Saturday, March 21, 2009

Preventing Breast Cancer With Resveratrol

Many women are worried that they might get breast cancer, and who can blame them, it is a scary thing. Not to mention as very personal issue and a big emotional one. But how can women really know what their risk is to getting breast cancer? Is there any way to predict this? What about age, nationality, diet, ethnic origin or genetic displacement?

Breast cancer is more prevalent in American and European women than with Japanese women for some reason, although many demographic researchers believe that might change in the future as more of the American and European culture enters the Japanese lifestyle. Other than that statistic there are no real sizable statistical difference between ethnic categories and cancer of the breast.

Breast cancer is a type of cancer that affects around 44,500 people each year. It can affect both men and women with approximately 300 men being diagnosed with the condition annually.
The death rate from breast cancer has gone down 2.2 percent per year from 1990 to 2004. Part of that success is the fact that women have learned how to advocate on their own behalf. Gynecological oncologist Dr. Carolyn Runowicz, herself a breast cancer survivor and one-time president of the American Cancer Society, says, "In the old days, we used to be paternalistic, and tell patients what to do. Now we lay out all the choices for the patients." Patients need to know what type of tumor they have and how fast it's growing, and they have more time to plan out a treatment strategy than they think.

The newest precise treatments put more power in the hands of women; they can read up on the latest research and challenge their doctors to help them find the most effective course of action.
While undergoing medical treatment is a major component in dealing with breast cancer, there are complimentary treatments that improve a woman's chances of truly healing-not only the disease itself, but the emotional and psychological issues that may have contributed to getting cancer in the first place.

The exact causes of breast cancer are unclear, but we know the main risk factors. Among the most significant factors are advancing age and a family history of breast cancer. Generally, women over 50 are more likely to get breast cancer than younger women, and African-American women are more likely than Caucasians to get breast cancer before menopause. Many studies have shown that women whose diets are high in fat are more likely to get the disease.

Men and women can reduce their risk of getting breast cancer by reducing the amount of fat in their diets. They can also limit the amount of alcohol they consume. Studies are showing that the nutrient Resveratrol, may play a factor in preventing breast cancer. Resveratrol, a naturally occurring antioxidant, can be found in the skins of red grapes, red wine and red or purple grape juice. Since red wine is a dietary source of Resveratrol and is an alcoholic beverage, a dietary supplement with Resveratrol is a better choice.

This Breast Cancer Information blog dedicated to support and give information for women and it is intended for general information only.

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