can dropping red meat, dairy and sugar stop cancer growth?

Thanks Fairyfloss!  That's a fountain of information and very helpful.  I'm gearing into this type of alternative method for prevention rather than taking a drug with side effects and unknown long term side effects for 5 years.  I recemtly had a bm with te and spoke to my oncologist about the percentage of recurrence.  He said less than 5% and less than 3% if I take tamoxifen.  I want to be vigilant in taking care of my health using more natural methods.  Take care.

A friend of mine is in nursing school and said that she read that asperine has shown to be effective in treating breast cancer because it is anti-inflamitory. I have heard of an asperine a day for heart issues but this is the first I have heard for breast cancer.  Anyone else heard of this?

Roseann

Yes, good luck to you - I hate to be a naysayer.. but I am lactose intolerant and have NEVER used dairy...  was dx'd Feb. 1st. 2009.  Guess I will drop red meat and sugar to...... Tami

I am a vegetarian & still got breast cancer. Maybe I got cancer from organic sugar??

I do think that all the estrogen & fat in dairy is BAD & if I do use dairy it is always organic goat...BUT....anything that makes you healthier can't hurt.

Christine2000 says; "I was diagnosed with stage 2/3 BC in april -- my tumor was BIG, lots of lymph involvement. I did the no dairy, sugar and wheat diet-- I have a little animal protein (chicken and fish) and occasional organic red meat (to fight anemia) AND--I drink bio dynamic red wine! I lost 40 pounds in 5 months and I just had a pre surgery MRI -- the cancer was completely gone. heading to surgery on thursday. I will be on this diet for the rest of my life!"

Christine that post is completely misleading!! You had chemo!!!!

What is biodynamic wine?

I have had conversations with a nutritionist who focuses on cancer.  Her comments on dairy had to do with growth hormones in cows--not just the added ones rBgh.  She said that conventional dairy cows are kept pregnant to keep producing milk and they are milked while pregnant.  The hormones are very high in these cows which emerging research is showing to be a component in driving cancers in humans.  I told her that I drink organic skim milk and eat organic yogurt.  Her comment to me was organic should be fine as organic farmers do not tend to milk their cows while they are pregnant and as long as I eat three servings or less a day, I should be okay.  I think it is worthwhile to keep an eye on this.

Lorrie 

LOL, Dawnn!

My sons start running when I get on a rant!!!

Lorrie 

I do not really have any recommendations regarding diet and cancer. All I would like to say is, when it comes to diet and health (in general, not specifically cancer), everything is relative. You can find opinions and studies going in all directions. I myself read about how a vegetarian diet etc etc and in fact became a vegetarian after my breast cancer treatment (neoadjuvant chemo, surgery, radiation) three years ago. Then I kept reading and educating myelf further, and eventually I came to the conclusion that I was doing it all wrong. My more in-depth readings got me to my current way of thinking: Real Food is the way to go. I am back to eating red meat (not a lot, and exclusively grass-fed), dairy (only grass-fed, and raw when possible), chicken (exclusively pastured), etcetera. Everything I eat is homemade from scratch with top-quality natural ingredients, and my consumption of processed foods is down to close to zero.

Only time will tell if this diet will prove good or bad for my chances of overcoming breast cancer. But I also have the rest of my health to take care of, and my choice is to not deprive myself of all the omega-3s, B-12, and healthy fats found in pastured, natural meats and dairy; and more importantly, replacing them with highly-processed soy-based fake foods was doing my body no favor.

Each one of us has their own journey ahead as breast cancer survivors, and each of us are trying our best. I hope I am not upsetting anyone by saying this, but I see a lot of wishful thinking going around. I, too, was hoping back then that a vegetarian diet would work its magic and keep me cancer-free, but I have come to realize that I was just being simplistic. Throwing away the baby with the water bath.

For anyone interested in reading more about diet and overall health, and the damage caused by highly-processed soy-based fake foods, a good place to start is the Weston A. Price Foundation website: www.westonaprice.org. And an excellent book to read is Real Food, by Nina Planck.

Best,

Iza

I believe in a low fat vegetable based diet.  I do eat lean meat/fish (organic mostly but not always available) and some dairy (only organic!!).  I have tried vegetarian many times but I find it leaves me tired--probably not doing it right.  I definitely perk up with a little animal protein.  What I try not to eat is processed food.  That is to me, like poison.  

Just some more of my two-cents.

Lorrie 

Dawnn, when I say I eat natural foods I do not go by what the box says--mainly because I do not buy hardly anything that comes in a box. I buy my chickens, my meat, my eggs, and my dairy from a small, family-owned farm. I do not know the farmers personally, but the person coordinating the drop-offs is. We place our orders weekly and a truck comes to drop them off on Tuesdays at this person's home. We are welcome to go and visit the farm any time.

The alternative if an arrangement like this is not possible is farmers' markets. They often sell pastured meats there. 

The only food I buy in supermarkets is non-perishable foods and some organic produce. Finding the sources of truly natural meats, eggs, and dairy was the hardest part of our die change, but websites such as eatwild.com are great starting points.

As to raw milk, it is illegal in Maryland (where I live) but not in Pennsylvania (where the farm we buy from is located). Since the sale takes place legally in Pennsylvania, and since what is illegal is the sale in Maryland, not consumption, we are perfectly within legal boundaries. Of course it took us a good while and a lot of research to find this arrangement, but where there is a will, there is a way.

Iza

I have read so many reasons why I got breast cancer: having children late in life, didn't breastfeed, too heavy, being tall, eating meat, eating produce, eating sugar, late menopause, early periods. We all got it for different reasons and probably from not any of the above. I eat what I want in moderation. Alot of whole grains and fruit and vegetables (taking the peel off some) and also meat, dairy and sugar. Who knows why I got it. Why do some people win the lottery? And I haven't. You can't put your finger on it and say, "this is why I got breast cancer".  We just hope and pray we don't every get it back. Just my opinion.

Be careful of unpasteurized Milk.............this is why they made it illegal in Maryland and many other states - you could get very sick. Breast Cancer isn't the only disease to fear on the planet!

http://www.cdc.gov/nczved/dfbmd/disease_listing/rawmilk_gi.html

The CDC says it IS illegal to transport raw milk across state lines (quote from above link):

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Is it legal to buy or sell raw milk?

Yes, in some states. Because of the potential for serious illness, federal law prohibits dairies from distributing raw milk across state lines in final package form (packaged so that it can be consumed). This means that raw milk can only be distributed across state lines if it is going to be pasteurized or used to make aged (over 60 days) cheese before being sold to consumers. Each state makes its own laws about selling raw milk within the borders of the state. In about half of states, sale of raw milk directly to consumers is illegal. In the remaining states, raw milk may be sold to directly to consumers.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Here's another article (from Ontario) describing the diseases you can get from unpasteurized milk - and those who are most susceptible:

http://www.health.gov.on.ca/english/public/pub/foodsafe/milk_unpast.html

Women undergoing chemo are particularly vulernable to diseases caused by "raw milk"!

Here's the entire text from the Ontario web site:

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Questions and Answers on Unpasteurized Milk

Some people believe that drinking unpasteurized milk is healthy and good for you. Is this true?

No. Drinking unpasteurized milk (also called raw milk) can result in mild illnesses, long-lasting serious diseases, or even death. Disease-causing bacteria found in unpasteurized milk includes E. coli O157, salmonella and campylobacter. E. coli 0157 is the same bacteria that caused the outbreak in Walkerton, Ontario.
What are the symptoms of infection?

These bacteria can cause severe diarrhea (which may be bloody), stomach cramps or abdominal pain, vomiting, fever, weakness and chills.

Are some people more at risk than others?

Yes. Certain groups such as young children, the elderly, people who are ill, pregnant women and those with weak immune systems are at increased risk of serious illness.
Can the bacteria from drinking unpasteurized milk be passed on to others?

Yes. If someone becomes sick from drinking raw milk, this infection can be passed from person-to-person by hand-to-mouth contact. This fecal-oral spread from person-to-person happens especially when someone has diarrhea and is not washing their hands properly or maintaining good hygiene. Disease can also be spread to those who are caring for a person who is ill with diarrhea.

How does pasteurization make milk safe to drink?

Pasteurization is a heating process. The minimal pasteurization requirement in Ontario is to heat the milk to 72 degrees Celsius for 16 seconds at a dairy processing plant. This process destroys disease-producing bacteria. Milk sold in grocery stores is pasteurized.
What should I do if I drink raw milk and develop symptoms?

Anyone who shows symptoms should see their doctor immediately. About 10 per cent of people with E. coli 0157 develop Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome (HUS). HUS is a serious complication that can lead to kidney failure and death.

What should I do if I find unpasterurized milk?

It is illegal to sell, offer to sell, deliver or distribute unpasteurized milk. Unpasteurized milk should be reported to the Ministry of Agriculture and Food's complaint line at 1-888-466-2372 ext. 64391.

Sorry, Dawnn, that I phrased my response in that unfortunate way! All I wanted was to clarify, for you and in fact for anyone interested.

I do not give too much weight to labels (particularly the "natural," "all-natural," or even "free-range" ones) because I agree that almost everything can be labeled that way, and it does not really tell much about the quality of the food we have in front of us.

The "organic" label is somehow more useful, although it does not answer all my questions. For example, I am convinced that cows have to eat grass (if not exclusively, at least mostly) to be healthy themselves and produce healthy meat and dairy. However, milk can be rightly labeled "organic" and still come from a cow raised in a crowded barn and have not seen a blade of grass since babyhood. This is why I, personally, choose to focus on small-scale and local whenever possible. My ideal food would be both organic and local, but often I have to settle for only one or the other. When it comes to dairy, whenever I run out of my weekly raw supply, I make sure to buy grass-fed, regardless of the organic label.

Again, I hope I am not sounding preachy because this is not my intention at all. What I tried to say in my earlier message is that I have come to realize that dietary advice is all over the place and you can find good, scientific support for all sides: for a vegetarian diet; for an omnivorous diet; a diet high in saturated fats; a low-fat diet; a diet heavy on whole grains; a grain-free diet; eggs are bad; eggs are wonderful; dairy is the perfect food; dairy is poison; wild-caught fish is the secret to longevity; wild-caught fish is loaded with heavy metals; lard is an aberration; lard is the healthiest fat; etcetera.

All of this made my head spin, then I took a deep breath and thought: OK, leaving fads aside, Which diet is the one that has worked well for centuries, keeping my ancestors alive and well for many generations? The answer is, eat everything you can get your hands on, as long as it is unprocessed, unadulterated, unsprayed, unradiated, and as close to "the real thing" as possible. 

Of course this realization did not come to me spontaneously. Credit is due to several readings, including Michael Pollan's In Defense of Food--another eye-opener and a quick, easy read.

Swimangel;

Pasteurization kills all of the good things in milk too. Raw milk is fantastic for making butter or skimming cream, of course that is prevented by homogenization. It is the "fortified" that those of us who prefer raw dairy are worried about.

One gallon of milk you buy at Walmart is probably a mixture of milk from at least a 1000 cows who are pumped full of drugs & hormones. The biggest organic dairies, like Horizon, do not even have herd size to produce half of their milk, they buy it & slap a label on it.

I'll take my chances with one healthy goat named Sue.