THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: International Women’s Day is a time to reflect on progress made, to call for change and to celebrate acts of courage and determination by ordinary women who have played an extraordinary role in the history of their countries and communities.
This year’s theme, ‘Empowering Women, Empowering Humanity: Picture it’, envisions a world where each woman and girl can exercise her choices, such as participating in politics, getting an education, having an income, and living in societies free from violence and discrimination.
Women across the globe join together to celebrate International Women’s Day on March 8. The ideologies, philosophies concepts and aims were different way back in 1911, when the first official launch was held (it was on March 19). Over a million people from Austria, Denmark, Germany and Switzerland participated then to get the right to vote, to hold public office, employment without sex discrimination. The wave of awakening further spread to the rest of the world.
Empowering women for health related issues is assuming prime importance because of the alarming increase in the Non Communicable Diseases (NCDs), over powering human race at an alarming speed. WHO has warned all the developing nations to be alert on this. The diseases under consideration are heart diseases, cancer, diabetes and chronic respiratory diseases. Of which the tsunami of all health issues will be cancer, the villain in disguise.
What is the relevance of the International women’s day and the issue of cancer? Cancers in women are increasing and younger and younger people fall prey to cancer in the modern times. Younger than 30, in the prime of youth are affected unlike in the past when more were belonging to the older generation. In small nuclear families, when the issue of “who will take care” remains as a major question mark the issue assumes greater importance. Women will have to play multiple roles; as a mother, a daughter, a wife, a sister, along with umpteen responsibilities if she is a working woman. The ray of light in the horizon is that more than 60-70 per cent of common cancers could be potentially prevented by lifestyle changes, dietary interventions, cessation of tobacco consumption, and alcohol. In the modern era diet and its importance in cancer prevention strategy is getting more and more recognition. On the face of rapid urbanisation, influx of western influence, disappearance of traditional food habits and conversion to energy dense food has changed the society at large to more obesity, and further pave way to the incidence of all NCDs more importantly cancer in women including breasts, uterus, ovaries, colon, stomach etc. Hence preventive strategies start truly in the kitchen.
The key to the success remains with the one who controls the diet of the family in choosing the right, healthy and nutritious diet.
Adulterated, poison infiltrated vegetables, fruits, rice, wheat, or pulses are a common issue in India. Over indulgence in pesticides and unwanted manure spoils the land. As per international experts, the ideal of dietary choices are, vegetables 2-3 servings a day, fruits 3-4 times, brown rice/wheat should form the staple diet together with legumes/pulses which provides more biologically active proteins. This means white rice has its limitations. The biologic value of bran is unknown to majority when the west moves towards fortified (with bran) bread for consumption. The bran provides both soluble and insoluble fibre the soluble fibre helps in scavenging out toxic materials from the liver which is the factory of the human body.
Insoluble fibres from vegetables, pulses or legumes forms the bulk and helps to remove the toxic by-products from the colon, many could be potential carcinogens from various dietary sources. Hence has to be part of diet
Five white substances which are potentially hazardous causing cancer include excess salt, sugar, white rice, milk and milk products and maida.
Excess salt and salted food stuffs are causative factor for stomach and esophagus cancer. Volumes are being written on sugar as a causative factor for cancer since sugary food increases the calorie reserve and adiposity. Milk, as per Harward medical school, contains dozens of hormones, growth factors especially insulin like growth factor. White rice without any bran can only add to the calorie reserve. Maida,and the conventional ‘Kerala parotta’ eaten by Malayali population is considered as a dietary factor inducing cancer since maida has got benzene peroxidise which is hazardous. In fact it is banned in UK and USA.
Fruits rich in lycopines and antho cyanins, substances like carotene really protects human body with anti oxidants removing oxygen free radicals and hence carrot, tomatoes, watermelons, grapes etc are potentially beneficial. Volumes are written on Kerala spices being potentially protective against cancer.
Curcumin from Haldi is today used as a potential cancer preventive agent in breast cancer prevention trials. Piperine of Pepper, gingerine of ginger, and several other spices really protect. Among vegetables it’s better to have beans, broccoli, green leafy vegetables, cabbage and cauliflower which are cruciferous vegetables which help human body with phyto chemicals.
Organic vegetable salads not only provide vitamins but also add to the motility so that normal stool habits could be obtained. When the west is moving in that direction, we in the name of progress are adopting old western style in our food habits with more of meat, chicken and dairy products.
In the modern era tobacco consumption among the young girls and women are increasing in alarming proportion so is the social drinking. This trend has far reaching consequences in the increasing cancer incidence among women. The sure positive agent to prevent cancer is exercise which has to be part of our life. Exercise helps to burn calories, boosts metabolism, maintains the hormonal milieu, protects the heart, reduces the sugar levels, prevents obesity and cancer, especially breast cancer, ovary cancer, colon cancer and uterus cancer.
Cancer in reality is a villain in disguise, destroying the aspirations of individuals, families, and the society. When more and more women belong to the working class, the disease indirectly or directly affects the economy as well. Unlike other diseases, the duration of treatment, mutilating surgeries, toxic side effects of chemotherapeutic drugs, radiation, cost of drugs, chronicity of treatments, sometimes for years etc will add miseries to the victim, the impact of the same being beyond comprehension when it affects younger individuals destroying the morale. The complicated issues also will have a bearing on the social fabric.
Hence early detection of cancers should become part of life. As the age incidence is coming down in several cancers like breast, uterus, ovaries and cervix, an awakening is needed among our women to go for screening programmes, on regular basis, starting from 30s. Breast cancer is becoming the number one killer for women across the globe.
Hope this year’s International Women’s Day will bring in better resolutions to fight cancer regardless of empowering women at large.
Dr Thomas Varughese,
Surgical Oncologist and Reconstructive Surgeon, Renai Medicity hospital, Palarivattom