Could Our Cleaning Products be Giving Us Breast Cancer?

Researchers in Cape Cod spoke to 787 women living in the community who were diagnosed with breast cancer between 1988 and 1995 to find out what products they were using to see if there was a link.

They asked questions about product use, beliefs about breast cancer etiology, and established and suspected breast cancer risk factors.

The researchers concluded that cleaning product use contributes to increased breast cancer risk.

They did express issues with studies that are self-reported and pointed out that belief systems affects outcomes, but the researchers concluded that further studies should be conducted.

The American Cleaning Institute is challenging the study's result.

For further information on the study click here.

Foods That Increase Risk of Breast Cancer

Dr. Andrew Weil, a holistic MD, recently identified some foods that may increase the risk of breast cancer.

Here is his advice:

Avoid too much fat -- daily fat content should be below 25% of daily calories consumed

Avoid animal fats, polyunsaturated fats (including many vegetable oils), and hydrogenated oils (margarines and vegetable shortenings)

Avoid alcohol -- He says that "even in modest amounts, alcohol consumption is associated with an increased risk of breast cancer".

Avoid conventionally raised meat, poultry, eggs, and dairy products. These have hormones so he recommends hormone-free versions.

Avoid foods high on the glycemic index

An article on medheadlines.com reported that a study done on 62,000 post menopausal concluded that foods high on the glycemic index (also known as rapidly digesting simple carbohydrates like white flour and sugar) may increase the risk of breast cancer in women who are already overweight, particularly those who carry their weight in the waistline.(This was reported in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.)