LifeCare Chiropractic

The Best Chiropractic Care in Mesa, Arizona

Breast Cancer

COULD YOUR MULTIVITAMIN GIVE YOU BREAST CANCER?

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COULD YOUR MULTIVITAMIN GIVE YOU BREAST CANCER?  Well, at first glance this study might suggest this.  The increased risk is small (19%) compared to other things, but is still real.  Probably the biggest concern I have with this study and most MVM studies is that there is a huge difference between MVMs on the market.  At one end you have the “one a day” types that are by far the most popular.  These are generally very low quality (for a variety of reasons too lengthy to go into here).

Of concern is that many contain artificial colors (really–does anyone CARE what darn color your MVM is anyway????) such as FD&C dyes.  These are coal tar based and are known to be carcinogens.  This would obviously be of concern in a study looking at cancer.  Then there’s always the folic acid concern that folic acid may promote cell growth in a cancer already present.

Bottom line?  Most of the research supports the use of a MVM for long term health, but it is NOT a patch on a poor lifestyle.  Rather, it is used in conjunction with a healthy lifestyle.

IS THAT NIGHT LIGHT KILLING YOU?

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IS THAT NIGHT LIGHT KILLING YOU?  We’ve known for some time that shift works are at higher risks of certain types of cancer, and that “light maps” of the US show correlations with breast cancer is the more highly lit regions of the country.

This study starts to shed some light on potential mechanisms.  Many have postulated that the hormone melatonin, which is known to have very strong antioxidant properties, may be at work.

This study, however, looked at the effect of one hour of night time light exposure on mice’s cell division and found that normal cell division was affected.  By no means is this the end of the story, but it adds further concern to those who work graveyards or stay up into the wee hours of the night reading my FB posts…

Read entire article here

DO MAMMOGRAPHIES REALLY HELP SAVES LIVES?

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DO MAMMOGRAPHIES REALLY HELP SAVES LIVES?  As difficult as this may be to believe, this is not the first study to come to this conclusion.  We weigh our “cancer prevention” so heavily on early detection that the idea that this is not effective is literally unfathomable.  If we had a true focus on prevention with lifestyle, we would just shrug our shoulders at studies like this and move on to eating our cruciferous veggies.  This attitude creates problems.

To start with, studies have shown that up to 22% of the cancers found on mammography would’ve spontaneously remitted.  The creates several more problems.  First, harsh treatments for a cancer that the body would’ve resolved on it’s own.  Second, with get artificial numbers on how well we are doing with treating cancers, which, ironically then goes back into believing that screening mammography is effective.

There are other ways like thermography that never seemed to have taken off despite the ease and thoroughness of the procedure.  Of course, to me, this means that prevention is even more important because the screening tools we are using are of questionable utility.

NIGHT SHIFT INCREASES RISK OF BREAST CANCER?

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NIGHT SHIFT INCREASES RISK OF BREAST CANCER?  This is not the first study to find links between melatonin levels and breast cancer.  If you look at a “light map” of the US, the areas with the most light at night have the highest rates of breast cancer.  It is highly likely that this relates to the production of melatonin.  Melatonin is produced deep in the brain in the pineal gland, but it’s production is shut down by light striking the retina.  Helps set our sleep / wake cycles.

So, staying inside all day long (not getting strong sunlight exposure) or staying up late at night can mess with our body’s production of melatonin.  The current thought is that melatonin has some powerful antioxidant properties, and this may be a mechnism by which it protects our genes from cancer.

Read entire article here.

 

WORRIED ABOUT BREAST CANCER?

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WORRIED ABOUT BREAST CANCER?  Then make sure you get started preventing it early.  There is absolutely no doubt that breast cancer is NOT genetic, but rather the outcome of what our genes are exposed to.

This particular study finds that, in those adolescents in high school with the highest total fat intake had a 35% increased risk of breast cancer.  We’ve seen other studies finding that better Vitamin D exposure as a teen could again cut risk by about the same amount.  Too late to go back and change what happened 25 years ago?

Exercise, increased intake of healthy fats, no refined carbs, limit stress, get good sleep, maintain good Vit D levels, increased soy (non-GMO, non-processed) intake.  Also..if you have children, keep this information in mind–everything that happens to your child from the moment of conception (and maybe even before) plays a role in their health decades in the future.  Teach them good habits NOW.

DOES MAMMOGRAPHY SAVE LIVES?

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Ok.  Not ANOTHER post beating up mammography.  Close, but not quite.  Another post pointing out just how weak mammography really is at saving lives.

You see, mammography is raised on a pedestal by stories of women who claimed their lives were saved by mammography.  Recent studies found that 57% of breast cancers are NOT detected by mammography.  But many of these women still had mammography done, but then the mammography is mistakenly credited with finding the cancer early.  Breast self exam is still a major route by which the process of cancer detection starts and should be done on a regular basis.

This particular study looked at the likelihood that mammography actually saved the life of a statistical 50 year old woman and found that, after some serious number crunching, that the likelihood that mammography saved this woman’s life is 13% on the generous side, 3% at the realistic side.  Not terribly dramatic.

A NEW 8TH BENEFIT OF BREASTFEEDING

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I know I may get some flax here as a male stating that breastfeeding should really NOT be an option, but if a couple makes a decision to have a child EVERY decision needs to be in that child’s best interest.  Some say that they couldn’t nurse–so what would’ve happened to that baby 1,000 yrs ago??  I don’t think Mother Nature would’ve planned for a large chunk of newborns to die because the mom couldn’t nurse.

Either way, the benefits of nursing are many.  Some are instantly noticeable, like better sleeping, a stronger connection between mom and the baby and healthier weights.  Some are a little more subtle.  Check these benefits out:

  1. Breastfed children have better focus
  2. Breastfed children experience less pain
  3. Breastfeeding protects against celiac disease
  4. Breastfed children are less likely to be hospitalized for respiratory disease
  5. Breastfed children have better visual acuity
  6. Moms who breastfeed have lower rates of breast cancer
  7. Breastmilk has twice the antioxidants of formula

This particular study adds the 8th benefit of breastfeeding.  Researchers found that exclusively breast fed infants had bone formation centers at the femoral head show up earlier than formula fed infants.  This may likely translate to better bone health and lower risk of osteoporosis decades later.

CAN I REALLY CUT MY RISK OF BREAST CANCER IN HALF?

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CAN I REALLY CUT MY RISK OF BREAST CANCER IN HALF?  Of course we realize that the answer is yes, but just thought I’d remind you.  And, before anyone goes and gets all excited, maintaining a lifestyle dominated by vegetables, fruits and soy it only lowered the risk 43%…not quite half…But add some vitamin D, exercise, stress management and even more cruciferous veggies (radish, broccoli, brussel sprouts, cauliflower, bok choy, etc..) you should destroy the remaining 57% risk…

Read entire article here