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Walnuts help fight breast cancer

Walnuts were also believed to have some influence on fertility

Walnuts have a reputation of being as healthy as they are hard to crack. It was once thought that crushed walnut kernels mixed with wine and oil would cure headache and prevent baldness. Walnuts were also believed to have some influence on fertility. Now research has found that walnuts contain healthy fatty acids that slow down the growth of breast cancer.

  • Reduce breast cancer risk: Have a handful of walnuts each day, and it may reduce your risk of breast cancer. Sounds easy, doesn’t it? This isn’t folklore — it’s based on scientific research. Dr Elaine Hardman of Marshall University School of Medicine has studied the relationship between diet and breast cancer for 15 years. While doing a lab study on mice with breast tumors, Dr Hardman found that adding walnuts to the daily diet of the mice delayed the tumor growth. This preventative effect may carry over for women who are in treatment for breast cancer, and might even reduce the risk of developing breast cancer, when the nuts are consumed on a daily basis. Research has yet to explain how walnuts may prevent breast tumors.
  • Cracking open walnut’s nutritional values: Here are some of the essential ingredients stored in walnuts that explain why it is so good for you.
  • Omega-3 fatty acids: Alphalinolenic acid (ALA) is an omega-3 fatty acid that must come from food, because your body does not make it. It is a polyunsaturated fat that helps reduce inflammation, and it may be effective in preventing breast cancer.
  • Antioxidants: These help prevent or delay cellular rust; they stabilise free radicals and slow down the natural ageing process.
  • Phytosterols: A plant compound that appears to slow or prevent the growth of cancer.
  • Melatonin: Your body regulates your body clock and other hormones by producing melatonin, the natural sleep hormone.
  • Gallic Acid: Found in the slightly bitter-tasting thin skin outside the walnut kernel, gallic acid is antifungal and toxic to cancer cells.
  • Walnuts as a weapon against breast cancer: “Dietary changes could prevent one-third to two-thirds of all cancer,” Dr Hardman says. “The number one thing in our diet leading to cancer is eating too many calories.” While eating two ounces of walnuts daily will lower your risk for breast cancer, the snack also weighs in at 366 calories. That will show up on your waistline, so to prevent excess pounds, be sure you’re using those walnut calories as a replacement for calories from other proteins, such as meat or legumes. Your anti-cancer diet is more about balance, not about following the latest fads.

Source: www.breastcancer.about.com

( Source : deccan chronicle )
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