Phytoestrogens and Cancer Risk

Dietary "phytoestrogens" -- plant substances that have weak estrogen-like activity -- have little impact on the risks of developing hormone-sensitive cancers like breast and prostate cancer or colorectal cancers, new research suggests.

In a large study of some 25,000 British adults, researchers failed to find any "significant" differences in cancer risk related to dietary intake of these compounds.

Phytoestrogens are found in a wide range of foods including dairy products, soy foods, cereals, fruits, vegetables, nuts, flax and other seeds, coffee and tea.

In the current study, researchers assigned phytoestrogen values to nearly 11,000 foods following chemical analyses. For the first time, phytoestrogen values were assigned to animal products.

Phytoestrogen consumption was estimated for cancer-free adult participants in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition - Norfolk (EPIC-Norfolk). EPIC-Norfolk participants, recruited between 1993 and 1997, filled out a diet diary for a week and provided information about age, height, weight, smoking, aspirin use, menopausal status, and family history of cancer among other things.

Cancers that developed within 12 months of study recruitment were identified from a cancer registry totaling 244 breast cancers, 221 colorectal cancers, and 204 prostate cancers. The diets and other relevant information from those who developed cancer were compared to information from other participants (controls) who did not develop cancer.

While acknowledging more study is needed, the authors concluded that there is "little evidence" that phytoestrogen intake is "associated with subsequent risk of breast or prostate cancer."

However, phytoestrogens found in eggs and dairy products "may influence the risk of prostate cancer in men and colon cancer in women," they report.

The associations are weak and without further study do not warrant changes in diet, said lead investigator Heather Ward.

It is worth noting that phytoestrogen intake within an Asian-style diet is more than ten-fold greater than in Western diets, without evidence of an increase in cancer risk.

SOURCE: American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, December 2009.

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Yours in health,

Pamela

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Protecting the Liver

A study published Monday suggests that Milk Thistle may help reduce the liver damage caused by some cancer drugs. In a study of 50 children undergoing chemotherapy for acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), researchers found that milk thistle appeared to reduce drug-related liver inflammation.
 

Liver inflammation is common among children undergoing chemotherapy for ALL -- with about two-thirds developing liver toxicity at some point during treatment.  That meant that doctors have had to lower patients' chemotherapy doses -- which, in turn, can lower the chances of seeing a complete remission.
 

That is where milk thistle comes in. The plant's flowers and seeds have been used for more than 2,000 years to treat disorders of the liver and gallbladder. In recent years, lab research has found that the active substance in milk thistle (an antioxidant called silybin) might help prevent body tissue damage by blocking toxins from breaching cell walls.

The herb should also be considered for preventing liver damage from other chemotherapy regimens for other cancers and is used to treat hepatitis, cirrhosis, and to aid in liver detoxification.  Along the lines of last week's email about eating asparagus to help with hangovers, milk thistle can help protect the liver from the season's over indulgences as well.

SOURCE: Cancer, online December 14, 2009.

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Yours in health,

Pamela

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What's the Best Hangover Food?

A recent study found that asparagus is a great food for helping to cope with hangovers.  We don't generally think of vegetables as herbs, but Asparagus officinalis is an herb that is used in the treatment of several conditions.  We usually consume the young shoots, but the leaves can be eaten as well and are much higher in amino acids and inorganic minerals. The two key enzymes that upregulate the metabolism of alcohol are more than doubled after ingestion of an extract of asparagus shoots and leaves.  That means that asparagus can be a safe, effective means of treating alcohol hangover and protecting the liver from other toxic insults.

Post party you also need to rehydrate and get blood sugar stabilized with veggies and good protein and fats.

There's a new recipe for Warm Winter Salad on our website here.

Yours in health,

Pamela

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The Perks of Eating Fermented Foods

Almost every culture cultures food - kefir, yogurt, sauerkraut, sourdough bread, kimchi, kvass, cheese and even wine.  Why? Practically speaking it was a way of preserving food, but it turns out that fermenting foods makes nutrients in the foods more accessible and has positive effects on our digestive tracts due to their probiotic properties.

Kefir consistently shows increased levels of folic acid, B vitamins and biotin depending on the strains of bacteria used.

Vegetables, fruits, legumes and grains subjected to fermentation also see increases in their nutrient profiles. For example the bioavailability of amino acids like lysine and methionine increases with fermentation.

For grains, sprouting prior to souring can also increase the availability of protein. Fermented vegetables as in the case of sauerkraut and kimchi, often see an increase in the activity of vitamin C and vitamin A. Sauerkraut is considered particularly healing to the gut due to the presence of l-glutamine and the probiotics used in the fermentation process.

Fermentation decreases the activity of phytates (or phytic acid) naturally present in grains. Phytates are anti-nutrients that bind to minerals preventing their proper absorption in the gut. People suffering from iron deficiency often do better if they decrease their intake of grains and therefore phytates.  Since souring grains reduces the phytic acid content, fermentation enables your body to absorb more minerals than you would be able to otherwise.  Research has also shown that fermentation reduces the gluten content of grains like wheat and the people with a gluten intolerance can sometimes tolerate sourdough bread.

There's a new recipe for Sweet Potato Squash Delight on our website
http://forcesofnature.ca/HealthyRecipes.htm#Sweet_Potato_Squash_Delight here.

Yours in health,

Pamela

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