Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 22, Number 9, 1 September 2005 — Traditional foods and practices can help fight cancer [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Traditional foods and practices can help fight cancer

Hawaiian herbs, lomilomi, and ho'oponopono are among family health practices that continue in Hawaiian homes today. However, many traditional therapies and practices are less relied upon than in years past. Fortunate, indeed, are families with kūpuna and mākua who carry on and teach the health practices of our Hawaiian ancestors. In decades past, many cultural foods that were eaten frequently had therapeutic qualities in addition to their nutritional value. In a Bishop Museum publication, Kawena Pūku'i and associates reported that certain varieties of kalo (taro), 'uala (sweet potato), mai'a (banana) and kō (sugar eane) were cultivated for their medicinal value. Mai'a lele, maoli, iholena, koa'e and 'ele'ele were mai'a varieties used in remedies for digestive and bowel trouble. Two types of 'uala, mohihi and the small hua moa - with flesh that looked like a boiled egg - eased vomiting. Kiki and lehua 'uala were recommended for asthma. These foods were also served as part of family meals.

Foods cultivated and eaten by our ancestors have given way to western French fries, chips, canned meats, sausages, Coke and beer. These introduced food items have none of the protective qualities of our traditional foods and may, in fact, be harmful. The counsel of kūpuna to learn to eat vegetables such as lū'au, pōpolo and palula, heard in days past, is no longer passed on to the keiki. Yet many illnesses could be prevented by eating the foods of our kūpuna. For example, modern science has found that dark, leafy greens contain folic acid, vitamins A and C, antioxidants and numerous phytochemicals. These nutrients ean work to prevent such illnesses as colds, infections, certain birth defects and cancer. Cancer is still our most feared illness. We are afraid of it because we don't understand it and because there is not yet a cure. We can't see it developing; it surprises us. However, scientists have made mueh progress in understanding cancer and now ean give us solid advice on how to avoid it.

We know that 40 to 60 percent of cancer cases are linked to foods commonly eaten. Chemicals found in processed foods are just one source. We also know that smoking, chewing tobacco and second-hand smoke are responsible for 30 percent of cancers. Constant exposure to chemicals, x-rays and the sun ean cause cancer. There are also rare cases of genetic cancer. The good news is that there are important, yet simple, ways to prevent cancer. Cancer develops slowly, over a very long time, probably 10 to 30 years. This makes it hard to detect. However, during that long incubation period, we have many opportunities to block the process. That is really good news. What foods ean you eat to prevent cancer? The best cancer protection foods are vegetables and fruits, especially those with a lot of vitamins A and C and fiber. Papaya, guava, mangoes, all cabbages, broccoli, cauliflower, lū'au, spinach and watercress are easy to find and eook. All ean be eaten raw, except for lū'au. Eating some of these protective foods every day will

strengthen the body's defenses to fight cancer. Scientists are studying many of the phytochemicals found in food to discover how they work to fight a variety of cancers. We should soon have more information on just how they act in the body. The simple rules to fight cancer with food are: • Eat a variety of vegetables, fruits and whole grains, at least five half-cup servings daily. • Maintain a low-fat diet. This means cooking the traditional Hawaiian way: steaming, baking and roasting, and eating more i'a (fish) and moa (ehieken) without skin. • Eat foods that are good sources of fiber, such as greens, kalo, potato, brown rice and whole wheat bread. By following these simple practices, whieh were part of our ancestors' way of life, we ean help keep ourselves healthy and reduce the likelihood of contracting cancer. TJ

Ol akino

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By Claire Ku'uleilani Hughes , Dr. PH., R.D.