(NaturalNews) Any woman wanting to
avoid breast cancer or its recurrence needs to be aware of the real risk
factors. These are not the factors you hear about from the typical oncologist
who is interested in pushing drugs. Imbalances in the body are the real risk
factors that explain why women get breast cancer, not lack of drugs. The only
way to avoid cancer or its recurrence is to address these imbalances. Two
minerals, zinc and selenium, are key in maintaining balance in the body and
keeping cancer away. Recent research has added to the pile of data underscoring
the importance of these minerals in keeping women cancer-free.
Researchers at Pennsylvania State University have reported that glands in the
breast have unique zinc requirements resulting from their need to transfer
extraordinary amounts of zinc into milk during lactation. When nursing women's
breasts are deficient in zinc, the result can be severe zinc deficiency in the
infant, resulting in impaired growth and development. When zinc is deficient or
not properly metabolized, breast cancer is often an additional outcome. Lack of
zinc has been implicated not only in the initiation of breast cancer, but also
in the transition, progression, and metastasis of the disease. When zinc is
deficient, cellular functioning in the breast is compromised. (Genes and
Nutrition, April 2)
In France, scientists report that estrogen
receptor expression in breast cancers is associated with differentiated tumors
and a more favorable prognosis. The greater the resemblance of cancerous breast
cells to non-cancerous breast cells, the less threatening is the disease.
Although the exact mechanism underlying the protection ERs play against cancer
progression remains to be researched, these scientists studied the actions of ER
alpha, and documented that one of the ways this ER inhibits invasion is though
its first zinc finger. A zinc finger is a group of proteins organized around a
zinc ion that can bind to DNA and influence gene regulation. (Advances in
Experimental Medicine and Biology, 2008)
In other research, Dr. David Watts reviewed the hair trace mineral reports of
thousands of women and found that a pattern of elevated boron, copper and
calcium levels with lower levels of zinc occurred in women with breast cancer.
According to Dr. Watts, boron and copper appear to make the body more sensitive
to the stimulatory effects of estrogen, and less responsive to the quieting
effects of progesterone. Zinc is the mineral that aids in the production and
utilization of progesterone, so this pattern of mineralization makes women less
progesterone responsive and more estrogen sensitive. Raising zinc levels and
lowering boron, copper and calcium levels can bring these women into mineral
balance and help in the creation of hormonal balance.
The primary gene protecting women from breast cancer, p53, is thought to be the
most frequently mutated or altered gene in the development of cancer. This gene
requires zinc, and if it is missing, the gene becomes mutated, resulting in it
becoming inactivated or suppressed. Dysfunction of p53 is well documented in the
development of breast cancer, indicating that a zinc deficiency is a risk factor
for breast cancer independent of the levels of boron, copper and calcium.
Zinc is important in prostate gland function and may help prevent and treat
prostate cancer. It has another important role in the lives of women too. Zinc
is required for protein synthesis and collagen formation. Without adequate
levels of zinc, skin begins to sag and lose its elasticity. The optimal balance
ratio for copper and zinc is 1 to 10 according to nutrition experts Phyllis
Balch CNC and James Balch M.D.
In addition to sagging skin, deficiency of zinc may result in the loss of the
senses of taste and smell. It can cause fingernails to become thin, peel and
develop white spots. Other possible signs of zinc deficiency for women include
hair loss, high cholesterol levels, impaired night vision, increased
susceptibility to infection, memory impairment, diabetes, skin lesions, and slow
wound healing.
Food sources for zinc are brewer's yeast, egg yolks, kelp, lamb, legumes, lima
beans, liver, meats, mushrooms, pecans, poultry, pumpkin seeds, sardines,
seafood, soy lecithin, sunflower seeds, and wheat germ. Zinc is found in
alfalfa, burdock, cayenne, chamomile, dandelion, eyebright, fennel seeds, milk
thistle, nettle, parsley, rose hips, sage, skullcap, and wild yam. Zinc
picolinate, zinc citrate, and zinc as methionine are good choices for
supplemental zinc. These are available from many supplement companies.
The relationship between selenium status and intake among breast cancer patients
was studied by scientists in Kuala Lumpur. 64 women with breast cancer and 127
matched controls were interviewed to obtain information on their habitual
dietary intakes, demographic data, and medical history. Selenium status was
determined from toenail and hair analysis. The researchers found that total
energy and protein intake was significantly higher among controls than among the
breast cancer cases. The selenium intake among the women with breast cancer was
significantly lower than the controls. Breast cancer risk decreased with the
increasing quartiles of selenium intake. Selenium in hair did not differ among
breast cancer cases and controls, but selenium status in the nails of controls
was significantly higher compared to the breast cancer cases. (Sinapore Medical
Journal, March).
In a recent study done at the University of Washington, scientists investigated
the signaling pathways modulated by selenium. They compared global gene
expression profiles in mammary tissues from pubescent female rats maintained on
a selenium (3ppm) diet with those on a standardized diet. The selenium-enriched
diet altered the steady-state levels of genes involved in various cellular
functioning, the most dramatic of which was the changes in the expression of
multiple genes that regulate circadian rhythm.
The normal mammary tissue of rats fed the standardized diet showed little
circadian oscillation relative to liver tissue. However, the mammary tissue of
the selenium fed rats showed a progressive, time-dependent increase in the
expression of circadian gene Per2, and a circadian regulated transcription
factor. Further, the results showed that the expression of Per2 and
transcription mitigated RNA was significantly decreased in mammary tumors
arising in selenium fed rate, but not in tumors of rats on the control diet.
This suggests that selenium-induced elevation in the expression of circadian
genes was incompatible with mammary cancer. The researchers concluded that the
Per 2 gene is an important target of selenium for cancer prevention. (Cancer
Prevention Research, July, 2008)
Selenium's main role is inhibiting the oxidation of fats as a component of the
enzyme glutathione peroxidase, one of the most powerful of the body's own
antioxidants. When combined with vitamin E, selenium protects the immune system.
It plays a vital role in regulating the effects of thyroid hormone on fat
metabolism. In a study, men who consumed 200 mcg of selenium daily over a
ten-year period had roughly half the risk of developing lung, prostate, and
colorectal cancer compared with men who did not.
Symptoms of selenium deficiency are exhaustion, high cholesterol, infections,
liver impairment, and pancreatic insufficiency. Westerners often do not have
enough selenium, because it is processed out of the foods typically eaten. This
is one of the reasons that American men are five times more likely than Japanese
men to die from prostate cancer. The typical Asian diet contains four times the
amount of selenium as the typical American diet.
Selenium is found in meat and grains, but the level depends on the soil content
where the food was grown. It can be found in brewer's yeast, broccoli, brown
rice, chicken, dairy products, garlic, kelp, liver, molasses, onions, salmon,
seafood, vegetables, wheat germ, and whole grains. Perhaps the best source of
selenium is Brazil nuts. Eating two of the nuts a day provides 240 mcg of
selenium. Earl Mindell, in his Vitamin Bible, recommends 200 mcg of selenium
intake daily.
