Bill Henderson’s Stance on Fruit for Cancer Patients
Recently, we had the chance to do some catching up with our favorite expert on healing cancer naturally, Bill Henderson. Bill is the author of Cancer-Free, a guide to gentle, non-toxic healing through proper nutrition. For this round of “Catching Up with Bill Henderson” we spoke to Bill about his new take on whether or not it’s OK for cancer patients to eat fruit.
The generally accepted thinking is that since fruit contains sugar, and cancer cells feed on sugar, fruit should be restricted. In his book, Bill indeed advises readers to limit fruit consumption. However, he recently stumbled upon an interview that has him second-guessing his stance on fruit for cancer patients. Keep reading to learn more!
Bill Henderson’s New View on Fruit for Cancer Patients
Q: What’s the difference between fruit sugar and table sugar?
A: Sugars come in several forms (think of the “oses” like sucrose, fructose, glucose, etc.), but in fruit, the main form present is l-fructose. I’ve long wondered what the little “l” in front of fructose means, and I recently found out it has important implications for cancer patients.
Q: What does the little “l” in l-fructose mean?
A: The little “l” means levorotatory, meaning the fructose molecules in fruit rotate to the left (counter-clockwise). Apparently, cancer cells feed only on the sugars whose molecules rotate to the right, which are – you guessed it – processed sugars.
Q: Does this new information change your stance on limiting sugar intake?
A: Yes, it does. In my book Cancer-Free, I suggest that cancer patients strictly limit their intake of all fruits, especially those with low-fiber, high-sugar counts. Now, I believe there is no reason to limit fruit intake. That being said, fruit should be eaten in moderation, as any other food group. I’m pretty sure this same rule applies to carrots and beets as well. Many natural cancer treatment centers have their patients drinking as much as five glasses of carrot juice per day, and many people have seen dramatic results.
Q: Is the idea that it’s ok for cancer patients to eat fruit controversial?
A: It’s definitely not the popular option yet. Sugar has been identified as the source of so many health problems, and rightly so, but I think it’s important to make the distinction between natural and processed sugars. The idea is that cancer cells can only assimilate r-spin sugars, which rotate to the right. Ultimately, it’s about feeding the body organic, non-GMO fruits in moderation.
Q: How did you come to this new conclusion?
A: I came across a 2014 interview with Dr. Tony Jimenez, M.D., the Medical Director of the Hope 4 Cancer Institute in Tijuana, Mexico. In my opinion, Dr. Jimenez is one of the best-informed cancer doctors around, and his argument for allowing cancer patients to eat fruit was just so compelling to me. You can listen to the whole interview here. At the 28 to 33 minute section of this interview is where you’ll find the discussion about left and right spinning fruits. The guts of this information is that fruit of any kind, as well as carrots and beets, does not feed cancer, in spite of the sugar they contain.
Thanks Bill! Always offering up a fresh perspective on the latest in nutrition and lifestyle cancer patients. What do you all think about fruit consumption for cancer patients?