iCOOP Cooperative Hosts International Symposium on Cancer Prevention and Climate Crisis

iCOOP Cooperative, which has been promoting a cooperative movement of consumers for healthy food, is developing and selling anti-cancer foods and carrying out a life care movement for a healthier life with 330,000 members. This time, an international symposium was held at Goesan Natural Dream Park for two days on October 18th and 19th under the theme of response to cancer, which is the undisputed number one cause of death, and the climate crisis. The symposium, held under the title ‘An era of global complex crisis, a new challenge for humanity and the planet,’ gained added significance as the event to unveil the ‘iCOOP Recurrence Prevention Nursing Hospital’, which was established through the power of union members, for the first time.

▲ Panoramic view of iCOOP’s recurrence prevention nursing hospital. ⓒLifein

▲ Chairman Kim Jeong-hee. ⓒLifein

At the opening ceremony, Kim Jeong-hee, Chairman of the iCOOP Cooperative Association, said, “Here in Goesan, the wishes and practices of iCOOP members are contained. As an activist for a long time, I have experienced the wisdom, courage, and execution power of cooperatives, and those of you who are here today will also experience the wisdom, courage, and execution of cooperatives.” “I hope this will be an opportunity to gain strength to be active,” he said, conveying the significance of the hospital’s establishment and offering words of encouragement to union members.

Lim Jong-han, president of the Korean Association of Medical Welfare and Social Cooperatives, also attended and said, “Cooperatives gain strength only when they have a healthy civic consciousness and community network. Let the cooperative community think globally and cooperate on a larger scale to solve humanity’s complex problems. “I hope we can work together internationally to create an innovative future,” he said, urging the importance of cooperation. In addition, JCCU (Japan Consumer Cooperatives Federation) Managing Director Chikako Futamura and Vietnam Saigon Cooperative Director Ngo Thi Vik Lien delivered congratulatory remarks. Participants in the ICA-AP (International Co-operative Alliance Asia-Pacific Branch) workshop held at the same location from the 17th also graced the occasion.

ⓒLifein

Afterwards, the symposium began in earnest and the first keynote session was held under the theme of ‘New challenges and solutions for human health.’ The topic presentation was given by Professor Thomas Seyfried of Boston College, USA, a biochemical geneticist who has been reexamining cancer and actively conducting metabolic treatment and research since the 1980s. His book was published in Korea in 2015 under the title ‘Cancer is a metabolic disease.’

▲ Professor Seyfried is giving a presentation at an online symposium. ⓒLifein

“Unfortunately, the more cancer is studied, the more cancers are discovered and the number of patients is increasing,” he said, explaining that we need to approach the fundamental theory of cancer differently. It is said that the ‘mitochondrial metabolism theory’ that he is researching can explain the origin of cancer more accurately and better than the ‘somatic mutation theory’, which is the existing mainstream treatment of cancer. He pointed out that chronic damage to mitochondria (organelles within cells) is the source of cancer, and that somatic DNA mutations, which are currently pointed out as causes of cancer, are all merely ‘downstream effects’ of mitochondrial damage. Professor Seyfried published the above information in a paper titled ‘Characteristics of Cancer, Future Generations’ in 2011, and the U.S. National Cancer Institute also posted this theory on its website and adopted it as a valid study.

He also presented several reasons to refute the existing theory that ‘cancer cells arise when somatic mutations accumulate randomly’ and explained that mitochondrial abnormalities are the cause of cancer. Mitochondrial abnormalities appear in all major cancers. Oxidative phosphorylation, which normally oxidizes nutrients, becomes impossible and mitochondria ferment to replenish energy. In the process, cells continue to grow and expand through infinite replication and death avoidance, causing cancer to spread. Professor Seyfried explained that the factors that cause mitochondrial abnormalities are diverse, including viruses, lack of oxygen, exposure to radioactive substances, and exposure to carcinogens.

So how should we change our approach to cancer? He presented a fundamental solution: ▲lowering the intake of glucose that mitochondria utilize as a nutrient, ▲increasing the intake of ketone bodies and fatty acids that cannot be utilized, and ▲lowering blood glucose levels through stress management. At the same time, he also warned about the risks of standard treatments such as surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation currently being used. This means that even if the tumor is immediately removed with standard treatment methods, it generates a lot of glutamine and glucose, causing recurrence. Professor Seyfried introduced cases where tumor cells in terminal cancer were reduced and continued to survive through ketone metabolism therapy, and also announced research results showing that the ketogenic diet is effective in the treatment of children. He explained the process by saying, “It is not that difficult to eliminate cancer cells by limiting their metabolism by limiting their calories.”

In concluding the research presentation, we returned to the initial question, “Can the mitochondrial theory explain the cause of cancer better than the somatic mutation theory?” and “Cancer is not a genetic disease, but a cancer that relies on oxidative phosphorylation for energy. “We need to approach nutrition management by identifying its characteristics. It just takes time for academia to understand the new future,” he concluded. He concluded his presentation by introducing research networks around the world that cooperate in building his theory, as well as various organizations and private foundations that support research.

▲ (From left) Research Advisory Committee member Shin Seong-sik, Director Ha Tae-guk, Director Funato Takashi, and Director Kim A-young. ⓒLifein

In the ensuing discussion, ▲Director Takashi Funato of Ribbon Horado, Japan, ▲Director Ha Tae-guk of Cozy Mom Nursing Hospital, and ▲Research Advisory Committee Member Seong-sik Shin of the Natural Dream Organic Healing Research Foundation participated as discussants.

Director Ha Tae-guk, who co-translated ‘Cancer is a metabolic disease,’ is a family medicine specialist and has been running a cancer nursing hospital for 11 years. He said, “I have been interested in complementary and alternative medicine since medical school, and I still want to run a space that complements and heals conventional medicine.” Regarding cancer treatment, he emphasized, “Surgery or chemotherapy cannot be considered fundamental treatment because it is aggressive and destructive. An integrated approach that focuses on prevention and encompasses eating habits, physical activity, and spirituality is needed.”

He also said that in addition to medical treatment, he is trying to communicate a lot with patients through art, meditation, and counseling. “There is a need for a paradigm shift in that cancer is not caused by bad luck due to genetic mutation, but by a wrong way of life. Aggressive cancer treatment. “It is important to change from prevention to prevention, and we need to go one step further and change to a more proactive perspective that ‘you don’t get cancer, you create it yourself,’” he said.

Director Takashi Funato, who worked as a surgeon for a long time before establishing Ribbon Horado, a healing care facility, said, “No matter how cleanly the cancer was removed, those who had it relapsed again and again. Studying the reason ▲Sleep ▲Eat ▲Exercise “I discovered that the five elements of managing body temperature and managing stress through laughter are a lifestyle that beats cancer,” he said, adding that lifestyle habits cause cancer. At the same time, he said, “The body has the power to heal. I’ve heard a lot about Japan’s uniqueness in the field of cancer treatment, and I’m very happy to meet people with similar thoughts.”

Shin Seong-sik, a research advisor who has been working to present alternatives and solve social problems through the cooperative movement for 33 years, said, “Five years ago, the pesticide-laced egg scandal created a crisis so big that the limits of cooperative activities called ‘safe food’ were revealed.” He explained the background to the business change, saying, “It was an opportunity to change to a new direction of ‘curing chronic diseases and cancer.’”

He also said, “The reason the panelists are unable to gain sympathy from the public even though they have clear research results is because it takes a long time to change social perception,” and “It is very difficult to break through head-on in the cancer industry where large profits are involved, so iCOOP KOREA recognizes this together.” “We will shorten the improvement time,” he emphasized.

Finally, in response to the question asked by Kim A-young, director of the iN Hamam Life Research Institute, who served as moderator, ‘What should be done to change the social perspective on disease to a prevention-oriented one?’, Professor Seyfried responded, “The government, food, and pharmaceutical industries must change. The entire discussion ended with the answer, “We must not ignore the cause, but spread the importance of prevention.”

At the symposium on this day, ▲Director Takashi Funato’s ‘Lifestyle Habits to Cure Cancer’ book concert ▲Presentation of cooperative innovation cases by ICA-AP Cooperative Committee member cooperatives ▲Building a community that heals our bodies and the earth ▲Creating a healthy life together The cooperative innovation session continued.

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