Oh no! Not ice cream, too! Risk of death from bc increases in survivors overindulgi

[Lani]

ng in high fat dairy foods, per the following study:


After breast cancer, high-fat dairy foods raise risk of death



Wed, Mar 6 2013

By Sharon Begley
NEW YORK | Thu Mar 14, 2013 4:05pm EDT
(Reuters) - Women who have ever had breast cancer might want to walk away from the brie, the butter and the black cherry (and every other flavor) ice cream.

According to a study of 1,893 women, breast cancer survivors who average as little as one serving per day of high-fat dairy foods have a 49 percent higher risk of dying from breast cancer than those who eat little or no high-fat dairy.

In absolute terms, breast cancer survivors who consumed the most high-fat dairy had about a 12 percent risk of dying of the disease.

The elevated mortality risk is therefore "modest," said lead author Candyce Kroenke, a staff scientist at Kaiser Permanente, the nonprofit healthcare provider. "But since it may not be so difficult to lower your consumption of high-fat dairy, I think if you have breast cancer it's worthwhile."

The research, published on Thursday in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, is notable because more than a dozen studies since the late 1980s have examined whether consuming milk, cheese, ice cream and other dairy products is related to breast cancer. The results have been a confusing muddle: Some studies found that women who eat a lot of dairy have a higher risk of breast cancer, others found they have a lower risk and still others found no effect either way.

The Kaiser study is the first to separate out the effects of high- and low-fat dairy on women diagnosed with breast cancer.

The hormone connection might apply beyond breast cancer. A 2012 study found that drinking more whole milk was associated with worse survival among men with prostate cancer, while skim milk was associated with higher survival.

"This is a very well-done study by highly regarded researchers," said Dr. Michelle Holmes, associate professor of medicine and epidemiology at Harvard Medical School and Harvard School of Public Health, who was not involved in the research. It advances scientists' understanding of how diet affects breast cancer, she said, and presents women with a simple dietary choice: "It's for each woman to decide, but if you don't eat high-fat dairy you can get the same nutrients from other sources," including low-fat versions.

Total dairy intake had no effect on how the women - who had been diagnosed with stage 1, 2 or 3A invasive breast cancer and most of whom were post-menopausal - fared over the 11.8 years, on average, that the researchers tracked them.

But high-fat dairy, which means whole milk or cream and anything made with them such as cheese and ice cream, did make a difference.

Breast cancer survivors who ate one or more servings per day (according to a 120-item questionnaire they answered) also had a 64 percent greater risk of dying from all causes, but that was expected: A high-fat diet has long been associated with cardiovascular disease, among other illnesses.

The cancer risk was more surprising, if only because scientists have speculated that the vitamin D and calcium in milk might protect against cancer.

Instead, the estrogens in milk might be the problem, researchers say. These hormones, which promote some breast cancers, reside in milk fat. Less milk fat means less estrogens, so the estrogen content of skim, 1 percent and 2 percent milk and products made from them is relatively low.

Another reason to suspect estrogens rather than fat itself was that eating more saturated fat of all kinds did not raise the women's chances of dying of breast cancer as strongly as high-fat dairy did. That suggests that fat consumption per se is unrelated to breast-cancer mortality: nuts, chocolate, coconut and vegetable fats such as those in avocados did not increase the risk.

(Reporting by Sharon Begley; Editing by Jilian Mincer and Douglas Royalty)

HEALTH

[europa]

Crap. There goes my cheese.

[SoCalGal]

No milk in marshmallows.

[sarah]

Good reminder. Jane Plant has written a lot about it and about living in Asia countries and noticing less breast cancer which was called by people over there the "rich woman's disease" and David Servan-Schreiber also mentions it in his anti-cancer book.

[Ellie F]

I met Professor Plant who had ER+ bc herself and 'ditched the dairy'. What I feel remains unclear is the impact dairy has on her 2 breast cancer that is hormone receptor negative?Jane Plant also suggested that it may be growth factor crossing the gut that may have an impact on her 2. Interestingly at my onc centre they actively encourage patients to drink whole milk, cheese etc!
Ellie

[Paula O]

ONE serving of high fat dairy/day jumps the risk that much?! Yikes. I do like ice cream, yogurt, and cheese.

WWW.NotMilk.com is an interesting site to consider. I was off of dairy for years and years before cancer, have had some since. Many consider low fat dairy to be a good source of calcium and protein--others disagree. Green leafies, sesamie seeds, milk substitutes like rice milk and hemp seed milk are also good sources (some say on their label that they contain more calcium than cow's milk). I doubt all the steroids and hormones typically found in dairy along with the fat are health promoting either. I've read that skipping things that leech calcium out of bones (like soda) can help build strong bones along with dietary supplementation.

Paula

[dawny]

Oh, dang it, that's chocolate too!

[Ellie F]

Only just started having chocolate and now this!
Ellie

[jaykay]

Chocolate is okay (per Lani's article post). How much whole milk is too much? I have to have whole milk in my coffee!

Not really an ice cream eater - but yogurt and cheese? I do try to buy low fat versions of both.

Can't be anal about everything. Could get hit by a car tomorrow.

Janis

['lizbeth]

I'm toast. Is this also for ER- breast cancer?

I really don't want to give up my ice cream, milk, cheddar cheese and chocolate . . . sobbing . . . boo hoo . . . sniff sniff.

Oh chocolate is okay? Thank heavens, some consolation.

[LoisLane]

I tend to buy organic milk with no hormones so I hope that helps somewhat. I should remember to buy the organic yogurt as well. I feel I am doing the best I can, but I am still going to have that piece of cheese (or two) when I want. I dont eat much ice cream because it hard to find pure ice cream without any additives. I pick up the Hagaen Daz ice cream and take a look at the saturated fat content and almost fall over and then put it back in the freezer at the supermarket. Because I am ER+ I am aware of watching the estrogen. However I still want to indulge in the piece of chocolate cake etc when I go out. I suppose I get more worried about drinking wine than eating cheese and creme brule etc. I do love to have wine with dinner when we go out (2 glasses per week) but even so I think we need to live and have fun! Cheers all have a good weekend Loia

[BonnieR]

And I just had the best quesadillas last night! And tres Leches cake! You know, I am getting so tired of all these studies and warnings. Of course I want to be prudent and eat mindfully. But I also want to indulge in pleasurable things and enjoy the new lease on life that I have been given. Moderation is my mantra most of the time
Keep the faith

[dearjilly]

Oh poo! I really love the cheese. I do, however, buy organic milk, butter, and cheese. I wonder if that makes a difference.
YAY to the chocolate, I think I might go have some dark now!
ciao!

[Ellie F]

Been checking the labels of milk chocolate! Even organic says it contains whole milk hence high fat! Why is this Ok when cheese isn't??

ellie

[Lien]

I knew there had to be an advantage to being allergic to dairy products!

Jacqueline

[Sydneybased]

Greetings all.

Think of it this way.

We accept the importance of being treated with chemotherapy because it could help save our life. This is with all the horrendous side-effects.

We also accept that we should be treated with surgery, radiation, tamoxifen/AIs, and herceptin, again, with sometimes very significant side effects - and at great cost in terms of time spent hanging around health institutions.

Cutting out dairy is a small thing to ask compared to these other big asks, and with growing evidence that it makes a difference, why are we thinking twice about it?

Just thinking out loud.....

[Ellie F]

Guess its because all the info we get bombarded with is often inconclusive and often the research is conflicting. Still can't 'get' why chocolate containing whole milk hence high fat is ok ( according to post) but butter and cheese is not??

Ellie

['lizbeth]

The dairy issue is in The China Study. I have the book somewhere around the house. It connected increased consumption of milk with higher cancer rates.

I do take feel that our "acceptance" of the current treatments for cancer is part of the problem. As consumers who are voting with our dollars, we need to demand more effective treatments with less toxic side effects.

I look at some of the studies and think, really? Who thought these up? Where is the Kadcyla/TDM1 comparison to a taxane for early breast cancer? Where is the comparison of a combination of Herceptin/Perjeta against a taxane for early breast cancer?

Are there not studies that show exercising at a certain level gives a tremendous benefit in reduction in recurrence.

Why are more women not flocking into vaccine trials for prevention or recurrence?

Are we too accepting of the sacrifice of our quality of life for a longer and miserable quantity?

I think that we all should be asking more questions about cancer treatment and cancer prevention.

I'm bombarded with conflicting studies . . . who can you really believe.

a little frustrated with the current paradigm in cancer treatment and voicing my concerns . . .

I've already omitted the whole milk, and added almond and soy.

[Ellie F]

Well put! It's almost like we're brainwashed into accepting this is how it is! I also think its a global problem generating serious money for a lot of economies hence the reluctance to fund other treatments that may end up cheaper or heaven forbid cure us!! I truly believe in the future ppl will look back and see how barbaric our current treatments are!
Ellie
Ps Bit frustrated also that we don't seem to be able to deal with the fallout either with good treatments for example lymphoedema!

[linn65]

What??? No Cheese, and I eat those little cubed cheese with Mont/Jack cheese frequently. Also, I eat chocolate I think daily!! Then the last few days my snack at night has been Drum Sticks Ice cream cones. Someone said with all the HUGE treatments we have done this is a SMALL thing.....Well, small things become HUGE when it is comfort food to help with all these HUGE things going on!! Geez, everything causes cancer I think. I think I just got the short stick of the DNA in my family...They all eat just as bad as I do.

I wonder if I shouldn't eat Bread-N-Butter pickles now because I have been eathing those the past few days because they sound good.

Oh and I eat cereal several times a week with 2% milk. Ugh this seems like a lot of work.