JG Ballard died from prostrate cancer yesterday. Mainstream news has mentioned his death as he was probably Englands most imaginative living author, and as returned diaspora he offered a clearer view of English sensibilities than most English writers do. Different fans have been talking about their favourite novels as 'his masterpiece', which means he left more than one masterpiece. I'd like to recommend his novella 'The Unlimited Dream Company' to anyone who hasn't read it. It is about someone who crashes a plane into Shepperton, and becomes a jungle. To anyone who has taken a hallucinogen, it is obviously a vivid recollection of a trip, as Ballard admits in 'The Kindness of Women'. If you know any intelligent readers who have never tripped but are curious what it is like, give them this book and ask them to read it in a single sitting. It is akin to an acid-simulator, a safe way to get outside of someone elses mind. Imagine going into a flight simulator and the first thing that happens is the plane crashes and turns you into a jungle.

A lot of good people died unneccessarily last night, a lot from cancer, most unnoticed. This one guy left us a few stories behind that are worth reading.

Cancer cells cannot live in an alkali enviroment. All bodies have a pH reading and a pH of about 7.2 to 7.4 is healthy and cancer cells cannot survive. Even if you have genetic disposition to get cancer if you eat an alkali diet and maintain a healthy pH then cancer cannot take hold of you because it needs an acidic enviroment to thrive. An alkali diet consists of lots of vegetables especially leafy green ones. This is scientifically proven and not quack speculation.
If you don't want to risk getting cancer then eat a vegan diet. Not really that complicated is it. Next time you're thinking about donating to Cancer Research or any such well meaning cancer charity maybe give them a box of fresh spinach.

I believe a vegetarian diet is healthier than eating meat. However, my sister-in-law was a non-drinking, non-smoking vegetarian and died of breast cancer. As someone who has survived breast cancer and met many women with the disease, I believe there are several causes but the "eat a good diet and avoid cancer" theory is nonsense - and some of the most aggressive forms of the disease are indeed caused by a faulty gene. So keep eating healthily, don't get too stressed and don't inherit faulty genes!

If you read the original article linked to, it actually says 5-10% of cancers are due to genetic reasons and 40% of common cancers would have been prevented by good diet, exercise, and keeping your weight down.

I guess the other 50% are less common cancers which aren't due to genes but maybe environmental factors like pollution or smoking.

So veganism certainly helps but it's not a guaranteed silver bullet against cancer. My guess is that exercise is at least as important as diet.

smoking and cancer is a load of twaddle

cancer and employment history ...look deep

RIP mum

Reading between the lines I assume you think you are healthier because of a vegan diet? Regardless what diet you are on if it's not balanced it's not going to be healthy. Most vegans I know are not healthy because they eat an unbalanced diet. Eating a balanced meat based diet will give you just as much chance in life as a vegan diet. Don't confuse ethics and try to argue that a vegan diet is better for you because you will lose every time...

I would like to know where you source your fruit and veg because I for one wouldn't eat most that is produced because of the carcinogens sprayed on them!

At the end of the day cancer is a lottery but you can reduce the odds.

Roland: "Reading between the lines I assume you think you are healthier because of a vegan diet? Regardless what diet you are on if it's not balanced it's not going to be healthy. Most vegans I know are not healthy because they eat an unbalanced diet. Eating a balanced meat based diet will give you just as much chance in life as a vegan diet. Don't confuse ethics and try to argue that a vegan diet is better for you because you will lose every time..."

I think it's generally accepted that a diet high in fresh fruit and vegetables and low in meat, especially red meat, is good for you. That doesn't mean a small amount of meat will kill you, but it does mean that the average vegan diet will be a lot healthier that a standard meat-filled diet, simply because you will eat more fruit and veg if nothing else.

Most vegans I know are pretty healthy. Sure you get junk food vegans but even then I would think they are healthier that junk food meatheads.

What do you define as a "balanced" diet? As long as you get the right amount and the right types of fat, carbs and protein, and enough trace minerals and vitamins you should be fine.

What diet do you advocate as the healthiest?

Personally I am primarily vegan for the animals' health, but I still think it is healthy for me as well.

The only thing vegans really need to worry about is vitamin B12, which is basically found in shit. Most meat-eaters get it via B12 injections given to the animals they eat. A lot of foods have vegan B12 added (soya milk, breakfast cereals, etc.), so it's not really a problem in practice.

Roland: "I would like to know where you source your fruit and veg because I for one wouldn't eat most that is produced because of the carcinogens sprayed on them!"

I try to get organic fruit and veg when I can afford it. But these carcinogens often accumulate in the flesh, so the higher up the food chain you go, the more concentrated they become. So pollution in things like fishes can be massive, because it is the cumulation of all the pollution the creatures have eaten in their life, or at least their recent life. There's another clear win for veganism here.

I think most studies have shown a negative correlation between vegan and/or vegetarian diets and a lot of cancers. That doesn't necessarily mean a causative link, since vegans are generally more interested in health issues, but it is still interesting.