Can Milk Thistle Prevent Liver Cancer?

Toxic substances surround us every day, in our food, water, medications, and especially the air we breathe. These toxins are extremely detrimental to the health of your liver, and your choice of liver support supplements can drastically affect this very important organ. Milk thistle has long been known for its liver supportive and protective qualities, and is the number one herbal supplement prescribed for most liver ailments. It has proven in various clinical studies to have a profound effect on the progression of fibrosis, and has been quite effective in slowing the rate of advancement of liver damage.

Most people are aware of the stages of liver disease: inflammation, fibrosis, cirrhosis, and liver failure. If not treated in the early stages, liver cancer (Hepatocellular carcinoma, or HCC) can develop. Milk thistle has been proven to help protect liver cells against further damage from harmful toxins, which speed up the progression of the above stages of liver disease. Supplementing with milk thistle in the early stages can keep the disease from quickly advancing towards liver cancer. In addition to keeping liver cells healthy, milk thistle can also help this vital organ regenerate new liver cells, in an effort to prevent any additional scar tissue from developing.



Milk thistle, or silymarin, is made up of three main components - and silybin is the most beneficial to the liver. This highly concentrated part of milk thistle has the most therapeutic effects on the liver. Research shows that not only is milk thistle anti-fibrotic and anti-inflammatory, but it has potent antioxidants and can block toxins from invading the liver.

Because it is an herbal supplement, the FDA has not approved milk thistle as a treatment for any condition or disease, including liver cancer. However, the clinical research offers hope that milk thistle's proven ability to help fight liver disease makes it a viable liver cancer preventive method. Anyone with advancing liver disease can benefit from this therapeutic supplement that has no known contraindications or interactions.

Learn more about the health benefits of milk thistle.

Visit LiverSupport.com to learn more about liver health and liver support products. Sign up for LiverSupport Health News, and learn even more about supporting liver health for you and your family.


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Relieving Chemotherapy Side Effects of Fatigue, Constipation, Nausea, Vomiting and Mouth Sores

It's a very sad day when someone is diagnosed with cancer of any type. The diagnosis from the doctor can cause someone to want to give up and the person often rides an emotional roller coaster for the next several months.

What many cancer patients fear most about cancer is the side effects of chemotherapy, such as hair loss, nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite, extreme fatigue, abdominal pain, constipation, diarrhea, and mouth sores. The sad part about these chemotherapy side effects is that food doesn't taste good anymore, doesn't smell good, and there is constant irritation in the mouth from mouth sores during times when eating. Life is naturally full of social opportunities to partake of food together with loved ones, but when this happy part of life is taken away from someone, the cancer patient's emotions can easily turn downward to depression.

During cancer treatments such as radiation and chemotherapy, it is difficult for a patient to consume the calories he or she needs to maintain good nutritional status. This can result in vitamin and mineral deficiencies that contribute to loss of appetite, constipation, diarrhea, stomach problems, gas, depression, mental instability, and hair loss. The treatments themselves of chemotherapy and radiation can also cause the same side effects of loss of appetite, constipation, diarrhea, mouth sores, hair loss, nausea and vomiting.

So what is the solution? It is one that makes chemotherapy side effects such as nausea, vomiting, mouth sores, loss of appetite, constipation, diarrhea and even hair loss a thing of the past.



Health professionals and research scientists have been reporting for the past few decades that when all natural herbs are used as an adjunct therapy for cancer patients receiving chemotherapy and radiation, the amount of suffering that is experienced from chemotherapy side effects dwindles down to the very minimum. As a result, the patient can conceivably receive the medical treatment and recover in the shortest amount of time possible.

One way that all natural herbs are used in the alleviation of side effects of chemotherapy and radiation is by mixing them together into herbal formulas. Herbs selected for alleviating side effects of chemotherapy in one formula included fennel, tangerine, Chinese hawthorne, Bai-zhu atractylodes, dendroblum, Chinese licorice, Codonopsis, ginger root, Job's Tears, Poria, and Astragalus.

The herbs were chosen by the rating of their usefulness of regulating the digestive system. Fennel helps the sense of taste return and increases the secretion of fluids needed for the digestive process. Ginger improves loss of appetite and stimulates blood circulation in the stomach. Ginger has been used for centuries to combat nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. Astragalus is effective for loss of appetite and diarrhea.

The retention of body fluid is also important, since a dehydrated body makes toxic chemicals floating around in the body more toxic. The two herbs Job's Tears and Dendrobium are helpful for minimizing dehydration.

The quicker a cancer patient on chemotherapy and radiation can regain his or her strength and feel better physically and mentally, the quicker he or she can get on with living life to its fullest. The quicker the chemotherapy side effects can be alleviated, the sooner he or she can start improving the quality of life.

The inventors of this particular herbal combination found that the herbal combination was even helpful in those who did not have cancer, but had problems with their digestive tract, such as those with irritable bowel syndrome and Crohn's disease.

Chemotherapy side effects such as nausea, vomiting, mouth sores, loss of appetite, constipation, diarrhea and even hair loss can become a thing of the past.

Dr. Donna Schwontkowski wants to see every cancer patient undergoing chemotherapy and radiation come out healed and whole without experiencing the side effects along the way. She's a Master Herbalist and the author of Herbs of the Amazon. For more info about how she can help, see http://www.drdonna.info For additional info on how herbs can help those undergoing chemotherapy, see http://www.immuneenhance.com


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Does The Acai Berry Destroy Cancer Cells In Humans?

Hundreds of years ago when the Europeans made contact with the new world in the Amazon region, certain indigenous plants became extinct shortly after their arrival due to the lack of resistance to diseases brought over from Europe. Some of the trees that did survive were palm trees that produce the acai berry twice a year.

Why did these trees fair so well?

This fruit is remarkably rich in a wide range of nutrients and trace elements. The acai palm could also survive when standing submerged in water for up to a year. It is this ability to resist disease and survive that is also passed on to those who consume its fruit. So rich in nutrients are the acai fruit that people could survive on it alone for up to six months before showing signs of malnutrition.

One reason so little was known about the acai berries until a few years ago is that they are highly perishable and normally used immediately after picking. They are now freeze dried and converted into acai powder. Products such as acai juice made from the little purple fruit have only been available for about 7 years.



This has led to the University of Florida to conduct a study of the benefits of acai in humans. Its research was an important step toward learning what people may gain from using acai berry supplements. Study results showed extracts from acai berries triggered a self-destruct response in up to 86 percent of leukemia cells tested. Researchers cautioned that the study was not intended to show whether compounds found in acai could prevent leukemia in people. However, they added that compounds found to show good activity against cancer cells in a model system are most likely to have beneficial effects in our bodies.

The next study to be done by U of FL will investigate the effects of acai's antioxidants on healthy human subjects. The study will determine how well the compounds are absorbed into the blood, and how they may effect blood pressure, cholesterol levels and other related health indicators since there is still at least 50 as-yet unidentified compounds.

If you are looking to enjoy the health benefits of acai and generate a Serious Income Online, visit Randy's marketing website.

About the Author: Randy Vanderveen is an experienced internet marketer and President of Vanderveen Marketing Group. His mission is to develop leaders into full time 6-figure earners and home business entrepreneurs.


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Brain Cancer - Symptoms of Brain Cancer

Brain cancer is a disease of the brain where cancer cells (malignant) grow in the brain tissue. Cancer cells grow to form a mass of cancer tissue (tumor) that interferes with brain tissue functions such as muscle control, sensation, memory, and other normal body functions. Tumors composed of cancer cells are called malignant tumors, and those composed of noncancerous cells are called benign tumors. Cancer cells that develop from brain tissue are called primary brain tumors. Statistics suggest that brain cancer is not rare and is likely to develop in about 20,000 people per year.

There are two main types of brain cancer. Primary brain cancer starts in the brain. Metastatic brain cancer starts somewhere else in the body and moves to the brain. Brain tumors can be benign, with no cancer cells, or malignant, with cancer cells that grow quickly.

Primary brain cancer rarely spreads beyond the central nervous system, and death results from uncontrolled tumor growth within the limited space of the skull. Metastatic brain cancer indicates advanced disease and has a poor prognosis.

Metastatic brain tumors are made of cancerous cells from a tumor elsewhere in the body. The cells spread to the brain from another tumor in a process called metastasis. About 25% of tumors elsewhere in the body metastasize to the brain.



Symptoms of Brain Cancer

Brain tumors can damage vital neurological pathways and invade and compress brain tissue. Symptoms usually develop over time and their characteristics depend on the location and size of the tumor.

Cancers are typically painless at first. As they grow, the first symptom is often a mild discomfort, which may steadily worsen into increasingly severe pain as the cancer enlarges. The pain may result from the cancer compressing or eroding into nerves or other structures.

The symptoms are caused by the tumor pressing on or encroaching on other parts of your brain and keeping them from functioning normally.

A sign is also an indication that something is not right in the body. But signs are defined as things that can be seen by a doctor, nurse, or other health care professional. Fever, rapid breathing rate, and abnormal breathing sounds heard through a stethoscope may be signs of pneumonia.

As the skull is made of bone, there is a fixed amount of space for the brain to take up. The growing tumor increases the pressure inside this fixed space. This is called 'raised intracranial pressure'.

Motion sickness is a very common disturbance of the inner ear that is caused by repeated motion such as from the swell of the sea, the movement of a car, the motion of a plane in turbulent air, etc. In the inner ear (which is also called the labyrinth), motion sickness affects the sense of balance and equilibrium and, hence, the sense of spatial orientation.

Brain tumors can often present different symptoms depending on the location of the tumor. There are general brain tumor symptoms that need to be checked out by a doctor if they are experienced.

Fits are one of the commonest symptoms of brain tumors. About 1 in 4 people with a brain tumor first go to their doctor because they have had a fit. A fit can just be jerking or twitching of a hand, arm or leg.

At the late stages of the disorder, dramatic changes in blood pressure may occur. Seizures are a common symptom of benign brain tumors and slow-growing cancers. Tumors can cause a part of the body to weaken or feel paralyzed. Hearing, sight and the sense of smell can be affected.


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Top Five Tips To Avoid Cancer

Cancer is a reality that can affect any one of us. Sometimes the effect will be direct and we will be diagnosed with a form of cancer ourselves, other times it will be someone we know and love. However it is quite possible to reduce the risk of suffering from cancer. Here are the top five tips.

Tip 1: Educate Yourself

The fact you are reading this indicates that you are already doing this. You need to educate yourself not only about the different types of cancer, but also about the methods of early detection that can alert you to a cancerous growth before it has grown or spread too far. The earlier you find cancer, the easier it is to treat and the more likely the treatment is to be successful.



Tip 2: Protect Yourself In The Sun

Wearing a shirt and hat can save your life. Don't believe me? Skin cancer is between two and three times more likely to result in people who have been sunburnt and blistered. Sunburn hurts at the time, so you want to avoid it for the immediate benefit, but the long term consequences of serious sunburn are even more serious.

Tip 3: Protect Yourself From harmful Chemicals

If during your work you come in contact with harmful chemicals or substances be sure to follow all the safety procedures that your work no doubt has in place. If your work does not have them in place, be sure to get them implemented or change job. It is your right to be safe in your work place. Don't compromise your health.

Tip 4: Use Alcohol in Moderation

Overuse of alcohol can have long lasting serious benefits. Ensure you keep your drinking to moderate levels. Certain alcohols in the correct level have been shown to have a beneficial effect on cancer. The best example is red wine which is shown to be a drink that is good for the heart and cleanses the system with it's strong antioxidant properties.

Tip 5: Stop Smoking

Hopefully I don't even need to explain this one. Most cigarettes are packed with a cocktail of chemicals that are harmful to your system. Worse than this you are risking passing on the same negative effects to those you love. Passive smoking can lead to the same serious health issues that smokers themselves suffer from. Worse than this, pregnant woman need to stop smoking immediately after finding out they are pregnant. The negative effects of tobacco can be passed via the bloodstream to the child.


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Should You Clean Your Colon?

Whether or not you choose to ever use colon cleansers is a decision you alone must make. There are many different methods to use for colon cleansing. There are even entire kits available online. Some are all natural, deriving from herbs, with no side-effects like over-the-counter laxatives or enemas. There is no horrible cramping that causes sweating and pain, and there are no loose stools. Not everyone who uses these pills is constipated. Sometimes people just use them to cleanse the toxins from their bodies to feel a kind of mental and physical rejuvenation. Some even say that colon cleanses can ease symptoms of anxiety or depression. The reason for this is because unless you are eating the recommended nine daily servings of fruits and vegetables with little saturated fat, processed chemicals, and refined sugars, the food and meat you eat eventually stick to the walls of your bowels.

Overtime, this can lead to decreases in the necessary, energy-giving vitamins and nutrients from reaching the rest of your body, leading to lethargy and overall unhealthiness. Your optimum health begins with a healthy functioning colon. All-natural, herbal colon cleaning pills are the way to go if you want a quick relief from constipation or just a healthy start. These are easier to use than enemas and not cramp causing like chemical laxatives. These pills will help not only clean the end of your colon out like in a suppository, but will help scrape off and eliminate the mineral and vitamin blocking plaque that resides in the walls of you bowel now. If you've other alternatives unsatisfied or you are just looking for a different, natural remedy, then try natural, herbal pills.


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Bleeding After The Menopause - Essential Facts You Need To Know

If you've been through the menopause you may be worried by spotting or bleeding that you find. This can be due to a number of causes including vaginal infections, fibroids and endometrial cancer.

But first you have to rule out the fact have you actually reached the menopause. Even if you have been having perimenopausal symptoms such as hot flashes and night sweats for several years, it doesn't actually mean that you have reached the menopause yet. What most people call menopause symptoms are actually due to the perimenopause - the run up to the menopause. During this time your period can occur at very infrequent times. You are said to have reached the menopause when you have gone for 12 months without a period.



Bleeding in an older woman who has properly gone through the menopause may be due to cervical cancer or endometrial cancer (womb cancer). Cervical cancer may also be accompanied by a discharge that smells or pain following intercourse. If you have any of these symptoms you should visit your doctor.

Vaginal infections can also sometimes cause bleeding. Other causes could be fibroids or polyps. Your doctor may need to arrange for a specialist examination and tests to be carried out. This would be done by a gynecologist, who is an expert in women's healthcare.

One of the tests that the gynecologist may perform is a visual examination using a tool called a speculum. A hysteroscopy maybe carried out if there is any concern that bleeding is coming from the womb. This is where a tiny telescope is inserted that can look at the lining of the womb, and take a sample of tissue (biopsy) if needed. A colposcopy is a similar procedure where the specialist uses a mini telescope to look at the cervix and take a sample if required.

Cancers of the cervix and the womb are very treatable and a cure can often be made as long as they are caught early enough. This is why it is important to visit your doctor if you are concerned about any bleeding after the menopause. You should not just hope it will go away.


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Global Breast Cancer Crisis

Once a disease of the Western world, breast cancer has become a global concern. Breast cancer is the most lethal form of cancer for women in the world. An estimated 1 million cases will be identified this year, and about 500,000 new and existing patients will die from breast cancer. In the U.S., breast cancer will be diagnosed in 1 in 8 women. In other emerging economies, breast cancer is a relatively new concern. Previously a malady that mostly afflicted white, affluent women in the industrial hubs of North America and Western Europe, breast cancer is everywhere. By 2020, 70% of all breast-cancer cases worldwide will be in developing countries. Worse, as the reach of the disease is expanding, the reach of detection and treatment is not. For a woman battling breast cancer in the West, new diagnosis and treatment options come along all the time. Not so elsewhere. In the U.S., an estimated $8.1 billion is spent to diagnose and treat breast cancer each year. In India, half of all women with the disease go entirely without treatment. In South Africa, only 5% of cancers are caught in the earliest phase of the disease. With Westernized life spans, can come Western habits too-fatty foods, lack of exercise and obesity, all of which may raise the incidence of breast cancer. In many parts of the world, breast cancer is still a shameful secret.

In U.S. and Europe the type of breast cancer relies on estrogen to grow but for Asian and black women , breast cancer is more aggressive and relies on estrogen-receptor negative, or ER negative and strike 10 years earlier. There is also of ER-negative cancer called the basal-like subtype, resistant not only to estrogen but also to progesterone. Gene can also cause problems. All that to say that detecting breast cancer in the Asian population may present special difficulties.

If the spread of U.S. and European life-styles is contributing to the breast-cancer boom mainly the eating habits and reproductive habits. Women who give birth to fewer than 2 children have higher risk of developing breast cancer, pregnancy providing a sort of estrogen holiday and lactation preventing cells from becoming cancerous.

Finally, there is the lack of exercise. Studies show that leaner body mass and healthier diet for women cannot hurt. Greater awareness and greater testing are needed to start toward ending the global breast-cancer crisis. A good weight loss program is also recommended. It is also worth mentioning that cancer dislike an alkaline ph level.

Gilles Coulombe B.A. B.LL D.S.A.
http://www.NewHealthFrontier.com
Gac.videotron.qc.ca

Breast Cancer is the most lethal form of cancer for women in the world. Our lifestyles like eating habits, reproductive habits have contributed to the breast cancer boom. Leaner body mass, exercise and healthier diet can prevent cells to become cancerous.

My recommendation is to adopt a good weight loss program like the one I have suggested and to balance your pH levels because cancer dislike acid-alkaline balance. Black Cohosh can also contribute to prevent this lethal threat. Visit my site and take action now to enjoy a better life.


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Living With Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma And Fighting Depression

When living with non-Hodgkins lymphoma there are many ups and downs, mentally, physically, and spiritually on the road to surviving cancer. Here are a few of the do's and don'ts that I've learned as time went on during and after my non-Hodgkins lymphoma diagnosis. If they helped me become a cancer survivor, intact, beating the odds, why couldn't they help you? So here they are...

DO make sure you know and understand what your protocol is about while living with cancer, whether it's non-Hodgkins lymphoma, or any other type of cancer, to help maintain a level of control and reduce depression on your road to becoming a cancer survivor.

DON'T assume someone will stay on top of your protocol for you. Even doctors make mistakes from time to time!

DO take medications that are intended to help cure you of cancer EXACTLY when scheduled. Sometimes depression can be medically induced, so be proactive, be on the offensive while battling non-Hodgkins lymphoma.



DON'T be careless when it comes to taking medications intended to aid in your end goal - surviving cancer. Missing a dose and doubling up the next time scheduled, or not taking it at all could take a major toll on your odds of surviving non-Hodgkins lymphoma, or any other cancer for that matter. That's depressing!

DO make sure you stay focused on what is right with your life while living with cancer, even in the midst of the non-Hodgkins diagnosis, and throughout the protocol. Optimism, positive thinking, love, and humor all help to lessen depression, and make all the difference in the world when working toward becoming a cancer survivor.

DON'T dwell on the misery, the unknown, and the "I should have(s)" in life. Actually, all the word "should" does is induce guilt, whether living with non-Hodgkins lymphoma, or otherwise. Moreover, being negative while living with cancer is draining, both physically and mentally. And shutting loved ones out of your life during such a difficult time could be lonely and depressing!

DO make sure you get up in the morning, take a shower, get dressed, and if possible try to get some fresh air to help prevent depression. And remember, beauty comes from the inside out. People who truly care about you do not love you for your hair; they love you for the whole person you are. Cancer, including non-Hodgkins lymphoma, does not have the power to take away true love.

DON'T stay in your pajamas and robe all day. When you look good you feel good. And when you look happy, confident, and optimistic about your life, you look good... not depressed!

DO get busy LIVING when diagnosed with non-Hodgkins lymphoma. Face it head on! Deal with it in the best way you know how, keeping in mind that it's always a good idea to ask for help whenever you feel depressed. Always remember to take another step onward, and with a smile. You CAN THRIVE while living with non-Hodgkins lymphoma, or any other type of cancer. Surround yourself with positive people and positive feelings. By doing so positive energy will come your way. You CAN be happy living with cancer. The choice is yours!

DON'T wait for the non-Hodgkins lymphoma protocol to end before you start living life once again. Do not let a cancer diagnosis or depression keep you from moving forward. Your dreams and goals may have to be reprioritized; nevertheless, keep your eye on your goal - surviving cancer. Don't choose misery over happiness! If you allow misery to take over than there will be many great experiences you might have missed, and remarkable people you could have had the chance to meet. Time doesn't stand still while you're living with cancer, why should you??!! Do not give non-Hodgkins lymphoma the power to keep you from living your life to its fullest!

To read more about me and my story, or take a look at the book I wrote about my experience titled, "The Will to Live: The Perks of Cancer Through the Eyes of a Survivor", a cancer survivor book, please visit my website at http://www.erinley.com/

by Erin Ley, Author/Presenter
President
ONWARD PRODUCTIONS, INC.

By Erin Ley

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Is There Ways To Prevent Breast Cancer?

The best approach is to avoid as many risk factors as possible while increasing protective factors.

Doctors and scientists do not know why one person gets cancer and another one does not. Review the following "proven" risk factors that may increase the chance of getting breast cancer:

Estrogen: Being exposed to estrogen over a long time may increase the risk. This increased exposure occurs in the following ways:

1. Early menstruation: Beginning to have menstrual periods at age 11 or younger increases the number of years the breast tissue is exposed to estrogen.

2. Late menopause: The more years a woman menstruates, the longer her breast tissue is exposed to estrogen.

3. Late pregnancy or never being pregnant: Because estrogen levels are lower during pregnancy, the tissue is exposed to more estrogen in women who become pregnant for the first time after age 35 or who never become pregnant.



Other risk factors include:

1. Hormone replacement therapy/Hormone therapy: Therapies given to women who have had their ovaries removed or who have had a hysterectomy

2. Exposure to Radiation: Radiation to the chest for the treatment of cancers starting 10 years after treatment and lasting for a lifetime. The risk depends on the dose of radiation and the age at which it is given. The risk is highest if radiation treatment was used during puberty. Radiation therapy to treat cancer in one breast does not appear to increase the risk of developing cancer in the other breast.

3. Obesity: Increases the risk in postmenopausal women who have not used hormone replacement therapy.

4. Alcohol: Drinking alcohol increases the risk. Risk rises as the amount of alcohol consumed rises.

5. Inherited risk

Protective factors that may decrease the risk include:

1. Exercise: Exercising four or more hours a week may decrease hormone levels and help lower breast cancer risk. This effect is greatest in premenopausal women of normal or low weight.

2. The risk appears to be lower if a woman has her first full-term pregnancy before she is 20 years old.

3. Breast-feeding: Because estrogen levels are lower during breastfeeding, a woman may decrease her risk.

4. Ovarian ablation: Estrogen is reduced when one or both ovaries are removed and can decrease the risk.

5. Late menstruation: At age 14 or older decreases the chances of breast cancer.

6. Early menopause: The fewer years a woman menstruates, the shorter the time her breast tissue is exposed to estrogen.

7. Tamoxifen: Lowers the risk in women who are at high risk for the disease. The effect last for several years after drug treatment is stopped.

8. Raloxifene: Helps prevent breast cancer in postmenopausal women with osteoporosis.

9. Aromatase inhibitors: Lowers the risk of new breast cancers in postmenopausal women with a history of the disease.

10. Prophylactic mastectomy: Some women with high risk may choose to have both breasts removed when there are no signs of cancer. The risk of is lowered in these women. It is very important to have a cancer risk assessment and counseling about all options for possible prevention before making this decision.

11. Prophylactic oophorectomy: Women who have a high risk may choose to have a prophylactic oophorectomy (removal of both ovaries when there are no signs of disease) to decrease the amount of estrogen made by the body and lower the risk. It is very important to have a cancer risk assessment and counseling before making this decision.

12. Fenretinide: At type of vitamin A called retinoid that may lower the risk when given to premenopausal women who have a history of the disease.

The following have been proven NOT to be risk factors or their effects are not known:

1. Abortion

2. Oral Contraceptives

3. Progestin-only contraceptives that are injected or implanted

4. Environment: Studies have not proven that being exposed to certain substances in the environment such as chemicals, metals, dust and pollution) increases the risk.

5. It is not proven that a diet low in fat or high in fruits and vegetables will prevent breast cancer.

6. It has not been proven that either active cigarette smoking or passive smoking (inhaling secondhand smoke) increases the risk of developing the disease.

There are new studies going on continuously to find more ways to prevent breast cancer. These studies include:

• The effects of exercise

• The effects of quitting smoking or taking certain medicines, vitamins, minerals or food supplements

Source: National Cancer Institute

© 2007 Connie Limon

This article is FREE to publish with the resource box.

Written by: Connie Limon. For more information about Breast Cancer visit us at http://smalldogs2.com/BreastCancerArticles

By Connie Limon

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