cancer
Birth Control Pills may increase Chance of Breast Cancer
More than 10 million American women use birth control pills. They are the go-to contraceptive not only for pregnancy prevention, but also for PMS symptoms, heavy periods, and acne. Previous studies have suggested that birth control pills increase breast cancer risk, and the most recent research strengthens this relationship.
Birth Control Pills: A Known Carcinogen
Birth control pills join tobacco, asbestos, plutonium, and diesel exhaust as a group 1 carcinogen according to the World Health Organization. This means birth control pills are “a known and probable cancer-causing agent to humans.”
The latest study published in the August 2014 edition of the journal Cancer Research confirms the finding of past birth control/cancer studies. Researchers studied 1,102 women with breast cancer, along with 21,952 controls, and found that recent oral contraceptive use—particularly high-dose estrogen birth control pills—increased breast cancer risk by more than 50%. Birth control pills with ethynodiol diacetate (a type of progestin) also raised breast cancer risk by more than double, while triphasic birth control pills (pills that deliver different hormone doses over three stages of the monthly cycle) more than tripled breast cancer risk! Not all birth control pills fared so badly, however. Low-dose estrogen birth control pills did not seem to increase breast cancer risk.
Birth control pills block pregnancy by delivering a mix of estrogen and progestin hormones to your body. But these same hormones also over-stimulate breast cancer cells, which increases breast cancer risk. Dr. Angela Lanfranchi writes in her booklet on Breast Cancer Risks and Prevention:
“Estrogen can cause cancers in two ways. First, estrogen acts as a “mitogen.” Estrogen stimulates your breast tissue to increase cell divisions (mitoses). This sometimes results in cancers due to errors in cell division (mutations). Second, certain metabolites of estrogen also act as carcinogen or genotoxins, by directly damaging DNA, thereby causing cancer cells to form.”
Your risk for breast cancer further increases if you have a strong family history of breast cancer, you or a family member have had a biopsy that showed abnormal cells, or you carry an abnormal breast cancer gene.
If you are currently taking birth control pills, consider a safer method of contraception, such as the use of a diaphragm and/or condom. If you insist on taking birth control pills, then make sure you are on a low-dose estrogen pill.
Aronia Berry – The Exotic Fruit Right At Home
from Patagonia and the goji berry from China. These berries from around the world have all made headlines in recent years for their remarkable healing properties.
Little do most people know, however, that there is a far lesser known North American berry about to stake it’s claim as a truly remarkable super berry: Aronia.
Off the Charts Antioxidant Power!
Aronia berries are rich in anthocyanins, the substance that gives this fruit its deep shade of purple. Anthocyanins have been shown to reduce systemic inflammation and levels of C-reactive protein, a byproduct of inflammation. If left unchecked, inflammation is the spark to many chronic and life-threatening diseases, including cancer.
Aronia berries are also high in plant-based super-antioxidants called proanthocyanidins that help boost circulation by strengthening capillary walls and act as an overall tonic for the cardiovascular system.
Proanthocyanins also suppress enzyme breakdown of collagen and alleviate allergies.
Full-Body Health Benefits
The aronia berry also possesses extreme anti-bacterial, anti-viral and anti-diabetic properties… This fights arterial plague formation… reduces serum cholesterol, shields the liver and kidneys from toxins, lowers blood sugar and balances insulin production. Enriched with flavonoids, the aronia berry also protects against peptic ulcers, eye inflammation and urinary infection.
Cancer Protection
The aronia berry has shown exciting promise as an anti-cancer agent. Research suggests aronia berries may help defend against tumor formation in the bladder, breasts, colon, lungs, ovaries, and skin. Preliminary studies indicate that the berry may even slow the progression of glioblastona, a lethal form of brain cancer.
New Berry on the Block!
Aronia has been commercially cultivated in Russia since the 1940s and in 
Europe since the 1950s. But it wasn’t until 2009 that the Midwest Aronia Association formed in Iowa in order to provide information and other resources to those interested in growing this super-healthy berry. Now, the Association has members in California, Illinois, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, New York, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wisconsin and Ontario, Canada. This means that if you don’t already have aronia products available on your local store shelves, you should soon (and in the meantime, you can also look online for internet retailers).
When it comes to choosing a quality product, you’ll be glad to know that aronia berries are naturally pest-resistance and need no agricultural toxins. That said, you should still look for bushels stamped with the USDA organic certification label to make sure you’re benefitting from 100% pure antioxidant advantage.
Pomegranates fight Aging and More
The bark, leaves, flowers, fruits, and seeds of the pomegranate (Punica Granatum) have a long history of use as a medicine, particularly in the Middle East, India, and China. The Chinese and South Africans use it to treat inflammation, rheumatism, irregular uterine bleeding and hemorrhaging, and abdominal pain.
In Unani medicine (a traditional practice of medicine in south-Asian countries and the Middle East), pomegranate is prescribed as a food supplement to treat diabetes. Due to its potent antimicrobial properties, pomegranate has even been used to treat intestinal worms.
Now, research is revealing the extract’s promising antioxidant and anti-cancer potential.
Say “No” to Aging with Antioxidants
Without enough antioxidants, your body can’t fight off free radical damage, and becomes vulnerable to aging and disease. Pomegranate delivers a powerhouse helping of antioxidants when consumed internally as well as applied topically. Pomegranate’s antioxidant activity is fueled by ellagitannin compounds (punicalagins and punicalins being the standouts). It’s also packed with vitamin C—40% of the recommended daily value, in fact! These antioxidants, along with gallic acid and catechin, help accelerate wound healing, as well as repair sun-damaged, aging skin.
Experts have discovered that pomegranate increases the longevity of fibroblasts (cells responsible for collagen and elastin production). Collagen and elastin work together to give strength and support to your skin. A Medical College of Virginia study showed that the oil from pomegranate seed extract helps boost collagen production, thereby thickening both the outer and inner layers of the skin.
Other studies suggest that pomegranate seed extract may demonstrate a prohibitive influence on some forms of skin cancer. Snacking on pomegranate seeds is one way to benefit, but if you’re interested in the skin-saving benefits, seek out pomegranate seed extract oil in stand-alone form, or as an added ingredient in your skin care products.
Show No Mercy to Cancer Cells
An anti-inflammatory compound in pomegranate and pomegranate seed extract called punicic acid has been shown not only to reduce the inflammation that causes joint pain and arthritis, but also to fight cancer. A 2002 study published in Breast Cancer Research and Treatment showed that pomegranate seed extract suppressed the growth of estrogen-dependent cancer cells in culture. It also inhibited the ability of cancer cells to cross barriers and spread, and even increased apoptosis (cancer cell self-destruction).
A 2010 study in the International Journal of Oncology confirmed pomegranate’s influence on cancer cells, showing that cancer cell cultures treated with punicic acid experienced apoptosis at rates 91% higher than untreated cancer cells. Research has shown that pomegranate seed extract effects prostate cancer in the same manner. Pomegranate seed extract, along with pomegranate flower extract and pomegranate juice, has also shown promise in the treatment of colon cancer and leukemia.
Brussels Sprouts and their Anti- Cancer benefits
Did You Know…that Brussels sprouts contain a substance that causes cancer cells to self-destruct?
The idea of Brussels sprouts may not immediately set your taste buds tingling, but this vegetable’s health benefits are guaranteed to tantalize. Brussels sprouts
contain more glucosinolates—a kind of anti-carcinogenic compound—than any other cruciferous vegetable.
| Glucosimolates Fight Cancer Glucosinolates are special phytonutrients that serve as the chemical source for a large number of cancer-protective substances. |
All cruciferous vegetables contain glucosinolates, however, recent research indicates that the combination of compounds found in the Brussels sprout are especially potent and valuable. The anti-cancer benefits of Brussels sprouts stem primarily from four specific glucosinolates:
Glucoraphanin
Glucobrassicin
Gluconasturtiian
Sinigrin
Sinigrin, in particular, appears to cause cancer cells to self-destruct.
Of all the the studies on the Brussels sprout available in PubMed, the health research database at the National Library of Medicine in Washington, D.C., more than half connect it to cancer prevention. Brussels sprouts provide nutrients that support the three processes in your body most intricately involved in cancer development—and cancer prevention:
- Detoxification
- Antioxidant deployment
- Anti-inflammatory activity
Chronic issues with any of the above processes increase your risk of cancer. When malfunctions occur simultaneously, your risk of cancer increases substantially.
Sprouts Prevent a Multitude of Cancers and Stop DNA Damage
Research so far shows Brussels sprout intake can decrease your risk of bladder cancer… colon cancer… prostate cancer… ovarian cancer… breast cancer… and lung cancer. Evidence from a study conducted in the Netherlands points to a possible reason for the
Brussels sprout’s broad-spectrum cancer protection. It appears the sprouts keep the body cancer-free by protecting DNA from damage.
For the three-week study, researchers analyzed the effect of Brussels sprouts on two groups of healthy men. One group ate 300 grams of Brussels sprouts each 
day, while the other group ate a diet devoid of all cruciferous vegetables. Testing at the end of the study showed the daily dose of Brussels sprouts led to a 28% decrease in measured DNA damage.
Your Daily Dose of Vitamin A Through Zinc
Along with anti-carcinogenic glucosinolates, Brussels sprouts provide a wealth of other nutrients. They offer significant quantities of crucial nutrients, including…
 FolateManganeseCholine |
Copper
PotassiumMagnesiumPantothenic acidCalcium
Phosphorus
Zinc
Brussels sprouts are also good source of vitamin A, vitamin B2 and B6, vitamin C, and vitamin K. In addition to all that, they deliver your daily dose of fiber and protein, with a side of disease-fighting phytochemicals.
The World’s Healthiest Food
To extract maximum health benefits, experts recommend that you steam your Brussels sprouts. The George Mateljan Foundation, which runs The World’s Healthiest Foods site, recommends this Five-Minute Method:
“Fill the bottom of a steamer pan with two inches of water. If Brussels sprouts are cut into quarters, steam for 6 minutes. If you have chopped them into smaller pieces, steam for five minutes.” When perfectly cooked, the sprouts should have a “crisp, dense texture” and a bright, “green,” mild sweetness.
Citrus Fruits and Tea Can Help Lower Ovarian Cancer
New research reveals that women who consume foods containing flavonols and flavanones (two forms of dietary flavonoids) cut their risk of developing epithelial ovarian cancer. This is amazingly good news for women, because ovarian cancer is currently the 5th leading cause of cancer death among women. About 20,000 women in the U.S. are diagnosed with ovarian cancer each year.
An Extremely Deadly Cancer
Ovarian cancer is one of the deadliest of all cancers affecting women. One of the reasons this type of cancer is so terribly dangerous is that it is nearly impossible to detect early. Only about 19% of ovarian cancer is diagnosed before the cancer has spread, after which point treatment is usually not effective.
Making matters worse is the fact that the ovaries are tiny organs located deep within the abdominal cavity. This makes it extremely difficult to pinpoint symptoms specific to the ovaries. Sadly, such symptoms are all too often mistaken for other far less serious health issues until it is simply too late.
The good news is that there are choices you or your loved ones can make to lower ovarian cancer risk. Most recently, scientists at the University of East Anglia (UEA) discovered that tea and citrus fruits and juices can lower ovarian cancer risk.
How Tea and Citrus Prevent Ovarian Cancer
The UEA study followed the dietary habits of 171,940 women between the ages of 25 and 55 for more than three decades. The research team found that those who consumed food and drinks high in flavonols were less likely to develop ovarian cancer.
Flavonols are found in…
- Tea
- Red wine
- Apples
- Grapes
Consumption of flavanones was also associated with lower incidence of ovarian cancer.
Flavanones are found in …
- Citrus fruits
- Citrus juices
| Two Cups A Day The consumption of just two cups of black tea every day was associated with a whopping 31% reduction in ovarian cancer risk. Black tea also slashes your risk of diabetes. A study of elderly people living in the Mediterranean islands showed that people who consumed 1-2 cups of black tea a day had a 70% lower chance of having or developing Type 2 diabetes. |
A Groundbreaking Study
The UEA study was the first large-scale study to examine how the substances in black tea and citrus fruits and juices affect the risk of ovarian cancer. The study’s authors concluded that very simple and inexpensive changes in food intake could have a drastic effect on reducing ovarian cancer risk.
Why You Need Baking Soda
Baking soda could very well be the one thing you need in your pantry. It has been shown to fight cancer, stave off colds and flu, and even treat radiation poisoning…all for just pennies a day?
Vernon Johnston has a very important question for you: “do you want to live?” That was the question he asked himself when he was diagnosed with stage IV prostate cancer in 2008.
His answer was a resounding “yes!” Despite the fact that the doctor who diagnosed his cancer told him there were no treatment options, Johnston is still alive today, thanks to sodium bicarbonate, more commonly known as baking soda.
One Man’s “Dance with Cancer”
By the time Johnston’s cancer was diagnosed, it had already spread to his bones. When his doctor delivered the news, Johnston remembers thinking, Stage IV? There is no stage V. But his online research led him to a website promoting the Baking Soda And Cancer Cure.
This became the cornerstone of Johnston’s self-applied treatment program.
After 10 days of daily dosing with a special baking soda solution, Johnston went in for a second bone scan. After a few days of frantic waiting, the results finally arrived: “No convincing evidence of an osseous metastatic process.” In other words, the baking soda had stopped his cancer.
Stopping Fungus Might Stop Cancer
Two medical pioneers–Mark Sircus, Ac., OMD and Dr. Simonchini, an oncologist in Rome–have conducted compelling research on the potential of baking soda and cancer treatment.
Their groundbreaking work is based the hypothesis that fungal infections and cancer proliferation are connected, and that stopping the fungus can stop the cancer.
According to health writer Mike Adams of Natural News, “Dr. Simonchini “originally made the connection between fungal infections and cancer proliferation. He realized that when a tumor was flushed with baking soda (which is anti-fungal), it shrank and completely disappeared within days.”
Dr. Sircus expanded on this research further, exploring the effects of ingesting baking soda to halt cancer.
Baking Soda for Colds and Flu
Research has shown that baking soda can also be helpful in combating contagious illnesses like colds and flus. With cold weather arriving fast, many are seeking natural alternatives to harsh and ineffective antibiotics and vaccines.
For those who wish to use baking soda for that purpose, experts recommend the following dosage:
Day 1: Consume a total of 6 doses of half a teaspoon of baking soda in 1 cup of water. Take at 2-hour intervals.
Day 2: Continue the same protocol, but reduce to 4 doses.
Day 3: Consume only 2 doses, 1 in the morning and another at night.
Day 4: Continue on day 4 and thereafter with 1 dose in the morning until illness is cured.
The broad spectrum of uses for baking soda serves as a powerful reminder of a commonly overlooked truth about medicine: the simplest solution is often the best one.
Time-tested remedies, like baking soda and cancer, may not be breaking news, but they’re worthy of our attention. After all, the reason they’ve been around for so long is that they work!
Tomatoes can Help Reduce the Risk of Prostate Cancer
What’s the second most common cancer in men worldwide? Prostate cancer… and it’s much more prevalent in developed countries. Experts believe that higher rates of prostate cancer in industrialized nations are partially due to the Western diet and lifestyle. Researchers from the Universities of Bristol, Cambridge, and Oxford recently identified three dietary components that may help slash your risk for prostate cancer.
Lycopene, an antioxidant found in tomatoes, stood out as the all-star prostate cancer-fighting nutrient.
10 Tomatoes a Week Keep the Doctor Away!
The study, published in Cancer, Epidemiology, Biomarkers and Prevention, is the first “dietary index” to track dietary components and their effects on prostate cancer. Researchers compared the diets and lifestyle behaviors of 1,806 prostate cancer patients between the ages of 50 and 69 with 12,005 cancer-free men. They discovered that selenium, calcium, and lycopene effectively reduced prostate cancer risk, with lycopene showing the most influence.
| FACT: Men who consumed 10 portions a week of tomatoes or tomato products (like baked beans or tomato juice) had an 18% reduced risk for developing prostate cancer! |
Lead researcher Vanessa Er, from the School of Social and Community Medicine at the University of Bristol and Bristol Nutrition BRU, explains: “Our findings suggest that tomatoes may be important in prostate cancer prevention. However, further studies need to be conducted to confirm our findings, especially through human trials. Men should still eat a wide variety of fruits and vegetables, maintain a healthy weight and stay active.”
Researchers also analyzed lifestyle factors, particularly the anti-cancer lifestyle recommendations for diet, physical activity, and body weight set forth by the World Cancer Research Fund (WCRF) and the American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR). While the suggestions of these two organizations are pertinent to overall cancer prevention, they aren’t targeted at prostate cancer prevention, and researchers determined that only dietary recommendations lowered prostate cancer risk. This study confirms that a high intake of fruits, vegetables, and fiber helps lower your odds of a prostate cancer diagnosis.
The Anti-Cancer Effects of Lycopene
Lycopene is a carotenoid found in fruits such as the tomato, apricot, guava, and watermelon. It has been shown to shield against toxins that damage DNA and cells. Previous studies have shown that lycopene suppresses androgen receptor expression in prostate cancer cells in vitro, and decreases prostate cancer cell proliferation. Lycopene has also been shown to protect against cardiovascular disease and macular degeneration (the primary cause of vision loss in people over 60).
To increase your lycopene consumption, add some tomatoes, grapefruit, asparagus, parsley, and carrots to your diet. You’ll notice the results from the inside out, as lycopene also helps your skin maintain a radiant, healthy glow.
How Turmeric Fights Pancreatic Caner
Find out how turmeric—one of the world’s most healthiest botanicals—may even help fight advanced pancreatic cancer?
You’ve probably heard of the remarkable health benefits associated with the culinary spice turmeric and its antioxidant constituent curcumin. Now, the
latest headlines suggest it may even have potential as a cure for pancreatic cancer.
Who’s the Deadliest of Them All?
Pancreatic cancer is the 4th leading cause of cancer death in the United States, and with it come extremely dismal survival rates. Stage IA pancreatic cancer has a mere 14% five-year survival rate, and Stage IV exhibits a horrendous 1% five-year survival rate.
Pancreatic cancer takes an estimated 38,000 American lives each year, and is infamous for not responding to conventional cancer treatments. Those who do survive often have a recurrence due to conventional treatments that have left them with damaged immune systems and a treatment-resistant tumorigenic cancer stem cell population.
Several studies offer a glimpse of hope in the form of curcumin, the polyphenol that coats turmeric in a yellow/orange pigment… and also the source of the spice’s anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, antimicrobial, and anticancer properties. Recent research suggests that curcumin may help prevent, slow, and possibly reverse pancreatic tumors in even the most advanced stages of the disease.
Three Groundbreaking Studies
Clinical Cancer Research published a study showing that an eight-gram oral dose of curcumin taken daily can both halt tumor growth and shrink tumor size. Out
of 15 patients, two experienced no significant tumor growth (one patient for 8 months and another for 2.5 years!)… and one patient experienced a 73% reduction in tumor size. The only time patients saw an increase in cancer markers was during a three-week period in which curcumin treatment ceased. Unfortunately, the effects were not long term, as a curcumin-resistant tumor appeared in one of the patients.
The aforementioned study was conducted on patients treated with curcumin alone. A 2013 study published in Cancer Chemotherapy and Pharmacology showed that when patients were treated with a bioavailable form of curcumin alongside chemotherapy they reported significant improvements in fatigue, overall function, and appetite, which suggests that curcumin may help enhance quality of life when undergoing conventional cancer therapies.
Another 2013 study published in the journal Anticancer Research showed that a turmeric extract of liposomal curcumin (an extremely bioavailable form of the spice) taken three times a week for four weeks imparts antitumor effects on human pancreatic cells, both in vitro (taking place in a test tube) and in mice. In fact, tumor growth slowed by 42% in the animal models!
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Prevent with Turmeric When interviewed by Newsmax Health, Dr. Robert Wascher, a surgical oncologist from California, explained that 65% of all cancers could be prevented with minor changes to diet and lifestyle, one of which includes increased consumption of turmeric. Spice your curries and risottos with turmeric, and safeguard your health by taking a high quality, bioavailable curcumin supplement daily. |
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