Alcohol increases breast cancer risk by 10% and 40%

[dberg]

I spent the better part of my 20s, 30s and 40s taking really good care of myself. I ran marathons, watched what I ate, didn't smoke, breast fed my three kids, etc. It was a lifestyle that was easy for me to maintain and I smugly thought I was set for life. At 45 I was dx with very aggressive bc that had all sorts of nasty proliferative markers. Ironically I was training for a half marathon at the time, weighed 110 llbs, and was strong as an ox. Go figure.

I'm 3 years out now and have to admit that I drink more now than I did before my dx. And I have absolutely no intention of giving up wine or our annual trips to Napa/Sonoma. I'm not stupid though. I'm going to add folic acid to my grocery list. Right underneath the margarita salt.

[janet/FL]

If you are serious about taking large amounts of folic acid, you might consider that there may also be negative side effects. I had just gotten a prescription for 1 mg of folic acid when I read a study that said it could increase the risk of some kinds of cancer. As usual, darned if you do and darned if don't.

A Web MD. study on folic acid and colon cancer says--
"The take-home message from our study is people should be cautious about taking supplements to prevent diseases such as cancer because those treatments might be ineffective and could be harmful," he says."

The next report recommends 600mcgs a day if you drink.

Maybe I will just cut the 1 mg in half. :-)
Janet/FL

http://www.webmd.com/colorectal-canc...-cancer?page=2

http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritio...l.html#sidebar