Whole-Food Guide for Breast Cancer Survivors (10 page)

Selenium is widely known as a scavenger of free radicals (which result from unwelcome chemical reactions in the body) and is even more powerful when combined with vitamin E. Furthermore, selenium seems to prevent damaged DNA from replicating, thus helping to stop cancer before it can start developing, according to Dr. James Howenstine (2008).

Selenium is also necessary for manufacturing
glutathione
, the body’s own natural antioxidant. Found in every one of your cells, glutathione helps you remain healthy by keeping free radicals in check, detoxifying metals and carcinogens, helping to transport amino acids into cells, and much more. Malnutrition, stress, and toxicity can all deplete our glutathione levels, putting our immune systems at risk. It’s no wonder that selenium is regarded as an anticancer nutrient.

Hundreds of studies confirm this, beginning in the late 1950s and ongoing today. In 2006 an entire issue of
Biomedical and Life Sciences
was devoted to examining selenium as an anticancer agent, its authors (Combs and Lü) concluding:

Most epidemiological studies have shown inverse associations of selenium (Se) status and cancer risk; almost all experimental animal studies have shown that supranutritional exposures of Se can reduce tumor yield; and each of the limited number of clinical intervention trials conducted to date has found Se treatment to be associated with reductions in cancer risks.

Food Sources of Selenium

The amount of selenium in soil has steadily declined over the years, reflected in diminishing levels of selenium in fruits and vegetables. Therefore the amount of selenium in food fluctuates depending on where it was grown. And while selenium can induce toxic effects in very large doses, most of us are actually deficient in this mineral. Good sources of selenium include mushrooms, organic egg yolks, seafood, poultry, whole grains, broccoli, asparagus, and Brazil nuts. In fact, eating just a few Brazil nuts a day will meet your daily requirement. So crack open a few Brazil nuts and wash them down with a glass of vitamin C–rich orange or tomato juice!

Should you decide to supplement with selenium, the Life Extension Foundation (www.lef.org), a well-respected source of nutritional information and online supplement retailer, recommends
Se-methylselenocysteine
(SeMSC), a naturally occurring, organic selenium compound found in garlic and broccoli, whose effectiveness has been established both in vitro and in vivo (El-Bayoumy et al. 2006).

Zinc

Zinc is another essential mineral that contributes to many bodily functions, informing our senses of taste and smell, maintaining skin health, and keeping the male reproductive system running smooothly. Zinc also contributes to a healthy immune system, by supporting the thymus gland and assisting in the production of T lymphocytes (T cells). There seems to be a direct relationship between zinc deficiency (identified through blood and hair samples) and both breast and ovarian cancer (Memon et al. 2007). The breasts have a unique relationship with zinc, since the production of breast milk requires substantial quantities of zinc. One study published in
Genes and Nutrition
noted that “dysregulated mammary gland zinc metabolism has recently been implicated in breast cancer transition, progression, and metastasis” (Kelleher, Seo, and Lopez 2009). (
Metastasis
is tumor spread; a secondary tumor that can result is also called a metastasis.)

Because zinc is so important to maintaining immune-system health, and given the studies indicating its importance to female health, it is reasonable to consider adding foods high in zinc to the diet. The RDA for nonpregnant, nonlactating women is 15 milligrams per day. Zinc is plentiful in a wide variety of foods, for example, calf liver, pumpkin seeds, cremini mushrooms, spinach, Swiss chard, collard greens, and yogurt.

If your zinc levels are especially low, you may wish to consider supplementation. You can measure your zinc levels with a blood test or a simple, oral zinc “challenge test.” Discuss this possibility with your nutritionist or holistic practitioner.

Magnesium

Magnesium, one of our essential macrominerals, is critical for heart and bone health. Approximately 65 percent of the magnesium in our bodies is stored in our bones and teeth, while the other 35 percent is located in bodily fluids, inside cells, and in muscle tissue.

Used by the ancient Romans as a laxative (and still used that way today), magnesium, in recent years, has been shown to be an effective and valuable adjunct to treatment for a variety of health issues, and to help reduce cancer risk as well. As far back as 1970 (Aleksandrowicz et al.), it was known that
hypomagnesia
, too little magnesium in the body, seemed to be an important risk factor for cancer.

Equally important was a then-new study demonstrating that adding magnesium into the diet of rats actually helped a specific type of benign tumor, known as “desmoid,” to disappear completely (Hunt and Belanger 1972). In 1986, a landmark study published in
Anticancer Research
(Durlach et al.) boldly proclaimed, “Magnesium deficiency seems to be carcinogenic.” While the mechanism is not entirely clear, we do know that magnesium is responsible for participating in over three hundred enzymatic reactions in the body: like selenium it is involved in producing glutathione, our internal antioxidant; it is also essential in the manufacture of
ATP
, the molecule that provides energy for nearly all metabolic processes. In other words, magnesium facilitates a lot of healthy actions and reactions!

Sources of Magnesium

The current recommended daily value for adult females is 320 milligrams per day, which is not hard to get when nutritionally available sources are so rich in magnesium content. Dark-green, leafy vegetables, such as Swiss chard and spinach (each providing around 150 milligrams per 1 cup serving), are an excellent source of magnesium, as are pumpkin seeds, blackstrap molasses, whole grains, nuts, and bananas. But stress and numerous medications, such as birth control pills, deplete magnesium stores, so supplementation may be advisable. If you choose this route, make sure to use a highly absorbable form of magnesium, such as magnesium glycinate, taurate, or citrate. Magnesium is nontoxic even in large amounts, so it’s virtually impossible to take too much. But should you find that the amount you are taking has a laxative effect, cut back until that issue is resolved. About 300 to 400 milligrams a day works well for most people. Some companies now offer magnesium as a transdermal gel or spray oil, bypassing the potential problems inherent with oral supplementation. We have had good luck with these formulations and have seen them work well in our practices. Another option is the traditional Epsom salts (magnesium sulfate) bath, which allows magnesium to be absorbed through the skin while you take a leisurely soak in the tub.

Other Cancer-Protective Nutrients

The nutrients we’ve discussed are among the most important for breast cancer defense but certainly do not constitute an exhaustive list. Numerous studies also demonstrate a potent protective role for beta-carotene, vitamin E, vitamin K, and several others. By “eating the rainbow” of vegetables and fruits, plus nuts, seeds, healthy grains, oils, antibiotic-free, hormone-free protein, and the previously mentioned booster foods from the Eating for Health plan, you will get a beneficial dose of all essential nutrients. Enjoy!

Questionable Dosages

Although most of the approximately forty known nutrients have an extremely wide margin of safety, we’re concerned about a few of them when it comes to breast cancer. According to current research, the ones that seem to cause problems or have the potential to do so are iron, copper, and synthetic folic acid.

IRON

The mineral iron is required for the health and survival of all cells and tissues. The major mineral component of hemoglobin, iron plays a pivotal role in helping to circulate oxygen throughout the body. But, in excess, iron can be as toxic as other heavy metals (such as mercury and lead), because like them, it can produce an excess of free-radical activity that can cause tissue damage (as mentioned earlier, free radicals are atoms or molecules that cause cellular injury).

We tend to get a lot of iron in our commercial food supply, because federal law mandates “fortifying” flour with this mineral. Indeed, at one point several years ago, a magnet could pick up a well-known breakfast cereal due to its high iron content! Iron is also included in many multivitamin products.

People with either diagnosed or undiagnosed cancer tend to have higher levels of iron in their bodies. We suggest getting a blood test that looks at your
ferritin
and
TIBC
(total iron-binding capacity) levels, two measures of iron in the body. Try to keep your levels in the lower half of the normal range without letting yourself become anemic. You can start by making sure that your daily multivitamin does not contain iron, particularly if you’re no longer menstruating or are male. Also avoid eating iron-rich foods with citrus or other produce that’s high in vitamin C, because vitamin C enhances absorption of iron. In our practices we suggest taking extra vitamin E (600 to 1200 milligram mixed tocopherols), which protects against excess iron in the system. In
Natural Strategies for Cancer Patients
, Dr. Russell Blaylock (2003) also recommends black tea; the flavonoids quercetin, rutin, hesperidin, and naringenin (think apples, onions, citrus fruits, apricots, cherries, and buckwheat); and the supplement inositol phosphate-6 (IP-6) as effective iron
chelators
(chemicals that facilitate the removal of metals from the body).

COPPER

Copper, like iron, can exhibit two different faces. On the one hand, it’s a vital component of dozens of enzymes in the body. It helps out with cellular energy production and supports connective tissue health, and is a critical ingredient of one of the body’s powerful endogenous (made internally) antioxidants known as superoxide dismutase. Copper also helps in the formation of new blood vessels, and there’s the rub: tumors need blood vessels in order to grow. In the angiogenesis process (in Latin
angio
means “blood vessel,” and
genesis
means “to create”), a tumor sends out specialized chemical signals to help it build a complex of blood vessels for transporting nutrients and enzymes to facilitate its growth and development.

Dr. Judah Folkman, surgeon and scientist, first documented this phenomenon in the 1960s (Cooke 2001). His discoveries eventually led to the development of the cancer drug Avastin (bevacizumab), designed to cut off this overzealous network of blood vessels. Meanwhile, other researchers determined that the specialized enzymes that promote angiogenesis depend on the mineral copper to function appropriately (Brem et al. 1990). And it turns out that breast cancer patients often exhibit elevated levels of copper, a sign that the tumor is attempting to sustain the process of angiogenesis (Zowczak et al. 2001).

To translate this information into a risk reduction strategy, we recommend keeping your copper levels at the low end of normal to help prevent recurrence of a tumor. When copper levels are reduced, an incipient tumor has greater difficulty forming new blood vessels to take in nutrients and oxygen. According to Dr. Sofia Merajver, quoted in the
Journal of the National Cancer Institute
(Vanchieri 2000), “There is a window at which copper levels are low enough to block angiogenesis, but not so low that they harm more essential cellular processes.”

Blood tests, such as for serum copper and
ceruloplasmin (
a protein produced by the liver that binds copper for transport in the blood), can help you ascertain how much copper you are carrying around. If it is too high, you’ll want to avoid high-copper foods, such as shellfish, chocolate, calf liver, sesame seeds, and cashews. Make sure your multivitamin is copper free, avoid copper cookware, and filter your water to avoid taking in copper from household pipes. If none of these strategies brings your copper levels down sufficiently, you can employ both nutritional and pharmaceutical chelating strategies to reduce copper levels. You’ll need to consult a nutritional or medical specialist to implement these strategies.

FOLIC ACID

Folic acid
, also known as
folate
or
folacin
, is one of the B-complex vitamins widely known for its key role in preventing neural tube defects during pregnancy. The terms “folic acid” and “folate” are sometimes used interchangeably, although
folate
is the natural compound found in food such as green, leafy vegetables, while
folic acid
is a synthetic form of the vitamin found in supplements.

Aside from its role in pregnancy, folate also plays an essential role in helping all cells divide and reproduce exactly as they’re meant to. Because of folate’s key contributions to the normal process of cell division, folate deficiency has been associated with not only breast cancer but also cancers of the cervix, colon and rectum, lung, esophagus, brain, and pancreas (Maruti, Ulrich, and White 2009).

But folic acid, the synthetic form of folate, can be a double-edged sword. When people ingest large doses of folic acid in fortified cereals, breads, and pastas, for example, they are getting more folic acid than the body can handle, and it is
not
chemically identical to the natural folates found in green, leafy vegetables and other foods. In fact Dr. Barry Boyd (2010) believes that synthetic folic acid can interfere with the proper metabolism of natural folate. Other experts are convinced that excess synthetic folic acid can act like a “fertilizer” in a garden of cells, supporting the growth of cancer cells as well as normal cells (Cristiana Paul, MS, Nutrition Science, pers. comm.).

To be safe, make sure your multivitamin uses folate or folinic acid, a natural form of folate. And remember to stay away from fortified, processed grains, because they will not support your health under any circumstances.