Only 5–10% of cancers are inherited. The rest? Largely driven by diet, toxins, metabolism, and lifestyle. In this powerful episode, Dr. Josh Axe unpacks the real root causes of cancer and shares miraculous healing stories—including his mom, Tammy Peterson, Jordan Rubin, and others who beat the odds with natural and faith-based therapies. – Dr. Josh Axe, YouTube Channel 2.48M subscribers
What really causes cancer isn’t just damaged DNA—it’s the body’s deeper response to imbalance, stress, and toxicity. Through fasting, a ketogenic diet, and oxygen therapies, many have seen even aggressive diagnoses begin to reverse.
The right foods can become medicine—clean, nourishing diets that fight and prevent cancer naturally. Powerful herbs, supplements, and gentle therapies can further support this healing.
Yet beyond the physical, true recovery also depends on faith and emotional healing—because the body can only fully mend when the heart and spirit are restored too.
What Really Causes Cancer
According to the National Institutes of Health, only about 5–10% of cancers are due to inherited genetic mutations, while 90–95% are linked to lifestyle, environmental factors, and metabolic dysfunction. Another study from Springer Pharmaceutical Research found that 20–30% of cancer-related deaths are due to tobacco, 30–35% to diet, and 15–20% to co-infections.
These co-infections—such as parasitic, mold, or viral infections—can make it harder for the body to fight cancer. When infections live in the gut, liver, or bloodstream, they weaken the immune system. I saw this firsthand while researching and during my mom’s cancer journey. Many people with cancer also have undiagnosed infections like Lyme, long COVID, or parasites, which drain immunity and open the door for cancer to grow.
Other major factors include radiation, stress, lack of physical activity, and environmental toxins. Cancer is complex, but healing doesn’t have to be. When you focus on oxygenating cells, balancing insulin, reducing inflammation and oxidative stress, and boosting natural killer cells, you simplify the process. That’s why I’ll highlight the top herbs, vitamins, and foods that support all of these at once. As I often tell my patients, “I eat like I have cancer every day, so I don’t get it.” This isn’t just about recovery—it’s about prevention and longevity.
Let’s look at the main drivers of cancer based on current scientific evidence.
1. Sugar and Insulin Resistance
High blood sugar feeds cancer cells—a phenomenon known as the Warburg effect. If you’re insulin resistant, prediabetic, or diabetic, your cancer risk rises dramatically. Monitoring blood glucose for a few weeks can reveal how foods affect insulin levels. Keeping insulin balanced helps not just with weight loss, but also with cancer prevention.
2. Lack of Oxygen
Cancer cells thrive in low-oxygen environments, using fermentation instead of oxygen to grow. That’s why I recommend hyperbaric oxygen therapy, specific exercises, and oxygenating foods. The Budwig Protocol, for example, focuses on diet strategies that increase cellular oxygenation—powerful not only for cancer but also for Lyme, mold, and parasite infections.
3. Toxin Overload
Heavy metals like lead, mercury, and arsenic, along with glyphosate, radiation, and mold, overload the body’s detox pathways and cell receptors. This toxic burden is another major cancer driver.
4. Inflammation and Oxidative Stress
Chronic inflammation damages DNA and promotes tumor growth.
5. Mitochondrial Dysfunction
Cancer is largely a metabolic disease, and damaged mitochondria lead to uncontrolled cell growth. Healing mitochondria involves foods like pomegranates and adaptogenic herbs such as rhodiola, ginseng, ashwagandha, reishi, and cordyceps.
6. Emotional Trauma and Stress
Emotional wounds can be as destructive as physical toxins. Stress, fear, and unresolved trauma elevate cortisol, suppress immunity, and feed cancer. When people lack spiritual grounding or feel disconnected from God, they often live in fear, which further harms health. But faith, prayer, and gratitude restore a sense of safety and peace that promotes healing. This emotional and spiritual aspect is one of the most overlooked components of cancer recovery.
7. Weak Immune Function and Co-Infections
Cancer develops when the immune system fails to eliminate abnormal cells. Co-infections such as parasites, mold, and viruses suppress immunity and mimic cancer’s behavior—they steal nutrients, hijack blood flow, and spread like fungal or parasitic infections. For instance, liver cancer is often linked to fungal toxins like aflatoxins. Chronic parasitic infections also cause inflammation and immune suppression.
A family member of mine was diagnosed with glioblastoma after years as a missionary in India and Pakistan. His doctor believed long-term parasitic infections contributed to tumor growth, weakening his system over decades.
Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) Perspective
In TCM, cancer is viewed as chi and blood stagnation—blocked energy and circulation. In Western terms, this reflects poor mitochondrial and adrenal function, reduced blood flow, and toxin buildup. The body becomes like a stagnant swamp where nutrients can’t flow and waste can’t leave. Healing requires restoring circulation, detoxifying the liver and lymphatic system, and strengthening immunity.
Chinese herbs such as green tea, astragalus, reishi, and turmeric are powerful for restoring this flow and energy.
Ultimately, cancer requires a personalized approach—one that treats not just the body, but also the mind and spirit.
Best Cancer-Fighting Diets
Every person’s cancer is different. For example, in estrogen-based breast cancer, I focus on lowering estrogen levels with foods and supplements such as dandelion and milk thistle. I also recommend foods that nourish breast tissue and lymphatic glands—pumpkin, steamed carrots, and similar vegetables.
For liver, colon, or brain cancers, I often suggest a ketogenic diet. I don’t believe there’s one perfect diet for everyone—whether vegan, raw, or keto—it depends on the cancer type.
If you’re eating clean and exercising but still feeling drained, it may not be your habits but your cells. When the body is stuck in a “cell danger response” (CDR), nutrients can’t be fully utilized, no matter how healthy your diet is. Healing begins when cells shift out of this protective mode and can once again use nutrients, hormones, and energy effectively.
Now, let’s go through the top diets shown to support cancer healing:
1. Ancient Asian (TCM) Diet
Based on Traditional Chinese Medicine, this diet focuses on cleansing the blood, supporting liver detoxification, and strengthening the immune system. It emphasizes green vegetables and bitter foods such as dandelion, radish, and citrus. Other beneficial foods include broccoli, cabbage, cilantro, parsley, garlic, onion, ginger, miso, beets, and carrots.
Animal products are minimal, usually limited to wild-caught fish, bone broth, or small amounts of liver. Herbal teas like green tea, rich in EGCG, are also common. This diet is personalized but generally focuses on healing the liver, improving circulation, and boosting immunity.
2. Gerson Therapy
Developed by Dr. Max Gerson, this diet floods the body with nutrients to correct deficiency and remove toxins. It centers on raw, juiced, and steamed vegetables, often consumed multiple times a day. Freshly pressed vegetable juices are a core element, providing enzymes, vitamins, and antioxidants to repair cells.
The original Gerson therapy also included raw liver or desiccated liver supplements for their nutrient density. The diet allows some fruit, especially apples and berries, and occasionally potatoes for potassium balance. Coffee enemas are often used to help detoxify the liver and remove metabolic waste.
3. Budwig Protocol
Created by German researcher Dr. Johanna Budwig, this diet focuses on healing cell membranes and improving oxygenation. She believed that cell rigidity, caused by a deficiency in unsaturated fatty acids, restricted oxygen flow. Her solution combined flax oil and ground flaxseed with fermented dairy (like cottage cheese or quark).
This blend provides omega-3s and sulfur-based proteins that make fats more absorbable, improving oxygen and nutrient delivery to cells. The diet also includes vegetables, walnuts, and other omega-rich foods. It’s low-glycemic, anti-inflammatory, and deeply oxygenating.
4. Fasting
Fasting activates autophagy, the body’s process of clearing out damaged and precancerous cells. It also improves mitochondrial function, boosts natural killer cells, lowers insulin and oxidative stress, and enhances detoxification.
For cancer patients, moderate fasting works best—such as a 9-hour eating window (e.g., meals at 9 a.m., 1 p.m., and 5 p.m.) to provide enough calories while giving the body time to rest and repair.
5. Ketogenic Diet
The ketogenic diet is high in fat, moderate in protein, and low in carbohydrates. Cancer cells rely on glucose for energy but cannot efficiently use ketones. By removing sugar as a fuel source, ketosis can “starve” cancer cells.
Studies in the European Journal of Cancer Prevention and Journal of Personalized Medicine show that ketogenic diets can improve outcomes, especially for brain cancers like glioblastoma, by reducing inflammation and tumor growth.
6. Vegan Diet
While I don’t generally promote a strict vegan diet, many people have reversed cancer using it. Vegan diets reduce toxin exposure, support liver and lymphatic detoxification, and are high in plant nutrients. However, they lack certain nutrients found in animal products—like B12, choline, and specific amino acids—important for mitochondrial and liver health.
The Gerson and TCM diets offer similar benefits while including small amounts of nutrient-dense animal foods such as liver or fish, making them more balanced options.
Matching Diets to Cancer Types
- Brain cancers (glioblastoma, astrocytoma): Ketogenic diet.
- Hormone-related cancers (breast, prostate, ovarian): Gerson therapy with liver-supportive herbs like milk thistle and dandelion.
- General cancer prevention: Combine the TCM diet, Gerson therapy, Budwig protocol, and light fasting.
My mom followed this combined approach—green and root vegetables, juicing, raw liver, the Budwig mix, and a shortened eating window—and successfully reversed her cancer.
Best Cancer-Fighting Foods
Berries. Rich in polyphenols and anthocyanins, berries reduce oxidative stress and inflammation, support DNA repair, and have anti-cancer properties.
Pomegranates. A favorite anti-cancer food. Research suggests they may help block tumor growth and reduce estrogen-related cancer risk—especially relevant for women. They’re my top superfruit, alongside rarer berries like maqui and goji.
Vegetables (raw, steamed, and juiced). Cruciferous vegetables contain indole-3-carbinol and sulfur compounds that support detoxification. Bitter greens like dandelion, arugula, spinach (steamed), and watercress improve bile flow and help cleanse the body.
Liver and organ meats. High in B vitamins, vitamin A, zinc, iron, and choline to support immune function and detox pathways.
Wild-caught fish. Salmon provides EPA and DHA. A meta-analysis of 33 trials found that ~1,000 mg of omega-3s daily significantly reduced inflammatory markers related to tumor growth and decreased cancer risk.
Mushrooms. Shiitake and maitake can boost natural killer (NK) cell activity—the body’s “Navy SEALs” that identify and destroy cancer cells—thanks to beta-glucans that enhance cellular communication. Turkey tail (Trametes/Coriolus versicolor) is especially noted in studies for gastric, breast, and colorectal cancers and may also support defenses against parasites and certain viruses.
Healthy fats. Emphasize wild-caught salmon, flax oil and ground flaxseed, coconut, avocado, extra-virgin olive oil, and walnuts. These are among the most supportive fats to include.
Top Cancer-Killing Herbs
The best herbs and mushrooms for cancer depend on the type of cancer, but overall, many natural compounds show strong anti-cancer potential. One major issue with the standard American diet is the lack of herbs and spices. Fast food provides almost none, while countries like Italy, Israel, and India—where culinary herbs such as turmeric, ginger, and cardamom are common—have much lower cancer rates. We need more of these healing plants in our diets to both prevent and fight cancer.
Green tea tops the list for medical research. It contains EGCG, a compound that inhibits cancer cell growth, triggers apoptosis (cancer cell death), and blocks angiogenesis (the spread of tumors). Drinking matcha or loose-leaf green tea daily can significantly help prevent and fight cancer.
Reishi mushroom, known as the “mushroom of immortality” in China and Japan, is approved in Japan as a cancer therapy. It’s rich in beta-glucans and triterpenes that boost natural killer (NK) cells and enhance immune defense. Turkey tail mushroom, also approved in Japan for cancer treatment, has been shown to be effective against gastric, breast, and colorectal cancers.
Mistletoe is another powerful remedy, known for boosting NK and T-cell activity and slowing tumor growth. It’s sometimes given through IV therapy—alone or alongside vitamin C—to reduce chemotherapy side effects and strengthen immunity.
Milk thistle supports liver detoxification and helps eliminate excess estrogen, making it especially helpful for hormone-related cancers.
Turmeric contains curcumin, one of the most researched anti-cancer compounds, known to kill cancer cells and lower inflammation.
Artemisia (Sweet Wormwood), used in Ayurvedic and Chinese medicine, has antiparasitic and blood-cleansing properties and has shown effectiveness against leukemia, breast, colorectal, and pancreatic cancers.
Berberine helps regulate insulin, IGF-1, and AMPK, making it ideal for people with insulin resistance or prediabetes—conditions that can increase cancer risk. It’s also beneficial for weight loss and type 2 diabetes.
Astragalus is one of the most potent immune boosters. It enhances white blood cell function and has been linked to improved survival rates in cancer patients.
Boswellia (Frankincense) reduces inflammation, while black cumin seed (Nigella sativa) also shows anti-cancer activity.
Garlic, both raw and cooked, ranks among the most studied foods for cancer prevention. It supports immune function, detoxification, and apoptosis of cancer cells.
Finally, warming spices such as cayenne pepper, galangal, and ginger also aid circulation, metabolism, and cellular defense—further strengthening the body’s ability to fight cancer naturally.
Cancer-Fighting Supplements
- Probiotics
My number one supplement might surprise you—it’s probiotics. Around 70–75% of your immune system is located in your gut, and there are more bacteria in your gut than cells in your entire body. A strong immune system depends on a healthy gut microbiome. When your gut is balanced, your body communicates more effectively and activates natural killer cells to fight cancer.
High-dose probiotics—around 100 billion to 1 trillion CFUs daily—can be very effective. I recommend soil-based probiotics along with food-based strains like Bacillus subtilis (AB22).
A medical journal review on cancer found that strains such as Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium, the same beneficial bacteria passed from mother to child at birth, induce anti-cancer activity by enhancing cancer cell death and protecting against oxidative stress.
- Vitamin D
Vitamin D boosts immune surveillance and cellular communication, helping regulate inflammation and immune response. It acts more like a hormone than a vitamin. Studies show that low vitamin D levels are linked to an increased risk of cancer, while supplementation—alone or with immunotherapy—can improve outcomes. Ideally, your vitamin D levels should be above 30 ng/mL. - Magnesium
Magnesium is vital for liver detoxification and cellular energy (ATP) production through mitochondrial function. Aim for 300–600 mg daily. Food-based or spirulina-bound magnesium is best, and combining it with vitamin D can enhance absorption and effectiveness. - Vitamin C
Vitamin C is a potent antioxidant that neutralizes free radicals and protects DNA from damage. High-dose vitamin C IV therapy has been used successfully in cancer treatment for decades, particularly in other countries, with excellent results. - Zinc and Selenium
Both are essential for immune strength and antioxidant defense. Zinc supports immune cell activity, while selenium helps regulate oxidative stress and supports DNA repair. Together, they play a key role in the body’s natural cancer-fighting mechanisms.
Advanced Therapies for Cancer Prevention & Recovery
My mom didn’t use every therapy available, but she combined several powerful ones. She took a multi-mushroom supplement with turkey tail, cordyceps, and reishi, and drank turmeric, ginger, and green tea daily. She also used zeolites for detoxification, milk thistle tea, and berry powders like goji and pomegranate. When she didn’t have salmon, she supplemented with omega-3s and consistently took vitamin D, vitamin C, zinc, and probiotics.
Many holistic therapies have growing scientific support. Here are some of the most effective:
- Ozone Therapy
Ozone therapy increases oxygen delivery to tissues. It’s similar in principle to the Budwig Protocol but achieved through medical treatment. In a “10-pass” or “EBOO” system, blood is drawn, infused with ozone (O₃), and recirculated through the body multiple times. Since cancer cells thrive in low-oxygen environments, this therapy helps inhibit tumor growth while also targeting co-infections such as mold, parasites, and viruses. It strengthens immune function and supports detoxification.
- Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT)
While ozone uses O₃, HBOT uses concentrated O₂—the same oxygen we breathe. Inside a pressurized chamber, oxygen saturation in tissues dramatically increases, starving cancer cells and promoting healing. HBOT reduces inflammation, aids recovery from infections and injuries, and helps regenerate tissue. I personally used it during a severe spinal infection, and it was life-saving. It’s also beneficial for Lyme disease, long COVID, and other chronic conditions.
- Whole-Body Hyperthermia (Heat Therapy)
Practiced mainly in Switzerland, Germany, and Spain, this therapy exposes the body to controlled infrared heat, raising its core temperature to mimic a fever. A fever naturally activates the immune system—many cancer cells are heat-sensitive and weaken when body temperature rises.
Studies show hyperthermia boosts natural killer (NK) cell activity and helps destroy tumor cells. It works much like the body’s natural fever response, which triggers interferon, a compound that kills viruses and cancer cells. Infrared saunas and medical hyperthermia treatments harness this same healing mechanism.
- IV Vitamin C
High-dose intravenous vitamin C acts as a pro-oxidant inside cancer cells, generating hydrogen peroxide that selectively damages them without harming healthy tissue. It has been used successfully worldwide as part of integrative cancer care.
- Immunotherapy
One emerging treatment is called Amunocine, especially effective for brain cancers like glioblastoma. Doctors create a personalized cancer vaccine by using the patient’s own tumor cells to generate antibodies. These are reintroduced into the bloodstream, training the immune system to recognize and destroy cancer.
Another promising option is NK Cell Therapy, where a patient’s natural killer cells are extracted, multiplied in a lab, and then reintroduced to the body—essentially building a stronger immune army to fight cancer cells directly.
- Light-Based Therapies
Red light therapy and photobiomodulation use specific light wavelengths to reduce inflammation and support cellular repair. Infrared sauna therapy offers similar benefits. Some integrative clinics also combine these with low-dose chemotherapy or insulin-potentiated therapy (IPT) to enhance effectiveness.
- Sunlight and Grounding
Spending time in nature has measurable healing effects. Sun exposure boosts vitamin D production, while grounding—standing barefoot on natural surfaces—reduces inflammation and improves cellular energy. In Japan, this is known as “forest bathing.”
When my mom was diagnosed, I encouraged her to spend as much time outdoors as possible. She and my dad spent the summer at the beach in Florida and on the lake in Tennessee, doing things she loved like horseback riding. The sunlight, fresh air, and peace of nature became part of her recovery.
Nature therapy calms the nervous system, reduces stress hormones, and promotes balance. The sound of ocean waves or quiet forest air helps the body enter a healing state. The more we live in that state—peaceful, connected, and grounded—the more the body can restore itself.
And the deepest part of that healing comes through spiritual connection—through prayer, peace, and faith in God.
Importance of Spirituality & Prayer in Healing Journey
Cancer is not only a physical disease but also a spiritual and emotional one. It often stems from fear, anger, resentment, worry, grief, and unresolved trauma that disconnect a person from their faith, identity, and purpose. True healing requires forgiveness, repentance, letting go of past pain, and reconnecting with God. Living in peace, joy, and gratitude supports the body’s ability to heal, while negative emotions weaken it.
Prayer, praise, and meditation are powerful tools for both emotional and physical restoration. The story of the speaker’s mother illustrates how faith and spiritual practice—combined with a healthy lifestyle—led to recovery. Visualization, worship, and focusing on God’s promises became part of her healing process.
Scientific studies from Harvard, Duke, and Baylor show that people who pray or engage in spiritual practices tend to have less stress and anxiety, lower cortisol levels, stronger immune function, and better quality of life. Faith and prayer often improve coping and may extend survival in cancer patients.
From a Christian perspective, prayer may not always bring physical healing, but it always brings emotional and spiritual healing. God desires health, wholeness, and peace for His children. Believing in that truth allows healing to begin. Bible verses such as Jeremiah 30:17, Isaiah 41:10, Psalm 103:2–3, and Isaiah 53:5 affirm God’s power to heal and restore.
Healing should be approached as both physical and spiritual. A nourishing diet, supplements like green tea, turmeric, vitamin D, and probiotics, and therapies that support detoxification and oxygenation work together with faith, prayer, and gratitude. Cancer often arises more from lifestyle, trauma, and spiritual disconnection than genetics. Balancing the body and aligning the spirit with faith gives the best chance for complete healing.
Bible Verses for Healing:
Jeremiah 30:17 “But I will restore you to health and heal your wounds,” declares the Lord, “because you are called an outcast, Zion for whom no one cares.”
Isaiah 41:10 “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”
Psalm 103:2–3 “Praise the Lord, my soul, and forget not all his benefits—who forgives all your sins
and heals all your diseases.”
Isaiah 53:5 “But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him,
and by his wounds we are healed.”
Source from Dr. Josh Axe’s YouTube Channel: How My Mom Reversed Cancer Naturally (After Chemo Failed).