Natural Remedies To Help Prevent Breast Cancer

Breast cancer is the most common type of cancer in the UK and mainly occurs in women in the 50 to 65 age group. It can also strike much younger women and even men (since both sexes have breast tissue). It has been estimated that one in nine women will develop breast cancer at some point in their lives and the incidence has been rising steadily since the 1970s, although fortunately the death rate among sufferers has been falling.

Breast cancer usually comes to light as a painless lump in the breast, but sometimes the lump can be painful to the touch, or there may be breast pain without any obvious lump. If you find a lump in your breast, see your doctor straight away to get it checked out, but dont immediately assume it must be cancer, since around 85 per cent of breast lumps are benign.

Most breast cancer risks relate to a womans reproductive history. An early first period, late first pregnancy, few (or no) children and late menopause are all associated with an increased likelihood of breast cancer. Other risk factors are oral contraceptive use, hormone replacement therapy (HRT), obesity and high alcohol consumption.

Diet is important, too, as shown in the findings of a recent Harvard study that oriental women who give up their traditional soya and vegetable diet in favour of western eating patterns increase their breast disease risk by up to 90 per cent (Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention 2007;16(7) - published online ahead of print 10 July 2007).

What to expect if your doctor diagnosis breast cancer

The mainstay of conventional breast cancer treatment is surgery. If the tumour is caught early, only it and the immediate surrounding tissue needs to be removed, in a process called lumpectomy, which is usually accompanied by radiotherapy. In more advanced cases a mastectomy (removal of the whole breast) is performed.

Chemotherapy or hormone-blocking drugs (such as tamoxifen) may accompany either procedure. Tamoxifen blocks oestrogen receptor sites, preventing the hormone from stimulating the proliferation of breast cancer cells. Its side effects include nausea, hot flushes, vaginal discharge, vaginal bleeding and, if taken for a long period, eye damage.

Surgery carries the risk of post-operative infection, while chemotherapy and radiotherapy have many unpleasant side effects and may cause permanent damage for a few per cent of patients. Whilst natural remedies should not be thought of as an alternative to conventional treatment for breast cancer, they can help to prevent it and there is some evidence that they may help to combat the spread of the disease (metastasis) to other organs.

Black cohosh can reduce your risk of breast cancer by over 60%

Black cohosh root extract is widely used as an alternative to hormone replacement therapy (HRT), to reduce menopause symptoms. Recently, US scientists at the University of Pennsylvania Medical School who carried out a case control study on almost 2,500 women, found that those who took supplements of black cohosh had an astounding 61 per cent reduction in their breast cancer risk (Int J Cancer 2007; 120(7): 1523-1528).

Black cohosh contains two kinds of biologically active compounds, called triterpene glycosides and cinnamic acid esters. Both of these plant chemicals have been shown in laboratory experiments to reduce the growth of human breast cancer cells and to increase the rate at which these cells die off (Biol Pharmaceut Bull 2004; 27(12): 1970).

The recommended daily dosage is 100mg to 250mg of black cohosh root extract, standardised to contain 2.5 per cent triterpene glycosides. Black cohosh should not be taken during pregnancy.

Vitamin D helps block the growth of blood vessels that feed breast cancer cells

Upping your vitamin D intake may also help to ward off breast cancer. A study at Birmingham University and St Georges Hospital, London, discovered that breast tissue contains an enzyme that converts vitamin D to its active form, calcitriol, which is a potent anti-cancer agent (J Nutr 2006: 136: 887-892). Levels of the enzyme were elevated in breast tumours suggesting that calcitriol is produced as a natural defence mechanism to combat the spread of cancer.

Other research has shown that calcitriol not only inhibits breast cancer cells from multiplying, it also makes those cells grow and die more like natural cells. Whats more, vitamin D inhibits the growth of blood vessels that feed the cancerous tumour a process called anti angiogenesis (Braz J Med Biol Res 2002; 35(1): 1-9).

According to a population study published earlier this year, vitamin D exposure through diet, supplements and sunshine is directly related to a reduced risk of breast cancer (Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2007;16(3):4229). Vitamin D acts as a hormone in the body and too much of it can lead to calcium being deposited in the arteries, so its important not to overdose on it. Take no more than 10mcg to 30mcg daily (400 IU to 1200 IU).

Curcumin the curry powder remedy that can switch off breast cancer genes

A new animal study has shown that curcumin, the pungent yellow pigment found in turmeric (an ingredient of curry powder), prevents breast cancer from spreading to the lungs (Cell Physiol Biochem 2007; 19: 137-152).

Scientists at the Anderson Cancer Centre in Houston, Texas, have found that curcumin blocks the action of a protein called nuclear factor Kappa B which switches on the genes that allow breast cancer to develop and grow.

Specifically, curcumin appears to be able to prevent the uncontrolled growth of breast tumour cells, to restore the normal mechanism by which cells die and to prevent cancer spread (metastasis) through the blood stream and lymphatic system (Clin Cancer Res 2005; 11: 7490-7498). Take 500mg to 1,000mg of curcumin a day.

Green tea helps destroy breast cancer cells

Green tea contains anti-cancer polyphenols, the most important of which is called epigallocatechin gallate. Recent studies have found that green tea extract effectively destroys breast cancer cells in the laboratory (J Agric Food Chem. 2007; 55(2): 243-253) and reduces the size of breast cancer tumours in mice (J Agric Food Chem. 2007; 55(9): 3378-3385).

An epidemiological study in South-East China, published this year, concluded that the regular consumption of green tea has a protective effect against breast cancer (Carcinogenesis 2007; 28(5): 1074-1078). Drink three cups of green tea a day, or take 400mg to 800mg of standardised green tea extract daily.