The hidden breast cancer women must be aware of

This warning came to me this week from one of my health groups, and I think it is important that we pass on this information to as many women as possible. There is a rare form of breast cancer called inflammatory breast cancer (IBC) and although it accounts for less than three per cent of all breast cancers it has a much lower survival rate. Typical breast cancer survival over five years is now almost 90 percent, but for this particular form it is only 40 percent and the highest risk group for it are women under 50 and black women.

One of the issues with this cancer is that it does not have a good rate of diagnosis and it is essential to catch it in its early stages. Most women are aware of the sense of undertaking regular breast examination, usually in the shower, and to be aware of feeling a new lump.

BUT, IBC first presents as a swollen area near the surface on your breasts and when the skin is dried it will feel red, tender and warm to the touch. This is caused by blocked lymph vessels in the skin and most doctors will not immediately connect this with breast cancer; you are more likely to have it diagnosed as an infection and given antibiotics to treat it.

Unfortunately, this means that the majority of women with IBC are not diagnosed until they are at stage III (locally advanced) and stage IV (advanced to other organs) which means it has to be treated very fast and aggressively with a regime of chemotherapy, followed by surgery and radiation.

On the natural front, it seems that adding L-glutamine during chemotherapy could be helpful. This key amino acid is essential to immune function and a 1980′s study found that it. According to a study conducted in the late 90s, when l-glutamine is given with chemotherapy, it significantly reduces the toxicity of the chemicals. I would also add in the very good homoeopathic remedy that counteracts the side effects of chemotherapy and is available by mail order from Galen Pharmacy in Dorset on 01305 263996 who are always happy to discuss any remedies with you.

The hidden benefits of oysters for women

The benefits of oysters as an aphrodisiac are well known, but eating them could actually be a great way of avoiding type 2 diabetes – but only if you are a woman.

There has been a long running data survey running in the USA that has yielded some fascinating results. Over 25 years of medical and nutritional data on over 80,000 nurses has been studied by the Harvard School of Public Health and interesting information on the relationship between zinc in their diet and the chance of developing type 2 diabetes has come to light.

The nurses were all over the age of 33, and when their dietary intake was analysed it was found that there was between an eight to ten percent lower risk of diabetes in women who showed the highest zinc intake. That seems impressive enough, but when they looked at their figures and took other factors into account the figure jumped to a 25 percent lower risk for those with the greatest amount of zinc in their diet.

Oysters of course are a great source of zinc, each one can give you around 40-250mg, plus other essential minerals and omega-3 fatty acids. However you have to eat them raw to get the benefit, and have a healthy bank balance as well. If you are looking for more economical ways of upping your zinc intake then you should include red meat, poultry, beans, nuts, whole grains, cabbage, and dairy products – or buy a decent supplement.

If you are over 50, then you should definitely check your zinc intake as it declines with age and it is an essential element for a healthy immune system.

Small waist – Good lungs?

A trim waist is usually admired, for beauty if not for health, but now there’s an even better reason to avoid putting on weight around your midriff. There’s more bad news for people who carry excess weight around their middle because having a big waist measurement is now shown to affect your lungs. The study was done at the French National Institute for Health and Medical Research on 120,000 Parisians and found that factors such as whether the subjects had been or were smokers did not impact their lung function as much as having a large waistline did.

If you are wondering what ‘large’ means, they defined it as over 35 inches for women and 40 inches for men.

Astrological health profiles – Scorpio

Scorpio 24 October – 22 November

Don’t worry Scorpio’s, no one is reading this but you. I know you are the most secretive sign in the zodiac and you tend to keep problems to yourself, so this is just between you and me. You need to be careful of:

* Reproductive system problems arising from stress

* Women can suffer severe period pain and need to have regular cervical smears, particularly following the menopause

* Men may have stress-related impotence, and need to be vigilant about checking for early signs of prostrate problems

* Constipation, diarrhoea or piles are possible as Scorpio rules physical elimination

Vigilance is the watchword for Scorpios, because you like to keep things hidden you are not likely to share how you are feeling with your nearest and dearest so you must have regular check ups to ensure you stay healthy. Stress is obviously a factor in increasing any physical tendencies so tackle that first and make a resolution to be more open about your health – and anything else.

Dangers in daytime snoozing

It’s been a busy week for the French, as they also reported recently on a collaborative study with colleagues in Belgium and Denmark on the dangers of dozing off during the day. Now I am a great fan of the siesta, but apparently as you get older you should monitor how sleepy you are feeling during the day as it could be linked to a significantly higher risk of dying from cardiovascular disease.

Significant like in a whopping 49 per cent greater risk than those who didn’t feel sleepy during the day. The Three City study is the first to study this phenomenon in Europe and was based on people living independently at home, not in nursing homes or hospitals.

It is early to say how valid the research is, but the advice is that is you are starting to feel more sleepy than usual during the day you report this to your doctor. I would also suggest investigating how to overcome it whether it is a physical issue of not enough exercise, or a mental issue of not enough stimulation to keep you awake. Good supports in this area would be to take up something like tai chi, walk more, find an interesting hobby that stretches you or learn some new skill just for the fun of it.

Gout in men helped by vitamin C

Crusty old colonels with their feet propped on a cushion and waving a glass of port is the popular stereotype of gout, but sadly the truth is far more common. Traditionally, gout has most commonly developed in middle aged and older people – mostly men – but the condition is now being seen in younger people and also more frequently in women. A recent report suggested that, in the UK, it had increased by about 17 percent between 2007 and 2008. The reasons for this increase are unclear but it may be linked with dietary change and obesity definitely seems to increase the risk of gout.

It’s caused by a build-up of uric acid in the blood which forms crystal deposits in and around the joints, a form of arthritis, which is what causes the pain and inflammation typical of the condition. However a new study in British Columbia, Vancouver, has some good news – at least for men. The researchers suggest that vitamin C might affect the reabsorption of uric acid by the kidneys, increase the speed at which the kidneys work, or protect against inflammation; all of which can reduce the risk of gout.

They examined the relationship between vitamin C intake and gout between 1986 and 2006 in 46,994 men and during 20 years of follow-up, 1,317 men developed gout. Compared with men who had a vitamin C intake of less than 250 milligrams per day, the relative risk of gout was 17 percent lower for those with a daily intake of 500 to 999 milligrams, 34 percent lower for those with an intake of 1,000 to 1,499 milligrams per day and 45 percent lower for those with an intake of 1,500 milligrams per day or higher. For every 500-milligram increase in their vitamin C intake, the men’s risk for gout appeared to decrease by 17 percent. Compared with men who did not take vitamin C supplements, those who took 1,000 to 1,499 supplemental milligrams per day had a 34 percent lower risk of gout and those who took 1,500 supplemental milligrams per day had a 45 percent lower risk. and vitamin C appears to reduce the levels of uric acid in the blood.

What all those boring statistics actually mean is that vitamin C definitely seems to lower a man’s risk of gout so it’s worth supplementing to a level of around 1000mg a day, best in two doses of 500mg if you have any history of gout in your family

Premature babies benefit from Omega 3

Having a premature baby can be a time of great worry, and although medical knowledge has hugely increased the survival rate, there are still potential health problems for such babies that can affect how they develop. The major concern is for their mental development as they may be slower than babies that go to full term, as well as not having fully developed lungs and digestive systems.

A clinical trial in Australia however offers a simple solution that could help, and although it has only been running for 18 months they are claiming interesting results. For adults, the benefits of omega-3 are well known but so far no one has thought to see if they could also help such young babies. The Australian study was published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) and carried out at the Adelaide Women’s and Children’s Hospital.

They used normal omega-3 supplements from fish oil that you would buy in any health store and gave them to 272 nursing mothers of premature babies. They were trying to duplicate the amount of omega-3 that full-term babies usually receive in the womb during the third trimester of pregnancy and that premature babies miss out. They found that just 6 pills a day improved the cognitive ability of the babies when tested 18 months after birth.

Interestingly, the benefit seemed to apply solely to girls as the mothers of boys who took the supplements didn’t see any substantial difference. The doctors believe however that this is not due to a problem with the supplements but to the fact that boys generally develop slightly later than girls so a test over a longer period may show the same results. Differences are really going to persist.

BUT please don’t think that getting your omega-3′s naturally from fish and seafood during pregnancy is a precautionary measure as most doctors advise pregnant women to avoid these foods. However, it certainly couldn’t hurt to take the supplements and if it doesn’t improve the baby’s health it will certainly help the mother’s.

The only thing you need to know about losing weight

There are a million diets out there, but if you want to lose weight the only thing you need to focus on is eating less. Obvious but true, and now Dr. Frank Sacks, a professor at the Harvard School of Public Health, has published a study in the New England Journal of Medicine that confirms what – if you have any sense – you already know. No one diet is better than any other, just find one you like and take in fewer calories than you are currently consuming. You just need to get the ratio right between the calories you burn up, and the calories you take in and the ideal diet plan would be to have 750 fewer calories each day than you are expending.

The Professor tested out various heart-healthy diets and asked the participants to also exercise 90 minutes a week. They all lost on average around 13 lbs.after six months of dieting, or about 7% of their starting weight, regardless of which diet plan they followed. As ever I am astounded that anyone would pay good money to prove something we all know – and may not like, but that’s another issue – but the US National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute handed over the funds for the study and they were delighted with the findings. However, most of the participants couldn’t sustain that 750 calorie mark and most by the end of the trial consuming only 225 calories less than they expended.

The researchers concluded that this target was too high, and a gradual reduction is better, and I entirely agree with them. A small reduction in calorie intake that is gradual and sustained will see the best results and a weight loss of just 5 percent can make a substantial difference to your health. So whatever diet you choose just eat less, and exercise more = boring, but effective.

Astrological health profiles – Libra

Libra 24 September – 23 October

Librans are the good guys of the health world as generally you have sensible eating habits and enjoy using your body which means you find it easy to keep fit. However, you don’t get a totally free pass and there are some health issues you need to watch out for:

* Kidneys can be a problem area for you, and poor elimination of bodily wastes and toxins can cause headaches and fluid retention. Drink lots of water.

* Co-ordination and balance problems can be a symptom of other physical or emotional issues.

* Relationship is very important to this sign and stress and illness can be brought on by discord or loneliness.

* Your environment is very important to you, and a tense atmosphere or dirty surroundings causes extreme stress.

So sort those relationships out so you aren’t getting stressed, and make your surrounding beautiful and nurturing. Make that daily 1.5 litres of water part of your routine and have a regular massage as that will also help expel any toxins your body is holding on to.

Lack of sleep encourages colds

We all know that a good night’s sleep can make many things better, but it can also protect you from catching a cold. The less sleep you get, then the more at risk you are of developing a cold if you have been exposed to the virus according to a study conducted by researchers from Carnegie Mellon University. Sleep is vital to help the body repair and renew itself and a poor sleep pattern can lead to a compromised immune system. However it wasn’t before realised that something as ordinary as our reaction to a cold is dependent on us getting a good night’s sleep.

So how much is enough? In the study, people who slept an average of less than seven hours a night were nearly three times more likely to develop cold symptoms than people who slept eight or more hours a night. Restless sleeper? Well unfortunately you are nearly six times as likely to develop cold symptoms than those who put their head down and sleep right through.

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