Superfoods That Could Help Protect Against Breast Cancer

Broccoli And Broccoli Sprouts 

 Cruciferous vegetables, but broccoli in particular, make for anti-cancer powerhouses thanks in part to a compound called sulforaphane that actually helps the body fight the spread of tumors.

Recent research revealed the underlying reason: sulforaphane may inhibit an enzyme, called an HDAC, that works to suppress the body's tumor fighting ability, as we've previously reported.

And sprouts are even more potent: three-day old broccoli sprouts have 20 to 50 times the sulforaphanes as mature broccoli, according to Johns Hopkins research.

For more about the cancer fighting properties of all cruciferous vegetables, check HuffPost blogger Dr. Joel Fuhrman's analysis of cabbage, brussels sprouts, bok choy and more.

Garlic 

Garlic is considered a cancer-fighting food for several forms of the disease, according to the National Cancer Institute.

One French study found that women who regularly ate garlic had a significantly reduced risk of breast cancer. Garlic's mild cousin, onions also had a protective effect, according to the study.

Pomegranate

Pomegranates are known for their anti-cancer properties, thanks to a richness in anti-inflammatory antioxidants, polyphenols. But they may offer a specific benefit against breast cancer: research shows that a phytochemical found in abundance in pomegranates, called ellagitannins, interfere in the production of aromatase, an enzyme that, as HuffPost blogger Dr. Nalini Chilkov explained, "increases hormone production in breast tissue."

That's important because breast cancer is hormone-dependent, meaning that it feeds off of hormones like estrogen to grow and spread. "Hormone dependent cancers such as breast cancer are commonly treated with aromatase inhibitors, which block this enzyme," wrote Chilkov.

 

Walnuts 

Although preliminary, research in mice has found that including walnuts in a healthful diet throughout the entire lifespan reduced the risk of developing breast cancer by half.

Tumeric

Curcumin, the compound in tumeric, may play a role in blocking the expression of a molecule called RANKL, which is found in the most deadly and aggressive breast cancer tumor cells.

 

Flax Seeds 

Most research regarding flax's anti-cancer properties has been done in mice or in-vitro cell cultures, but what it shows could be profound: in one study, according to the American Cancer Society, the lignans found in flax slowed the movement and "stickiness" of breast cancer cells, causing it to spread more slowly in a cell culture simulation.

Berries 

Berries have several powerful antioxidants, primarily anthocyanins and ellagic acid, which have been shown in cell culture studies to reduce free radical damage to healthy cells, according to the American Institute for Cancer Research.

 In separate research, they were shown to slow the growth and shorten the lifespan of breast cancer (as well as mouth, colon and prostate cancer)

Green Tea 

Green tea is rich in the polyphenol EGCG (epigallocatechin-3-gallate), which has been shown to slow the spread of breast cancer cells, according to breastcancer.org.

Tomatoes  

Tomatoes are rich in the antioxidant lycopene, which is thought to slow breast cancer cell growth. 

Breast Cancer Prevention Foods

Breast Cancer Prevention Foods: What Can You Eat To Reduce Your Chances?

Breast cancer prevention starts with healthy habits — such as limiting the amount of alcohol you drink and staying physically active. Understand what you can do to prevent breast cancer. 

If you're concerned about breast cancer, you may be wondering if there are steps you can take toward breast cancer prevention. Understand the lifestyle factors that may affect your risk of breast cancer and what you can do to stay healthy.

What can I do to reduce my risk of breast cancer?

Breast cancer prevention begins with various factors you can control. For example:

• Limit alcohol. The more alcohol you drink, the greater your risk of developing breast cancer. If you choose to drink alcohol — including beer, wine or liquor — limit yourself to no more than one drink a day.
• Control your weight. Being overweight or obese increases the risk of breast cancer. This is especially true if obesity occurs later in life, particularly after menopause.
• Get plenty of physical activity. Being physically active can help you maintain a healthy weight, which, in turn, helps prevent breast cancer. For most healthy adults, the Department of Health and Human Services recommends at least 150 minutes a week of moderate aerobic activity (think brisk walking or swimming) or 75 minutes of vigorous aerobic activity (such as running), in addition to strength training exercises at least twice a week. If you're just starting a physical activity program, start slowly and build intensity gradually.
• Breast-feed. Breast-feeding may also play a role in breast cancer prevention. The longer you breast-feed, the greater the protective effect.
• Discontinue hormone therapy. Long-term combination hormone therapy increases the risk of breast cancer. If you're taking hormone therapy for menopausal symptoms, ask your doctor about other options. You may be able to manage your symptoms with non-hormonal therapies, such as physical activity. If you decide that the benefits of short-term hormone therapy outweigh the risks, consider using the lowest dose that's effective for your symptoms, and plan to use it only temporarily.
• Avoid exposure to environmental pollution. While further studies are needed, some research suggests a link between breast cancer and exposure to the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons found in vehicle exhaust and air pollution.

Can a healthy diet prevent breast cancer?

Research shows that eating a diet rich in fruits and vegetables doesn't offer direct protection from breast cancer. In addition, a recent study of dietary fat and breast cancer showed only a slight decrease in the risk of invasive breast cancer for women who ate a low-fat diet. However, eating a healthy diet may decrease your risk of other diseases, such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease and stroke. A healthy diet can also help you maintain a healthy weight — a key factor in breast cancer prevention.

Is there a link between birth control pills and breast cancer?

Current evidence suggests that use of oral contraceptives doesn't increase the risk of breast cancer. While older research showed a slight increase in risk, those studies included pills with higher estrogen doses than what's available today. In addition, the older research showed that 10 or more years after stopping oral contraceptives, the risk of breast cancer returned to the same level as that of women who never used oral contraceptives.

What else can I do?

Be vigilant about breast cancer detection. If you notice any changes in your breasts, such as a new lump or skin changes, consult your doctor for an evaluation. Also, ask your doctor when to begin mammograms and other screening procedures to detect breast cancer.

Remember, it's not always possible to prevent breast cancer. By practicing healthy habits, however, you're taking an active role in breast cancer prevention.

 

People with shingles show no higher cancer risk

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - People who come down with shingles seem to have no higher-than-normal risk of developing cancer later on, a study published Monday confirms.

Researchers found that for nearly 36,000 Taiwanese adults with shingles, the chances of developing cancer over the next several years were on par with national statistics.

Shingles - formally known as herpes zoster - is a painful condition caused by a reactivation of the virus that causes chickenpox, which is known as varicella-zoster. Once you have chickenpox, the virus goes into a dormant state and dwells in the body's nerve fibers.

Varicella-zoster most often reactivates in the elderly or people with weakened immune systems, including some cancer patients.

Thus, years ago, doctors thought people with shingles might be at increased risk of having an undiagnosed cancer, or of developing cancer in the future. But research since then has indicated that's not the case.

The new findings, published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal, offer more reassurance.

The study is also one of the first to focus on an Asian population. In Taiwan, people with shingles still undergo more cancer testing than those without the condition, according to Dr. Yi-Tsung Lin, of Taipei Veterans General Hospital.

"Our findings suggest that the extensive cancer survey is not necessary," Lin told Reuters Health in an email.

In the U.S., doctors have already stopped routinely looking for cancer in patients with shingles, according to Dr. Len Lichtenfeld, deputy chief medical officer for the American Cancer Society.

In theory, people with shingles could have an increased cancer risk: If having shingles is a sign that their immune defenses are down, then cancerous cells might be able to slip past the guards too.

And back in the 1970s, Lichtenfeld said, doctors thought people with shingles were more vulnerable to certain cancers. But then studies started to throw that idea into question.

"Now it's generally accepted that we should not be doing an extensive (cancer) workup on patients with shingles," Lichtenfeld said.

The main new piece from this latest study is the fact that it was done in Asia, according to Lichtenfeld - since past research on shingles and cancer has mostly come out of Western countries.

The findings are based on records from 35,871 adults treated for shingles between 2000 and 2008.

During that time, 895 people were also diagnosed with cancer at some point after their shingles diagnosis. That was a bit lower than the number that would be expected in the general population (905 cases).

The findings were similar when Lin's team looked at men and women separately, and at different age groups.

Lichtenfeld said that if people with a history of shingles are concerned about any new symptoms they are having, they should talk to their doctors.

But there's no reason that people newly diagnosed with shingles should be routinely evaluated for cancer - or undergo standard cancer screenings any more often than other people do.

Studies suggest that about 25 percent of people suffer from shingles at some point in their lives. It usually begins with a burning pain or itch in one location on one side of the body, followed by a rash of fluid-filled blisters.

Most shingles cases go away with medication, but occasionally people continue to feel nerve pain for months afterwards.

In 2006, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved a vaccine against shingles, made from a weakened form of the chickenpox virus, for adults older than 60.

No early link between all-metal hip implants and cancer

No early link between all-metal hip implants and cancer: study

(Reuters) - All-metal hip implants, which have been shown to have high failure rates and cause a host of other health problems, were not linked to cancer seven years after implantation, new data show.

Concerns have grown in the medical community that the so-called metal-on-metal hip implants shed metal particles through wear on their ball-and-socket structure. Many patients who have received the devices have had elevated levels of cobalt and chromium particles detected in the bloodstream, leading some doctors to worry about their risk of developing cancer.

Johnson & Johnson and Stryker Corp have recalled several models of all-metal implants because of high failure rates -- meaning the patient needed another surgery to fix a problem, such as dislocation -- and set aside billions of dollars to cover patient claims. Neither company was immediately available to comment. Since the recalls, the use of all-metal implants, which were sold as being more durable, has declined sharply.

"Some basic science and some epidemiological studies have suggested that metal-on-metal hip replacements may be associated with an increased risk of developing cancer after total hip replacement and specifically with an increase in malignant melanoma and haematological, prostate, and renal tract cancers," the UK National Joint Registry (NJR) said in its annual report, which was released this week at the British Orthopaedic Association meeting in Manchester, UK.

The NJR, which collects data on joint replacement surgery and monitors the performance of the implants, said it used UK National Health Service Hospital Statistics data to test whether metal-on-metal hip implants are associated with an increased risk of cancer in the early years after hip replacement, compared with other surfaces, such as metal-on-polyethelene.

The NJR said it found no association seven years after implantation but that the devices should continue to be tracked as many cancers can take longer to manifest themselves.

"Due to the age of the NJR we could only assess the risk for the first seven years after hip replacement and are happy to report that we could not identify an increased risk of developing cancer," the NJR said.

"We must, however, point out that many cancers have prolonged latency after initial exposure to carcinogens and thus long-term follow up is needed to provide a definitive answer," it added.

NO U.S. TRACKING MECHANISM

Hundreds of thousands of people have all-metal hip implants. Since the recall, J&J faces thousands of lawsuits over the failure of its ASR model, which was pulled from the market, and more lawsuits tied to its Pinnacle all-metal device, which is still being used.

The United States has no independent registry tracking the performance of medical devices over time, and health regulators are still discussing how manufacturers should follow up on complaints over the all-metal implants.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has been monitoring problems with all-metal hip implants and convened a panel of outside advisers earlier this year to discuss their safety. The panel concluded there was little reason for surgeons to use these devices given the risks.

Last year, the FDA ordered implant manufacturers to conduct follow-up studies in cases in which an implant's failure could have serious consequences. Companies were ordered to take blood samples from patients to measure metal ion levels. That analysis has not been completed.

The NJR said its latest analysis continues to support conclusions it drew last year showing markedly higher failure rate with metal-on-metal implants.

In addition to J&J and Stryker, makers of all-metal hip implants include Smith & Nephew, Zimmer Holdings, Wright Medical and Biomet Inc. (Reporting by Debra Sherman in Chicago; Editing by Michele Gershberg, Carol Bishopric and Steve Orlofsky)

Diet drink consumption increasing

The percentage of men and women consuming diet drinks increased over the past 10 years.

Diet drink consumption has increased over the past decade, a trend that reinforces other research showing intake of calories from sugar in regular soda has decreased, government statistics out today show.

"The data suggest that diet drinks may have replaced sugar drinks during this time," says the study's lead author Tala Fakhouri, an epidemiologist with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The new diet drink analysis shows that the change in diet drink consumption occurred for both women (up from 18% in 2000 to 21% in 2010) and men (up from 14% to 19% in the same period).

Still, only about 20% of people in the USA consume diet drinks on any given day with the majority (80%) not drinking them, the report finds. Diet drinks included calorie-free and low-calorie versions of soda, fruit drinks, energy drinks, sports drinks and carbonated water. Diet drinks did not include unsweetened teas or coffees or 100% fruit juice.

Meanwhile, the consumption of sugar found in regular soda has dropped from roughly 150 calories a day in 2000 to 91 calories a day in 2008.

But when it comes to calories from all sugary drinks, including sodas, fruit drinks, energy drinks, sports drinks and sweetened bottled waters, males consume an average of 178 calories a day; females consume 103 calories, according to other government data.

Overall, about half of the population, ages 2 and older, consume sugary drinks on any given day. Among boys 2 to 19, 70% consume these types of drinks while 40% of adult women consume them.

The statistics from the CDC's National Center for Health Statistics are based on interviews with thousands of people in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Food and beverage intake is based on in-person interviews about dietary habits.

Among the findings:

-- Diet drink consumption was similar for females and males in 2010, except among adolescents, ages 12 to 19, with 17% girls consuming them on a given day compared with only 9.5% of boys the same age.

-- 28% of white adults consume diet drinks compared with 10% of black adults and 14% of Hispanic adults.

"We know that Americans, mainly white Americans, are increasing significantly the consumption of low-calorie diet beverages," says Barry Popkin, a nutrition professor at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill and one of the nation's top experts on beverage consumption. Research suggests that an increased intake of these diet beverages in replacement of sugary beverages reduces weight, he says.

Kelly Brownell, director of Yale University's Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity, says, "Diet products are controversial because it is unclear whether they are safe and help people control weight.
"We do not recommend diet drinks, particularly for children, but one can make a case for them if they do in fact displace caloric beverages and do no harm."

Sugary drinks have been in the spotlight for years, and most recently because of news that they may magnify genetic risk of obesity, according to one study. Other research showed that heavy teens who cut soft drink consumption slow weight gain.

New York City is putting a 16-ounce cap on sweetened bottled drinks and fountain beverages sold at city restaurants, delis, movie theaters, sports venues and street carts. The beverage ban, which goes into effect March 12, applies to drinks that have more than 25 calories per 8 ounces. It does not include 100% juice drinks or beverages with more than 50% milk.

Meningitis outbreak toll rises, now 137 cases, 12 deaths

The meningitis outbreak in several states has now claimed 12 lives, with the latest victim dying in Florida, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced Wednesday.

The number of people affected by the deadly outbreak has gone up to 137, officials said.

Victims have died in five states: six in Tennessee, three in Michigan, and one each in Florida, Maryland and Virginia.

Other states involved include Indiana, Minnesota, North Carolina, New Jersey and Ohio.

Officials have tied the outbreak of rare fungal meningitis to steroid shots for back pain. The steroid was custom-made by New England Compounding Center, a specialty pharmacy in Framingham, Mass. The steroid was recalled Sept. 26.

At least one contaminated vial was found at the company, which later recalled every product it makes.
The government has identified about 75 facilities in 23 states that received the recalled doses. It is not clear exactly how many people could get sick, though the fungus is not transmitted from person to person.

The CDC has said clinicians should contact patients who received potentially contaminated injections starting May 21. Once identified, patients with infections should be put on appropriate anti-fungal therapy.

Meningitis is an inflammation of the lining of the brain and spinal cord. Infected patients have developed a variety of symptoms, which have set in one to four weeks after their injections. These include fever, a new or worsening headache, nausea and problems similar to those seen in a stroke.

First private abortion clinic in Ulster to open

Marie Stopes Northern Ireland will open in the province next week, but the new clinic has already attracted criticism from anti-abortion campaigners.

A private abortion clinic is to open in Northern Ireland for the first time, it has been announced.

Marie Stopes Northern Ireland will launch in Belfast next week, offering a service the clinic says it knows is sought by women in the province.

It will operate within Ulster’s current legal framework, which dictates that a woman can only have an abortion if her life is at immediate risk or if there is a long term or permanent risk to her physical or mental health.

The termination must be carried out within the first nine weeks of the gestation period and must be a “medical abortion” – one in which the woman takes two doses of pills – rather than a surgical one.

The law on abortion in Northern Ireland is different to that governing the rest of the UK, where any woman can undergo a termination up to the 24th week of pregnancy.

The new Ulster clinic has already proved controversial, with an anti-abortion group calling for it to be shut down.

But Marie Stopes hailed the opening as “great news for the people of Northern Ireland.”

Dawn Purvis, programme director at Marie Stopes Northern Ireland, said: “We will be able to meet their family planning and sexual health needs in a way that has not been seen here before.

“We have a new, purpose built, centrally-located specialist centre, our team are highly trained and dedicated health care professionals and our services will be delivered in a confidential, sensitive and non-judgmental way.

“Marie Stopes International is well known for focusing on offering services where they are needed most and a centre like ours has never existed before in Northern Ireland. We know that people here want this kind of world class service.”

As well as offering medical abortion, the centre will offer a range of sexual and reproductive services, including contraception, HIV testing, sexually transmitted infection testing and treatment, and ultrasound scanning.

But Precious Life, an anti-abortion organisation, said the announcement about the Belfast clinic was “a matter for the police and courts”.

Bernadette Smyth, the director of the group, said: “Any attempt to start killing unborn children in Northern Ireland will fail. Anyone who kills an unborn child in Northern Ireland is committing an illegal criminal act.

“We remain confident that anyone who tries to perform abortions in Northern Ireland will be brought to justice.”

She claimed the “pro-abortion movement” was “riding rough-shod over the views of the vast majority of people here.”

The organisation plans to contact the police, public prosecution service, the attorney general and the Department of Health to “ensure the law here is rigorously enforced.”

Marie Stopes International will operate in Belfast from next Thursday.