The Benefits Of Eating A Raw Food Diet

So I guess by reading this article, you may be asking what are the benefits to eating a raw food diet ? Well, the benefits of eating more raw foods are numerous and once you understand them you’ll probably wonder why you haven’t eaten more raw in the past. You’ll also think twice about eating dead cooked foods ever again.

Raw Foods Give You More Energy

I can’t tell you of one person I know that follows a raw food diet that doesn’t have more energy than the average person . I know that when I transitioned away from eating a diet made up of breads, dairy, and cooked foods, and adopted more of a raw foods diet, my energy went through the roof. And I’m not talking about the quick surge you would get from an espresso but alternatively long-lasting energy that enables you to do more with less.
An example, eating raw foods will allow your body to sleep less and have far more energy than you’ve ever felt before . When I’m eating at least 80% raw, I can easily function on just 4-5 hours of sleep. I literally bounce out of bed and don’t require any naps throughout the day. Oh yeah, did I mention that I workout every single day as well? Sometimes, even twice!

Energizing Enzymes
When following a raw food diet, there are several reasons why it will give you more energy . First, raw foods are rich in food enzymes. Enzymes are compulsory for every single reaction in the body. Unfortunately, our bodies only have a finite number of these enzymes, so when we run out, we run out of life! To add to this, when you heat foods above 118 degrees fahrenheit, you destruct the food enzymes that are naturally present in all raw foods. Therefore, if you eat a predominantly cooked foods diet, you’re not getting enough food enzymes, which means that your body will have to produce and use more of its own to digest and metabolize your foods.

The less energy you will have for activities if your body requires more energy to divert towards digestion . You will feel more lethargic and tired as your body is trying to breakdown “dead” foods and figure out what to do with them.

So the food enzymes apparent in raw foods are a big reason why it boosts your energy . They are the spark plugs and are intricately related to the next property that make raw foods so energy-boosting.

Life Force

When raw foods are left intact, they are also known as living foods . They are named “living” because they carry an incredible amount of life force.

Now, since every living being has an aura or energy field illuminating from their body, which foods do you think would enhance yours? Cooked foods that are dead or high energy raw foods ? I think we both know the answer.

As I like to say, “eat alive and you will thrive”.

Weight Loss and Beautiful Skin

The other highly sought-after quality of a raw foods diet is its ability to help you lose weight and beautify your skin . Almost all raw foodists have reported losing weight they could never lose. At the same time, they notice an instant improvement in their skin. They look younger and have a natural glow that comes about because of the “living” nature of raw foods, their abundance of enzymes, and of course the plethora of nutrients that are ingested when eating more fruits and vegetables.

You will find it easier to lose weight on a raw food diet because your getting more nutrients and, therefore, your body won’t crave “dead” foods. Second, the enzymes help to breakdown the foods you are eating and excess energy and fat stores in your body. Third, raw foods are water-rich, which helps you feel more satiated, as well as hydrated.

Many of these reasons also help us explain why living foods make you look younger and beautify your skin. Enzymes, life force, water, and high quality nutrients all play a role in natural skin care.

We could talk about the benefits of a raw food diet for hours but the only to truly understand them is to experience them for yourself. So why not take action today and enjoy the health, the body, and the vitality that you deserve!

Unknown Facts About Lowering Cholesterol Revealed By The Experts

You don’t know how much poison you swallow day in and out. Much of it won’t kill you right away, but it is accumulating over time, you could just drop dead one day and that would be the end of it, so you need to start to reduce high cholesterol right now. That’s the way it works with cholesterol.You don’t want to die young, do you? Well, that is exactly what is going to happen to you if you don’t do something about all that cholesterol in your system immediately. Talk to a doctor and take some action to get it under control. They should be able to work something out for you that will help to lower your cholesterol.

Folks make a big deal out of lowering cholesterol, and they are right to do so. Do you want to die, or don’t you? If you don’t, then you want to lower your cholesterol, and you can do that by paying attention to this article and taking action.

Increase your fiber! This is an important piece of information that I have to give a lot of Americans today that can help in reducing high cholesterol, because too many people don’t even have a clue about it. Increase your intake of fiber foods and check out the dietary alternatives you have available.With a healthy diet, you can lower your cholesterol to more acceptable and healthy levels. A detox diet, I know, could actually do the magic. Why don’t you try a detox diet and focus on eating only fruit and vegetables, and drinking water for a week.

Fiber is roughage, and is a kind of food that is good for you. In consuming roughage you get to get rid of cholesterol in your system. Your cholesterol levels aren’t going anywhere but up as long as you continue to eat all that junk food. The only way to do it is to lay off the grease and eat more healthy foods.

The level of cholesterol in your system is bound to affect you whether you like it or not. Besides the fact that it makes you susceptible to a lot of illnesses, it can actually end up killing you by blocking your blood vessels. That’s why you have to lower it.Your system can only take so much cholesterol before it shuts down and tries to reboot. The problem is that rebooting a human being is not that easy; oftentimes the fellow winds up dead. So instead of letting you body try to restart itself, why not restart on a diet that will lower your cholesterol levels but not bring you down.

The Significance of Acupuncture on Infertility

For centuries that have passed, this art and often considered as health practice called acupuncture has been a common practice in Asian countries. This defines the magnificence as well as complexity of pinning fine needles in various vital points of the body for different purposes like relieving pain and treats some health ailments. The basic effect of acupuncture on infertility is to regulate the person’s blood pressure by proper stimulation of the central nervous system. It greatly encourages the production and release of endorphins that play a vital part of inhibiting the pain and neurohormones and neurotransmitters in making the body heal on its own.

Acupuncture on infertility is also considered as one of the effective treatments on different infertility concerns specifically imbalances on hormones. The levels of hormones are leveled accordingly through increasing blood flow on different vital organs as it regulates the body system. Moreover it also helps enhance the vital functions of the ovaries as well as follicles. The endometrium is generally responsible for thickening the uterus lining which benefits from acupuncture because of increased blood flow. A particular infertility treatment like IVF or In Vitro Fertilization is also greatly aided in elevating its success rate. In fact, a number of specialists now offer acupuncture as an element that’s part of IVF treatment. This becomes more noticeable on the improvements made in the process of transferring the embryo that leads to more success in pregnancy. Another particular concern in infertility that can be treated with acupuncture as well is that of having spasmed tubes. It’s done by making these spasmed tubes into de-spasmed ones. Moreover, there are also many other infertility issues that can be effectively cured by acupuncture like Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome, increased follicle stimulating hormone, repeated miscarriage, idiopathic infertility, luteal phase defect, hyperprolactinemia, and also sperm DNA fragmentation.

The body has the capacity to heal itself naturally and acupuncture also enhances this ability. In this case, the more you undergo acupuncture, the healthier it is. In the case of women who are about to take IVF treatments or donor egg transfer, they are often treated with acupuncture for three to four months before going through the said processes. Acupuncture is recommended for women before and after they undergo embryo transfer. This is for the purpose of enhancing the the therapeutic effect as well as the different infertility cures. Basically, fertility treatments are often stressful for the involved person. And what is considered the best remedy for this is acupuncture. Because of the fact that acupuncture has many ways to add in the treatment of infertility, it is advisable for couples who suffer from this kind of concern to give every possible option a shot.

Acupuncture also has accompanied risks but is very minimal. Nevertheless, miscarriage can take place as acupuncture is not done properly on a pregnant woman. This makes it important to make sure that acupuncture is only done by a certified acupuncturist who is very well capable and specializes in the said therapy. Electro-acupuncture which is considered a more advanced type is used to prevent pain during labor. Hospitalization needs can be significantly reduced which prevents a person to spend much.

Above everything, recent studies have disclosed that the right blend of herbal medicine, acupuncture, and traditional medical help serve as the right formula for infertility treatment. In many cases, acupuncture and herbal medicines are considered to be more effective with the help of traditional medical treatments.

The Two Primary Causes of Candida

Many people are not familiar with the name Candida, but everyone has heard of what it causes: yeast infections.  Candida is a type of yeast and Candida albicans is the specific yeast that is responsible for yeast infections and thrush in women, men, and children. 

The term Candida is used to indicate the name of the yeast and often to refer to a yeast overgrowth.  Another commonly used term is candidiasis which can be used interchangeably with yeast infection, although candidiasis could refer to any type of yeast overgrowth in the body.

Candida is naturally occurring in the human body and in most cases is kept in balance by beneficial bacteria (or flora) in the digestive system.  However, in some situations Candida can grow to dangerous levels and cause a number of health problems.  This is seen frequently in people with compromised immune systems. The incidence of yeast infections and Candida continue to rise in the United States and that can be attributed to two primary factors.

The first of these factors is the significant use of antibiotics.  Antibiotics are prescribed for a wide range of illnesses and for good reason, but there is a downside, too.  The side effect of using certain types of antibiotics is that in addition to eliminating the bad bacteria, they can also kill the beneficial bacteria that people need in their digestive systems.  It is the beneficial bacteria that keep some organisms such as Candida down at reasonable levels in our bodies.  When the bacteria are no longer there, the Candida can quickly rise to unhealthy levels and the problems begin.

There are many times when it is absolutely necessary to take antibiotics, but one should take steps to replenish the beneficial bacteria in their body as soon as possible.  One safe and easy way to do this is with probiotics or acidophilus supplements found at most health food stores.  These supplements are inexpensive and are a great help in getting the body back into balance quickly.

The other basic reason the Candida is such a problem these days is our diet.  Candida thrives on food with lots of refined sugars, heavily processed foods, simple carbohydrates, dairy, and alcohol.  That list of foods comprises the bulk of the diet for so many people in the United States today.  As long as those foods continue to be the bulk of a person’s calories, it will be nearly impossible to get rid of Candida.  Even if Candida were not an issue, it is better to eat less processed foods and sugars anyway.

Fortunately, much research is being done on how to take care of existing Candida infections and keep them from returning.  For any solution to work it needs to look at the entire process.  Get rid of the infection, eliminate the root causes, and make the necessary changes to keep it from returning.

 

Electronic Air Filter: Why You Need One & Which One Should You Buy?

We all take breathing for granted, and hardly ever give it a second thought.  We have existed this long without any apparent problems.  Why must we be worried about an issue we can not actually see…right?

Regrettably, there’s a concealed issue that we cannot see, but which will potentially do us serious physical harm if preventive steps aren’t taken.  The fact is we’re encompassed by air that is horribly dirty. It is polluted by fumes from gases and chemicals, pet dander, dust, dirt, smoke to name just a few of these unpleasant elements.

So, how can we remove these types of harmful particles from our home and make sure the air we are breathing is pure?  We need to use an electronic air filter!

Here’s Why You Should Choose An Electronic Air Filter:

An electronic air filter is a relatively inexpensive and low maintenance way of eliminating airborne contaminants from the atmosphere in your house. Using electrostatic technology to provide a kind of filterless air purifier, electronic air filters really are a safe method to keep your air particle, fume and dust-free.

These filterless air purifiers operate by employing the scientific principle of electrostatics. This law signifies that materials with opposite charges are attracted to one another. Thus electronic air filters harness the power of this principle by collecting the air and giving any particles gathered a charge. The charge emitted by electronic air filters is completely safe to humans, but pulls the collected contaminants to a plate inside the unit, where they stay, safety extracted from your breathing air.

A typical electronic air filter is ninety five percent effective in eliminating particles and fumes from the air in your home, collecting the offending substances on plates kept safely inside the unit. A few people find this idea to be a drawback to electronic air filters as these collection plates must be cleaned frequently.  This is, nevertheless, a relatively basic job, as the collection plates are easily cleaned by wiping them with a wet cloth. This simple maintenance job ensures that your electronic air purifier continues to be effective in keeping your atmosphere dust, fume and particle-free.

Additionally, an electronic air filter has the benefit of cleaning the oxygen of your entire home if the unit is positioned in the proper place and the correct settings are used. This enables you to clean the oxygen inside your whole house with the use of one device that is devoted as much as you are to keeping your loved ones healthy.

Finding the Right Electronic Air Filter:

A number of individuals become totally baffled when they’re attempting to shop for an electronic air filter. The options that are available to them turn out to be quite overwhelming. Nevertheless, with some work it’s feasible to discover the ideal match for your requirements. For instance, you should determine the air capacity of your home to make sure that the electronic air filter device you buy is large enough to take care of your needs. It is a lot less expensive to buy a bigger electronic air filter, instead of purchasing two smaller units.

Additionally you should look for an electronic air filter that will run quietly and not increase the noise in your home. Many consumers who purchase noisy equipment end up turning them off, which in turn renders the equipment worthless. This obviously is a waste of money and doesn’t improve the oxygen quality. Make certain you purchase a quiet electronic air filter device so that it will stay on.

You should also compare the service plans as well as warranties that accompany each model of available electronic air filters. Shopping around is fairly easy on the internet in the comfort of your home.  This way you’ll be equipped with all of the info you require, rather than base your decision on the information that a sales person provides.

Conclusion:

Electronic air cleaners are a simple and effective yet low maintenance method for cleaning the oxygen you breathe. The fact they remove as much as ninety five percent of problem contaminants from the oxygen inside your home helps make the purchase of an electronic air cleaner a shrewd investment.  It’s going to help provide your loved ones with an atmosphere that’s safe and wholesome for everyone!

Wnat to read more?  Click here:  Do Air Purifiers Work?

Home Device For Detecting Breast Abnormalities

A new hand held device for women to use at home as part of their regular monthly self examination can actually view the inside of their breasts to detect abnormalities and cancers. Developed in the UK, is now commercially available, and could prove invaluable for early detection and particularly useful for women with a family history of breast cancer.

A trial recently took place at the symptomatic breast clinic at Sunderland City Hospital which involved 300 women and was designed to assess whether a UK device, Breastlight, could accurately detect abnormalities and cancers. It works by shining a very bright but harmless red LED light through breast tissue where veins and other blood vessels show up as dark lines, often referred to as the ‘map’ of the breast. This is normal, but if a woman detects other dark spots or shadows, this is generally an indication that there is an abnormality. Of course there may be nothing to worry about such as a benign lesion like a bruise or blood filled cyst or it may require further investigation

The researchers found that it could detect malignancies as small as 7 mm and presented this data at the European Institute of Oncology’s 12th Milan Breast Cancer Conference. confirms that Breastlight, a device for women to use at home when carrying out their breast health awareness routine, detects malignant tumours, picking up lesions as small as 7mm.

The women in the trial had all been referred by their G P for a breast assessment and they were examined with Breastlight before their standard clinical assessment. The findings were then compared to those seen with mammography, ultrasound and biopsy. Breastlight was highly effective as it:

• detected 12 out of 18 malignant tumours which were then confirmed as positive using biopsy (giving a sensitivity of 67%)

• correctly identified as negative 240 out of 282 breasts (giving a specificity of 85%)

• detected malignant tumours as small as 7mm (it is generally accepted that malignancies below 1.8cm are non-palpable)

• detected a number of variants of cancers regardless of age or density of breast tissue or menopausal status of women1

The researchers were impressed with the sensitivity and specificity of the Breastlight device though of course it should not in any way replace mammography but that can provide an early warning as part of an early warning screening routine as it can reliably pick up abnormal lumps which can be further investigated to assess whether benign or malignant. It could also be extremely useful for women who have confirmed recurrent benign cysts and find it difficult to examine themselves.

In addition to trial in Sunderland, Breastlight usage has been evaluated at-home in a User Study involving over 1,200 women that reported it encouraged breast examination, at recommended frequency levels, and gave women confidence in their breast examination. 80% of women said they felt more confident when using Breastlight in addition to their existing routine and it increased the frequency of examination considerably.

It is not intended to replace but to augment regular self examination, backed up by regular mammograms. You should find it in major Boots stores, online at www.breastlight.com or at www.boots.com with a recommended price of 84.99 – not cheap, but as an early warning system for cancer it could prove priceless.

How to build Rid of Acne Quick in your house – That is the best Way to build Rid of Acne at home Quickly!

Acne is likely the greatest aesthetic dilemma of young persons currently.

But, how does acne occur and why?

The whole surface of our epidermis is covered by pores, which include glands. These glands create a a number of form of fat called sebum. When the glands produce the proper amount of sebum, every thing is okay. But once they turn into stimulated and begin to develop excessive sebum, the pores become clogged. This benefits from the accumulation of sebum and bacteria for the pores and skin, which leads towards the formation of pimples. The reason why acne happens while in puberty is mainly because at this age the sex hormones that stimulate the glands are most active.

At times, acne is really a chronic sickness (a lot of adults suffer from acne till the age of 30 or more), which thankfully seriously isn’t a serious dilemma as much as the physical well being is concerned, but regrettably can lead to a important blow towards the self-confidence of people. What’s a lot more, acne can cause ugly scars about the deal with or other parts in the human body which will continue to be there for the rest to your existence.

Thankfully, the scenario is much from hopeless. You’ll find one or two issue you can do to build rid of acne:

    * Wash your face 2 times per day with soap and warm water (rubbing the skin color is usually a incredibly bad thought, simply because you might irritate it).<br> You also must wash your confront following operating out to obtain rid of every one of the sweat and dirt. Soon after washing your deal with, you really should dry it gently, but thoroughly having a clean dry towel.

    * Do not let hair gels and hair sprays arrive into contact with your pores and skin.

    * Ladies ought to stay away from employing cosmetics that are too oily.

    * Stay away from touching or popping your pimples, because the bacteria will penetrate deeper to the pores and skin resulting in a lot more pain, redness and possibly even scars.

    * Steer clear of meals that might have a damaging impact on your skin color. No study to date has shown that eating certain foods can aggravated acne, but if you have observed that a distinct food causes difficulties to you personally, it really is greatest to avoid it.

    * Prevent strain, due to the fact even though it doesn’t actually lead to this ailment, it could aggravate it.

    * Generally set sunscreen through the summer, as the sun tan might temporarily hide the redness of one’s pores and skin, but it may make the problem worse from the lengthy operate.

They are one or two very helpful ideas that could help you see some improvement, but the only way to have rid of this dilemma after and for all is usually to eradicate the root result in of this disease. You need to adhere to a holistic system that should increase your immune program and restore the natural hormonal balance of your respective entire body.

Wish to find out much more about remove acne. Then go to Sandy Jameson’s site on how you can select the finest acne face for your wants.

Sapphires & Diamonds Womens Perfume and Cologne by Elizabeth Taylor

     After experiencing lots of success as a young Anglo American actress in the 1940′s-1960′s, Elizabeth Taylor is considered an icon and one of the top 10 actresses of all time. As a young beauty, she was able to open up doors and capitalize on the opportunites that had presented themselves to her. In her latter years, she has made many tabloids with her Hollywood lifestyle, many marriages, and her close friendship with Michael Jackson. With all her success, she has also come out with an entire line of womens perfume and mens fragrances throughout her lifetime. These widely popular designer womens fragrances for women are known throughout the world and we are going to cover just about all of them today in our article

     The first womens discount perfume debuted under Elizabeth Taylors name was called Passion designer perfume for women. This fantastic womens perfume was introduced in 1987 and was an instant smash with the feminine community. With perfume notes of jasmine, woods, vanilla, moss, and & floral aroma’s, its not hard to tell why this women’s discount perfume was able to take off so quickly and was greatly loved by the feminine community. This perfume is still in circulation today and typically you can still find it a some of the major department stores. The mens cologne version called “Passion Cologne” hit the scene a few years later in 1989. This also happens to be the only mens cologne fragrance that Elizabeth decided to release. This mens cologne fragrance carries ingredients of ginger, clove oil, nutmeg, jasmine and vanilla. The ginger really sets this mens fragrance apart with just enough ginger spice to get people’s heads to turn.

     Next on the list of Elizabeth Taylor’s womens perfume was called “White Diamonds” perfume for women. Another fantastic fragrance from Elizabeth Taylor, White Diamonds discount perfume was released in 1991 and heads for a more casual type of womens scent. Fragrance perfume notes in this specific womens perfume are lily, rose, amber, oakmoss and sandalwood, making for a great fragrance that can be worn just about anytime of the day or night. White Diamonds perfume has been a great signature fragrance for women now for almost 20years!

     1993 brought about three new womens perfume fragrances from the Elizabeth Taylor line of discount fragrances. The 3 fragrances we are getting ready to write about are some of the best selling womens fragrances of all time. Diamonds & Sapphires is more of a day time scents with floral bouquet freshly cut smell of lily of the valley, jasmine, ylang-ylang, spice, and rose ingredients with later hints musk sandalwood tops it off. Number 2 included Diamonds & Rubies perfume for women. These specific womens fragrances come equipped in a clear bottle like the others covered in a red box with black and gold trim. Carrying perfume notes of lilac, rose, peach, orchid, amber and vanilla, this womens perfume makes for a fantastic evening occasion. Diamonds and Rubies makes your selection of perfume appear that, thats exactly what you have just found! 1993 also included our 3rd perfume introduced in this year called Diamonds & Pearls. A 3rd very popular fragrance for Elizabeth Taylor, this specific womens perfume is very laid back and casual with ingredients of green floral top notes with white rose, water lily and gardenia, with lower notes of carnation and jasmine to make a beautiful womens fragrance to wear anytime.

     Rising upon her success, Elizabeth Taylor launched her next womens discount perfume in 1996 called Black Pearls. Black Pearls perfume is another great designer daytime perfume fragrance with aromas like soft sweet spices, white rose, and amber, accompanied by fruity notes of fresh citrus and melons. Can’t go wrong with this one. The designer notes speak for themselves White Diamonds Sparkling perfume hit in 1999 with a more hip, blue and white box and clear bottle. More of a sparkling type of personna. Also a daytime scent, this womens fragrance resembles notes of a fresh buy yet soft fragrance which also has flowers with hints of citrus fruits. A more fruity womens fragrance. A couple of years after that, White Diamonds Brilliant perfume was introduced in 2001. Arriving in an all white box with elegant black trim, this womens perfume includes a soft, powdery floral type of scent, perfect for a night out.

     The last two of Elizabeth Taylor’s discount perfume line include “Forever Elizabeth” and “Gardenia”. The first to be debuted was Forever Elizabeth perfume which hit in 2002 with Gardenia following in ’03. Arriving in a beautiful red box with an elegant bottle design, Forever is a casual womens aroma with dewberry, amber and jasmine with creamy amber and musk, making for a feminine and soft scent. Arriving in a green box, Gardenia perfume for women is a casual fragrance with ingredients of gardenia, jasmine, lily of the valley, orchid, rose, white peony, carnation, and musk. Absolutely fantastic!

     The name Elizabeth Taylor has now been branded and built into a women’s fragrance, cologen, and cosmetic empire. Her name bill be recognized for many years to follow. A fair amount of people still swear by her products and praise her line of fragrances. Alot of the time, you can find her items at just about any name brand department like JC Penny’s, Dillard’s, or Bloomingdale’s. Also you can hop online as there are typically great deals to be found. Thats actually the only place we shop now for name brand items whether its perfume, cologne, watches, purses, or just about anything. Some reputable online discount fragrance companies that we have found include IcyFragrance.Com, DRH Fine Gifts, and PerfumeFuzion.Com. Vast inventories with fantastic pricing. They all carry Elizabeth Taylor!

HRT Linked to 42% Increase in Cataract Risk

The Europeans and the Americans do seem to take a different approach to HRT, with the former being more sceptical and sometimes disagreeing with US findings. This is the case with some new research from Sweden which has reported that women who receive hormone replacement therapy appear to be at a higher risk for developing cataracts.

The research was funded by the Swedish Health Council and is an eight-year study of more than 30,000 postmenopausal Swedish women from 1997 to October 2005. The women initially completed a questionnaire about hormone status, HRT, and lifestyle factors. Lead researcher Birgitta Ejdervik Lindblad, MD, of Sundsvall in Sweden and her colleagues later compared these records with registers of cataract operations.

Compared with women who never had HRT, the risk of needing cataract surgery was 14% higher among those who received HRT at any point their lives and 18% higher for women currently taking hormones. The risk becomes even higher the longer a woman is on HRT, and if you have more than one alcoholic drink a day, then the risk rises to a staggering 42%.

Naturally occurring (endogenous) oestrogen is thought to protect the eyes from cataracts, and oestrogen receptors have been found on the lens, the part of the eye damaged by cataracts. Certainly the prevalence of cataracts is known to be higher in postmenopausal women compared with men of equivalent age. One reason why this research contradicts that in the US, which found that HRT lowered cataracts or had no influence, depending on the type of cataract, is that HRT dosages and types of oestrogen used vary in different countries, so comparison between the studies is difficult. Also the oestrogens in HRT are not natural but chemical and this again is probably an influencing factor.

If you are taking HRT it is advisable to have regular check ups with an optician as cataract screening is normally an automatic part of the process, but do mention it just in case.

Breast Cancer Survivors and Soy Foods

Because we know that breast cancer is promoted by oestrogen, any woman who has had breast cancer tends to avoid foods that contain it such as tofu and soy milk. The most common source for many women is soy, a plant that has chemicals with oestrogen-like and anti-oestrogenic properties — which makes it a tricky area if you are a regular soy consumer.

A study has been ongoing since 2002 in China to study the effects of soy on breast cancer and analysis of the research suggests that eating soy, even in large amounts, may not be harmful after all, and may even reduce recurrence and death from the disease. Researchers based at Vanderbilt University in Houston, Texas and the Shanghai Institute of Preventive Medicine have looked at the first four years of follow-up of two groups of women breast cancer survivors. The first group consumed soy from naturally occurring sources, such as tofu or soybean and took in more than 15.3 g of soy protein a day and the others who had less than 5.3 g per day (less than half acup of soy milk, which has 7 g of soy protein.)

The women who had the higher intake had a risk of death from breast cancer four years after diagnosis of 7.4% and the risk of recurrence was 8%. Women who had the lower intake had higher risks: a 10.3% risk of death from breast cancer and an 11.2% risk of recurrence. Although not all experts are convinced that it’s safe to begin advising women to add soy to their diet, they do agree that there is no need to avoid soy altogether – particuarly in its natural forms – though supplements should be avoided by those who have had breast cancer until more analysis of the research has been done.

Next Page »