Originally published February 13 2009
High Intake of Fruits and Vegetables may Lower Risk of Breast Cancer Relapse
by Reuben Chow
(NaturalNews) The protective effects which one's diet, in particular fruits and vegetables, offers against cancer may, intuitively, seem to apply more to cancers which are related to the gastrointestinal tract, such as colon cancer, stomach cancer or intestinal cancer. On the other hand, for certain cancers, like those of the ovaries, prostate and breasts, one may be more inclined to believe that hormones play a bigger part. The truth, however, is that diet does play a significant role even in breast cancer. And a recent study has revealed that the consumption of good amounts of fruits and vegetables can reduce the risk of breast cancer recurrence by almost a third. This protective effect, however, only seemed to apply to certain women but not others.
Details of Study
The study team had looked at data pertaining to 3,000 breast cancer sufferers in a bid to analyze if low fat intake and consumption of high amounts of fruits and vegetables could play a part in preventing the return of the disease. Such a diet had previously already been linked to reduced breast cancer risk.
Half the women were told to consume 10 servings of fruits and vegetables every day, double the daily dose of 5 servings recommended by United States government agencies, as well as to boost fiber consumption and lower fat intake. This group was then compared with a group who were asked to stick to government guidelines. The average age of the study subjects was 53, and the study was published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.
Findings of Study
About 900 of the entire group of women reported not experiencing hot flashes, which is a common side-effect of conventional breast cancer therapy. Analyzing the data on these subjects, the study team found that only 16% of those who doubled their fruit and vegetable intake suffered a relapse after 7 years, as compared to 23% of those in the control group. With specific regard to post-menopausal women, the reduction in risk was about 47%.
Hot Flashes, Estrogen and Breast Cancer
What is the significance here of hot flashes? After undergoing conventional breast cancer treatment, women who experienced hot flashes had been found to have lower levels of estrogen as compared to those who did not. And the reduced risk of breast cancer recurrence revealed by the study only applied to women who did not get hot flashes after their bout of conventional cancer therapy.
Now, estrogen is known to be an important factor in the most common kind of breast cancer. Put together, all this information implies that consuming additional servings of fruits and vegetables, much more than the government's suggested dose, could help in lowering the levels of estrogen in breast cancer survivors, thereby putting a lid on the possibility of relapse.
This distinguishing factor could help explain why, among previously conducted studies, some showed that increased fruit and vegetable intake could lower the risk of breast cancer relapse, while others did not come to the same conclusion.
"It appears that a dietary pattern high in fruits, vegetables and fiber, which has been shown to reduce circulating estrogen levels, may only be important among women with circulating estrogen levels above a certain threshold," said John Pierce from the University of California San Diego.
Conclusion
In battling breast cancer, whether in prevention, recovery or warding off a relapse, there are many important strategies which one could adopt. On top of eating healthful plant foods, other recent studies have surfaced some of them. These include being happy and having optimistic attitudes (http://www.naturalnews.com/024645.html), carrying out regular vigorous exercise (http://www.naturalnews.com/025280.html), having sufficient amounts of sleep (http://www.naturalnews.com/025015.html), and being in a happy marriage (http://www.naturalnews.com/025410.html). In reality, these are steps which are useful not just in defeating breast cancer, but in promoting overall good health as well.
Source
Fruits, veggies slash breast cancer risk (http://www.weightoloss.com/fruits-veggies-sl...)
About the author
Reuben Chow has a keen interest in natural health and healing as well as personal growth. His website, All 4 Natural Health, offers a basic guide on natural health information. It details simple, effective and natural ways, such as the use of nutrition, various herbs, herb remedies, supplements and other natural remedies, to deal with various health conditions as well as to attain good health. His other websites also cover topics such as depression help, omega 3 fatty acids, as well as cancer research and information.
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