Monday, February 16, 2009

Nutrition Affects Hormone Negative Disease: An Overview

In her blog, Breast Cancer Information, Kim Dalzell, a doctor of holistic nutrition and registered dietitian,  offers insight into fighting hormone ngative breast cancer. Some of the points she makes:

Women who scored high on Harvard University's Alternate Healthy Eating Index had a lower risk of estrogen receptor negative breast cancer. The guidelines for this index: a daily intake of 9 servings of fruits and veggies, 7 or more grams of dietary fiber, 30-40 percent less saturated fat than polyunsaturated fats, less than 3 grams of trans fats and consuming 1 ounce of nuts. (February 2006, Journal of Nutrition.)

Women whose diets were deficient in folate, a B vitamin, had an increased estrogen receptor negative breast cancer risk. Folate-rich foods include: fruits like cherries, oranges and strawberries, beans and peas, and dark, green leafy veggies. (August 2005, Cancer Epidemiology Biomarkers and Prevention.)

Alcohol robs the body of folate and other B vitamins, so it's prudent to enjoy alcohol only occasionally, if at all. (August 2005, Cancer Epidemiology Biomarkers and Prevention.)

High intakes of linoleic acid were associated with more than a 300 percent greater risk of estrogen receptor negative disease than estrogen receptor positive disease. Linoleic acids are found in polyunsaturated fats like cottonseed, soybean, and corn oil as well as vegetable-based margarines. (The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center research.)

Among premenopausal women, there was a reduced risk of both estrogen receptor negative and estrogen positive breast cancer for those women who consumed the highest lignan intake. Lignans are found in flaxseed, and to a lesser degree in sesame seeds and kale. (Breast Cancer Research Treatment journal, October 2006.)

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