The power of food to fight breast cancer recurrence and unhealthy inflammation

Blue Foods

Dr. Berkson highlights foods that help prevent primary and recurrent cancers. She emphasizes blue pigments in foods, like purple cabbage, purple carrots, purple cauliflower, radicchio, black rice, blueberries, blackberries, and more. Blue pigments are called anthocyanins and have been shown to fight daughter cancer cells and even cancer stem cells, which are the cells that create the highest risk of recurrence. Blue foods have been repeated shown in laboratory studies to kill ER+ breast cancer cells. Berkson discusses a rainbow diet filled with diverse polyphenolic protective compounds, as well as specific kinds of protective brassica (broccoli) family type foods.

Dr. B Busts the Soy Debate

Evidence clearly shows, beyond a doubt that women do not need to avoid whole “unprocessed” soy foods (if you oncologist told you this he or she does not know the well-replicated scientific literature that has put the soy issue at rest). Soy reduces risk of recurrence by up-regulating estrogen receptor beta signals linked to reducing cancer cell growth. But this is referring to organic non-GMO soy foods. Processed soy foods like hydrolyzed soy proteins and isolated flavones are linked to worsening cancer issues as they are “processed” foods, which act differently that whole natural unprocessed or fermented soy.

Soy foods also have been found to help with weight reduction by replacing higher caloric and pro-inflammatory red meat meals. Berkson addresses the role of fat cells, adipocytes, on breast cancer, as well as vitamin C, melatonin, mushrooms, Vitamin D, and exercise. Chemo kills cancer cells but also damages affect gut wall cells that need to replace themselves almost twice a week and thus need vitamin A and folate for this healthy on-going cellular replication.

Berkson points a finger at excess alcohol intake rampant in today’s society as increasing risk of primary and recurrent cancers She discusses the role of oxytocin as a protector of breast tissue, attitude as a risk factor in post-cancer outcomes, and the toxic role that smoking plays in trying to stay remission free. Berkson discusses new laboratory research showing that inhaled resveratrol extract (an antimicrobial chemical substance produced by plants to protect against infection and stress) protects lung tissue against adverse effects of aging and disease.

This suggests that grapes, red wine and resveratrol supplements are potential lung anti-aging agents and may also be helpful when trying to maintain remission. Berkson then focuses the spot light on omega-7 fatty acids to up-regulate anti-inflammatory genes that tamp down nasty inflammation, especially in the gut, and even in patients with inflammatory bowel diseases like ulcerative colitis.

Mayo Study

A Mayo study is presented, that was double-blind, randomized, and placebo-controlled run on 20 patients with ulcerative colitis. Macadamia extract, 720 mg/day of Cis-palmitoleic acid, was orally administered for 8 weeks and gut inflammation monitored before and after. The author’s concluded that cis-palmitoleic acid as co- adjuvant therapy for 8 weeks decreased the inflammatory activity in the gut of UC patients and is a good adjunctive tool. Go here for Berkson’s to die-for macadamia sugar-free sinful tasting raw and easy to make mac pudding that is high in omega-7 fatty acid and helps fight unhealthy inflammation —

https://drlindseyberkson.com/berksons-seed-only-muffins-with-mac-pudding-on-top/

Importance of Magnesium

There is a newly appreciated role for Magnesium and green veggies on heart health. Supplementation with magnesium was found to improve heart rate variability (HRV). HRV is the variation in the times between heartbeats. HRV reflects balance between signals to the heart from the parasympathetic and sympathetic nervous systems. It suggests how ZEN and healthy you heart is or is not.

Low HRV now appears to suggest a disruption in proper balance between the sympathetic and parasympathetic signaling to the heart. This often occur secondary to a variety of increased stressors such as emotional stress or nutrient deficiencies, like insufficient magnesium inside the red blood cell (RBC magnesium).

In this randomized, controlled, 90-day study, 400 mg of magnesium combined with strength-endurance training improved HRV. This study shows that magnesium supplementation can help persons with mental and physical stress as well as health conditions linked to insufficient magnesium such as heart disease, chronic pain, headaches, heart arrhythmias, restlessness, irritability, lack of concentration, sleep disorders, or even depression.

Heart Health and Olive Oil

Olive oil helps your heart health, too. A Mediterranean diet, especially enriched with virgin olive oil, improves the functionality (how it works) of high-density lipoprotein, your good cholesterol,  even in patients at high risk for heart disease.

A Mediterranean diet rich in virgin olive oil helps the body in diverse ways especially reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke by:

—–removing excess cholesterol from arteries,

—–being a powerful antioxidant, and

—–keeping blood vessels stay more flexible and open (patent).

What else helps your heart health?

Regular, satisfying orgasms. See sexybrainsystem.com

 

Minerva Gastroenterol Dietol. 2017 Feb 9. doi: 10.23736/S1121-421X.17.02367-4. Effect of Cis-palmitoleic acid (an omega-7 fatty acid) supplementation on inflammation and expression of HNF4γ, HNF4α and IL-6 in patients with ulcerative colitis: a double-blind, randomized pilot study.

Fortschr Med. 2016;158(Suppl 6):12-6.