Breast Cancer and Weight Issues Linked

I was talking with a friend of mine the other day and she told me that not a lot of the people she knew were aware that being overweight was one of the risk factors that can lead to breast cancer. I told her I knew weight loss is a balanced diet and exercise was good for your health, but really didn’t know the extent of the cancer link.

I don’t feel too bad because I read a global survey by the International Union against Cancer (UICC) that found around 40 per cent of people in North and South America, Australia, New Zealand and West Asia do not know about the link between weight and cancer. In other regions such as Africa and South East Asia, the survey revealed that awareness is even lower, with respectively 41 and 49 per cent of people saying there is no link between weight and cancer.

I later found out that there are estimates that suggest cancer will soon become the leading cause of deaths, and that weight plays an important role in this. I thought the US was mainly concerned about obesity trends, but it seems almost every other country is worried also.

This survey interviewed 40,000 in 39 countries and found that those who are most at risk from some cancers minimize their own risks. What this means that 25% of those who drink and smoke daily think that smoking cigarettes does not increase the risk of cancer. The same is true of people who are already obese or overweight.

What I was not aware of is that the author of the report, Terry Slavin stated that "Thirty to 40 per cent of cancers could be preventable if people led healthier lives, tackling overweight and obesity."

According to the World Health Organization (WHO) an estimated 22 million children under five are overweight today, and the problem is growing.

"Overweight and obesity are part of the causal chain for many cancers," Professor David Hill, the president of the UICC said in a news release to launch the initiative.

This is well established in science but not adequately understood in the community. In fact, current lack of public understanding of the link between body weight and cancer probably parallels our attitudes to smoking and cancer in the late 1950s."

Another report from the World Health Organization (WHO) in 2007 showed that cancer will become the leading cause of death worldwide by 2010, more than heart disease. Cancer is also rising in developing countries, the World Health Organization reported.

This may be because developing countries are copying the eating habits of developed countries. Where they used to eat a lot of plants and fruits, but the shift towards technology and fast foods is increasing the number of cancers. This brings up the issue of how do we teach these countries not to take the examples of developed countries? Surely not by our example so far.

Eat Your Broccoli

There was an interesting abstract in the 2008 issue of Cancer Prevention Research about a new study dealing with Broccoli. Greg Arnold a Chiropractic Physician practicing in Danville, CA commented on the possible health benefits of an antioxidant found in vegetables that may keep lungs healthy.

Many vegetables that contain health benefits, and some of the best are called cruciferous vegetables. These include broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, brussel sprouts, turnip, and radish. What sets them apart in promoting health are antioxidants called indoles .

An antioxidant in broccoli called sulfurophane has been shown to benefit prostate health and blood vessels in diabetics, but another antioxidant called Indole-3-Carbinol (I3C) has been found to benefit overall cell health, infant health, detoxification, bladder health, and heart health.

Recently a new study has found that I3C may help keep lungs healthy. Lung cancer is the most common cause of cancer deaths worldwide. In the US, 215,020 new cases and 161,840 deaths were estimated in 2008, which accounts for 15% of cancer diagnoses and 29% of all cancer deaths. Cigarette smoke, which contains more than 60 carcinogens, is the cause of 90% of lung cancer cases.

Two of the most potent carcinogens in cigarettes are NNK and BaP. In the study, mice were fed a diet consisting of doses of I3C in varying amounts, or a placebo for one week. During this time, they were exposed to the NNK and BaP carcinogens.

Compared to the placebo group, those in the I3C group had less tumor growth. The lowest effective dose they used was equal to 800 mg per day of I3C in humans.

This led the researchers to say the results indicate the potential of I3C for lung cancer chemoprevention in current and former smokers.

Of course it is too soon to say with certainty that when your mom told you to eat your Broccoli because it’s good for you, that she could see into the future, but it sounds good.

Black Cohosh In The News

Last week there was a news article on CBS news that mentioned what herbs are being studied that might provide medical breakthroughs in 2009.

One of the things reported on was the herb Black Cohosh, Traditionally this has been used by middle aged women approaching menopause to help women relieve hot flashes.

The newest research on Black Cohosh seems to point to the possibility of halting the growth of some breast cancer cells.


A French pharmaceutical company conducted a study that the National Institutes of health was also involved in. The research indicated that the cancer-cells were killed by an agent called triterpene glycoside, which is found in black cohosh extract.

Some past research has shown that black cohosh can interfere with certain kinds of chemotherapy and has some adverse side effects, so check with your doctor. Plus, studies so far have been done only on mice.

Until more details are published we will just have to wait and see what the medical community comes up with. It is one herb worth watching.

What Is Vitamin E Good For?

I have seen where low blood levels of vitamin E are linked to greater physical decline as we get older. Since the economy is in the shape it is in, it looks like I will have to extend my working years, and will need to stay active longer.

I decided to look up who may need extra vitamin E to prevent a deficiency or in diseases where vitamin E plays a role and came up with a very brief summary:

Individuals who cannot absorb fat may require a vitamin E supplement because some dietary fat is needed in order to absorb vitamin E from your intestines. These include Crohn's Disease, and Cystic Fibrosis. They may need a special water-soluble form of vitamin E.

Abetalipoproteinemia is a rare inherited disorder of fat metabolism that results in poor absorption of dietary fat and vitamin E. These Individuals may be prescribed special vitamin E supplements by a physician to treat this disorder. Ataxia and vitamin E deficiency (AVED) is also a rare inherited disorder. It is caused by a genetic defect in a liver protein. These people have such severe vitamin E deficiency that without supplements they are unable to walk (ataxia).

Very low birth weight infants may be deficient in vitamin E. These infants are usually under the care of a neonatologist, a pediatrician specializing in the care of newborns, who, evaluates and treats the exact nutritional needs of premature infants.

A study was conducted in Tuscany Italy from 1998-2000, on people between 70-80, and the findings provided a solid base that low concentration of vitamin E contributes to decline in physical function in older people between 70-80.

Preliminary research has led to a widely held belief that vitamin E may help prevent or delay coronary heart disease. Researchers have reported that oxidative changes to LDL-cholesterol (sometimes called "bad" cholesterol) promote blockages (atherosclerosis) in coronary arteries that may lead to heart attacks.

Antioxidants such as vitamin E are believed to help protect cell membranes against the damaging effects of free radicals, which may contribute to the development of chronic diseases such as cancer.

Some evidence associates higher intake of vitamin E with a decreased incidence of prostate cancer and breast cancer.

A study of women in Iowa provides evidence that an increased dietary intake of vitamin E may decrease the risk of colon cancer, especially in women under 65 years of age.
Observational studies have found that lens clarity, which is used to diagnose cataracts, was better in regular users of vitamin E supplements and in persons with higher blood levels of vitamin E.

The number of things vitamin E was associated with surprised me, and also how in the studies already done researchers cannot yet confidently recommend vitamin E supplements for the prevention of any of the issues noted because the evidence on this issues are inconsistent and limited. Even though I should probably be able to get what I need daily in a balanced diet, with my family history I choose to continue to supplement my nutrition needs with a little E just in case.

Drink Your Milk

As I poured milk on my cereal this morning, and noticed the Vitamin D label, I was reminded of what I was taught as a child … Drink Your Milk. Don’t you want to grow up big and strong? Milk is good for your Bones, you know?

Calcium makes your bones stronger, and vitamin D helps calcium to be absorbed into bones. Thus it is very important to eat a healthy diet with adequate calcium and vitamin D. As a teenager, your daily recommended requirement of calcium and vitamin D is 1000 mg and 100(IU) respectively.

Today we know that higher Vitamin D levels lowers the chances of developing colon cancer, and data suggests the vitamin may also be a lifesaver for people who already suffer from this type of cancer.

Scientists are investigating the use of vitamin D supplements in treating and preventing colon cancer. More studies are needed to determine whether vitamin D supplements should be routinely recommended for colon cancer patients, but deficiency should definitely be avoided.

We get vitamin D in our diet, but we can actually make our own vitamin D with the help of sun exposure. Dark-skinned individuals are more likely to suffer from vitamin D deficiency because melanin impedes the penetration of sunlight into the skin.

Vitamin D is found in fortified milk and butter, cod liver oil, salmon, sardines, and mackerel, and the recommended daily allowance is 200 International Units (IU) for people aged 19-50; 400 IUs for those between 51 and 69; and 600 IUs for those 70 years and older. Too much vitamin D can cause dehydration, nausea, constipation, weakness, so the Institute of Medicine's Food and Nutrition Board recommends an upper limit of 2,000 IUs of vitamin D for children and adults, and an upper limit of 1,000 IUs for infants under 12 months of age.

So continue to catch at least 30 minutes of sun as often as you can, and drink all your milk too!

CLL and Whey

A close friend of mine was just diagnosed with Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL), a cancer of the blood, and the second most common type of leukemia.

It is caused by the overproduction of immature blood cells in the marrow (the spongy inner mass of bone). These immature cells crowd out healthy cells needed to fight infection and deliver oxygen to the body. CLL progresses slowly, and it may take years for symptoms to appear or for treatment to be needed.

I had never heard of it, and his doctor said that they don’t know exactly how you get it. It seems to happen if you are middle-aged or older, male, or white, or have a family history of CLL or cancer of the lymph system. His is at Stage Zero, which means that they just wait and see what happens.

Usually CLL does not cause any symptoms and is found during a routine blood test. Sometimes symptoms occur that may be caused by CLL or by other conditions. See a doctor if any of the following problems occur:
Painless swelling of the lymph nodes in the neck, underarm, stomach, or groin.
Tiredness that does not go away.
Pain or fullness below the ribs.
Fever and infection.
Weight loss (unexplained).

What I thought was interesting was he went on the A.P. Johns Institute for Cancer Research and found a diet that can help fight cancers. One supplement they recommended was Whey Enhanced Protein. It discussed Phosphorus being a nutrient that cancer cells must use in order to grow and reproduce.

So if you opt for including this into your diet as a way to ward off cancer, choose a brand of whey protein that is very low in phosphorous and contains no additional vitamins, so when using approximately 10 – 12 grams of protein per 150 lb. person, it helps to protect normal cells, maintain a normal appetite, and helps fight edema. (Edema is the swelling or water build up in the legs or other sites in the body)

Whey protein is included in the daily menu of all advanced or metastatic cancer patients. When treating cancers that are stable or have regressed in size, patients then have the option of including other protein foods at their breakfast meals such as cottage cheese, yogurt, or soy foods. Eggs are allowed in the diets of patients with lymphoma and brain cancers.
Whey protein is a mixture of some of the proteins naturally found in milk. The major proteins found in whey protein include beta-lactoglobulin and alpha-lactalbumin and is more rapidly digested than other proteins, such as casein (another milk protein).

The bottom line is … he is going to work harder to control his amino acids, carbs, and sugars. He’ll include Whey for breakfast along with a glass of fresh orange juice, some Grits (with butter, cinnamon ), and a cup of Green Tea.