estrogen Archives - Amazing Health Advances

Study Reveals Higher Breast Cancer Mortality Risk for Black Women Across All Tumor Types

The AHA! Team — Fri, 25 Oct 2024 08:15:48 +0000

Mass General Brigham via News-Medical – Breast cancer is the most diagnosed cancer among U.S. women and the second leading cause of cancer death. Black women who develop breast cancer are around 40% more likely to die of the disease than white women, but it was unclear until now whether this disparity exists across all types of breast cancer. Now, a meta-analysis led by Mass General Brigham researchers shows that Black women have a higher risk of dying from breast cancer for all tumor subtypes, and the size of this disparity varies from 17-50% depending on the type of breast cancer. These findings, published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, demonstrate that higher mortality rates among Black women with breast cancer are at least partially attributable to factors that are independent of tumor biology-;for example, socioeconomic inequality, delays in diagnosis, and inadequate access to timely quality cancer treatment resulting from systemic racism. “Our findings demonstrate that multiple, interacting factors contribute to disparities in breast cancer survival between Black and white women. To achieve equity, intervention is necessary at multiple levels-;from community to healthcare systems and individual healthcare providers, to patients themselves learning about their disease and what their expectations should be for their care.” Erica Warner, ScD, MPH, senior author, cancer epidemiologist at Massachusetts General Hospital, founding member of the Mass General Brigham healthcare system Though it is often discussed as a single disease, breast cancer has multiple subtypes that differ in risk factors, treatment, and prognosis. These subtypes are defined based on whether the cancer cells carry hormone receptors for estrogen or progesterone, which can be targeted for treatment, and whether they carry HER2 (human epidermal growth receptor 2), a protein associated with cancer aggressiveness and another potential treatment target. Breast cancer has multiple subtypes that differ in risk factors, treatment, and prognosis “There had been an anecdotal sense in the research community that differences in survival between Black and white women were greater for the most treatable forms of the disease-;tumors that carry hormone receptors-;and smaller for the historically less-treatable, hormone-negative tumors,” said Warner. To investigate whether these anecdotes were supported by the evidence, Warner’s team combined data from 18 studies that were published between 2009 and 2022. Altogether, these studies analyzed 228,885 breast cancer cases, 34,262 of which were in Black women. They found that survival was worse for Black women for all breast cancer subtypes, though the size of these disparities varied between breast cancer subtypes. There was a larger racial disparity for hormone-positive tumors, which were associated with a 34-50% higher risk of death for Black women, compared to hormone-negative tumors, which were associated with a 17-20% higher risk of death for Black women. “These findings underscore a stark reality in our healthcare system: Black women are facing higher risks of death from breast cancer compared to their white counterparts, across all types of the disease. This disparity isn’t just about biology,” said co-author Paulette Chandler, MD, MPH, associate epidemiologist in the Division of Preventive Medicine at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, a founding member of the Mass General Brigham healthcare system. “It’s a call to action for healthcare providers, policymakers, and communities alike to confront these inequities head-on and strive for meaningful change in breast cancer outcomes.” Because hormone-negative tumors are less common, Warner says that racial disparities in breast cancer survival for hormone-negative subtypes were likely not observed previously because individual studies lacked statistical power due to the small number of cases. “There may also be differences in the biological characteristics of some tumor subtypes between racial groups that our therapies are not attuned to, potentially because of underrepresentation of Black women in clinical trials,” said Warner. The researchers point to several existing multilevel intervention programs However, these racial disparities are not inevitable, and the researchers point to several existing multilevel intervention programs that have successfully reduced disparities in cancer survival. These programs leverage multiple strategies, including helping patients navigate the healthcare system, proactively identifying social needs and connecting patients with resources to address those needs, and by implementing systems that alert healthcare workers of missed appointments or unmet care milestones. At the national level, interventions like ACCURE and Equal Hope aim to close gaps in mortality and survival between Black and white women. Locally, MGH is collaborating with Boston Medical Center on a virtual Equity Hub for Cancer Treatment with the goal of enhancing partnerships and improving cancer care for underserved patients at community-based mental health centers. Source: Mass General Brigham Journal reference: Torres, J. M., et al. (2024) Racial Differences in Breast Cancer Survival Between Black and White Women According to Tumor Subtype: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Journal of Clinical Oncology. doi.org/10.1200/JCO.23.02311. To read the original article click here.

The post Study Reveals Higher Breast Cancer Mortality Risk for Black Women Across All Tumor Types appeared first on Amazing Health Advances.

Dairy Milk Hormones’ Effects on Cancer

The AHA! Team — Fri, 07 Jun 2024 08:44:47 +0000

Michael Greger M.D. FACLM via Nutrition Facts – What are the effects of the female sex hormones in cow’s milk on men, women, and children? All foods of animal origin contain hormones, but most of our dietary exposure to hormones comes from dairy products. By quantity, as you can see below and at 0:16 in my video The Effects of Hormones in Dairy Milk on Cancer, it is mostly prolactin, corticosteroids, and progesterone, but there are also a bunch of estrogens, which concentrate even further when other dairy products are made. For instance, Hormones are five times more concentrated in cream and cheese, and ten times more in butter. When it comes to steroid hormones in the food supply, about three-quarters of our exposure to ingested female sex steroids come from dairy, and the rest is split evenly between eggs and meat (including fish). Indeed, eggs contribute about as much as all meat combined, which makes a certain amount of sense since an egg comes straight from a hen’s ovary. Among the various types of meat, you get as much from white meat (fish and poultry) as you do from pork and beef, and this is just from natural hormones—not added hormone injections, like bovine growth hormone. So, it doesn’t matter if the meat is organic. Animals produce hormones because they’re animals, and their hormones understandably end up in animal products. About half of the people surveyed “did not know that milk naturally contains hormones,” and many “lacked basic knowledge (22% did not know that cows only give milk after calving)”—that is, they didn’t realize what milk is for—feeding baby calves. Researchers suggested we ought to inform the public about dairy production practices. In response, one Journal of Dairy Science respondent wrote that telling the public about the industry’s new technologies, like transgenic animals (meaning genetically engineered farm animals), “or contentious husbandry practices” (such as taking away that newly born calf so we can have more of the milk or “zero-grazing for dairy cows”—i.e., not letting cows out on grass), “does not result in high rates of public approval,” so ixnay on the educationay. The public may not know the extent to which they are exposed to estrogen through the intake of commercial milk produced from pregnant cows, which has potential public health implications. Modern genetically improved dairy cows, can get reimpregnated after giving birth and lactate throughout almost their entire next pregnancy “Modern genetically improved dairy cows, such as the Holstein,” the stereotypical black and white cow, can get reimpregnated after giving birth and lactate throughout almost their entire next pregnancy, which means that, these days, commercial cow’s milk contains large amounts of pregnancy hormones, like estrogens and progesterone. As you can see in the graph below and at 2:42 in my video, during the first eight months of a pregnant cow’s nine-month gestation, hormone levels in her milk shoot up more than 20-fold. Even so, we’re only talking about a millionth of a gram per quart, easily 10 to 20 times less estrogen hormones than you’d find in a birth control pill. In that case, would drinking it really have an effect on human hormone levels? Researchers analyzed three different estrogens and one progesterone metabolite flowing through the bodies of seven men before and after they drank about a liter of milk. Within hours of drinking the milk, their hormone levels shot up, as you can see in the graph below and at 3:08 in my video. The researchers also looked at the average levels of female sex steroids flowing through the bodies of six schoolchildren (with an average age of eight) before and after they drank about two cups of milk. Within hours of drinking the milk, their levels shot up, tripling or quadrupling their baseline hormone levels, as you can see in the graph below and at 3:23 in my video. So, one can imagine the effects milk might have on men or prepubescent children, but what about women? Presumably, women would have high levels of estrogen in their body in the first place, wouldn’t they? Well, not all women. What about postmenopausal women and endometrial cancer, for example? Estrogens have “a central role” in the development of endometrial cancer, cancer of the lining of the uterus. “Milk and dairy products are a source of steroid hormones and growth factors that might have physiological effects in humans.” So, Harvard researchers followed tens of thousands of women and their dairy consumption for decades and found a significantly higher risk of endometrial cancer among postmenopausal women who consumed more dairy, as shown below and at 4:19 in my video. What about dietary exposure to hormones and breast cancer? Unfortunately, “understanding the role of dietary hormone exposure in the population burden of breast cancer is not possible at this time.” For more on the relationship between cancer and dairy, see related videos below. I talk about the effect of dairy estrogen on men in Dairy Estrogen and Male Fertility. What about the phytoestrogens in soy? See here. Key Takeaways Although hormones are in all animal products, the majority (about three-quarters) of our dietary exposure comes from milk and other dairy products. The hormones in milk concentrate even further when other dairy products are produced—e.g., five times more concentrated in cream and cheese, and ten times more in butter. The rest (about one-quarter) of our exposure to ingested female sex steroids is split evenly between eggs and meat (including fish), with eggs contributing about as much as all meats combined and white meat (fish and poultry) contributing about as much as pork and beef. About 50 percent of people surveyed didn’t know that hormones are naturally found in milk, and more than one in five didn’t know that cows only produce milk after calving (intended to feed their calves). In response to the suggestion that consumers should be informed of dairy production practices, a Journal of Dairy Science respondent disagreed, believing that telling the public about practices, such as genetically engineering animals, removing calves soon after birth, and keeping cows off grass or pasture, “does not result in high rates of public approval.” Today, dairy cows may be reimpregnated after giving birth and lactate throughout nearly their whole pregnancy. So, large amounts of pregnancy hormones, like estrogens and progesterone, can be found in commercial cow’s milk. Researchers found that hormone levels shot up in men and school-aged kids within hours of drinking about a liter of milk. Estrogens play “a central role” in the development of endometrial cancer, and researchers found a significantly greater risk of this type of cancer among postmenopausal women who consume more dairy, which is a source of steroid hormones and growth factors. Regarding breast cancer and dietary exposure to hormones, “understanding the role” isn’t currently possible. To read the original article click here.

The post Dairy Milk Hormones’ Effects on Cancer appeared first on Amazing Health Advances.

Omega-3s May Help Lower Breast Cancer Risk in Women with Obesity

AHA Publisher — Mon, 29 Aug 2022 07:00:47 +0000

Jillian Levy, CHHC via Dr. Axe – Considered to be among the healthiest fats to consume, omega-3s benefits include those related to heart health, mental illnesses, brain decline, inflammation, autoimmune diseases and even cancer. A new study found a link between consumption of omega-3s and breast cancer (BC), specifically that when premenopausal women and obese women consumed more of these healthy fats, they had a lower risk of developing BC. As explained below, omega-3s seem to fight cancer development due to their ability to reduce inflammation and effects of too much estrogen. Study Findings: Omega-3 and Breast Cancer in Obese Women A 2022 study published in the journal Menopause found that when pre- and postmenopausal women consumed more omega-3s from their diets, they benefited from enhanced protection against developing breast cancer. Omega-3 fatty acids are types of polyunsaturated fats, also called PUFAS, which are known to help fight inflammation and support normal immune function. There are several types, including a-linolenic acid (ALA), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), docosapentaenoic acid (DPA) and docosahexaenoic acid, with DHA and EPA (the types found in oily fish) the most sought after. This particular study wanted to determine if any association exists between breast cancer risk in adult women and intake of PUFAs, especially omega-3 PUFAs. The study included more than 3,100 participants who completed food frequency questionnaires and health-related surveys. Results showed that higher intake of omega-3s, especially from marine/seafood sources, was associated with lower risk of breast cancer among both pre- and postmenopausal women. Here are more details about the study’s main findings: Associations between BC risk and dietary PUFA intake was most evident among premenopausal women and women who were at increased risk of BC or who already had breast cancer. A decreased risk of breast cancer was significantly associated with increased omega-3 intake in obese/overweight women but not in women of normal weight. What It Means (How to Get More Omega-3 in Diet) Many adults, especially those who eat a modern, processed diet, don’t consume enough omega-3 fats. To make matters worse, it’s very common to consume too many omega-6s, which are found in vegetable oils and many packaged foods. This study, among others conducted in the past, demonstrate the importance of consuming healthy fats, including omega-3 fatty acids, on a regular basis. Higher intake of omega-3s has been shown in many studies to help protect against conditions including: High cholesterol High blood pressure (hypertension) Type 2 diabetes Arthritis Macular degeneration Neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease and other types of dementia Osteoporosis And others How can you add more omega-3s to your diet? The human body cannot make its own omega-3 fats — therefore there’s a need to consume them from food sources. The best sources include oily fish, nuts and seeds. Supplements are another way to increase your intake. Here’s a list of the best omega-3 foods and sources: Fish, including wild-caught salmon, sardines, mackerel, anchovies, white fish and tuna Nuts and seeds, such as flaxseeds, chia seeds, hemp seeds and walnuts. Note that plant-based foods are high in the type of omega-3 fatty acid called ALA, so you’ll need to eat more of them to get the same effect as their animal-based counterparts. Egg yolks Natto You may also benefit from taking a high-quality omega-3 supplement, such as fish oil or a capsule. Aim to get between 250 and 500 milligrams of EPA and DHA combined each day. Does omega-3 increase estrogen levels, or does omega-3 block estrogen? Studies have found somewhat mixed and conflicting results when testing the effects of omega-3s on estrogen levels. Overall, these healthy fats seem to benefit estrogen levels in adult women. For example, one study found that supplementation with omega-3s plus vitamin D3 decreased estrogen in premenopausal women, which may help defend against hormone-related cancers. Another study found potential anticancer roles of omega-3s through effects on estrogen signaling. Omega-3 seem to convert pro-proliferative estrogen in a way that blocks breast cancer cells from growing. Research suggests that EPA and DHA may be effective in helping to fight BC due to several other mechanisms, including reducing proinflammatory lipid (fat) derivatives, inhibiting inflammation and cytokine production, and decreasing growth factor receptor signaling. Are omega-3 good for cancer patients? Can cancer patients take omega-3 fish oil? In most cases, yes. Some research shows that fish oil can help improve treatment outcomesamong people battling some types of cancer. However, some patients undergoing chemotherapy may be advised to avoid fish oil. As one study explains, “Accumulating evidence states that n-3 PUFAs may exert an antitumor action by altering lipid composition of the plasma membrane.” In other words, these fats seem to defend cells against becoming damaged and cancerous, and they may also stop them from spreading. That being said, if you’re being treated for cancer you should always discuss any supplements you’re taking with your doctor. Other Ways to Help Combat Breast Cancer and Obesity Aside from eating a healthy diet and avoiding processed foods, other ways you can lower your risk for breast cancer and obesity include: Getting enough exercise on a regular basis. Not consuming too much alcohol or smoking cigarettes. Limiting exposure to chemicals and carcinogens, such as heavy metals and environmental pollutants. Well-known carcinogens include asbestos, nickel, cadmium, radon, vinyl chloride, benzidine and benzene. Managing stress, since chronic stress takes a toll on the immune system and also causes increases production of “stress hormones,” which are linked to weight gain. Avoiding sleep deprivation. Conclusion A new study found a link between consumption of omega-3s and breast cancer, specifically that when obese women and premenopausal women consumed more of these healthy fats they had a lower risk for BC. High intake of n-3 PUFAs seems to be associated with a lower risk of BC because these fats help fight inflammation and cytokine production, and they can normalize effects of estrogen. Consuming more omega-3 fatty acids is also helpful for defending against many other conditions, like heart disease, arthritis and diabetes. The best sources include oily fish, nuts, seeds and fish oil supplements. To read the original article click here.

The post Omega-3s May Help Lower Breast Cancer Risk in Women with Obesity appeared first on Amazing Health Advances.

Is Soy Harmful, Harmless, or Helpful for Fibroids?

AHA Publisher — Mon, 04 Apr 2022 07:00:07 +0000

Michael Greger M.D. FACLM via Nutrition Facts – When it comes to uterine fibroids, is soy harmful, harmless, or helpful? About one in four women will eventually suffer from fibroids, most commonly manifesting as excessively heavy periods, pain, or pressure. Why might you feel pressure? Because, as you can see at 0:17 in my video Should Women with Fibroids Avoid Soy?, you may be carrying around 26 pounds of tumors in your uterus. Fibroids are the most common reason women get hysterectomies, the complete removal of the uterus, a major surgery “associated with disability and death.” All surgery carries risk, though, and the chances of dying within a month of hysterectomy surgery may only be about 1 in 1,200, which makes it among our safest surgeries. As you can see at 0:40 in my video, getting your uterus removed is safer than getting your gallbladder removed, for example. But, of course, you lose the ability to bear children with a hysterectomy, and in total these surgeries cost billions of dollars a year. Yet, despite the high prevalence of fibroids, significant pain and suffering, and huge economic impact, relatively little is understood about the cause and disease process that lead to fibroid tumors. In terms of decreasing fibroids risk, it’s probably a good idea to avoid atomic bomb blasts whenever you can, but what about more easily modifiable risk factors? Consumption of alcohol, particularly beer, is associated with increased risk. Whenever beer is implicated, you may think about the hormonal effects specific to beer, particularly the powerful phytoestrogen found in hops, an essential ingredient in beer. If that phytoestrogen is increasing fibroids risk, what about the phytoestrogens in soy? The Black Women’s Health Study looked into this. Fibroids are two to three times more prevalent among Black women, so it was thought that dairy intake might be contributing to the disparity, given Black women’s higher levels of lactose intolerance. Indeed, dairy consumption was associated with reduced risk, perhaps, thought researchers, because of the calcium or vitamin D content. Was it possible the women were drinking soy milk instead, and that was increasing their fibroid risk? No. Soy intake was found to be unrelated. The same was found in a group of predominantly white women, though researchers did note a protective association with the amount of lignans flowing through their bodies. Lignans are another class of phytoestrogens found predominantly in flaxseeds but also throughout the plant kingdom. It was hard for the researchers to make any generalizations about the soy phytoestrogens, though, because soy consumption by the subjects was rather low across the board. That research was done in Washington state. Japan, however, has the highest per capita soy consumption in the world, which could allow for a bigger spread of intakes. Researchers had “previously found that soya intake was inversely associated with the risk of hysterectomy,” meaning women who consumed more soy had lower hysterectomy rates, “suggesting a potentially protective effect of soya against uterine fibroids,” the main reason women have their uterus removed. This is consistent with in vitro studies that found that the main soy phytoestrogen seemed to inhibit fibroid tissue proliferation in a petri dish. But when the researchers in Japan specifically looked at that connection, they found there was no evidence of a link to soy at all, protective or otherwise. The same was found in a study from China. As you can see at 3:18 in my video, fruit and vegetable intake was associated with a significantly lower risk of fibroids, but soy food consumption was not. A second study out of China published the same year, however, did find a significant association between soy milk intake and fibroids, which was consistent with three alarming case reports of women with symptomatic fibroids reporting an “unusually high intake of soy milk,” “regularly consuming excessive amounts of soy, or having “an extremely high intake of soy” every day for decades. It’s hard to take these cases seriously when nowhere does it specify how much they were consuming. The only quantitative mention was 40 grams of isoflavones, roughly equivalent to 400 gallons of soy milk every day, which would be excessive, but also impossible. The only way to know for sure is to put it to the test—and not just in a population study or anecdotal reports, but to randomize women to two years of soy phytoestrogens in the amount found in three to five cups of soy milk a day. When researchers did just that, no significant effect on the frequency or growth of fibroids was found. KEY TAKEAWAYS About 25 percent of women will suffer from fibroids, which commonly manifest as excessively heavy periods, pain, or pressure and are the most common reason for hysterectomies. Alcohol consumption, especially beer, is associated with greater risk of fibroids. Fibroids are two to three times more prevalent among Black women, who have higher levels of lactose intolerance. Per capita soy consumption is highest in Japan. Researchers had thought soy may have a potentially protective effect against uterine fibroids, but no evidence of a link to soy was found, whether protective or otherwise. Intake of fruits and vegetables was associated with significantly lower risk, but not soy foods. Researchers randomized women to two years of soy phytoestrogens in the amount found in three to five cups of soymilk a day, and did not find any significant effect on the growth or frequency of fibroids. This article has been modified. To read the original article click here.

The post Is Soy Harmful, Harmless, or Helpful for Fibroids? appeared first on Amazing Health Advances.

How Trauma Impacts Hormones + How to Use Mind-Management to Treat Hormonal Imbalances

AHA Publisher — Tue, 30 Nov 2021 08:00:32 +0000

Dr. Caroline Leaf – In this podcast (episode #329) and blog, I talk to leading hormone expert and N.Y. Times best-selling author Dr. Sara Gottfried about hormone balancing and education, how our hormones can impact our mental and physical health, and more! For a long time, Sara battled with her own health, and found that her hormonal balance was off. Through changing her lifestyle and other interventions, Sara was able to heal herself, but her story is not unique. As she notes, we are failing so many people when it comes to hormonal issues! Yet there is hope. When it comes to our hormonal balance, there is so much we can do. We can change the way we eat, how we think, our lifestyles, and so on. Hormones drive what we are interested in; they drive our mood, our metabolism (the biochemical pathways in the body) and so much more. Hormones play a key role in both our mental and physical health. When it comes to hormonal imbalances and how they can affect our wellbeing, we need to get the root causes, not just treat the symptoms. A holistic approach, like what Sara uses in her own practice, is vital. Indeed, as Sara points out, it takes time to balance hormones and improve health. There is no “quick fix”. Our hormones are part of a complex feedback system, which means we need to take a step back and see how they all work together as a symphony. Our hormones do not work in isolation! There are also more gender specific hormonal periods that need to be examined separately. Changes in female hormones like estrogen and progesterone during puberty can increase a young person’s anxiety levels, for example. On the other hand, postpartum can be a preview of perimenopause, which can lead to more mood disturbances and other health issues. It is important to understand that estrogen is the primary regulator of the female body, including the brain. This is why perimenopause often has an effect on female cognition. After the age of 40, many women experience forgetfulness and other issues as their hormonal levels change. And, if we wait too long to intervene, it may be too late to manage these changes, especially when it comes to our brain and heart health. Trauma is also a major disruptor of the hormone system, yet there is not enough awareness about this. As Sara notes, we need more information on how trauma impacts the control system of our hormones. We need to broaden our definition of trauma, which can be any overwhelming experience that can impact our development and health. Trauma is an ongoing experience in the body, which we can see in our ability to self-regulate, our inflammation markers, our hormonal pathways, and more. Yes, it can take time and hard work to deal with the root causes of a hormonal imbalance, but it is worth it! As Sara notes, living with your hormones out of balance is so much harder than the work it takes to get your hormones back into balance. To read the original article click here.

The post How Trauma Impacts Hormones + How to Use Mind-Management to Treat Hormonal Imbalances appeared first on Amazing Health Advances.

Does Estrogen Protect Against the Risk of Brain Shrinkage?

AHA Publisher — Wed, 10 Nov 2021 08:00:38 +0000

American Academy of Neurology (AAN) via Newswise – MINNEAPOLIS – A new study found that people with higher cumulative estrogen exposure over their lifetime had greater brain volumes and fewer indicators of brain disease on their brain scans in midlife. The research is published in the November 3, 2021, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. “We found that a number of ways a woman is exposed to estrogen—not having reached menopause, having more total reproductive years, having a higher number of children, using menopause hormone therapy or hormonal contraceptives—were associated with larger gray matter volumes in midlife,” said author Lisa Mosconi, PhD, of Weill Cornell Medicine in New York, N.Y. The study looked at 99 women between the ages of 40 and 65 who did not have dementia. They did have risk factors for late-onset Alzheimer’s, such as family history of the disease or the APOE gene that is linked to a greater risk. Researchers compared them to 29 men, matched for age, with similar risk factors. Then researchers looked at the association of reproductive history with the volume of gray matter in the brain, which is an indicator of brain health, and scores on thinking and memory tests. When looking at people’s brain scans, several events that indicate longer estrogen exposure, like more than 39 reproductive years, a higher number of children and pregnancies, and use of hormone replacement therapy and/or hormone contraceptives, were associated with greater gray matter volume. This appeared mainly in the temporal cortex, frontal cortex, and precuneus, areas of the brain in which Alzheimer’s biomarkers often show up first. The results were the same after adjusting for factors like high blood pressure and smoking. For example, for every year longer that a woman was exposed to estrogen in her life, average gray matter volume in certain areas of the brain increased by an average of 1%. People with total reproductive years of 39 years or longer had gray matter volume an average of 5% larger than people with total reproductive years of less than 39 years. Total reproductive years is the difference between the age at menopause and the age when a woman’s period begins. For each additional child a woman had, gray matter volume in certain areas of the brain increased by an average of 2%. When researchers looked at people’s scores on tests of thinking and memory, they found no association with reproductive history indicators. However, people’s gray matter volume in the temporal regions of the brain was associated with better scores. “Previous research has shown that the midlife decline in estrogen that comes with menopause is a driver of brain aging and Alzheimer’s risk in women,” Mosconi said. “Our results confirm that, but there’s also good news. Other factors related to women’s reproductive history, such as a longer reproductive span and use of hormonal therapy, appear to offset the effects of menopause. While the age at which menopause starts is determined partly by a person’s genetics, lifestyle and environmental factors like smoking, obesity and exercise also play a role, and may modify a woman’s risk of brain aging.” The study does not prove that estrogen reduces dementia risk, it only shows an association between the two. A limitation of the study is that brain scans showing gray matter volume may indicate other types of brain disease, not just the kind related to Alzheimer’s. The study was supported by the National Institutes for Health, National Institute on Aging, the Cure Alzheimer’s Fund, Maria Shriver’s Women’s Alzheimer’s Movement, and Harold W. McGraw III and Nancy McGraw, and Carol and Michael Weisman. Learn more about Alzheimer’s disease at BrainandLife.org, home of the American Academy of Neurology’s free patient and caregiver magazine focused on the intersection of neurologic disease and brain health. Follow Brain & Life® on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. When posting to social media channels about this research, we encourage you to use the hashtags #Neurology and #AANscience. The American Academy of Neurology is the world’s largest association of neurologists and neuroscience professionals, with over 36,000 members. The AAN is dedicated to promoting the highest quality patient-centered neurologic care. A neurologist is a doctor with specialized training in diagnosing, treating and managing disorders of the brain and nervous system such as Alzheimer’s disease, stroke, migraine, multiple sclerosis, concussion, Parkinson’s disease and epilepsy. To read the original article click here.

The post Does Estrogen Protect Against the Risk of Brain Shrinkage? appeared first on Amazing Health Advances.

Researchers Link IVF Use to an Increased Risk of Breast Cancer

AHA Publisher — Wed, 27 Oct 2021 07:00:48 +0000

Wendy Miller via NaturalHealth365 – In vitro fertilization (IVF) has become one of the primary methods of assisted reproductive technology for individuals dealing with infertility. The connection between the medications used during the IVF process and breast cancer has been the subject of many studies, with sometimes differing results. Breast cancer is one of the most common cancers in women. Although an increase in the risk of breast cancer has been linked to hormones like estrogen, there seem to be conflicting results from specific studies between IVF and the disease. Conflicting Evidence: Do Fertility Drugs Increase Breast Cancer Risk? Most women who undergo IVF are required to take medications like gonadotropins and Clomiphene citrate that stimulate the female reproductive system to increase ovulation and prepare the body for an egg to be fertilized. The concern is that if these medications are taken for an extended period, will it cause a dramatic increase in the risk of breast cancer for these women. It seems that for every study that says there is an increase, another study says there is not. So where does that leave you? Should you be concerned? Are You Considering IVF? Know Your Cancer Risk Before Getting Started There is enough evidence that suggests the risk of breast cancer in women who have undergone IVF is real. It has been proven that by taking hormone-based medications like birth control, and now IVF medications, there is a distinct possibility that may lead to an increase in breast cancer or other cancers of the reproductive system. The real issue why the studies have such conflicting results may not lie in the use of the hormones so much as it does with the woman’s predisposition to cancer. Every woman carries some degree of risk for cancers of the female reproductive system. Family history and exposure to environmental toxins also play a role. This Sex Hormone Has a Profound Impact on Cancer Development The key to understanding many of these studies goes back to the link that estrogen and other hormones have on a woman’s risk of developing cancer. A woman who took birth control pills for several years may have an increased risk of breast, ovarian, or uterine cancers, much like a woman who took IVF medications for an extended period. For many women who rely on in vitro fertilization for the opportunity to become a mother, the risk takes on a new perspective. While it’s important to look at each study as objectively as possible, many women will put the risk aside if it will allow them to conceive and carry a child. Here Is How to Calculate Your Individual Cancer Risks In general, the use of IVF medications for any length of time has a link to an increase in the risk of breast cancer. But, just how significant is this risk to you? Unfortunately, there is no way to predict who will succumb to the disease. That’s why it is best ALWAYS to weigh the risks and the benefits of undergoing any medical intervention. Studies have shown that IVF medications can increase breast tissue density and make it more likely for breast cancer to develop. However, it does not mean that every woman who uses them will end up with a diagnosis. Bottom line: your lifestyle, diet, level of activity, and day-to-day stress will all have to be factored in as you calculate your risk. You must also include your past medical history as well as that of your family. When looking at the big picture, you may find that you have a higher than average risk of breast cancer once you add in the use of IVF medications. You must remember, however, your results are unique to you and your health. The studies that have been performed about IVF medications and their association to an increase in the risk of breast cancer are speculative at best. With all of the other possible factors associated with the risk of breast cancer, it is hard to say whether or not the use of IVF medications on their own will have such a dramatic impact. Look at the studies yourself and include your risk factors. Then, talk to your doctor and ask for help assessing your degree of predisposition to cancer. Sources for this article include: NIH.gov BreastCancer.org To read the original article click here.

The post Researchers Link IVF Use to an Increased Risk of Breast Cancer appeared first on Amazing Health Advances.

CANCER ALERT: 300+ Chemicals Found to Increase Risk of Breast Cancer

AHA Publisher — Thu, 05 Aug 2021 07:23:02 +0000

Sara Middleton via NaturalHealth365 – According to the American Cancer Society, the typical woman has a 1 in 8 chance of developing breast cancer at some point in her lifetime. Sadly, the rates of breast cancer have increased dramatically in recent decades. Today, breast cancer remains the most common type of cancer affecting women, other than skin cancer. Why are breast cancer rates skyrocketing – could the growing number of cancer-causing chemicals found in our environment be to blame? Data from one new study suggests yes. Hundreds of Chemicals Found in Common Everyday Products Shown to Promote the Synthesis of Hormones Linked to Breast Cancer, New Research Finds The study, published in the recent edition of Environmental Health Perspectives, used laboratory testing to identify chemicals that may cause breast cancer by elevating the synthesis of estradiol (estrogen) and progesterone, two hormones linked to an increased breast cancer risk. The researchers found that 296 chemicals demonstrated the ability to increase the activity of one or both of these hormones. Chemicals, including hexythiazox, oxyfluorfen, pirimiphos-methyl, and 3,3′-dimethylbenzidine, were found in various sources, including “pesticides, consumer product ingredients, food additives, and drinking water contaminants.” The researchers note that at least 53 of the chemicals tested are currently being used in consumer products, despite the fact that there is “inadequate information to assess carcinogenic potential.” Incredibly, as many as 13% of the nearly 300 chemicals were previously identified as “unlikely” carcinogens or reproductive/developmental toxicants, despite showing cancer-causing potential in the comprehensive laboratory study. How could such a misclassification occur? One explanation relates to a failure of conventional toxicology testing. Generally, toxicology testing of U.S. consumer products only looks at whether chemicals mimic estrogen or bind to hormone receptors. But what is rarely tested is whether chemicals can actually trigger estrogen production, which is exactly what these researchers discovered. “Because [estradiol and progesterone] are important risk factors for breast cancer, chemicals that increase their synthesis may also increase the risk for breast cancer and must be prioritized for further research and exposure reduction,” the authors conclude. Beyond Everyday Household Items, Common Pharmaceutical Products Have Been Associated With Breast Cancer, Too It’s not just food, pesticides, and household products that can expose you and your loved ones to chemicals that increase the risk of cancer. Unfortunately, many drugs and medical products have an elevated cancer risk, too. Remember hormone replacement therapy (HRT)? Once widely recommended by medical professionals, HRT has been strongly linked to breast cancer, as just one example. We see this especially among postmenopausal women, who are more likely to have breast cancer when they have higher blood levels of estradiol, according to the Susan G. Komen Foundation. According to BreastCancer.org, combination HRT increases a woman’s risk of breast cancer by as much as 75 percent. Another group of medications linked with breast cancer – oral contraceptives, according to the National Cancer Institute. Indeed, the International Agency for Research on Cancer and World Health Organization identified combination oral contraceptives (which contain estrogen and progestin) as a Group 1 carcinogen back 2005 – putting “the pill” in the same category as arsenic, asbestos, and tobacco smoke. Question: if you’re a female or the parent of a female, did your doctor ever explain to you the full range of risks associated with this medication? Were you ever informed that oral contraceptives might cause cancer? Sources for this article include: Childrenshealthdefense.org Grandviewresearch.com NIH.gov NIH.gov NIH.gov Komen.org Cancer.gov WHO.int To read the original article click here. For more articles from NaturalHealth365 click here.

The post CANCER ALERT: 300+ Chemicals Found to Increase Risk of Breast Cancer appeared first on Amazing Health Advances.

Natural Dietary Treatments for Fibroids

AHA Publisher — Thu, 13 May 2021 07:00:09 +0000

Michael Greger M.D. FACLM via Nutrition Facts – The same diet that helps regulate hormones in women may also reduce exposure to endocrine-disrupting pollutants. Fibroids are the most common benign tumors in women. They can grow to a foot in diameter and affect the majority of women before they hit menopause. Although fibroids tend to be asymptomatic, when symptoms do occur, they tend to manifest as heavy menstrual bleeding—so much so that women may get anemic and experience a lot of pain. So, what can women do? I discuss this in my video The Best Diet for Fibroids. Up to half go into surgery and get their entire uterus removed. “Although hysterectomy is generally considered a safe operation, complications occur in a significant proportion of patients” and, obviously, you can’t have kids any more. The alternative is a variety of hormone-modulating drugs, which can shrink the fibroids and provide relief, but many of these drugs have significant side effects, like bone loss, so you really don’t want to be taking them for more than a few months. What’s the bottom line? “There is currently no evidence to support the routine use of medical treatment in women with uterine fibroids.” No wonder many women turn to “complementary and alternative treatments…including exercise, diet, herbs, and acupuncture.” Women who exercise seven or more hours a week do seem to have lower risk of having fibroids than women who exercise less than around 20 minutes a day, but exercise has never been put to the test for treating fibroids. Likewise, to date, there isn’t a single randomized controlled trial of acupuncture for the treatment of fibroids to help guide us. In terms of herbs, there are two Asian herbal preparations that show promise—a five-herb combo called Guizhi Fuling and a Malaysian ten-herb formula that contains “secret ingredients” that must not be that secret since they’re just listed in the study, as you can see at 1:50 in my video—and they seemed to work as well as a leading drug. The problem is that traditional Asian herbal remedies may contain a few extra ingredients, like arsenic, mercury, and lead, which have been detected in most of the samples tested from Asian market and health food store shelves, and not just a little. Some, apparently, had really toxic amounts. So, these two Asian herbal preparations “may reduce fibroid size, but there is insufficient evidence to support the efficacy or safety of these treatments.” And, certainly, don’t try to apply caustic herbs internally, as this can lead to scarring, stenosis, and ulceration. Well, what about diet? In one of the largest studies of diet and fibroids, fibroid tumors were “associated with beef and ham consumption, whereas high intake of green vegetables seems to have a protective effect.” The researchers figured that the “association between levels of estrogen, diet, and breast and endometrial [uterine lining] cancers also may help us understand” why. Indeed, “[f]or breast and endometrial cancers, a direct association with the frequency of consumption of meat and ham was observed…whereas protection was conferred by high intake of vegetables and fruits.” Thus, there may be these shared risk factors between estrogen-responsive malignant tumors, like breast cancer, and estrogen-responsive benign tumors, like fibroids. We know the presence of fibroids seems to correlate with an increase in the amount of estrogens flowing through your body, for example, and that women eating vegetarian diets have significantly lower levels of excess estrogen. Researchers are using this knowledge to try to explain why there are lower rates of endometrial cancer—that is, lining-of-the-uterus cancer—and possibly breast cancer among vegetarian women, but it could also help explain the fibroid findings. “The incidence of breast cancer among vegetarian American women (Seventh Day Adventists) is 60 to 80 per cent of the incidence among American women in general, and the incidence among women in Africa and Asia is even lower.” Why might vegetarian women have lower estrogen levels? A famous study in the New England Journal of Medicine concluded that it was their “increased fecal output, which leads to increased fecal excretion of estrogen,” resulting in lower blood levels. Double the fecal output, in fact, as you can see at 4:07 in my video. And, you can put it to the test. Maybe the same reason African-American women have more fibroids is the same reason they have worse breast cancer survival: too much estrogen in their bloodstream due to a less than optimal diet. So, researchers designed a study to see what would happen if they were switched to a more plant-based, higher fiber diet. Compared with the Caucasian women, the African-American women started out with much higher estrogen levels, again helping to explain their increased mortality from breast cancer. But, after they were put on a healthier diet, all of their levels came down, “suggest[ing] that a substantial reduction in breast cancer risk can be achieved” by adopting a diet centered around more whole plant foods. The same also appears to be true for fibroids, especially eating lots of cruciferous vegetables—broccoli, cabbage, and Chinese cabbage—as well as tomatoes and apples. Women who underwent premature puberty, starting their periods before age 11, may also be at increased risk of fibroids later in life, and we know that higher childhood red meat intake is associated with earlier age of starting one’s period, though total protein and animal protein in general may contribute. For example, girls who eat meat tend to start their periods about six months earlier than vegetarian girls. Those who eat meat analogues like veggie burgers and veggie dogs start their periods nine months later on average, and a similar puberty normalizing influence was found with consumption of whole plants foods, such as beans. It could also be the endocrine-disrupting pollutants that build up the food chain. Researchers tooksamples of internal abdominal fat from women and found there appeared to be a correlation between the presence of fibroids with the levels of a number of PCBs in their fat. So, does that mean fish-eaters have higher risk of fibroids? Researchers did find a small increase in risk associated with the intake of long-chain omega-3 fats, mostly from “dark-meat fish consumption,” by which they meant fish like sardines and salmon. This could be because of “the endocrine-disrupting chemicals commonly shown in fish,” or it could just be a statistical fluke. It would be consistent with the increased risk seen among “sport-fish consumers.” Recognizing that diet and endocrine-disrupting persistent organic pollutants have been associated with a variety of gynecologic conditions, including fibroids, researchers looked at consumers of fish fished out of the Great Lakes and found a 20 percent increased risk for every ten years they had been eating the fish. In the most comprehensive study to date, researchers compared pollutant levels in fat samples from women with fibroids to fat liposuctioned out of women without fibroids. They didn’t just find higher levels of PCBs in fibroid sufferers, but also long-banned pesticides, like DDT and hexachlorocyclohexane, PAHs, which are polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons formed when coal is burned, tobacco is smoked, and meat is grilled, as well as heavy metals, arsenic, cadmium, lead, and mercury. These levels correlated not only to fibroids, but also to seafood consumption or excess body fat. So, the researchers determined that “shedding excess weight and limiting seafood consumption would confer a protective effect” on fibroid tumor development by minimizing exposure to environmental pollutants as much as possible. Okay, so a plant-based diet may be best, but is there a plant in particular that has been shown to be particularly powerful? Plant-based compounds with disease-preventive properties, dietary phytochemicals are found in whole grains, fruits, vegetables, beans, split peas, chickpeas, and lentils, herbs, spices, nuts, and certain beverages. As I discuss in my video The Best Food for Fibroids, we know they can help regulate the initiation, promotion, and spread of cancerous tumors, so what about benign tumors like fibroids? Most anti-cancer drugs on the market now were originally derived from plants or plant products, so why not try to use plants to target the inflammation or blood supply of fibroids? Might fibroids be a consequence of chronic inflammation within the body? We know that women with fibroids are more likely to eat more beef and ham, and fewer fruits and green vegetables, but whole plant foods don’t just have anti-inflammatory effects but antioxidant effects as well. “If the generation of free radicals exceeds the protective effects of antioxidants, oxidative damage will occur,” which has been implicated in a variety of disease states, including gynecological conditions such as fibroids. If you collect fresh fibroids, as well as normal uterine tissue from hysterectomy surgeries, the fibroid cells have significantly fewer antioxidant enzymes, as you can see at 1:20 in my video, so might antioxidant-rich foods help? Well, if you drip some strawberries onto cells in a petri dish, you can apparently kill of some fibroid tumor cells, while leaving normal uterus cells alone. But, what good does that do us? That’s only relevant if we can show those strawberry compounds get absorbed through our gut and achieve high enough concentrations in uterine tissue. The same with curcumin, the component of the spice turmeric. One of its so-called “miraculous” properties is suppressing the growth of uterine fibroid cells, but, again, that was just in vitro. Yes, an inhibitory effect was found and at concentrations that don’t compromise the growth of normal, regular uterine tissue, but my patients are people, not petri dishes. It’s pretty neat to find out what happens to human fibroid cells as you drip higher and higher concentrations of green tea compounds on them in a test tube, as you can see for yourself at 2:19 in my video, but I care less about what happens in vitro or in mice, whether or not they have any clothes on—one study looked at “a nude mice model”—but there were no randomized, controlled clinical studies until 2013. Subjects were randomized to green tea extract or placebo for four months. In the placebo group, fibroid volume increased by 24 percent. That’s what fibroids do; they continue to grow. However, those randomized to the green tea group showed a reduction in total fibroid volume—and not just by a little. There was a dramatic decrease, shrinking by almost a third, which is a highly significant difference, as you can see at 3:02 in my video. Okay, but did the women feel any better? Yes, they experienced a dramatic decrease in symptom severity, as well. Month after month, nothing much happened in the placebo group, but those taking the pills that looked the same but happened to contain green tea compounds had consistent improvement and felt lessening symptoms, each month better than the last, as well as an improved health-related quality of life, month after month, that was significantly better than control. What’s more, their blood counts got better too. With all that continued excess blood loss every month, the blood levels kept decreasing in the placebo group, but they reversed in the green tea group. So, anemia also significantly improved, because average blood flow significantly diminished. And, all this—the fibroid shrinkage, less pain, better periods—was achieved with “no adverse effects.” So, not only were the results comparable to those for the drugs that are commonly used—again, without the side effects—but the results were also comparable to uterine artery embolization, where they try to cut the blood supply to the fibroid, which is great—unless they accidentally cut the blood supply to the rest of the uterus and cause uterine necrosis, one of many reported major complications. Others include death, not only of the fibroid, but also of the patient, along with other potential complications that may arise from accidentally clogging off non-target arteries. In my book, a side-effect-free solution as good as a more invasive procedure is potentially better than. The researchers conclude that green tea compounds show “promise as a safe and effective therapeutic agent for women with symptomatic UFs [uterine fibroids]. Such a simple, inexpensive, and orally administered therapy...

The post Natural Dietary Treatments for Fibroids appeared first on Amazing Health Advances.