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Author:
Vinodh Pushparaj

Breast cancer today is one of the most threatening conditions that a woman might have. A woman’s breast undergoes a lot of changes during her lifetime. Right from puberty breast tissues are continuously developing. Women find changes in their breast at every menstrual cycle where they feel different just before and during the periods days. Pregnancy and Lactation causes a lot of changes in the breasts. As age progresses the breast tissue becomes less dense. Because of these continuous changes women need some extra nutrients so that the breast tissues get the adequate supply of them. There are many causes for breast cancer and you can read more in websites like bcancer.com. But do you know that there are some nutrients and food that especially help to prevent breast cancer.

Studies show that the incidence of breast cancer is very low in some Asian countries when compared to the other races. One of the reasons is attributed to their diet. Like in the case of Green Tea, a compound called epigallocatechin-3 gallate (EGCG) inhibits the growth of breast cancer cells. The Maitake mushrooms, a popular Japanese Mushroom also has proven effects on breast cancer. They contain an important component called D-fraction which ceases the growth of cancerous tumors. Therefore it is recommended for patients with breast cancer in addition to standard chemotherapy.

Studies also show that Vitamin B12 stops the growth of cancer cells. Therefore it is given to breast cancer patients as part of the chemotherapy, which helps to keep the cancer under control. Low folic acid intake is linked to the development of all cancers. Folic acid is crucial to the making and continual repair of DNA which carries our genetic code. High intake of folic acid might reduce the risk of breast cancer.

In a laboratory study, researchers exposed breast cancer cells and breast tissue without any cancer to a type of seaweed that contains high levels of iodine. The seaweed killed all of the cancerous cells, yet did not harm the normal breast cells. Japanese women frequently eat this type of seaweed and have very low rates of breast cancer. The study’s researchers believe one reason for this low incidence of breast cancer may be the iodine in the seaweed. It is therefore also believed that there is a close link between thyroid cancer and breast cancer.

Yet another food that fights breast cancer is broccoli. A chemical found in broccoli called sulforaphane increases certain enzymes in the body called phase 2 enzymes that deactivate cancer causing chemicals. Taking these nutrients in adequate quantities along with the other traditional methods of treatment helps to keep the breast cancer under control.

You can find some useful Breast cancer news, breast cancer blog. The website also contains a good support forum. Author is freelance writer working for many great websites.

| Article Keywords: Nutrients

A Quick Note From The Publisher... If you like the article above, you may be interested in the following article which is also related to Nutrients... Can a Tumor Get More Nutrients? All tissues need to be continually bathed in nutrients. They get these nutrients from the continuous flow of blood through blood vessels. This is why blood vessels run throughout our entire bodies. An aggressive tumor can take advantage of this fact. Tumors can actually induce new blood vessels to form within them so that they can receive nutrients. This process is called angiogenesis. Make no mistake, it's eerie. The tumor cells actually stimulate the cells lining nearby blood vessels to grow toward them. They achieve this by sending out a signal. This signal stimulates the cells within the nearest blood vessels to divide 20 to 2000 times faster than usual. Due to their unnaturally quick growth, the new blood vessels are usually not quite normal and much less effective at carrying blood, but they can still provide the necessary nutrients to the tumor. All tumors consisting of more than about one million cells have reached a point where they must achieve angiogenesis. Otherwise, the tumor will not have enough nutrients to continue growing and will stay the same size confined to that location. Therefore, many researchers have focused their efforts the area of angiogenesis. It is hoped that scientists will find a way to stop the process of tumor angiogenesis. If a tumor's growth could be halted it would essentially become harmless. A tumor smaller than a pea would most likely not even be noticed - and would probably not have any harmful effects on the individual (although this can depend on its location). Even in a tumor that had progressed to a larger size, halting angiogenesis might halt its growth and would help prevent it from spreading. This would be incredibly beneficial to a patient diagnosed with cancer. A tumor's growth...