Can raw foods aid breast cancer treatments and prevention?

Friday, February 10, 2012 by: Raw Michelle
Tags: raw foods, breast cancer, prevention

(NaturalNews) When it comes to women's health issues, breast cancer will rise toward the top of any list regardless of the factors being considered. It is no doubt that breast cancer is an ugly disease that statistically affects someone that everyone knows. Over the span of a lifetime, one in eight women will be diagnosed with breast cancer, so if one thinks of eight women they know, statistically, one of those women will be unable to dodge the potentially fatal diagnosis. For this reason, in addition to early detection being on the forefront of awareness campaigns, it is also equally important to consider preventive measures, which any woman can adopt by starting with the foods that are eaten on a daily basis.

It is possible to prevent breast cancer by eating raw fruits and vegetables?

There has been some intense research led by Dr. Sarah Brennan of Queen's University Belfast in Northern Ireland that spanned over a dozen scientific studies and over 400,000 subjects. The results of this analysis found that a direct relationship between those at risk of breast cancer to healthy or unhealthy dieting practices. At risk women were viewed as women who were at a genetic risk due to their mother or grandmother being diagnosed with the disease in their lifetime. The findings summarized a higher ratio of women that were identified as having breast cancer at some point in their lives if they adhered to the common unhealthy practices of western diets, defined as those that are rich in red meats and refined grains. However, those that adopted diets that were rich in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains were less likely to be diagnosed with breast cancer.

If it can be concluded that eating healthy has an obvious effect of maintaining an ideal weight level, another conclusion can also be drawn. A finding that was revealed through efforts from the Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women's Hospital indicated that a connection between obese women and breast cancer diagnosis exists. This finding ultimately supports the studies that have concluded that raw food dietary practices contribute to the prevention of breast cancer.

Wheat grass juice and chemotherapy

Breast cancer treatment can be daunting emotionally and physically, however studies that have been coordinated by the Division of Oncology at the Rambam Medical Center and Faculty of Medicine and the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology have revealed that many of the negative effects of chemotherapy can be tapered. Specifically, wheat grass juice consumption resulted in a reduction of the necessary doses required, as well as lower myelotoxicity levels, all without affecting the intended chemotherapy effects.

There are critics on the other side of these studies that are quick to point out scientific inconsistencies in the methods used to produce these conclusions, and the overall statistical analysis. This is part and parcel of the entire scientific process, and realistically, there is no scientific study that can't in some way be disputed. However is that really the point? Eating healthy is not a strange and mysterious pill that is producing these results. These practices are not governed by agencies that intend to protect the public. Therefore, if there is even a slight chance that eating healthy can result in breast cancer prevention, why not? A healthy meal can start right from the refrigerator as the first step toward breast cancer prevention.

Sources for this article include:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17571966

http://www.reuters.com

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC468678/

About the author:
Raw Michelle is a natural health blogger and researcher, sharing her passions with others, using the Internet as her medium. She discusses topics in a straight forward way in hopes to help people from all walks of life achieve optimal health and well-being. She has authored and published hundreds of articles on topics such as the raw food diet and green living in general. >>> Click here to see more by Michelle