Gillian McKeith's Food Bible (274 page)

EXTRA TIPS

Check all labels carefully; dairy products and lactose are found in many products.

If you have eaten some lactose and are suffering from the symptoms, drink plenty of water and take some acidophilus capsules. Acidophilus can aid the digestion of lactose.

LUNG CANCER

Lung cancer is the second most common cancer in the UK with around 38,300 people being diagnosed every year. Nine out of 10 cases are caused by cigarette smoking and it accounts for approximately 33,500 deaths per annum in Britain alone. Lung cancer is usually fatal, except for the small percentage of patients diagnosed at the early stages of the disease.

The more cigarettes a person smokes, the more likely they are to develop lung cancer, although the length of time as a smoker also matters. For example, if a person has smoked 20 cigarettes a day for 40 years, the risk of lung cancer is about eight times greater than if they have smoked 40 cigarettes a day for 20 years. The good news is as soon as smoking is stopped, the risk of lung cancer begins to decrease, and 15 years after giving up smoking, lung cancer risk is almost the same as a nonsmokers.

CAUSES AND RISK FACTORS INCLUDE

Cigarette smoking.

Pipe and cigar smoking.

Passive smoking.

A family history of lung cancer.

Scarring from previous lung disease such as tuberculosis (TB).

Air pollution.

Exposure to radon gas (the second biggest cause of lung cancer), a naturally occurring radioactive gas that can seep out of the soil into basements.

Frequent exposure to certain inhalent chemicals including asbestos, metal dust and fumes, paints, herbicides, and insecticides.

Previous cancer treatment.

SYMPTOMS INCLUDE

A permanent cough.