1) Shuts off a key enzyme needed for breast cancer to grow.
2) Makes the estrogen receptor in the breast less "sensitive" to estrogen. Said another way, breast cells will not divide as rapidly in response to estrogen.
3) Causes the body to make more of a "good" type of estrogen that does not increase the risk of breast cancer and less of the "bad" kind of estrogen that does.
4) Activates a "tumor suppression" gene.
5) Studies find that women who eat the most cruciferous vegetables have a 40% lower incidence of breast cancer.
CALCIUM D-GLUCARATE (found in lettuce and oranges):
Stops liver enzyme (beta glucuronidase) from splitting off toxins and "bad" estrogen after they are bound to glucuronic acid in the liver. So it helps the body eliminate more toxins and estrogen.
MAITAKE MUSHROOMS:
1) Arrests the growth of tumors.
2) Causes tumors to shrink.
3) Prevents metastasis or spread of the tumor to other areas of the body.
4) Stimulates the immune system�specifically, it increases the number and function of macrophages and T-lymphocytes. (T-lymphocytes are the main defense cells and macrophages are scavenger cells that gobble up invaders such as bacteria and tumor cells.
A clinical study on maitake mushrooms found that tumors shrank and symptoms improved in 68.8% of breast cancer patients with stage 2, 3, and 4 diseases.
GREEN TEA:
1) Contains powerful antioxidants and anti-inflammatories. Most active substances are polyphenols: gallocatechin (GC), epigallocatechin (ECG), and epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG). ECGC is the most potent of the three.
2) Women who drink green tea have a significantly lower risk of breast cancer.
3) Women who drink green tea and develop breast cancer, on the average, have a better prognosis and survival. In other words, they live longer.
4) ECGC inhibits the growth of breast cancer and decreases the risk of metastasis.
5) Rats with breast cancer that were fed green tea had a 93% survival compared to 33% survival for those animals not given green tea, and their tumors were smaller.
6) Increases the number of protein binders in the blood. (Estrogen attaches to protein binders and then is not able to attach to estrogen receptors in the breast. The more protein binders there are, the less estrogen that can attach to the estrogen receptors in the breast, and therefore, the lower the risk there is of breast cancer.
7) Decreases the production of estradiol, the strongest of the 3 natural forms of estrogen� and the one most associated with increased risk of breast cancer.
8) Increases the number of estrogen- and progesterone-receptor positive tumors in post-menopausal women. (This type of breast cancer is less aggressive, more treatable, and generally has a higher probability of survival).
9) Blocks new blood vessels from growing into the tumor. Tumors need new blood vessels in order to increase their growth. Blood vessels carry nutrient-laden blood, hi other words, they bring food and oxygen to the tumor essential for its growth. Without new blood vessels, tumors can't grow larger.
10) Enhances the effectiveness of chemotherapy while protecting organs and normal cells from its damaging effects. Research shows that adriamycin and doxorubicin will concentrate 2.5-2.9 times more in tumor cells in the presence of green tea, while the concentration in normal cells decreases. It's all due to green tea's influence on a pump mechanism in cell membranes.
TURMERIC:
1) Considered #1 anti-cancer spice.
2) Improves the breakdown of toxins by the liver.
3) Decreases the activity of phase 1 enzymes in the liver and enhances phase 2 (Phase one enzymes change pro-carcinogenic substances into carcinogens and phase 2 enzymes recognize the carcinogens and break them down. By lowering phase 1 enzymes, fewer carcinogens are formed, and by increasing phase 2 enzymes, more carcinogens are eliminated.)
4) Powerful COX-2 anti-inflammatory. Substances that block the COX-2 enzyme have the following anticancer effects:
a. Stops tumor cell growth.
b. Kills tumor cells.
c. Prevents the growth of new blood vessels.
d. Decreases the ability of tumors to invade into surrounding tissue.
e. "Turns on" a tumor suppression gene.
f. Lowers the risk of metastasis.
g. Slows the production of mutagens (substances that form in the body that can cause mutations of DNA that can lead to cancer).
5) Contains antioxidant properties that are 300 times greater than vitamin E.
6) Stimulates the immune system.
7) Promotes weight loss (20-30% of all post-menopausal cancers are thought due to obesity. Fat is the main source of estrogen production after menopause).
8) Makes environmental toxins with estrogenic properties less estrogenic. For example a group of pesticides called organochlorines (i.e. DDT) behave like estrogen in the body� only much more powerfully�and significantly increase the risk of breast cancer (women with the highest level of DDT in their bodies have a 400% higher risk of breast cancer). Turmeric makes these chemicals less estrogenic.
9) Enhances the effect of chemotherapy while protecting against its damaging effects.
10) Synergistic effects with green tea: makes green tea's anti-cancer effect 8 times stronger and green tea makes turmeric's anticancer effects 3 times stronger.
11) Down-regulates estrogen receptor. In other words, makes the estrogen receptor less sensitive to estrogen so that breast cells won't divide as fast in response to it.
12) Synergistic effect with genistein, a phytoestrogen found in soy. Helps genistein to block more estrogen from attaching to the estrogen receptor in the breast.
GRAPE SEED EXTRACT:
1) Powerful antioxidant called proanthocyanides found to kill breast cancer cells and increase the growth and viability of normal cells.
2) Decreases the level of estrogen in the body.
VITAMIN D:
1) Makes breast cells more resistant to toxins.
2) Decreases the ability of breast cancer cells to divide and grow.
3) Prevents angiogenesis (the growth of new blood vessels into a tumor).
4) Stimulates the immune system ~ increases the number and function of Natural Killer cells.
Christine Horner, MD, FACS, www.protectivebreast.com 1-866-795-3517