diet for breast cancer??

[jodavid]

hello, my wife is actually on a treatment of arimidex (http://www.bbonlinepharmacy.com/product/238/arimidex-anastrozole/) but i am not really sure about the diet that she needs to be following. She has been talking to her doctor and he recommends her to take foods rich of vitaminD (http://dietary-supplements.info.nih.gov/factsheets/vitamind.asp)[ apart from taking her arimidex (http://www.drugdelivery.ca/s359-s-ARIMIDEX.aspx).
Has anyone got any more tips about getting a better diet which improves her health??

[Ted Hutchinson]

World's Healthiest foods Breast Cancer dietary information (http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=disease&dbid=16)

I should also like to make the point that it's almost impossible to get adequate Vitamin d from food sources alone.

Regular exposure direct to sunlight is probably the best option To work out if vitamin d is available at your latitude and altitude currently use this Vitamin d from sulight calculator (http://zardoz.nilu.no/~olaeng/fastrt/VitD-ez.html) and this one shows the possible risk factor for burning.UVB sunburn risk chart (http://www.temis.nl/uvradiation/UVindex.html)
I don't have to tell you I'm sure that it is SUNBURN that is adversley linked to melanoma and limiting your regular exposure to 20 minutes should be sufficient to get 20.000iu. to keep your vitamin d status high.
Vitamin d in the skin is actually Photoprotective (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=pubmed&cmd=Retrieve&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=17170736&query_hl=18&itool=pubmed_docsum)

The Vitamin D council Cancer information (http://www.vitamindcouncil.com/cancerTreatment.shtml) this site also has links to the cheapest source of Vitamin d3 cholecalciferol I know. This article shows one method of raising vitamin d status over a short period of time (http://www.endocrinemetabolic.com/resources/enews/2006/vitdnews10272006.pdf)

There are no known interactions between anastrozole and other medications.

[susansings]

One consideration would be whether her cancer was hormone receptor positive. A recent study showed that for people whose cancer was NOT responsive to estrogen or progesterone a low-fat diet reduced the risk of recurrance. It did not appear to make a significant difference for those who cancer did respond to hormones (like me).

I would agree that getting plenty of vitamin D would be beneficial, with sunlight being the best means of getting it. If she takes calcium supplements with added D check the label and make sure it is D3 not D2.

Many studies indicate the importance of regular exercise for preventing recurrance so that could be at least as, if not more, important than diet.
Susan

[~Pansy~]

Hi JoDavid,

I think this road to health is a very personal road and everyone's body is unique. What works for one may not work for the next. But the program I am using seems to be quite successful for breast cancer survivors.

The key is:

cold-pressed Barlean's high lignan flaxseed oil (found in the refrigerator section... NOT on a shelf ~ vital)

cottage cheese (or yogurt)

fresh veggies and fruits (processed foods and preservatives are treats ~ and everyone must have a treat....don't forget that ~ I have a treat weekly)

exercise

sunshine

I urge your wife to research "Johanna Budwig" and "flaxseed oil".

What I am doing is an aerobic exercise program (not intense, but exercise... along with evening walks a couple of days a week), sunshine (very important... not sun bathing but at least 15 minutes per day of outside activity to soak in some sunshine~weather permitting), healthy eating (check the web for foods that help fight cancer with broccoli & strawberries among them) and the combination of flaxseed oil & sulfrated protein.

Dr. Budwig (nominated 7 times for pulitzer prize for her work in this area, now not as well known and other doctors making the "discovery" :rolleyes: ) has had great success in saving people from this horrible disease.

The only flaxseed oil she endorces that is made in America is the brand BARLEAN'S due to the way it is processed. It is the only brand I use.

When I first started taking the flaxseed oil I was taking 3 tablespoons oil with 1/4 cup cottage cheese (sulfrated protein) 3 times per day. I am currently only taking this combination once per day.

It tastes absolutely horrid combined. I just drink the oil from the spoon washing each tablespoon down with a gulp of milk (put the oil at the front of the tongue where it doesn't recognize bitter, tart, etc) and then immediately eat the cottage cheese. [note.. some people like the nutty taste]

Sulfrated protein is also found in yogurt and milk to a lesser degree. My husband and son are also taking this for good health and prefer to mix the flaxseed oil in yogurt with fresh fruit for a smoothy. You just have to find what you can tolerate.

A short background on me for your wife to compare her situation to:

I was diagnosed with breast cancer in July 2001. Had surgery August 2001 to remove the tumor and some surrounding tissue. Pathology found cancer in the surrounding tissue and so surgery was repeated in September to remove 1/3 of the breast tissue and an axillary dissection done to remove 15 lymph nodes to test for metastatic disease. None found in lymph nodes.

Endured 47 rounds of radiation and 4 months chemo.

In May 2005 a bone scan showed some areas of concern and so was followed by an MRI and CT scan. Then surgery followed to biopsy an area on my spine that was present on all above tests.

The cancer had metastaticized to my spine.

They found 3 active lesions and could not explain the "new bone growth" occuring all over my body ~ ribs, legs, spine, skull. [I had started the flaxseed oil a month prior to the first test just for general health reasons as it helps with osteo-arthritis which I have and it also prevents heart infarction]

I was given 6 months to live with chemo and radiation. Less without.

I decided that I could not do chemo again. I felt very strongly (and still do) that the chemo would kill me before the cancer. It is mean stuff.

My husband fell apart. He couldn't speak one word for 5 days because he would cry everytime he opened his mouth. But not having chemo is a personal choice. MY choice. I did have 10 rounds of radiation on my spine for his sake :) (10 rounds each on 3 different lesions).

I researched and prayed and decided to go with Dr. Budwig's advice.

I started the exercise, sunshine, fresh foods, and flaxseed oil & cottage cheese.

Today, I am cancer-free. The lesions are healing and new bone is growing where the cancer had eaten the bone away. The large egg-size scar tissue in my breast from the surgeries is now the size of a penny. I feel good. At 46 and a survivor, I started college and embarking on a career for the first time in 20 years :)

One word of advise for hubby... be supportive of HER decisions for her health. Don't force her to do anything she is not comfortable with. This is all very personal. She has a right to choose her path. But if she wants some advice, I HIGHLY recommend flaxseed oil & cottage cheese. It is what has saved my life. Here I am almost 2 years later giggling as my doctors scratch their heads (literally!) while looking over my lastest CT scan done in November.

Also, Xango. This is something I added about 6 months ago. All she needs is 1/4 cup three times a day. An oncologist in Arizona wanted to find something to "ease" the side-effects of radiation/chemo for his patients and had half of them drink this. After 3 months he re-tested them. All the Xango patients showed signs of deminished cancer while the others still had cancer.

Best wishes to your wife. And my thoughts and prayers are with you both. I know, from my husband's experience, how very difficult it is to be the care-giver/husband/need to save wifey.

p.s. if you take the flaxseed oil/cottage cheese with her once a day, it makes it easier to take... having someone nag about it is difficult, but having someone take it with you is encouraging. And it will provide many health benefits for you, too :D

[Victoria]

Hi, thanks for this Breast Cancer dietary information. :)

[Ted Hutchinson]

I would agree that getting plenty of vitamin D would be beneficial, with sunlight being the best means of getting it. If she takes calcium supplements with added D check the label and make sure it is D3 not D2.Fully agree with the suggestion that D3 is the only Vit D one should use The case against Ergocalciferol (D2) is detailed here (http://www.ajcn.org/cgi/content/abstract/84/4/694)

While I appreciate that particularly in latitudes near the Equator, sunburn can and does cause a number of cancers, in those latitudes above 45 the ratio of cancers that proliferate in low vitamin d status bodies outnumbers by 30 to every single ONE of those cancers that may be attributable to sunburn.This is simply looking at the cancer scenario. If you add in the additional risks of MS and Osteoporosis that low vitamin d status to some extent induces the picture is even worse.

I think most people are intelligent enough to take note of the fact that SUNBURN is cancer forming but regular, short, direct exposure to sunshine prevents over 30 times more cancers than getting burnt causes.

The problem with using Calcium/Vit d tablets is not just that the least absorbed form of Vit d2 is often used, but also also these lead people to think that as they have taken their Vit D they must be Vit d replete.

The body needs between 3000 and 5000iu daily to achieve and maintain a healthy status. The amount in most multivit mixes is around 400iu. Our bodies need TEN times this amount every day.

Someone taking a standard capsule with the official RDA for Vit D will continue to be Vit d insufficient.

If you have a debt on your credit card and you continue to spend on that card at your current rate, simply paying the minimum monthly payment, will you ever clear the debt or stop the interest charges?

You body continues to need 4000iu every day and only by consuming (or generating from sunshine exposure) at least that amount can you ever become Vit D replete. Just a few minutes lying naked in the sun will generate 12000iu (sufficient for 3 days use) by regularly lying for 10-20 mins in the sun at least 3 times a week, you build up your stores in a way that is difficult to achieve through supplement use alone, particularly if you use standard RDA capsules or stay below the current Toxic Upper Limit.

Anyone concerned about using TEN times the RDA or TWICE the Upper Limit needs to read Experts call for vitamin D level hike
(http://www.nutraingredients-usa.com/news/ng.asp?n=73309-crn-vitamin-d-ul-risk-assessment) and the Risk assessment for vitamin D (http://www.ajcn.org/cgi/content/abstract/85/1/6) to understand the science supporting a SAFE and EFFECTIVE level of intake
Many studies indicate the importance of regular exercise for preventing recurrence so that could be at least as, if not more, important than diet. SusanHowever, vitamin d status is also important for reducing recurrence and these are not mutually exclusive. You can exercise outdoors for a short while and get both the benefits of exercise and that of a higher vitamin d status.

Sunlight Robbery (http://www.healthresearchforum.org.uk/sunlight.html) goes into the matter in greater detail. It is quite possible to get the best of both worlds, regular non burning sun exposure, improved vitamin D3 status and plenty of exercise.

How can my diet help protect me from sunburn? (http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=george&dbid=144#answer)

Photoprotection by 1,25 Dihydroxyvitamin D(3) (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=pubmed&cmd=Retrieve&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=17170736&query_hl=4&itool=pubmed_docsum) is one of several papers pointing out how allowing your skin to form Vitamin D3 actually adds to your protection from UVB.

Similarly Photoprotective and anti-skin-aging effects of eicosapentaenoic acid (http://www.jlr.org/cgi/content/full/47/5/921) shows that Omega 3 (from fish oil or flaxseed) will have a similar impact.

No one should risk getting sunburn but regular limited safe sun exposure will save over 30 times the number of lives caused by negligently, stupidly recklessly, getting sun burnt. You only need to be out in the sun for a QUARTER of the time it takes before your skin starts going pink to make sufficient vitamin d.

There is also the possibility Can green tea protect against not only sunburn but also melanoma? (http://www.cmj.org/Periodical/paperlist.asp?id=LW2006620522821507162&linkintype=pubmed) that changing your drink of choice to Green Tea may benefit your skin. But it tastes nice anyway, if you add lemon or ginger particularly.

Gradually building up your natural sunscreen will enable you to extend your safe sunbathing time but even so, particularly nearer the Equator, you do need to be ever watchful to ensure your skin never starts turning pink.

[Ted Hutchinson]

cold-pressed Barlean's high lignan flaxseed oil (found in the refrigerator section... NOT on a shelf ~ vital)

When I first started taking the flaxseed oil I was taking 3 tablespoons oil with 1/4 cup cottage cheese (sulfrated protein) 3 times per day. I am currently only taking this combination once per day.

It tastes absolutely horrid combined. I just drink the oil from the spoon washing each tablespoon down with a gulp of milk (put the oil at the front of the tongue where it doesn't recognize bitter, tart, etc) and then immediately eat the cottage cheese. [note.. some people like the nutty taste]

p.s. if you take the flaxseed oil/cottage cheese with her once a day, it makes it easier to take... having someone nag about it is difficult, but having someone take it with you is encouraging. And it will provide many health benefits for you, too :DGood source of information on Flaxseed (linseed) Nutritional information (http://www.flaxproducts.com/info_nutrition.html)
I'm not sure why the emphasis on oil rather than ground flaxseed meal. The above link provides links to a very good series of downloadable factsheets about the nutritional properties of linseed together with an recipe booklet.Two tablespoons of ground seed equal one tablespoon of oil and the chance of the seed going rancid are extremely slight. I've kept whole seed for over a year with no problem. Similarly you could leave the ground seed for a month in the fridge without deterioration. I never have done I just grind a weeks supply to meal once a week and keep the pot of meal/flour in the fridge and use a couple of spoons on my cereal and stir into soups casseroles etc. The recipe booklet give plenty of ideas for inspiration and ways of using it to substitute for eggs and fat.

Other may prefer to soak the whole flaxseed in fruit juice overnight and then whizz in the liquidiser with some fruit into a smoothie, you can put some cottage cheese in the smoothie as well if you like. The overnight soaking gets over the problem of linseed absorbing eight times it's volume of water. So you do need to drink plenty if you don't soak it.
The need for grinding and or soaking is to get round the problem that the whole seeds can pass straight through your digestive system, like tomato seeds, because they have such a hard shell.

[Ted Hutchinson]

These findings suggest that in pre-menopausal women, total fibre is protective against breast cancer; in particular, fibre from cereals and possibly fruit. (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=pubmed&cmd=Retrieve&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=17251246&query_hl=43&itool=pubmed_docsum) In the UK White refined bread is bought by 80% of the market. Trying to buy Strong Wholemeal flour for home bread baking is very difficult as most supermarkets don't stock it and when they do it's over 50% more expensive.
It's no wonder breast cancer stats keep rising when wholegrain foods are priced so only those with money to spare can afford them.

[~Pansy~]

Good source of information on Flaxseed (linseed) Nutritional information (http://www.flaxproducts.com/info_nutrition.html)
I'm not sure why the emphasis on oil rather than ground flaxseed meal.

Hi Ted,

I'm not putting emphasis on the oil rather than the ground flaxseed meal. I am only stating what has worked for me. I don't use the flax meal so it would not be right for me to give my testimony based on the meal.

However, I understand the meal will work just as well as the oil. I will put emphasis on the fact that whether it be the oil or the meal, it needs to be cold-pressed. Based on the research/works of Dr. Johanna Budwig (who discovered the health benefits of flax), the flax can only be heated to a certain temperature and keep it's effectiveness.

For anyone who is interested in using the oil or the meal, I highly recommend reading Dr. Johanna Budwig's book "Flax Oil As a True Aid Against Arthritis, Heart Infarction, Cancer and Other Diseases". It is inexpensive (under $7) and available at many bookstores and healthfood stores (and amazon). She explains in her book why the product needs to be cold-pressed to be effective.

P.S. I should mention that according to Dr. Budwig's research, the flax works best for cancer patients when combined with sulfrated protein (found in quark in Germany, and cottage cheese in the USA ~ in lower amounts in yogurt and milk). So my testimony is the combination of flaxseed oil combined with cottage cheese (I drink the oil from the spoon and wash it down with milk and then immediately eat the cottage cheese, however, smoothies can be made using either cottage cheese, yogurt or both combined with the oil).

Thanks for all the great information you have posted here on the BC forum!

[barita_lola]

My friend in my opinion the best diet is vegetarian, avoiding all processed, frozen or micro-waved foods and drinks, and based on fresh fruit, fresh vegetables - preferably organic, nuts and seeds. Drinks should be clean water or freshly squeezed orange juice. Many researchers promote the benefits of vitamin B17 as a healer.

[Cry Tears]

Dr Hans Deihl has done marvelous things with his CHIP program.
Its reversed my husbands heart disease.
Its a plant based diet....absolutly NO ANIMAL products or by products.
Its not all that hard to do and my husband feels much better.
Although this "diet" is meant for cariac patients, it also is great help for reversing other diseases as well.
Here's a link for you.
Blessings, Cheryl

http://www.chipusa.org/about_hans.html

[antonyhop]

hello, my wife is actually on a treatment of arimidex (http://www.bbonlinepharmacy.com/product/238/arimidex-anastrozole/) but i am not really sure about the diet that she needs to be following. She has been talking to her doctor and he recommends her to take foods rich of vitaminD (http://dietary-supplements.info.nih.gov/factsheets/vitamind.asp)[ apart from taking her arimidex (http://www.drugdelivery.ca/s359-s-ARIMIDEX.aspx).
Has anyone got any more tips about getting a better diet which improves her health??
The best diet is vegetarian, avoiding all processed, frozen or micro-waved foods and drinks, and based on fresh fruit, fresh vegetables - preferably organic, nuts and seeds. Drinks should be clean water or freshly squeezed orange juice.

Many researchers promote the benefits of vitamin B17 as a healer. this can be found in the following foods:
Apple seeds, alfalfa sprouts, apricot kernels, bamboo shoots, barley, beet tops, bitter almond, blackberries, boysenberries, brewer’s yeast, brown rice, buckwheat, cashews, cherry kernels, cranberries, currants, fava beans, flax seeds, garbanzo beans, gooseberries, huckleberries, lentils, lima beans, linseed meat, loganberries, macadamia nuts, millet, millet seed, peach kernels, pecans, plum kernels, quince, raspberries, sorghum cane syrup, spinach, sprouts (alfalfa, lentil, mung bean, buckwheat, garbanzo), strawberries, walnuts, watercress, yams.

[vijaymohan]

Healthy Eating Guidelines are intended to promote overall health while reducing the risk of developing nutrition-related diseases like cancer and heart disease. They are directed at all healthy individuals over the age of 14. There is nothing difficult about healthy eating. It is simply a common-sense approach to food that is easy to live with, once you get used to it.
Common nutrients, such as total fat, cholesterol, and sodium, are required fields. Other nutrients, such as potassium and Vitamin K, are optional and not required to be listed. Each package must identify the quantities of specified nutrients and food constituents for one serving It is important to note the following:

* 1 g of fat = 9 kcal
* 1 g of protein = 4 kcal
* 1 g of carbohydrate = 4 kcal
* 1 g of alcohol = 7 kcal

Serving Size

Serving sizes are standardized to make for easier comparison among similar food items. They are expressed in both common household and metric measures. It is always important to pay attention to a serving size. For instance, a serving of chocolate chip cookies is typically 2 pieces. Hence, if you eat 4 pieces, you will need to double the amount of nutrition content listed on the label.

Calories (kcal)

Calories provide a measure of how much energy you obtain after eating a portion of food. It is always important to find out the total calories. Many consumers are surprised to find that a fat-free product is not necessarily low in calories. Similarly, a sugar-free product is not always low in Calories or low in fat.

Nutrients listed

Total fat, saturated fats, cholesterol, total carbohydrate (including fiber and added sugars), protein, vitamins A and C, calcium and iron are required on the label. Other nutrients are optional and may be listed at the discretion of the manufacturer.

In addition to total calories and total fat, a few other nutrients relevant to heart health are important to pay attention to when reading a label. These include saturated fats, cholesterol and fiber. Effective Jan 2006, all labels should also include trans fatty acids.

Percent Daily Values

Percent Daily Values provide an estimate of the percentage of a nutrient from one serving in a typical 2000 kcal diet.

Daily Reference Values Footnote

This footnote reminds consumers of the daily intake of different foods depending on their own nutritional needs.