Cancer prevention

[HollyElise]

from Women's World:

Secret Weapons in the war against Breast cancer

Most of us are terrified of this disease, but fortunately, there are now ways you can prevent it. Researchers have pinpointed several diet and lifestyle tweaks that could cut your risk by as much as 80%, or keep you cancer-free even if you've battled the disease in the past. Experts recommend:

Serving up some broccoli. Women who eat one cup of broccoli weekly are 40% less likely to develop breast cancer than thos who avoid it! The credit goes to two plant compounds---indole-3 carbinol (I3C) and sulforaphane---which "protect breast tissue from harmful estrogens, boost the liver's ability to break down carcinogens and turn on the genes that suppress tumor growth," says Christine Horner, M.D., author of Dr. Christine Horner's Program to Protect Against and Fight Breast Cancer. Even better: Eating at least three cups of fruits and veggies daily will cut your odds of breast cancer 50%!

Taking the long way home. A new study shows that spending just three to five hours a week walking can reduce a woman's level of cancer-fueling estrogen enough to cut her risk of death from breast cancer by 50%!

Sip water on your walk. Staying well-hydrated could cut your breast cancer risk by as much as 45%. How? Water helps flush cancer-causing toxins out of the digestive tract and bladder!

Turning to an Indian spice. A study suggests turmeric---the spice that's a main ingredient in curry---helps slash the spread of breast cancer by 47%. Cancer cells need inflammation to spread, and turmeric is a powerful anti-inflammatory. Rx 1/2 teaspoon of ground turmeric or 1,400 mg. daily. Important! As always, talk to your doctor before taking any new supplement.

---Brenda Kearns