-based diet
Another comparison to prove that it is nutrition, not sports, that gives such an effect.
Sports only: Men ate standard food for 14 years but trained intensively (an hour a day). Their blood killed cancer cells, but the result was significantly more modest than in vegans. The book states that intensive training killed 2000% more cancer cells than in couch potatoes, but this is still 2 times less than in the plant-based group (there it was 4000% more killed cells).
Conclusion: Thousands of hours in the gym could not compare with the effect of a plant-based diet.
⚡️ The "two weeks" effect
For women with breast cancer, the effect was noticeable even faster. After 14 days on a plant-based diet (and 30-60 minute walks), the blood of the same women began to significantly suppress the growth of three types of breast cancer cells. Visually this looked like a sharp increase in the number of "white dots" (dying cancer cells) on TUNEL images.
🧬 Lowering IGF-1 levels — a cancer factor
On plant-based nutrition, the level of IGF-1 (insulin-like growth factor) decreases. Animal protein (meat, eggs, milk) stimulates the production of this hormone, which "feeds" cancer cells. A plant-based diet lowers IGF-1 levels and raises the level of its binding protein, depriving tumors of "fuel."
📝 Conclusion
The data cited by Greger add up to a clear picture:
- Nutrition is stronger than sports. Even intensive training on standard food does not give such an effect as a plant-based diet.
- The effect is fast. Already after 14 days the blood changes so much that it begins to kill cancer cells.
- The mechanism is clear. Animal protein → IGF-1 → tumor growth. Plant protein → lowering IGF-1 → protection.
- The result is measurable. 70% versus 9%. PSA reduction. Zero surgeries in two years.
This is not a miracle and not magic. This is biology. And it is on our side when we choose whole plants instead of animal products.
Source: 📚 "How Not to Die: Food in the Fight for Life" - Michael Greger