Soy for the Heart :: Health and Disease :: Cancer

> Health and Disease > Cancer > breast cancer

Soy for the Heart

Adding soy foods to a healthy diet reduces the risk of heart disease without stimulating harmful hormone activity, according to a new study in the journal Metabolism.

Some people have been discouraged from eating soy because of claims that the estrogen in it may produce dangerously high levels of hormones in the body, says Professor David Jenkins of the University of Toronto's department of nutritional sciences and the Clinical Nutrition and Risk Factor Modification Centre, St Michael's Hospital.

"The concerns have been whether soy estrogen might lead to hormone-dependent breast cancer or abnormal sexual development in children, yet we found no evidence to support this," says Jenkins.

The study involved two groups of people put on a low-fat diet over two one-month periods–one diet with soy foods and the other without. To determine the estrogen level resulting from each diet, the researchers collected urine for 24 hours from all the participants at the end of each month and tested it on human breast cancer cells. Since estrogen stimulates breast cancer cells to produce a special protein, the researchers measured the amount of this protein produced by each urine sample to calculate how much estrogen was present.

The total estrogenic activity in the urine of women on soy was actually slightly less than before they started the diet.

The study also discovered that soy reduces the risk of heart disease by lowering levels of oxidized cholesterol which is taken up more rapidly by coronary artery walls to form dangerous plaques. Jenkins' previous research has already shown that soy consumption reduces cholesterol in general while also decreasing the amount of "bad" (LDL) cholesterol in the body and maintaining the amount of "good" (HDL) cholesterol. According to Jenkins, this confirms that soy should be promoted for its important role in preventing heart disease without fear.

Funding for this study was provided by the University-Industry Research Partnership Program of the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council, the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs and Loblaw Brands, Toronto.

Source: alive #212, June 2000

Exposed Canadian Breasts at Risk
Canada has the world's highest extremely low frequency (ELF) magnetic fields in residential areas. This includes the electric power frequency. And we have among the most elevated exposure for cellular phone and mast emissions. Not surprisingly, we also have the world's greatest incidence of breast cancer.

Nine Tips for Whole-Hearted Health
Our hearts, in a tireless and endless effort, work to circulate blood throughout our body. But in return we tend to often neglect and abuse our hearts, with heart disease being the number one cause of death in Canada..

Exercise Your Heart Safely
The major killer in North America today is heart disease, even though it is preventable with proper nutrition and regular exercise.

Supplements And Herbs For A Healthy Heart
Heart disease statistics could make one's blood run cold--clogged arteries, heart attacks and strokes are responsible for almost 40 per cent of North American deaths.

Catch of the Day Keeps Heart Failure Away
When women think of their health, they worry about breast cancer and osteoporosis--not heart disease. Heart disease is an issue for their grandfathers, fathers and husbands.

Prevent Heart Deterioration With Supplements
Ask yourself, "What is the one health challenge that most Canadians will face?" The answer is always heart disease. Heart disease is the most likely condition to shorten lifespan and affect quality of lif.

Whole Foods for Heart Health
Be your own valentine! As you think of ways to please your sweetheart, think of your own heart too. How healthy is it? We have to take this question seriously, since heart problems just keep on increasing in our country. I have checked many sources to come up with these heart-friendly recipes.

Hard on the Heart
The idea that too much animal fat and a high cholesterol level are dangerous to our hearts and blood vessels is nothing but a myth, according to Swedi.

Prevent Breast Cancer
I'm glad for a scary experience I had 15 years ago. When a naturopath diagnosed an energy imbalance in my chest, I awaited my next visit in fear that it might be breast cancer.

Your Venous System
The cardiovascular system consists of the heart, arteries and veins working in synchronicity. Taking good care of your heart is common sense. Plenty has been written on keeping arteries clear, but a system is only as strong as its weakest link. Most people don't give their venous system a second thought until it's too late..

Herbs for Your Heart
It's easy to forget about the heart, as it does its job automaticall.

Hearts Love Herbs
You can't think about heart herbs, especially during the month of February, without thinking of heartsease, the little three-coloured wild pansy (Viola tricolor).

Heart Problems?
Homeopathy has an excellent history of use in acute and chronic heart ailments. A man has his first heart attack. In the emergency department, the physician observes his overwhelming fear of impending death and gives him two pellets of homeopathic Aconitum under his tongue.

Angina
Bypass surgery is five to 10 times more likely to kill you than save you. Angina is more than just chest pain. The symptoms are similar to those of a heart attack, albeit less severe, and they usually end in one to 10 minutes.

Triumph Over Breast Cancer
Fifteen women die from breast cancer every day in Canada. But when Ontario resident Anne Brown was diagnosed in 1993, she refused to become a victim. Now, nine years later, her story remains a tribute to the power of a positive attitude and natural healing.

Breast Cancer Action Alert
"Only five to 10 per cent of breast cancers have a strong genetic component... Diet and lifestyle are very important factors, as are hormone balance, detoxification and emotional health.

A Sensible Part Of Your Diet
Soy food consumption has increased markedly over the past 10years,largely because of media coverage of research indicating soy may decrease risk of several chronic diseases including heart disease, osteoporosis, and breast and prostate cancer.

Understanding the Cardiovascular System
To understand your cardiovascular system, with its hardworking heart and complex support network of arteries, veins and capillaries, think of it as a delivery system of highways and roads that allow oxygen-rich blood to reach every cell of your body.

The Heart of the Matter
Hospital waiting rooms are lonely places. Unfortunately for many people, the firstintroduction to cardiac disease involves waiting for physicians and nurses to deliver news about loved ones.

Heart Happy
Your heart must be challenged on a regular basis. It is a muscle and, like any other muscle in the body, the more it is used, the stronger it becomes. And, also like other muscles, a stronger heart will also be more efficient at doing its job.

Do You Suffer From Heart Disease?
Cardiovascular disease is the number-one preventable cause of death in Canada today. A healthy diet of whole natural foods, regular exercise and good quality sleep can go a long way to reduce the stresses on our heart, arguably the body's most important organ.

Beating Breast Cancer
Dorothy Reece knows how to beat breast cancer. Reece, who now lives in Victoria, Canada, was first diagnosed with breast cancer in 1975, when she was 49 years old and going through an emotionally draining divorce.

Borage for Breasts
October is breast cancer awareness month and millions of Canadians will sport pink ribbons in support of breast cancer research. In the United Kingdom, however, not all women are wearing the pink ribbon; many are adorned with a pin of the borage flower.

Soy Protein and Women's Health

Seniors: Hooked on Drugs
About 75 -per -cent of seniors 65 and older living in private households take prescription or non-prescription drugs on a daily basis. For institutionalized seniors, this jumps to a whopping 96 -per -cent.

Heart Pains
Heart disease accounts for the death of more Canadians than any other disease with about 79,400 deaths annually. Yet, many Canadians do not understand, or perhaps refuse to believe, the potentially life-saving power of food.

Prevent and Treat Breast Cancer Naturally
Breast cancer is the leading cause of death in women ages 35 to 54 and our risk is rising. In 1960, one in 20 developed breast cancer; today one in eight women will get it. Of those who have breast cancer, one in four will die..

Prevent and Treat Breast Cancer Naturally
Early diagnosis is essential to acquiring fast and appropriate treatment for breast cancer, but it does not prevent breast cancer.

Prevent and Treat Breast Cancer Naturally
The first two thoughts most women have when they are diagnosed with breast cancer are "Will I die? and "Will I lose my breast? So frightening is the diagnosis of cancer that many people launch into treatment before exploring all of the options..

Life After Breast Cancer
Congratulations, you've beaten cancer! Now that you're free from surgery and radiation, with a clean bill of health, you may be pleased (or not) with the results of reconstructive surgery (if you had it).

Thermography
Breast thermography is an assessment tool used extensively as a first-line screening procedure to monitor breast health. Digital infrared cameras detect abnormal changes in blood circulation, which develop in order to feed solid-mass cancer tumours..

Seeing Deception Is Your Only Protection
Every October since 1985, the pink ribbon, symbol of the National Breast Cancer Awareness Month (NBCAM), is seen everywhere. It is prominently displayed on TV ads, posters, and in women's magazines.

Cancer Diagnosis
A number of years ago one of the most popular songs on the radio instructed us to "don't worry, be happy. It was a nice sentiment-but we understand that life is not that simple. I fear that in writing this month's column on emotional health and breast cancer that it may sound like "don't worry, be happy. I assure you it isn't..

Grape Expectations
It is sobering news for women that they now not only suffer equal rates of heart disease as men, but are more likely to die from their heart attacks.

Heart on Track
In this month of cupid's arrows, the emotional health of our heart is under the spotlight. Amid the deluge of chocolates and flowers, however, it's important to remember to nurture the physical health of this most vulnerable organ..

Preventing Heart Disease
Has blood cholesterol been overemphasized as a risk factor for heart disease? Elevated blood cholesterol levels, particularly the bad form of cholesterol - low-density lipoprotein (LDL) - is definitely a risk factor, bu.

Shopping List for a Healthy Heart

Vitamin E (100 percent natural source mixed toco.

Warm Feet, Warm Heart

Not Milk?
The best food for babies is their mothers' milk; it is perfectly adapted to their needs. For adults, however, lactose intolerance is just one reason to look for an alternative to cows' milk.

Reduce Your Risk of Heart Disease Without Prescriptions
Cholesterol tests have been the standard for predicting heart disease for many years. However, a new risk factor - high levels of homocysteine - have gained increasing interest and research in recent years.

Reduce Your Risk of Breast Cancer
According to the Canadian Breast Cancer Society, 21,600 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer this year, and 5,300 women will die from it. With these statistics in mind, it is important

Basic Breast Health

Breast Cancer and Dioxins
Evidence has been mounting that man-made chemicals may be the underlying cause of many cases of breast cancer. Once ingested, these synthetic compounds mimic the action of estrogen-long considered to be a risk factor for breast cancer-and throw the hormone system into chaos.

The Four Cornerstones to Heart Health

A New Start?
Ready to make a new start this year? Don't forget about your heart! A routine of healthy diet, stress reduction, and exercise will go a long way toward helping to improve your odds of avoiding heart disease. Many natural products, too, can help improve your heart health.

Move Over Has-Bean
Recently, while my friends and I were sharing a laugh over a cuppa java, I looked across the table at Amanda's cup and realized there was no ebony liquid in it. Instead, she was delicately sipping green tea. One of Amanda's jokes?

Healthy Heart Metabolism
Everyone knows that one of the main keys to healthy heart metabolism is regular exercise. Aside from the fact that exercise strengthens muscle tissue-and your heart is a muscle-exercise also enhances one of the body's main repair biochemicals, insulin-like growth factor-1, or IGF-1.

What's your expiry date?
To know the date of your death well in advance would be a rare gift. Or would it?

The Copper Connection
Copper is at the core of normal body function. Without copper, we cannot form superoxide dismutase, the superpower of all antioxidants. Copper also helps our bodies create collagen, the protein that forms healthy joints and supple, young skin. And it has a role in helping our bodies store iron, a critical component of the formation of hemoglobin in red blood cells.

Looking at Breast Cancer, Naturally
Breast cancer is, by far, the most common cancer among North American women. Along with conventional treatments, the following natural therapies can help you recover from breast cancer, or they can be used as preventive medicine.

Fighting Breast Cancer
Only recently have scientists discovered that melatonin is a powerful breast cancer fighter. It protects the body in several ways. Ensuring proper melatonin production is essential for breast cancer protection, as melatonin prevents the initiation of breast cancer, slows tumour growth, and prevents metastasis of tumours.

Five Ways to Get your Fruits and Veggies

Supersize Dilemma

Start young for better health

Encouragement goes a long way

A little regret goes a long way

Moderate exercise pays off

Environmental Causes of Breast Cancer

Strength in Numbers

Moisten Up

Infrared Breast Scans

Breaking Down the Barriers

Hormone Help

Heart Displayed in Whole New Light

Coronary Heart Disease
This month we look at preventing and treating heart disease. Nathan examines ounces of prevention, measured in grams of fat per serving, while Janice discovers the importance of familial connection, measured in speed of returned phone calls.

Top 10 Tips For a Healthy Heart
Can diet and lifestyle changes really help you fight family history of heart disease and prevent heart attacks, high blood pressure, and stroke? Medical research says yes.

New Treatments for Breast Cancer
A few years ago, I went to a lecture given by Dr. Ruth Heidrich, breast cancer survivor and author of A Race for Life (Lantern Books, 2000), and heard a story that completely changed my life.

Breast Cancer and the Environment
Many of us know someone - a mother, a daughter, a friend - who has faced breast cancer. Considering that one out of nine Canadian women is expected to develop breast cancer during her lifetime, it's no wonder so many of us have been affected by this disease.

Coenzyme Q10
One of the most important coenzymes discovered-CoQ10-has been compared to a spark plug in a car. Just as a car cannot function without that initial spark, the human body cannot function without CoQ10.

Heart to Health
Traditional merges with modern in this short list of herbs, nutritional supplements, and natural foods recommended by naturopathic and medical doctors, researchers, and, yes, even your dear old granny.

Take Charge of Your Breast Health
Conflicting information in the media makes it difficult to know how best to protect ourselves from breast cancer. Who should we believe? Which studies are actually true? What can we do to minimize our risk?

Superfood in a Nutshell
What nuts lack in size they more than make up for in nutrition.

New Information to Prevent and Treat Breast Cancer Naturally
Breast cancer is one of the most commonly diagnosed cancers for women. Awareness and fundraising campaigns are everywhere, but many of us are still confused about how to translate cancer research into strategies that may prevent breast cancer. In this article, discover cancer-fighting foods and new screening techniques that can help prevent cancer naturally.

Remember Rhodiola
A herb that was widely used by ancient Nordic seafarers is still being used by monks of the Himalayas. The therapeutic properties of this Arctic herb, rhodiola (Rhodiola rosea), have also been impressing modern researchers.

This Might Save Your Life
"I'm going to call an ambulance, I told my patient, a woman in her early 50s. She knew that something was wrong, but I knew she wasn't convinced that her symptoms were serious. Most women, and many men, aren't aware of the more subtle signs of a heart attack.

Breast Screening Options
In 2008 an estimated 22,400 Canadian women were diagnosed with breast cancer. Even with increased public awareness, the rate is still increasing. The numbers underline the importance of early detection and breast screening.