Monday 30 November 2015

Ovarian Cancer Prevention Awareness


Several months ago I wrote an article for another site on ovarian cancer prevention, but it went unpublished (fortunately I still got paid) because all the more time-sensitive pieces cam first. So eat your vegetables and drink your coffee, don't depend on the hope offered by charities (mediaeval churches?) *if* you give them your money :-) (I am referring to the origins of Lutheranism)

Consumption of cruciferous vegetables may be one way to reduce the risk of ovarian cancer. A review of 8 studies found that on average, regular intake of cruciferous vegetables reduced risk of ovarian cancer by 11%. In particular, broccoli was associated with a 22% lower risk of ovarian cancer, while cabbage, including as coleslaw, was not associated with any benefit. This is likely due to the glucosinolates in cruciferous vegetables, which can be converted to isothiocyanates that inhibit proliferation and induce apoptosis of ovarian cancer cells.

In addition to this, a study of just over 2000 women was conducted to assess the effects of caffeinated drinks on ovarian cancer risk. While coffee, soft drinks and black tea were not found to have any positive effects; women who drank at least one cup a day had a 54% decreased risk of ovarian cancer. This association remained constant when both borderline and invasive cancers were examined separately, and when Asian participants were excluded from the analysis. However, an examination of the women on the Nurses’ Health Study found that intake of more than one cup of black tea daily was associated with an over 30% reduced risk of ovarian cancer.

Olive oil consumption may also be protective against this disease. An Italian study of over 1000 ovarian cancer patients and over 2400 controls shows that olive oil intake in the highest quintile resulted in a 32% reduced risk compared to the lowest quintile. As fried olive oil can be a cause of oxidative stress due to the instability of unsaturated fats, using olive oil in something like a salad dressing is best.

Interestingly, a 2009 review of seven studies found that soy intake was also linked with a reduced risk of ovarian cancer. However, the type of soy products eaten was likely to make a difference, for example fermented vs non-fermented or processed vs whole food. Women with the highest intakes of soy had a 48% reduced risk of ovarian cancer, a 30% reduced risk of endometrial cancer and a 39% lower risk of all endocrine related cancers. This  may be due to the inhibitory and cytotoxic effects of the soy isoflavones genistein and genistin on ovarian cancer cells. In fact, a case study of a woman with chemo-resistant ovarian cancer explains that once she began self-directed treatment with the fermented soy beverage Haelan-951, she experienced a prolonged stabilisation of her disease and an improvement in her levels of the serum tumour marker known as CA-125. I hear that Dr Jacob gives this to her patients too! (Farrah said during one stay over there that she was "getting stronger every day", so haters please leave, I will defend her).

Finally, it has been suspected that dairy products may affect the growth of tumours. A study of 22,788 people with lactose intolerance found that their risk of ovarian cancer was 39% lower, while their breast and lung cancer risks were 21% and 45% lower respectively. However, their siblings and parents, who did not have lactose intolerance, had similar risks of these cancers to the general population. Therefore, the protection against these diseases is more likely related to their diets than any genetic risk factors. This could partially be because of milk being a highly insulinotropic food, as IGF-1 in high levels has been shown to encourage the growth of cancers as well as the development of other diseases. This is also one reason why I am a supporter of the Paleo diet regardless of how many haters call it a "fad"; I don't want your "good sense", I would rather have health. Overall, ovarian cancer is a preventable disease, and the research supporting this statement must have more attention drawn to it.
 
(( As it was recently White Ribbon Day, I send my love to all survivors of domestic violence. I also wish to take my protection into my own hands when I can afford to learn self-defence, and hereby declare that my body is sovereign territory; any invasion including rape or forced "medicine" is an unacceptable act of war. ))

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