Looking for a sizzling stock tip? It appears that the hottest investments are those connected to companies that make cancer drugs.
Take Johnson & Johnson for example. Analysists have just reported that the quarterly sales of its cancer meds “surged” 45 percent – to a whopping $2.31 billion!
Yes, cancer treatments are bringing in the bucks like never before.
But despite all of that money, all of those newfangled immune-therapy drugs, and the risks, pain, and suffering patients brave to take them, cancer remains a major killer. Although it has kept its No. 2 slot right under heart disease as a way to die, experts predict cancer will soon become No. 1.
So, if you’re looking to make some greenbacks, the investments most likely to succeed probably will be those involving drugmakers that specialize in cancer meds.
But if you’re looking to invest in your health, you shouldn’t count on Big Pharma!
Because the very best way to fight cancer — one that’s 100 percent likely to succeed — is to not develop the disease in the first place.
And you can tip the odds of that in your favor by taking just a few simple steps before the thought of prevention ends up in the rearview mirror.
What every ‘body’ knows
The biggest (and most expensive!) new treatments on the block where cancer is concerned would have to be those that deal with immunotherapy.
These are treatments that harness the power of your own immune system to seek and destroy cancer. For some patients, this moonshot has produced incredible results. But it can also rev up your immune system to such a degree that it can actually turn on you and attack your body… killing instead of curing.
But that should tell you something about the native power within yourself to lock out cancer in the first place.
Over half a century ago, two prominent physicians proposed the concept that cancer prevention is the primary goal of our immune system – sort of like a team of elite Navy Seals constantly on the lookout for the slightest cellular deviation.
And we’ve acquired plenty of knowledge to back that theory up.
We now know, for example, that:
- Anyone who has received an organ transplant and is required to take drugs to suppress their immune system (so the transplant won’t be rejected) is at a much higher risk of developing cancer.
- In a similar way, those biologics – meds such as Humira, Enbrel, and Simponi — that suppress immune function also can increase the risk for cancer. Just listen to the commercial for Humira that warns “serious, sometimes fatal infections and cancers including lymphoma have happened.”
- Those infected with HIV, a virus that disables normal immune function, are at a heightened risk of developing cancer.
A few years ago, a study done by an international group of researchers concluded that while it’s quite obvious that the immune system is indeed our humble servant when it comes to protecting against outside pathogens and cancer, we still don’t know exactly how that process works.
But here’s the good news – you don’t have to know, any more than you need to know how a computer works to write an email! Your body has done that job for you. All you have to do is give it a helping hand — and here are four great ways to start:
#1 Believe in your gut: It’s known that a significant portion of our immune function originates in the gut. So, make sure you’re taking a high-quality probiotic and filling your fridge and cupboards with foods such as yogurt (the whole-milk kind with no artificial sweeteners!), the probiotic drink kefir, tempe (which is fermented soy and the only kind of soy you should be eating), and apple cider vinegar.
#2 Fight the Big C with C: Include lots of vitamin C-rich foods in your diet, such as grapefruit and oranges, as well as kiwifruit, strawberries (the organic kind), and kale!
#3: Go for the greens and reds: An easy way to find immune boosters is to pick out plenty of naturally colorful foods and spices – ones like red peppers, spinach, blueberries, carrots, tomatoes, and the spice turmeric. On its own, turmeric has been found to be a cancer preventative due to the action of curcumin, the compound in the spicy root that gives it that golden color.
#4: Don’t tread gingerly: If you happen to like ginger, indulge — you’ll be another step ahead in fighting cancer! A study we told you about two years ago found that a component in dried ginger called 6-shogaol was able to successfully attack and kill breast cancer cells. Other research has found that it can shrink prostate tumors and fight oral cancers! (But just remember that ginger can also act as a blood thinner).
While the holy grail of medicine, a way to wipe out cancer once and for all, may remain elusive to scientists, it appears that our bodies have instinctively known the secret all along. All we have to do is provide the necessary tools.
“Johnson & Johnson beats as cancer drugs provide a boost” Manas Mishra, April 17, 2018, Reuters, businessinsider.com
