caffeine and recurrance prevention

Stacie · February 2012

I was just diagnosed and am switching to a plant based diet mostly raw. Does anyone have info on caffeine and risk? I am a big coffee lover and need to assess this. I getting a little Google road weary.

Galsal · February 2012

While I don't know reference about this, I do use decaf for bladder issues. I did NOT believe it would make a difference until I went to pelvic floor rehab and it was directed. So many health issues can be helped by reducing or eliminating caffeine. I have though switched to half/half that is organic or at the very least that are without hormones/antibiotics.

peggy_j · February 2012

I think the jury's out on the coffee-cancer connection. Last year there were some studies that showed coffee helped some cancer (like prostate cancer). But as my MO likes to point out, you gotta read the studies to see how big the group of patients was, whether the studies been duplicated etc etc. I think no one knows at this point.

In tangentially related coffee bad-news, there's a strong link between excessive coffee and bone loss. Many BC patients on AIs have significant bone loss, so this could be a concern. FWIW, I made the decision to cut back; I drink less coffee and when I do it's half-reg/half-decaf. So, even though it's not fun, I'm proof it can be done. I sometimes drink green tea for a lift in the afternoon. There's strong evidence that green tea fights cancer (and it has a some caffeine)

p.s. nice Kimba avatar!

Anonymous · February 2012

Hi Stacie, love my one and only stiff coffee in a.m. I'm attaching link, loads of studies, take your pick Smile

http://www.greenmedinfo.com/substance/coffee

LtotheK · February 2012

The combination of sugar and coffee, according to my naturopath, is a doozey for bones. If you read the studies and look at the mgs, most can get away with one cup of regular a day without it really attacking calcium, and that's what I do. Be careful of decaf coffees. They are full of chemicals, so make sure to choose wisely.

After chemo, I find green tea much more acid producing than coffee, go figure!

dp4peace · February 2012

My orthomolecular nutritionist advised me to give up coffee and other acid-forming foods/beverages after DCIS diagnosis. I gave it up in a day after 25 years of 3 cups/day. I was highly motivated to avoid conventional treatments of radiation or tamoxifen or mastectomy. After two years of strict adherence, I now drink an occassional cup of organic coffee or red wine. You can check out my website/blog and click on "health tips" at www.dcis411.com

Sandals · March 2012

Teeccino is a good coffee substitute.

Layla2525 · March 2012

Stacie,how are you managing on the plant based diet? There is a lot of good research on that subject for health benefits of all kinds. However, my problem is my friends who always want to center the meal around meat. My fiance is a heart patient with high choles etc and I keep telling him that we need to get vegan for the most part and we even went to a vegan fest but he doesnt like soy and is heavy into chicken which he thinks is healthy and I dont. He also wants to eat bread all the time which I did not realize is a big source of salt and I kept wondering why my blood prz went up when I didnt have any salt! The salt was in the bread..go figure.

Layla2525 · March 2012

http://elev8.com/health/orethawinston/can-coffee-cause-cancer/, Heres a link to the World Health Organization article where they do not like coffee for cancer patients, just a another reason to be a health nut? can I have green tea?

chef127 · March 2012

I think coffee can be a hazard. I drink way too much of it and it irritates my bladder, "GOTTA GO" and causes incontinance. And yes, CA loves the acid inviroment. When I was young caffine did cause breast swelling and soreness and it was relieved when I stopped. My Dr did Rx a dieretic and it also helped. I drink 3-5 cups a day.........My bad.. I sleep like a baby.

It is so difficult to give up all the carcinogens we intentionally ingest. I have spent my life time eating and drinking the wrong things. For me its a long and slow process to give it all up, but I'm getting there. We are surrounded by BAD foods and pesticides in veggies, chemicals in our food, and GM food. You would have to live in a bubble to avoid them. My bubble is cracked!

sdstarfish · March 2012

I also have my 1 cup per day. My holistic dr. says it's best for the adrenals and blood sugar levels to keep it to 1 cup.

Lisa

Visit me at Pink Kitchen

Stacie · March 2012

I learned my cancer is estrogen pos so I must avoid soy AND lots and lots of proten in paramount during chemo. I am still researching.... but in adding protein grams for the probablly 80-90 grams daily I will need during chemo thats a lot of nuts LOL. So I am eating fish, chicken (from Whole Foods), a super plant based complement, GAVE UP COFFEE my life's love. My sis in law knows more about food than most nutritionists. She has eaten a stellar diet since age 15 is now in her 40s. She suggested an anti-inflammatoy diet so I am going to learn what inflammatory foods to avoid. I already cut out sugar and white flour. The main reason I gave up the coffee is it causes such heartburn due to a hiatal hernia.. If I have lots of hearturn and ignore it or mask it with antacids. How will I know if I have a digestive cancer? And it aggravates my fibrocystic breasts so again lots of scary lumps. I am wanting to be healthy, but also avoid foods that cause false symptoms that mimic cancer METS. False symptoms will be stressful and missing real ones dangerous. That's my thinking. Still researching.

s

MariannaLaFrance · March 2012

Stacie,

Do you supplement with Magnesium at all? I've heard that magnesium helps enormously in helping to control acid coming up the esophogus in the stomach. The anti-inflammatory diet is a good thing-- as I am on a modified anti-inflammatory diet (Gluten free, mainly), and it's helped my inflammation levels. Another thing that helps? Exercise.