“Prevent Breast Cancer With Vitamin D and a Vegan Diet” plus 1 more

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Prevent Breast Cancer With Vitamin D and a Vegan Diet Posted: 12 Jan 2010 08:55 PM PST In 1940, the risk of a woman getting breast cancer was one in 20. Today that number is one in eight. Risk factors for breast cancer include genetics, family history, and diet. Western diets have changed dramatically since 1950- and not for the better. As our food is filled with more preservatives, toxins, and unnatural fillers and as fast food restaurants appear on every corner, cancer rates consequently have skyrocketed. The best cure is prevention. The National Cancer Institute estimates that as much as 80% of cancer cases are preventable. Maintaining a healthy diet is the number one thing you can do to prevent yourself from getting breast cancer. A diet low in sugar, dairy, and meat and high in leafy greens, fruits and vitamin D can prevent disease and promote well-being. Vitamin D is an immune system booster that aids the body in attacking breast cancer cells by preventing them from dividing and multiplying. "Vitamin D is a key component in helping the body respond to many different kinds of assaults and stimuli," says Robert Heaney, Ph.D., professor of medicine at Creighton University. "In the absence of it, you're asking the body to defend itself with one hand tied behind its back." You can get vitamin D from mushrooms, dark leafy green vegetables, fish oil, soymilk and rice milk. In the summer, spend some time in the sun. Sunlight exposure stimulates vitamin D production in the skin. According to Dr. Oz, host of The Dr. Oz Show, fair-skinned people need about 10-15 minutes of sunshine a day while darker skinned individuals can benefit from up to an hour of sun exposure. In the winter months Dr. Oz recommends taking vitamin D supplements. In addition to getting enough vitamin D, maintaining a healthy diet is key to breast cancer prevention. Breast cancer survivor Elaine Sloan attributes her vegan diet to keeping her cancer-free for 17 years since her diagnosis. "Before my mastectomy, I ate lots of eggs, cheese, and other dairy products," says Sloan. "I knew I had to make some changes if I wanted to live a long, healthy life. My son suggested I consider a vegan diet. After reading that high-fat diets may well contribute to breast cancer, I knew that going vegan would be a step in saving my life in the future." Studies have shown that a diet high in animal products and dairy- which is full of hormones and saturated fat- can cause breast cancer, while vegan diets can help prevent and even reverse it. A vegan diet is a plant-based diet where all animal products such as meat, poultry, seafood, eggs, and dairy are avoided. There are several ways that a vegan diet reduces the risk of breast cancer. When our body is overloaded with toxins, it is unable to fight off disease. However, the body naturally wants to heal itself and we can help it do that by eating the proper nutrition. According to The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, "People consuming a low-fat vegetarian diet tend to have higher levels of natural killer cells, which appear to make the immune system more effective in destroying tumors." A diet high in animal fat, especially the carcinogens found in cooked red meat, and the fat-soluble hormones found in milk from cows can be toxic to your system. According to Arthur Upton, former Director of The National Cancer Institute, "Both breast cancer and colon cancer have been generally associated with the level of consumption of animal fat." A diet high in fruits and vegetables is beneficial because of the phytochemicals found in produce, which aid the immune system in destroying tumors. Plant-based dieters tend to get the recommended amount of servings of produce while those following a typical Western diet do not. Western countries have much higher rates of breast cancer than Asian countries such as Japan where the diet is much lower in animal fat. When Japanese women are raised on Western diets, their breast cancer risk dramatically increases. "A Harvard Medical School study of more than 90,000 women revealed that the women who ate the most meat were nearly twice as likely to develop breast cancer as those who did not eat much meat," says Sloan. "Personally, I don't need another study to tell me that meat, eggs, and dairy products are unhealthy and vegan foods are wholesome and beneficial. I can feel the difference for myself." Following a vegan diet has many health benefits. "Since I switched to a vegan diet, my energy level has increased, my cholesterol level has decreased, and I feel healthier overall," says Sloan. "But the best health benefit is the peace of mind I get from knowing that I'm much less likely to have a breast cancer relapse." Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.

Breast Cancer Prevention - Use a Holistic Approach Posted: 12 Jan 2010 07:22 PM PST Balancing a healthy lifestyle with healthy choices is key in all cancer prevention. According to the American Cancer Society, a woman in the United States is diagnosed with breast cancer every three minutes. There are many things you can do to prevent yourself from becoming a statistic. Lifestyle factors such as regular exercise, increasing vitamin D intake, and eating a low-fat diet can help reduce your risk of getting breast cancer. All the prevention methods listed here can all help you live a well-balanced life - one full of energy and vitality: Alkalize your blood. A healthy pH balance - the ratio of alkalinity to acidity in the body - is crucial to being cancer-free. Cancer thrives in acidic environments but is unable to survive in alkaline ones. Edgar Cayce, typically referred to as the "father of holistic medicine," consistently emphasized the importance of maintaining a proper acid/alkaline balance in the body. Cayce said that "a normal diet is about twenty percent acid to eighty percent alkaline-producing." Make sure your diet is rich in alkalizing foods such as green vegetables, beans, spices, herbs, seeds and nuts. Limit your consumption of alcohol, coffee, meat, fish, poultry and eggs. You can measure your pH levels with litmus strips to be sure your body is more alkaline than acidic. Go braless! Or at least limit how many hours a day you wear a bra. Bras restrict the flow of lymph within breast tissue which hinders the breast's natural cleansing process. Multiple studies done on bras have shown some astounding results. Women in Figi who don't wear bras have almost no incidence of breast cancer. In a Harvard study researchers found that women who wore their bras 24 hours per day had a 3 out of 4 chance of developing breast cancer compared to women who wore their bras less than 12 hours per day and had a 1 out of 152 risk. Eat your veggies. Cruciferous vegetables such as cabbage and broccoli may protect against breast cancer because they lower levels of estrogen which is a hormone that plays a role in tumor growth. Additionally isothiocyanates- the anti-cancer compounds found in broccoli- can help in the detoxification of your liver and can rid your body of carcinogens. Get some sun! Vitamin D is a hormone that your body naturally produces when your skin is exposed to sunlight. Vitamin D is essential to your body but as many as 36% of us are deficient in Vitamin D. According to Science Daily, Vitamin D protects us from breast cancer by stimulating a protein that prevents breast cancer cells from growing. Fair-skinned individuals need just 15 minutes of sun a day while 20 to 30 minutes is needed for darker skinned people. In the winter months make sure to get your Vitamin D from fish oil, mushrooms and Vitamin D supplements. Get regular exercise: The Arnold School of Public Health at the University of South Carolina has done multiple studies showing that moderate exercise can reduce the risk of breast cancer. Exercising promotes the circulation of oxygen in the blood and floods cells with enough oxygen to get rid of cancer. Cancer cannot survive in an oxygen-rich environment. Try to exercise for at least 30 minutes 5-6 times a week. Drink green tea. According to a study published in The Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry the EGCG in green tea aids in preventing breast cancer. The polyphenols-powerful antioxidants found in green tea- can prevent cancer cells from growing. Drink 1-3 cups of caffeine-free green tea per day. Eat a low-fat diet. A diet high in fat significantly increases a woman's risk of developing breast cancer. A study published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute concluded that women with high-fat diets had a 32 percent higher risk of getting breast cancer than those who followed a low-fat diet. Try Black Cohosh. This is an herb used typically to treat the side effects associated with menopause. A recent study showed that extracts from Black Cohosh may stop breast cancer cells from forming. The true cause of cancer can depend on a number of factors. Diet, environmental factors, and genetics all play a role. By making healthy lifestyle choices you can dramatically tip the odds in your favor and enjoy a vibrant, healthy, cancer-free life. Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.

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