Foods high in Estrogen

http://www.livestrong.com/article/344016-foods-for-estrogen-receptive-positive-breast-cancer/

There are many more articles such as this one on Lives Strong. Keep reading because there is much to learn and many good sources.

Best wishes to all as always,

Marilyn 

peggy - I think the problem is specifically the foods with phytoestrogens for ER+ BC and the conflicting data about risk vs benefit.  The information on Livestrong is indicating that while these foods are good for cancer patients in general, the question is whether they are good/bad for ER+.

I know, it is so frustrating!  I am at the point along the continuium where I am trying to really refine what I am putting in my mouth!  I have finished chemo, still receiving Herceptin, getting back into exercise and deciding what to eat to get the most benefit.  I have a former college roommate who is now a professor where we both went to school.  She has a PhD in dietetics and nutrition.  I have considered writing to her because the school requires a thesis even for a bachelor's degree - I am wondering if any of her students need a project - they could design food recommendations for ER+ BC people.  I can't really speak to the integrity of Livestrong as a source about nutrition - what I have seen there is actually not written by them per se - they have brief articles about diet by assorted folks and they always list their credentials at the end of the blurb.  I do have a Livestrong sponsored YMCA membership - specifically for cancer patients and it is free, which is fabulous.  The personal trainers receive Livestrong training so they know how to handle us!  Other than that I have not consulted it much - it is a big site with lots of info. I will be starting to piece together a food plan shortly though!  It may turn into a research project for me!

peggy - I am feeling more and more like I will dash off an email to my friend - school starts right about now - they start later in California - after Labor Day.  Her Master's and PhD were geared toward HIV+ women and breastfeeding in Africa, so I don't know how much knowledge she has on this subject, but she also worked for many years at Univ of CA at Davis in an inpatient setting, dealing with patient nutrition.  I will let you know what I find out!

As far as the Y program, check with your local branch, not all of them have it.  It is a nice program - free for 12 weeks.  They don't count the weeks from inception - they count the weeks as you go.  I started and then had to stop because of axillary web pain and cording issues, I was in the middle of chemo and my arm became very painful.  I just started back last week after a bunch of physical therapy and they picked up where I left off.

That seems to be the dilemma - so many phytoestrogens occur in foods that are otherwise antioxident cancer fighters and good for you!!!

I met with my MO's nurse practitioner this week and discussed, among other things, my concerns with food. I asked specifically about this topic: should we be avoiding cruciferous veggies due to phtyoestrogens? She started shaking her head before I finished my sentence. Her anecdote is that a patient came in, an Ivy league professor, who researched foods that contained some trace amount of estrogen or anything that someone thought might be linked to cancer. The patient came in with her long long list. She couldn't eat anything. So it's official, everything causes cancer.  The nurse told me to calm down (well, in more polite words) and try to eat a balanced "heart healthy" diet, low in fats, meats, and with a variety of foods including fruits and veggies, but not to drive myself crazy. She even mentioned "quality of life." Imagine!

Good topic.  Just chiming in with another resource to help confuse the issue.  So many choices we have to make; all I can do is  the best I can.  My computer doesn't do links on these boards (believe me I've tried)... but

This is through UC San Francisco Comprehensive Cancer Center, found online via www.ucsfhealth.org

"Nutrition & Breast Cancer" 

the document is 20 or 30 pages long (I ran out of printer ink) -

If you google the below, it will give you the link to the document itself.

cancer.ucsf.edu/_docs/crc/nutrition_breast.pdf

Take what you want from it; I found it useful to a point.

There was once a discussion on these boards, and georgiesgirl wrote on Nov 23, 2009 giving the phytoestrogenic values for many common foods.  You'd have to search to find it - at the time I just printed the text but didn't bookmark or identify it to find again so I don't even know which forum. Sorry.