Mediterranean Diet Reduces the Symptoms of Menopause
April 21, 2013 by admin
Filed under A Cancer Prevention Guide for the Human Race, Cancer, Cancer Prevention, Cooking Oils, Healthy Diet, Heart Disease Risk, Hot Flashes, Mediterranean Diet, Menopausal Symptoms, Menopause, Night Sweats, Nutrition, Olive Oil, Omega-3 Fatty Acids, Processed Meat, Red Meat, Saturated Fat, Sausage, Trans-Fats, Unsaturated Fat, Weekly Health Update, Western Diet, cancer risk, cardiovascular disease, cardiovascular disease risk, cooking oil, coronary artery disease, fruits, health, heart attack, heart disease, lifestyle, meat, myocardial infarction, prevention, risk, stroke, triglycerides, vegetables, whole grains
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A new study finds that following the Mediterranean diet significantly reduces the hot flashes and night sweats of menopause.
MEDITERRANEAN DIET REDUCES THE SYMPTOMS OF MENOPAUSE I have written extensively about the Mediterranean diet, and the lower risk of cancer and heart disease associated with this diet. In general, a Mediterranean diet is rich in fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, fish, and poultry. The use of unsaturated cooking oils, like olive oil and canola oil, and the avoidance of saturated fats, are also hallmarks of a Mediterranean diet, as is the decreased intake of red meat, processed meats, and dairy products. Now, a newly published prospective clinical research study suggests that adhering to a Mediterranean diet may also significantly decrease hot flashes and night sweats in women who have gone through menopause. This new study appears in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. The Australian Longitudinal Study included 6,040 women who had gone through menopause, and this very large group of study volunteers was then followed every 3 years, for a total of 9 years. Based upon extensive analysis of the diets and menopausal symptoms of these research volunteers, the researchers found that the volunteers who most consistently adhered to a Mediterranean diet were 20 percent less likely to have hot flashes and night sweats when compared to the women who did not follow a Mediterranean-type diet. Similarly, the women who regularly consumed the largest amount of fruit in their diet were 19 percent less likely to experience menopausal symptoms, when compared to the volunteers who consumed the least amount of fruit. Moreover, the women who consumed the highest amount of fat and sugar in their diet were 23 percent more likely to experience hot flashes and night sweats when compared to the volunteers who consumed the least amount of fat and sugar. The findings of this interesting study offer women who are struggling with post-menopausal hot flashes and night sweats a natural (and healthy) alternative to the medications that are currently prescribed for the relief of these symptoms (and which are, unfortunately, not highly effective). At the same time, switching to a Mediterranean diet to help manage your symptoms of menopause will also help to lower your risk of developing both cancer and cardiovascular disease! (As I discuss in my bestselling book, A Cancer Prevention Guide for the Human Race, living an evidence-based cancer prevention lifestyle not only reduces your risk of dying from cancer, but also reduces your risk of dying from cardiovascular disease at the same time.)
For a groundbreaking overview of cancer risks, and evidence-based strategies to reduce your risk of developing cancer, order your copy of my bestselling book, “A Cancer Prevention Guide for the Human Race,” from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Books-A-Million, Vroman’s Bookstore, and other fine bookstores! Within one week of publication, A Cancer Prevention Guide for the Human Race was ranked #6 among all cancer-related books on the Amazon.com “Top 100 Bestseller’s List” for Kindle e-books. Within three months of publication, A Cancer Prevention Guide for the Human Race was the #1 book on the Amazon.com “Top 100 New Book Releases in Cancer” list.
Additional Links for Robert A. Wascher, MD, FACS Profile of Dr. Wascher by Oncology Times Bio of Dr. Wascher at Cancer Treatment Centers of America Dr. Wascher Discusses Predictions of Decreased Cancer Risk on azfamily.com Dr. Wascher Discusses Environmental Risk Factors for Breast Cancer on Sharecare Dr. Wascher Answers Questions About Cancer on talkabouthealth.com Dr. Wascher Discusses Cancer Prevention Strategies on LIVESTRONG Dr. Wascher Discusses Cancer Prevention on Newsmax Dr. Wascher Answers Questions About Cancer Risk & Cancer Prevention on The Doctors Radio Show Dr. Wascher Discusses Lymphedema After Breast Surgery on cancerlynx.com Dr. Wascher Discusses Hormone Replacement Therapy & Breast Cancer Risk on cancerlynx.com Dr. Wascher Discusses Chronic Pain After Mastectomy for Breast Cancer on cancerlynx.com Dr. Wascher Discusses Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy for Cancer on cancersupportivecare.com Dr. Wascher Discusses the Role of Exercise in Cancer Prevention on Open Salon Dr. Wascher Discusses Aspirin as a Potential Preventive Agent for Pancreatic Cancer on eHealth Forum Dr. Wascher Discusses Obesity & Cancer Risk on eHealth Forum Dr. Wascher Discusses the Role of Radiation Therapy in the Treatment of Breast Cancer on Sharecare Dr. Wascher Discusses the Treatment of Stomach Cancer on Sharecare Dr. Wascher Discusses the Management of Metastatic Cancer of the Liver on Sharecare Dr. Wascher Discusses Obesity & Cancer Risk on hopenavigators.com Dr. Wascher Discusses Hormone Replacement Therapy & Breast Cancer Risk on interactmd.com Dr. Wascher Discusses Thyroid Cancer on health2fit.com
Links to Other Breaking Health News Recent Advances in Prosthetic Limbs to Help Boston Marathon Bombing Victims Spiny New Bandage May Speed Healing of Skin Wounds Study Confirms that Men Really Do Have Trouble Reading the Thoughts of Women Deadly new Bird Flu Strain Cases Continue to Rise Abdominal Fat Increases Kidney Disease Risk Increasing Dietary Potassium & Decreasing Salt Intake Reduces Stroke Risk A New Explanation for the Link Between Red Meat & Cardiovascular Disease Deadly New Bird Flu Identified in China Infection Risk: Keeping an Eye on Your Dentist Couple Loses 500 Pounds in Two Years Coffee May Reduce Crash Risk for Long-Distance Drivers Tiny Implant Tells Your Smart Phone When You Are Having A Heart Attack Transplanted Kidney Causes Death Due to Rabies Eating While Distracted Increases Calorie Intake Resistant Bacteria are on the Rise High Levels of Stress Linked to an Increase in Heart Disease Risk Small Snacks Cut Hunger as Well as Big Snacks Poor Sleep May Increase the Risk of Heart Failure Ancient Mummies Found to Have Heart Disease by CT Scan Physically Fit Kids Do Better on Math & Reading Tests How Melanoma Skin Cancer Evades the Immune System Possible Link Between BPA and Asthma Baby Boomers Appear Less Healthy Than Their Parents The Biology of Love in the Brain Millennials May be the Most Stressed-Out Generation Even Modest Alcohol Intake Raises Cancer Risk Why Do Boys Receive Lower Grades than Girls? Negative Emotions and Feelings Can Damage Your Health Canker Sore Drug Cures Obesity (At Least in Mice…) How Technology is Changing the Practice of Medicine New Salt Intake Guidelines for Children High Levels of Distress in Childhood May Increase Risk of Heart Disease in Adulthood Quitting Tobacco by Age 40 Restores a Normal Lifespan in Smokers Cancer Death Rates Continue to Fall Self-Help Books Improve Depression Marines Try Mindfulness and Meditation to Reduce PTSD Dying Nurse Volunteers Herself to Teach Nursing Students about the Dying Falling Asleep While Driving More Common than Previously Thought Celebrity Health Fads Debunked Obesity Among Young Children May Be Declining Fresh Fruits & Vegetables May Reduce Breast Cancer Risk Satisfaction with Life May Actually Increase with Age Brain Changes in the Elderly May Increase Susceptibility to Being Scammed
Dr. Wascher’s latest video:  Dark as Night, Part 1 At this time, more than 8 percent of Americans are unemployed. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, however, the unemployment rate for veterans who served on active duty between September 2001 and December 2011 is more than 12 percent. A new website, Veterans in Healthcare, seeks to connect veterans with potential employers. If you are a veteran who works in the healthcare field, or if you are an employer who is looking for physicians, advanced practice professionals, nurses, corpsmen/medics, or other healthcare professionals, then please take a look at Veterans in Healthcare. As a retired veteran of the U.S. Army, I would also like to personally urge you to hire a veteran whenever possible. Disclaimer: As always, my advice to readers is to seek the advice of your physician before making any significant changes in medications, diet, or level of physical activity Dr. Wascher is an oncologic surgeon, professor of surgery, cancer researcher, oncology consultant, and a widely published author
I and the staff of Weekly Health Update would again like to take this opportunity to thank the more than 100,000 health-conscious people from around the world who visit this premier global health information website every month. Over the past 12 months, more than 2.9 million pages of high-quality medical research findings were served to the worldwide audience of health-conscious readers. As always, we enjoy receiving your stimulating feedback and questions, and I will continue to try and personally answer as many of your inquiries as I possibly can.
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New Government (USPSTF) Warning on Hormone Replacement Therapy Risks
June 3, 2012 by admin
Filed under A Cancer Prevention Guide for the Human Race, Big Pharma, Blood Clots, Breast Cancer, Cancer, Cancer Prevention, HRT, Hormone Replacement Therapy, Hot Flashes, Incontinence, Menopausal Symptoms, Menopause, Progesterone, USPSTF, Weekly Health Update, breast cancer prevention, breast cancer risk, cancer risk, cancer screening, cardiovascular disease, coronary artery disease, dementia, estrogen, heart disease, memory, risk, stroke, women's health initiative study
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A new report by a U.S. Government task force (USPSTF) recommends against the use of hormone replacement therapy due to serious health risks.
NEW GOVERNMENT (USPSTF) WARNING ON HORMONE REPLACEMENT THERAPY RISKS As I discuss in my bestselling book, A Cancer Prevention Guide for the Human Race, there is now solid evidence that the most commonly used form of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) is associated with a significant increase in the risk of developing breast cancer, and that risk continues to rise with the duration of HRT use. Like many cancer experts, I have taken issue with some of the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force’s (USPSTF) recent revisions of longstanding cancer screening recommendations, including, particularly, their 2009 recommendation that annual screening mammograms be started later in life than most experts have recommended (and continue to recommend), and performed less frequently among middle-aged women than most experts have also recommended. More recently, in 2011, the USPSTF’s blanket recommendation that routine PSA screening for prostate cancer be largely abandoned has not been warmly embraced by me, nor by many other cancer prevention experts, given that we still cannot determine, in advance, which men with prostate cancer will be helped by treatment for this disease and which men will not benefit (and, hence, may actually even be harmed) by being treated because they have an indolent form of prostate cancer that poses no threat to their lives (Does PSA Testing for Prostate Cancer Save Lives?). Now, the USPSTF is weighing in on another controversial cancer-related issue: hormone replacement therapy. Prior to 2002, more than half of all American women took some form of HRT to treat the common symptoms of menopause, including hot flashes, night sweats, vaginal dryness, and irritability. As I discuss in my forthcoming book on the tragic history of HRT, The Manufactured Myths of Menopause and Hormone Replacement Therapy: A Legacy of Suffering and Death, the intentionally deceptive multi-decade marketing of HRT drugs as a panacea for the both the real and imagined consequences of menopause, and the skillful (if duplicitous) portrayal of menopause as a pathological disease that renders its “victims” something less than feminine, was only recently revealed to be a collection of gross distortions (to put it mildly) on the part of the dominant manufacturer of HRT medications. Thanks to the landmark findings of the enormous Women’s Health Initiative study, which was published in the Journal of the American Medical Association in 2002, we now know that long-term HRT use is clearly associated with an increased risk of multiple and serious health problems, including an increased risk of breast cancer. The USPSTF is now about to weigh-in on the issue of HRT, in a paper that is to be released in the June 4th issue of the Annals of Internal Medicine. Unlike their other recent controversial pronouncements, however, I actually find the USPSTF’s new recommendations against the routine use of HRT to be very close to my own recommendations, and so I am including their review of the existing clinical research data on HRT in this column. After comprehensively reviewing the data from 9 different prospective, randomized, placebo-controlled, blinded clinical studies (including the massive Women’s Health Initiative study), the USPSTF study group determined that both estrogen-progesterone (combination) HRT and estrogen-only HRT significantly increased the risk of stroke, potentially fatal blood clots (venous thromboembolic disease), gallstones, and urinary incontinence. Estrogen-progesterone (combination) HRT was also, once again, shown to be associated with a significantly increased risk of breast cancer, as well as a probable increase in the risk of dementia. (On the other hand, estrogen-only HRT, which can only be taken by women who have previously undergone hysterectomy, appears to actually decrease the risk of developing breast cancer, while both types of HRT also appear to reduce the risk of osteoporosis-associated bone fractures.) Based upon the increasingly large amount of available clinical research data, HRT, of any type, cannot currently be recommended for routine long-term use, given the multiple and significant health risks associated with both estrogen-only and estrogen-progesterone forms of HRT. After decades of intentionally misleading advertising by the manufacturer of the two most frequently prescribed forms of HRT, and the manufacturer’s intentional co-opting of numerous women’s physicians over the years, the true risks associated with the long-term use of HRT have now become abundantly clear. I will have much more to say about this cautionary tale when The Manufactured Myths of Menopause and Hormone Replacement Therapy: A Legacy of Suffering and Death is published in early 2013…. For a groundbreaking overview of cancer risks, and evidence-based strategies to reduce your risk of developing cancer, order your copy of my bestselling book, “A Cancer Prevention Guide for the Human Race,” from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Books-A-Million, Vroman’s Bookstore, and other fine bookstores! Within one week of publication, A Cancer Prevention Guide for the Human Race was ranked #6 among all cancer-related books on the Amazon.com “Top 100 Bestseller’s List” for Kindle e-books. Within three months of publication, A Cancer Prevention Guide for the Human Race was the #1 book on the Amazon.com “Top 100 New Book Releases in Cancer” list. Disclaimer: As always, my advice to readers is to seek the advice of your physician before making any significant changes in medications, diet, or level of physical activity
Dr. Wascher is an oncologic surgeon, professor of surgery, cancer researcher, oncology consultant, and a widely published author
I and the staff of Weekly Health Update would again like to take this opportunity to thank the more than 100,000 health-conscious people from around the world who visit this premier global health information website every month. (More than 1.3 million pages of high-quality medical research findings were served to the worldwide audience of health-conscious people who visited Weekly Health Update in 2011!) As always, we enjoy receiving your stimulating feedback and questions, and I will continue to try and personally answer as many of your inquiries as I possibly can.
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Clonidine and the Antidepressant Effexor Both Reduce Hot Flashes
October 9, 2011 by admin
Filed under Antidepressant, Breast Cancer, Cancer, Cancer Prevention, Clonidine, Effexor, Hormonal Therapy, Hot Flashes, Menopausal Symptoms, Menopause, SNRI, SSRI, Venlafaxine, Weekly Health Update, breast cancer prevention, breast cancer risk, estrogen, sex hormones, tamoxifen
Welcome to Weekly Health Update
The blood pressure medication clonidine and the antidepressant venlafaxine (Effexor) both reduce hot flashes caused by breast cancer treatment and by menopause. CLONIDINE AND THE ANTIDEPRESSANT EFFEXOR BOTH REDUCE HOT FLASHES
The modern management of breast cancer often includes “hormonal therapy,” in which medications that block the effects of estrogen, or decrease the amount of estrogen manufactured by the body, are used to reduce the risk of breast cancer recurrence. Despite significantly lowering the risk of breast cancer recurrence in patients with estrogen-sensitive breast tumors, recent clinical research studies have shown that fewer than one-half of all breast cancer patients actually go on to complete the recommended 5-year course of hormonal therapy. (This very poor level of compliance with a medical therapy proven to lower recurrence and death rates associated with breast cancer is particularly an issue among younger women.) While there are several reasons why more than half of all breast cancer patients do not complete their recommended course of hormonal therapy, one of the major causes, and especially among younger patients, is that these medications are commonly associated with significant side effects, including the same hot flashes that frequently accompany menopause. Numerous treatment interventions have been tried in an effort prevent hot flashes associated with breast cancer therapy (as well as hot flashes in postmenopausal women without breast cancer), but very few of these therapies have been shown to have any clinically significant benefit. However, several previous clinical studies have suggested that certain types of antidepressant medications, as well as the blood pressure medication clonidine, may reduce the severity and frequency of hot flashes. Unfortunately, much of the research in this area has been of rather low quality, and so the findings of these lower level studies have not radically changed the way that most physicians have managed their patients’ hot flashes. Now, a newly published prospective, randomized, placebo-controlled, blinded clinical research study, which appears in the current issue of the Journal of Clinical Oncology, strongly suggests that venlafaxine (also known by its trade name, Effexor®), a medication that is part of the new “serotonin–norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors” (SNRIs) class of antidepressants, and clonidine may both be effective in decreasing the severity and frequency of hot flashes in women with a history of breast cancer. In this study, 102 women with a history of both breast cancer and severe hot flashes were secretly and randomly assigned to take either venlafaxine (75 mg per day), clonidine (0.1 mg per day), or an identical-appearing placebo (sugar) pill. Following 12 weeks of observation, 80 patients remained in this clinical study. At the end of this 12-week clinical study, both clonidine and venlafaxine were found to significantly decrease the severity and frequency of hot flashes, when compared to placebo pills. Although both medications were clinically effective in reducing hot flashes, and although venlafaxine resulted in a more rapid reduction in hot flashes than clonidine, clonidine was associated with a greater overall improvement in hot flashes, when compared to venlafaxine, after 12 weeks of treatment. (Venlafaxine was also associated with a greater incidence of nausea, constipation, and appetite loss, compared to clonidine.) The findings of this study add to those of prior studies that have shown a 15 to 25% reduction in the severity and frequency of hot flashes with antidepressants such as venlafaxine, and with clonidine. Moreover, prior studies have shown that these two medications reduce the severity and frequency of hot flashes in women with a history of breast cancer as well as in postmenopausal women without a prior history of breast cancer. One important limitation of this study is its small size, and its high patient drop-out rate, which resulted in small numbers of patient volunteers in each of the three “arms” of this prospective, randomized, blinded, placebo-controlled study. However, the findings of this small clinical research study, nonetheless, are still consistent with those of previously published studies; and taken together, these studies suggest that venlafaxine (and other modern antidepressant medications) and clonidine may be effective in reducing the severity and frequency of hot flashes in both breast cancer patients who are undergoing hormonal therapy for their cancer and in postmenopausal women with menopause-associated hot flashes.
For a comprehensive guide to living an evidence-based cancer prevention lifestyle, order your copy of my new book, A Cancer Prevention Guide for the Human Race. For the price of a cheeseburger, fries, and a shake, you can purchase this landmark new book, in both paperback and e-book formats, and begin living an evidence-based cancer prevention lifestyle today! For a groundbreaking overview of cancer risks, and evidence-based strategies to reduce your risk of developing cancer, order your copy of my new book, “A Cancer Prevention Guide for the Human Race,” from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Books-A-Million,Vroman’s Bookstore, and other fine bookstores! On Thanksgiving Day, 2010, A Cancer Prevention Guide for the Human Race was ranked #6 among all cancer-related books on the Amazon.com “Top 100 Bestseller’s List” for Kindle e-books! On Christmas Day, 2010, A Cancer Prevention Guide for the Human Race was the #1 book on the Amazon.com “Top 100 New Book Releases in Cancer” list! Disclaimer: As always, my advice to readers is to seek the advice of your physician before making any significant changes in medications, diet, or level of physical activity Dr. Wascher is an oncologic surgeon, professor of surgery, cancer researcher, oncology consultant, and a widely published author For a different perspective on Dr. Wascher, please click on the following YouTube link: I and the staff of Weekly Health Update would again like to take this opportunity to thank the more than 100,000 health-conscious people, from around the world, who visit this premier global health information website every month. (More than 1.2 million health-conscious people visited Weekly Health Update in 2010!) As always, we enjoy receiving your stimulating feedback and questions, and I will continue to try and personally answer as many of your inquiries as I possibly can.
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Soy (Isoflavones), Osteoporosis, and the Symptoms of Menopause
August 14, 2011 by admin
Filed under Breast Cancer, Cancer, Cancer Prevention, Hot Flashes, Isoflavones, Menopausal Symptoms, Menopause, Nutrition, Osteoporosis, Soy, Weekly Health Update, breast cancer prevention, diet, estrogen, flavonoids, prostate cancer, tofu, women's health initiative study
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