How to prevent breast cancer?

Eat less fats

High-fat ( especially animal fats and trans fats) diet may increase the risk of breast cancer.  Studies found that excessive fat intake will produce more free radicals and stimulate cell division and deterioration.

High-fat diet will also produce chemical in the intestine. Intestinal bacteria will transform it into carcinogenic estrogen which is then stored in the fatty tissue of the breast and then develops into cancer.

Harvard University had conducted a survey on more than 120,000 women. It was found that the mortality rate for breast cancer patients would increase 70% if the patient is a high fat intaker before.

Not all fats are bad. A study in Canada found that daily use flaxseed oil can help reduce the risk of breast cancer.

Eat more fish

Although women should eat less animal fat, they can eat more fish, especially in deep water fish such as tuna, salmon, cod and sardines . That's why Eskimo women have low incidence of suffering from breast cancer as they eat a lot of deep-water fish.

Take high-fiber diet

Eat more vegetables can reduce the incidence of breast cancer. Increased consumption of high fiber foods helps stimulate gastrointestinal motility, increasing the rate of food through the intestines . In addition, vegetables, fruits, grains , seeds , nuts and beans contain phytochemicals such as polyphenols, which can protect cells and inhibit cancer cell growth.

Drink tea and soy milk

Green tea contains antioxidants and anti-cancer polyphenols while, according to the studies from the American Association for Cancer Research, soy milk can reduce the body producing hormones estrogen and progesterone. Excessive concentration of these would increase the risk of breast cancer.

Other causes of breast cancer include frequent contact with environmental toxins such as pesticides and cancer gene mutation.

BRCA1 and BRCA2 are human genes important in inhibiting cancer. Medical profession has found that BRCA1 and BRCA2 gene mutation will increase the risk of cancer. Women with BRCA1 gene mutation have 51-75% risk of breast cancer while 22-51 % of the chance suffering from ovarian cancer. For the BRCA2 gene mutation, the chances are 33-54 % and 4-18 % respectively.

Ginseng - an expensive herb in the world

Ginseng is one of the most popular herbal medicines in the world.

There are two main types of ginseng: Asian or Korean ginseng (Panax ginseng) and American ginseng (Panax quinquefolius). In traditional Chinese medicine, American ginseng is considered less stimulating than the Asian variety.

Studies have found that the different types have different benefits. These benefits include the following: 

• Boosting the immune system – researchers found the immunological effects and anti-inflammatory effects of ginseng. There were cases that it could decrease the number and severity of colds in adults.
• Lowering blood sugar levels.
• Providing energy and preventing fatigue - Ginseng stimulates physical and mental activity among people who are weak and tired.
• Improving cognitive and mental performance – it might temporarily and modestly improve concentration and learning.
• Improving mood and boosting endurance as well as treating cancer, heart disease, fatigue, erectile dysfunction, hepatitis C, high blood pressure, menopausal symptoms, and other conditions.

Because ginseng may affect blood sugar levels and can interact with warfarin and with some medicines for depression, people should consult doctor first using ginseng. 

In addition, since ginseng can act as a stimulant in some people, it might cause nervousness and insomnia.

Long-term use or high doses of ginseng may cause headaches, dizziness, stomach upset, and other symptoms. Women who use ginseng regularly may develop breast tenderness and menstrual changes. There have also been some reports of allergic reactions to ginseng.

Plant pigments make you young and healthy

In a meta-analysis published in the British Journal of Nutrition, researchers found that there was a relative risk reduction of cardiovascular disease of 11% for anthocyanidins, 10% for proanthocyanidins, 12% for flavones, 12% for flavanones, 13% for flavan-3-ols as well as 5% for flavonol for every 10 mg per day increment of flavonol intake.

In fact, all these belong to the flavonoid group which contains isoflavones, proanthocyanidins, anthocyanins, flavonols, flavones, flavanols and flavanones. Within each fall hundreds, and sometimes thousands of different flavonoids. For example, flavonols include quercetin, rutin, and hesperidin, while flavones include apigenin and luteolin.

Most flavonoids function in the human body as antioxidants to help neutralize overly reactive oxygen-containing molecules and prevent these overly reactive molecules from damaging parts of cells. In some cases, flavonoids can act directly as antibiotics by disrupting the function of microorganisms like viruses or bacteria. The antiviral function of flavonoids has been demonstrated with the HIV virus.

Besides playing a cardio-protective role, flavonoids also play a role in the prevention and/or treatment of the following health conditions:

• Allergy
• Asthma
• Atopic dermatitis
• Candida infection
• Cataracts
• Diabetes
• Gout
• Hemorrhoids
• Macular degeneration
• Migraine
• Periodontal disease
• Stomach ulcer
• Varicose veins

In addition, many of the vitamin-related functions of vitamin C also appear to require the presence of flavonoids. And many different chemical categories of flavonoids can prevent excessive inflammation.

Flavonoids are found widely in fruits and vegetables—often as the pigments that give these foods their distinctive colors—and in other foods such as tea, coffee, wine and chocolate.

However, heat, degree of acidity (pH), and degree of processing can have a dramatic impact on the flavonoid content of food. And so next time when you prepare your meal, don’t overcook vegetables.

 

Intake more polyphenols = Increased longevity

A  12-year study of 807 men and women aged 65 years and older published in The Journal of Nutrition found that polyphenol intake is an independent risk factor for mortality and that high dietary polyphenol intakes may help people live longer.

Polyphenols have been termed “lifespan essentials”. They actively work in the body to prevent certain disease mechanisms from occurring.

Polyphenols are antioxidants from plant foods that work in the body to enhance health in complex ways. They can reduce the risk factors for cardiovascular disease and basically help to protect many body systems from the risks or ravages of many types of chronic disease. 

The main source of polyphenols is dietary, since they are found in a wide array of phytochemical-bearing foods. For example, honey; most legumes; fruits (such as apples, blackberries, blueberries, cantaloupe, pomegranate, cherries, cranberries, grapes, pears, plums, raspberries, aronia berries, and strawberries) and vegetables (such as broccoli, cabbage, celery, onion and parsley) are rich in polyphenols. Red wine, chocolate, white tea, green tea, olive oil, argan oil, bee pollen and many grains are also sources of polyphenols.

However, refining of foods removes polyphenols, so eat fresh or freshly cooked fruits, vegetables, whole grains and legumes. Polyphenols tend not to be destroyed by moderate cooking or heating, and cooked foods may offer a more bioavailable source of polyphenols. 

Whenever possible, choose richly hued fruits, vegetables and whole grains. Rich colors such as reds and purples or black indicate that plant foods are excellent sources of polyphenols.