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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