BREAST-FEEDING REDUCES CANCER RISK

A study of over 9,000 women sponsored by the National Institute of Health called Contraception and Reproductive Experiences or CARE found that not only is breast-feeding beneficial for the infant by providing important antibodies through the mother's milk, but also that breast-feeding cancels out the effect of delaying childbirth past the age of 25. Breast-feeding protects again breast cancer no matter when you give birth. Even a most unfavorable type that is not promoted by hormones.

The new findings are particularly relevant to women who give birth after age 25 and eventually have three or more children. These women have double the risk of the aggressive and hard-to-treat hormone-negative breast cancers. This two-fold increased risk went away when they looked only at women who breast-fed. The women were no long at increased risk of breast cancer.

For more on the reasons why and other findings of this study go to:
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=9656285

EAT THESE FOODS TO FIGHT FEMALE CANCERS

A recent study out of the University of North Carolina found a 45% lower breast cancer risk in postmenopausal women who had the highest intake of flavonols compared with those who had the lowest. The study was done on 2,900 women.

Rich-in-color vegetables, fruits wines and teas contain flavinol. Flavinol helps to neutralize oxidation which is caused by a chemical reaction that causes injury to cells thereby creating a natural form of damage control.

There is another flavonoid that appears to cut ovarian cancer risk. It is called kaempferol. Harvard University studied the diets of 66,000 women. The women who ate foods that were rich in kaempferol had a 38% lower ovarian cancer risk than women who ate the least.

These are the foods that are high in flavinoids:

Black Tea

Green Tea

Broccoli

Leeks

Kale

Yellow Onions

Red Cabbage

Red Apples

Red Grapes

Red Wine

Cancer is preventable. Research has proven that if you eat certain types of foods you can boost your immune system thereby enabling your body to do what it was designed to do. If you would like to learn more about cancer fighting foods as well as ways to increase your energy, lengthen your life span, and even help you to lose weight I would recommend that you check out the following book: Click Here!

BREAST MRIs

The American Cancer Society released new guidelines today for women who have an unusually high risk of developing breast cancer. The ACS as well as a new study done at the University of Washington Medical Center are now recommending that women who fall into this category should get annual MRIs in addition to mammograms, and especially in the opposite breast if they have been diagnosed with breast cancer. The MRI scan has the ability to detect cancers that are being missed by mammograms.

Who should get an MRI in addition to the mammogram? The guidelines are directed at symptomless women age 30 and older who have a mutation in the BRCA1 or BRCA2 genes; those who were treated for Hodgkin's disease; or those with a strong family history of the disease, such as women with two or more close relatives who had breast or ovarian cancer or who have a close relative who developed breast cancer before age 50.

MRI is not being recommended for the majority of women. The test’s error rate is too high to warrant this. Another reason is the proportionately high cost of the MRI test as opposed to a regular mammogram. Many insurers currently cover the cost of a MRI. The feeling is that those who do not will come around shortly because of the new cancer society guidelines. Whatever the difference in the cost, it would still be less expensive than the cost of treating someone for cancer.