The Corrosive Reality of Oil Extraction

The Corrosive Reality of Oil Extraction
June 9, 2009



We all love our plant oils and extracts- but have you ever stopped to think about just how they take the oil out of these plants?

Most oils from plant sources are extracted through a process involving either, a mechanical press or chemical solvent (or a combination of the two). Historically, extraction was performed mechanically- with relatively low production yields and a large amount of waste. Way back during the Industrial Revolution, technology took hold and the widespread use of the continuous mechanical press allowed for a more efficient extraction system.

It was in the 1930s that solvent extraction became popular when it was recognized for its effectiveness in recovering oil from seeds and other oil-bearing materials. Currently, hexane is the most widely used extraction solvent. The problem is that hexane’s toxicity is well established; it is an extremely corrosive, neurotoxin, not to mention air pollutant, with strict OSHA regulations regarding its use and worker safety practices. A petroleum by-product of gasoline refining, hexane is highly volatile and is assumed to completely evaporate from food oils; the FDA does not set maximum residue limits for hexane extracted products, except for cottonseed oil and hops. To add injury to insult: the EPA lists hexane as a hazardous air pollutant; air pollutants are defined by the EPA as airborne chemicals that “cause or may cause cancer or other serious health effects, such as reproductive effects or birth defects, or adverse environmental and ecological
effects.”¹

To read the full article: http://www.supermarketguru.com/index.cfm/go/sg.viewArticle/articleId/534

Olive oil: What are the health benefits?

Olive oil: What are the health benefits?
Is extra-virgin oil better than regular olive oil?
from Katherine Zeratsky, R.D., L.D.

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/food-and-nutrition/AN01037
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/food-and-nutrition/AN01037/METHOD=print

When choosing fats, olive oil is a healthy choice. Olive oil contains monounsaturated fat, a healthier type of fat that can lower your risk of heart disease by reducing the total and low-density lipoprotein (LDL, or "bad") cholesterol levels in your blood.

In contrast, saturated and trans fats — such as butter, animal fats, tropical oils and partially hydrogenated oils — increase your risk of heart disease by increasing your total and LDL cholesterol levels.

To read the full article: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/food-and-nutrition/AN01037

15 Reasons to avoid Vegetable Oils

15 REASONS TO AVOID VEGETABLE OILS

1. THEY ARE NOT FOOD:
"...Chemically speaking, free oils are chains of carbon found in a purified state. Extraction processes have removed all of the other ingredients of the whole food. Thus, free oils are no longer intermixed with the naturally-designed and balanced environment of proteins, carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals, and ten thousand other chemicals found originally in the plants. Free-oils are not food..."

...and don't forget the 100+ pure fat calories PER tablespoon.

FROM:
http://www.drmcdougall.com/misc/2007nl/aug/oils.htm

2. PREMATURE AGING:
"In a study released today by The Lancet Oncology, Dean Ornish, M.D., and colleagues found that comprehensive lifestyle changes, including a low-fat vegan diet, increase the body's ability to fight premature aging, cancer, heart disease, and other chronic diseases... Among other beneficial effects that were previously reported, the intervention led to increased levels of telomerase, an enzyme that protects and repairs DNA. Blood levels of telomerase increased by an average of 29 percent during the study..."

PCRM PRESS RELEASE:
http://www.pcrm.org/news/archive080916.html

STUDY CITED:
http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanonc/article/PIIS1470204508702341/abstract?isEOP=true

3. CLOTTING FACTORS:
"...One of the most important clotting factors predicting the risk of a heart attack is an elevated factor VII. All five fats tested-rapeseed oil (canola), olive oil, sunflower oil, palm oil, and butter-showed similar increases in triglycerides and clotting factor VII..."

FROM:
http://www.drmcdougall.com/misc/2007nl/aug/oils.htm

STUDY CITED:
Larsen LF, Bladbjerg EM, Jespersen J, Marckmann P. Effects of dietary fat quality and quantity on postprandial activation of blood coagulation factor VII. Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol. 1997 Nov;17(11):2904-9.

4. ALTZHEIMER'S DISEASE:
"... A review published in the Nov 2008 issue of Current Opinion in Clinical Nutrition and Metabolic Care suggests... that by restricting your intake of calories, a practice known as caloric restriction, you may not have to contract Alzheimer's disease in the first place. The review led by Gillette-Guyonnet S and Vellas B. from aGérontopôle Toulouse, France bInserm, U558, Toulouse, France says caloric restriction does not just extend lifespan, but may benefit brain functioning as well.

SOURCE:
http://foodconsumer.org/7777/8888/G_eneral_H_ealth_34/101506092008_Want_to_prevent_Alzheimer_s_disease_Eat_less.shtml

5. PLAQUE FORMATION RUSSIAN ROULETTE:
"...Every forkful of fat, he [Esselstyn] says, causes an immediate biochemical assault on the endothelium, the lining of the arteries. White blood cells collect there, gobbling up bad cholesterol and creating fatty deposits over time. For many people, especially those who smoke or have other risk factors, accumulation of plaque is a time bomb for a coronary event..."

INTERVIEW SOURCE:
http://www.cleveland.com/healthfit/index.ssf/2008/06/exsurgeon_caldwell_esselstyn_e.html

SHORT VIDEO ON PLAQUE FORMATION:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YNeWCvLZaFM

6. BLOOD VESSEL ELASTICITY/PRESSURE:
"... Back in 2000 Vogel ...wanted to see how olive oil, salmon (fish oil) and canola oil actually affect the blood vessels. Using the brachial artery tourniquet test he had 10 healthy volunteers with normal cholesterol ingest 50 grams of fat, in the form of olive oil & bread, canola oil & bread, and salmon. Measuring their arterial blood flow before & after each meal Vogel could tell whether or not a meal was causing damage to the endothelial lining of the brachial artery, based on how the blood was flowing through the artery after the meal was eaten. The results really surprised him. The olive oil constricted blood flow by a whopping 31% after the meal; the canola oil constricted it by 10%; and the salmon reduced it by only 2%. Why should we care? Because when the arteries constrict, the endothelium (the vessel's lining) is injured, triggering plaque build-up, or atherosclerosis..."

SOURCE:
http://www.happyhealthylonglife.com/happy_healthy_long_life/2008/07/im-going-to-miss-my-olive-oil---who-knew-it-wasnt-so-healthy-after-all-drs-esselstyn-ornish-vogel-rudel-did.html

STUDY:
Vogel RA. Corretti MC. Plotnick GD. The postprandial effect of components of the Mediterranean diet on endothelial function. Journal of the American College of Cardiology. 36(5):1455-60, 2000 Nov 1.

ALSO:
"High-Fat Fast-Food Meals Cause the Heart to Beat Harder and Blood Pressure to Rise: A new study from the Journal of Nutrition finds that a single fatty meal can cause the heart to beat harder and blood pressure to rise..."

STUDY:
http://jn.nutrition.org/cgi/content/abstract/137/4/935

7. HEART ATTACK PROOF YOURSELF:
"Every day, nearly 2,600 Americans die of some type of cardiovascular disease, an average of one death every 34 seconds, and 7.1 million Americans have had a heart attack during their lifetimes." --- (American Heart Association. Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics - 2005 Update. Dallas, Texas: American Heart Association; 2005)

20 years of peer-reviewed research by Drs. Ornish and Esselstyn, independently shows that a very low no-added fat vegan diet can reverse and prevent heart disease. Modern science has
NOT accomplished this feat by any surgery, drug, or mechanism.

THE ORNISH "LIFE CHOICE" DIET:
http://diet.lovetoknow.com/wiki/Dean_Ornish_Diet

DR. ESSELSTYN'S WEBSITE:
http://www.heartattackproof.com

8. THE MEDITERRANEAN STUDY MYTH:
"After four years on the Mediterranean Diet, 25 percent of the people either died or had another major cardiac event. To me, that has absolutely nothing to do with the arrest and reversal of heart disease; that is simply slowing the rate of progression. We want to use nutrition that can arrest and reverse disease, not slow the rate of progression... When you think about it, what does olive oil have in it? A tiny bit of vitamin E, no minerals, no other vitamins, and no fiber. All you are getting is 100 percent fat, 14 percent of which is artery-clogging."

FROM AN INTERVIEW WITH DR. ESSELSTYN:
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0876/is_97/ai_n21193775/pg_5

9. DIABETES:
"Eating a low-fat vegan diet may be better at managing type 2 diabetes than traditional diets, according to a new study... Researchers found 43% of people with type 2 diabetes who followed a low-fat vegan diet for 22 weeks reduced their need to take medications to manage their disease compared with 26% of those who followed the diet recommended by the American Diabetes Association (ADA)... Forty-nine of the participants followed a low-fat vegan diet consisting of about 10% of daily calories from fat, 15% protein, and 75% carbohydrates..."

FROM:
http://diabetes.webmd.com/news/20060726/low-fat-vegan-diet-may-treat-diabetes

10. IMPOTENCY:
"... when you control your risk of a heart attack, you also control your risk of stroke, impotence, kidney failure and even wrinkles. A major cause of all of these is arterial aging, and while arterial aging is typical, it is neither normal nor necessary."

FROM:
http://telegraphjournal.canadaeast.com/magazine/article/509629

11. BREAST CANCER:
"... The researchers found that doubling fat intake, from 20 percent to 40 percent, was associated with a 15 percent increase in breast cancer risk. The increase in risk was similar for all types of fat-saturated, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated..."

FROM:
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/03/070321161542.htm

12. COLON & PROSTATE CANCER:
"Most importantly, population studies tell us that, worldwide, the lower the total fat intake, the less the risk of common cancers, such as breast, colon and prostate."

FROM:
http://www.drmcdougall.com/misc/2007nl/aug/oils.htm

STUDIES CITED:
21) Carroll KK. Experimental evidence of dietary factors and hormone-dependent cancers. Cancer Res. 1975 Nov;35(11 Pt. 2):3374-83.

22) Rao GN. Influence of diet on tumors of hormonal tissues. Prog Clin Biol Res. 1996;394:41-56.

23) Weisburger JH. Worldwide prevention of cancer and other chronic diseases based on knowledge of mechanisms. Mutat Res. 1998 Jun 18;402(1-2):331-7.

13. OBESITY:
LOW-FAT VEGAN DIET MAY SPUR WEIGHT LOSS: (09/23/05):
"A diet free of animal products and low in fat may help trim the waistline without the task of strict calorie watching, a new study suggests. Researchers found that of 64 postmenopausal, overweight women, those assigned to follow a low-fat vegan diet for 14 weeks lost an average of 13 pounds, compared with a weight loss of about 8 pounds among women who followed a standard low-cholesterol diet. The weight loss came despite the fact that the women were given no limits on their portion sizes or daily calories -- and despite the fact that the vegan diet boosted their carbohydrate intake.

[Dr. Neal] Barnard and his colleagues at George Washington and Georgetown universities report the findings in the American Journal of Medicine. Despite the restrictions of going vegan, Barnard maintained that it's easy to take on the lifestyle. "Just eat fruits, vegetables, beans and whole grains," he said. "Everything you're eating is good for you." It is wise, he noted, to take a multivitamin, particularly to get enough vitamin B12, which is found naturally only in animal products."

SOURCE: American Journal of Medicine, September 2005.

Note: the write-up above is no longer on the web, but you can read about the study, including abstract, at:

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B6TDC-4H3H3D5-D&_user=10&_coverDate=09%2F30%2F2005&_rdoc=12&_fmt=summary&_orig=browse&_srch=doc-info(%23toc%235195%232005%23998819990%23606135%23FLA%23display%23Volume)&_cdi=5195&_sort=d&_docanchor=&_ct=37&_acct=C000050221&_version=1&_urlVersion=0&_userid=10&md5=206b5ede2e92106c530fa68ba0b213b2

14. CRAVINGS FOR FAT:
MC: "... What happens to the cravings for fat?"
Esselstyn: "Within about 8 to 12 weeks you've down-regulated the fat receptors and it's no longer an issue."

[You can read the full interview (with embedded links) and downloadable copies of the Interview to Print and/or Distribute at:
http://www.madcowboy.com/02_MCIview05.000.html

15. DR. T. COLIN CAMPBELL:
Author of "The China Study" (history's largest study on diet and health):

"S.J.: What kind of treats do you use when you are feeling like a treat?

T.C.C.: Oh, a treat. I had some of my wife's cookies for one thing. She makes cookies now with no fat and just a very minimal amount of sugar and she puts in fruits, dried fruits and things like that and grains.

S.J.: Ground nuts.

T.C.C.: Yes.

S.J.: So that takes the place of oil, for example, using the whole food nut.

T.C.C.: Exactly, I just find that I am adapted to that taste now and that to me is a great treat. Just to get her to make some of those cookies."

INTERVIEW (AUDIO AND TRANSCRIPTS, THIS IS FROM PAGE 114) AT:
http://climatehealth.net/Interviews.html

I'm going to miss my olive oil...

I'm Going to Miss My Olive Oil - Who Knew It Wasn't So Healthy After All? Drs. Esselstyn, Ornish, Vogel & Rudel Did
July 04, 2008

http://www.happyhealthylonglife.com/happy_healthy_long_life/2008/07/im-going-to-miss-my-olive-oil---who-knew-it-wasnt-so-healthy-after-all-drs-esselstyn-ornish-vogel-rudel-did.html

Is Olive Oil the healthiest fat? In a word, no! It's a better fat, but not the best one.
-Dr. Dean Ornish-

Contrary to our hypothesis, our study found that omega-9 (oleic acid)--rich Olive Oil, impairs endothelial function after eating. If you've been using olive oil because you think it's healthy, it's time to think again.
-Dr. Robert Vogel-

This is so disappointing. I've been dipping my whole grain bread in extra virgin olive oil & balsamic vinegar and feeling "oh so virtuous"--as I soaked up every last drop of oil on my plate. Olive oil is essentially the only fat I eat & cook with. I love the stuff!

Finding out that olive oil is bad makes me feels the same as when I found out that the tooth fairy & Santa Claus were made up stories.

Truth be told--this isn't the first time I've heard this. It's just that now it's finally soaking in--just like olive oil on bread. About 4 or 5 years ago at a Grand Rounds on the benefits of a plant-based diet held at my medical center, I asked one of Dr. Esselstyn's proteges if olive oil is finally on the OK list--now that we know how healthy the Mediterranean Diet is for us.

"Absolutely not!", he said. "Olive oil, like any fat causes inflammation and harms blood vessels. The research is out there. No one is listening. No oil--no olive oil!" Needless to say, I ignored what he had to say.

"Rigid, inflexible vegetarians. How come Dr. Walter Willett of Harvard says it's good for us? What about the Lyon Diet Heart Study? And besides, it makes food taste so good," I thought to myself.

Last March when Dr. T. Colin Campbell spoke at my hospital's Wellness Grand Rounds, I decided to ask Dr. Campbell what he thought about olive oil and nuts. I just knew they had to be good for us.

"I'll let Dr. Esselstyn, who is here answer that question. He's the expert on oil & nuts." replied Dr. Campbell.

"Olive oil has been shown to injure the blood vessel's endothelium (lining). Walnuts are OK-but not if you already have heart disease. You know, here's what I've discovered. If you tell someone with heart disease that walnuts are OK, before you know it they have a bowl of nuts on their coffee table, a bag of nuts in their car and on and on. Nuts are full of calories--which is the last thing you need to eat when you're trying to lose weight. I advise my patients against eating nuts for this very reason.", Dr. Esselstyn said.

I heard what he said--but somehow it didn't apply to me. Until June 25th, when I heard Esselstyn speak on NPR's affiliate station, WCNP's Sound of Ideas about "Eradicating Heart Disease".

Here's Why You May Want to Think Twice About Olive Oil
From Dr. Dean Ornish: It's 100% fat and 14% of it is saturated. At 120 calories a tablespoon it's very easy to eat too much of "a bad thing". It won't raise your LDL as much as butter or other saturated fats will, so it might look like it's reducing your cholesterol, but it's still raising it. It's just not raising it as much other fats would! It's the omega-3's that reduce inflammation and are "heart healthy", and olive oil has very little omega-3, maybe 1%. It's mostly omega-9, which has been shown to impair blood vessel function. Canola and flax seed oil are much higher in omega-3's--and are much healthier oils to use. Just go easy on them!.
From Dr. Robert Vogel of the University of Maryland: This is the study that convinced me! Back in 2000 Vogel based his study on the Lyon Heart Study, which is the big-time study that got us all to eat the Mediterranean Diet. He wanted to see how olive oil, salmon (fish oil) and canola oil actually affect the blood vessels. Using the brachial artery tourniquet test he had 10 healthy volunteers with normal cholesterol ingest 50 grams of fat, in the form of olive oil & bread, canola oil & bread, and salmon. Measuring their arterial blood flow before & after each meal Vogel could tell whether or not a meal was causing damage to the endothelial lining of the brachial artery, based on how the blood was flowing through the artery after the meal was eaten. The results really surprised him. The olive oil constricted blood flow by a whopping 31% after the meal; the canola oil constricted it by 10%; and the salmon reduced it by only 2%. Why should we care?
Because when the arteries constrict, the endothelium (the vessel's lining) is injured, triggering plaque build-up, or atherosclerosis. Vogel RA. Corretti MC. Plotnick GD. The postprandial effect of components of the Mediterranean diet on endothelial function. Journal of the American College of Cardiology. 36(5):1455-60, 2000 Nov 1. Similar results have been found it later studies. This isn't just a one-hit wonder. Interestingly, walnuts, which have Omega-3's have also been shown to improve blood flow by 24% using the brachial artery tourniquet test. Go omega 3's!
How does olive oil constrict blood vessels?: Dr. Vogel discovered back in 1999 that a high fat meal blocks the endothelium's ability to produce that all important NITRIC OXIDE, which is a vasodilator and critical to preserving the tone & health of our blood vessels. When olive oil constricts the blood vessels it's because it's blocking the production of nitric oxide. Not a good thing!

From Dr. Lawrence Rudel of Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center: Rudel ran a five year study feeding olive oil and saturated fat to African Green monkeys. The monkeys metabolize fat in the same way as humans, so they're good stand-ins.. At the end of five years, their autopsies showed that the monkeys who were fed olive oil had higher HDLs (the good cholesterol) and lower LDLs (the bad cholesterol) than the ones fed the saturated fat diet. The big surprise here: Both groups had exactly the same amount of coronary artery disease. The higher HDLs & lower LDLs of the olive oil group were meaningless. Rudel later repeated the study on rodents, and got the same results.
From Dr. Caldwell Esseltsyn: Dr. E tells a story in his book about Rev. William Valentine of North Carolina who had a quintuple bypass in 1990. Since his surgery he followed a strict plant-based diet, dropping from 210 pounds to 156 pounds. For 14 years he maintained his weight & his diet. But by 2004 he started to experience a recurrence of angina, especially when he exercised. He promptly contacted Dr. Esselstyn after reading about his success in reversing heart disease in a health newsletter. Valentine wanted no part of a repeat bypass or other intervention. He assured Dr. E that he only ate whole grains, legumes, vegetable & fruit. A baffled Dr. E prompted him to repeat once again everything he was eating, leaving nothing out.
"He had forgotten to mention that he was consuming "heart healthy" olive oil at every lunch and dinner and in salads. It was what they call a Eureka moment. Immediately, I advised him to give up the olive oil. He did--and within seven weeks, his angina had completely disappeared." Dr. Esselstyn

Little known fact: Olive oil, which got its big "heart healthy" start with the Lyon Study, wasn't even used in the study. The study volunteers didn't like the taste of it, so canola oil was substituted for olive oil. All the benefit that we attributed to olive oil, was actually from Omega-3 enriched canola oil.

What does Dr. Dean Ornish advise?: The best oils are canola, fish oil (omega-3s), flaxseed oil & nonstick cooking sprays. Always in small amounts. Second best, and in very small amounts, is olive oil.

What does Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn advise?: When it comes to olive oil, canola or any oil--FORGET ABOUT IT. He does advise taking a tablespoon of flaxseed every day for omega 3's.

What Am I Going to Do? Olive oil--forget about it, except in tiny amounts. (at least I say that right now) I admit it, I was using way too much of the stuff, and consuming far too many unhealthy calories than I needed. I thought that because my HDLs were so high I was in good shape. Just like the African Green monkeys, the olive oil could have been raising my HDLs, while all the while plaque was forming in my arteries. Still mulling over a bigger move in the direction of a vegan goody-goody. Except, of course, when I'm invited out!

Cholesterol: The Top 5 Foods To Lower Your Numbers

Cholesterol: The top 5 foods to lower your numbers

http://www.mayoclinic.com/print/cholesterol/CL00002/METHOD=print
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/cholesterol/CL00002

Can a bowl of oatmeal help prevent a heart attack? How about a handful of walnuts, or even your baked potato topped with some heart-healthy margarine? A few simple tweaks to your diet — like these — may be enough to lower your cholesterol to a healthy level and help you stay off medications.

Oatmeal and oat bran
Oatmeal contains soluble fiber, which reduces your low-density lipoprotein (LDL), the "bad" cholesterol. Soluble fiber is also found in such foods as kidney beans, apples, pears, psyllium, barley and prunes.

Soluble fiber appears to reduce the absorption of cholesterol in your intestines. Ten grams or more of soluble fiber a day decreases your total and LDL cholesterol. Eating 1 1/2 cups of cooked oatmeal provides 6 grams of fiber. If you add fruit, such as bananas, you'll add about 4 more grams of fiber. To mix it up a little, try steel-cut oatmeal or cold cereal made with oatmeal or oat bran.

Walnuts, almonds and more
Studies have shown that walnuts can significantly reduce blood cholesterol. Rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids, walnuts also help keep blood vessels healthy and elastic. Almonds appear to have a similar effect, resulting in a marked improvement within just four weeks.

A cholesterol-lowering diet in which 20 percent of the calories come from walnuts may reduce LDL cholesterol by as much as 12 percent. But all nuts are high in calories, so a handful (no more than 2 ounces or 57 grams) will do. As with any food, eating too much can cause weight gain, and being overweight places you at higher risk of heart disease. To avoid gaining weight, replace foods high in saturated fat with nuts. For example, instead of using cheese, meat or croutons in your salad, add a handful of walnuts or almonds.

Omega-3 fatty acids
Omega-3 fatty acids help the heart in other ways such as reducing blood pressure and the risk of blood clots. In people who have already had heart attacks, omega-3 fatty acids significantly reduces the risk of sudden death.

Doctors recommend eating at least two servings of fish a week. The highest levels of omega-3 fatty acids are in mackerel, lake trout, herring, sardines, albacore tuna and salmon. However, to maintain the heart-healthy benefits of fish, bake or grill it. If you don't like fish, you can also get omega-3 fatty acids from foods like ground flaxseed or canola oil.

You can take an omega-3 or fish oil supplement to get some of the beneficial effects, but you won't get all the other nutrients in fish, like selenium. If you decide to take a supplement, just remember to watch your diet and eat lean meat or vegetables in place of fish.

Olive oil
Olive oil contains a potent mix of antioxidants that can lower your "bad" (LDL) cholesterol but leave your "good" (HDL) cholesterol untouched.

The Food and Drug Administration recommends using about 2 tablespoons (23 grams) of olive oil a day to get its heart-healthy benefits. To add olive oil to your diet, you can saute vegetables in it, add it to a marinade, or mix it with vinegar as a salad dressing. You can also use olive oil as a substitute for butter when basting meat.

Some research suggests that the cholesterol-lowering effects of olive oil are even greater if you choose extra-virgin olive oil, meaning the oil is less processed and contains more heart-healthy antioxidants. But avoid "light" olive oils. This label usually means the oil is more processed and lighter in color, not fat or calories.

Foods fortified with plant sterols or stanols
Foods are now available that have been fortified with sterols or stanols — substances found in plants that help block the absorption of cholesterol.

Margarines, orange juice and yogurt drinks fortified with plant sterols can help reduce LDL cholesterol by more than 10 percent. The amount of daily plant sterols needed for results is at least 2 grams — which equals about two 8-ounce (237 milliliters) servings of plant sterol-fortified orange juice a day.

Plant sterols or stanols in fortified foods don't appear to affect levels of triglycerides or of "good" high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol. Nor do they interfere with the absorption of the fat-soluble vitamins — vitamins A, D, E and K.

The American Heart Association recommends foods fortified with plant sterols for people with levels of LDL cholesterol over 160 milligrams per deciliter (4.1 mmol/L).

Consider your diet first
Before you make other changes to your diet, think about cutting back on the types and amounts of fats you eat, which can raise your cholesterol. That way, you'll improve your cholesterol levels and health overall.

When cutting fat from your diet, focus on saturated and trans fats. Saturated fats, like those in meat and some oils, raise your total cholesterol. Trans fats, which are sometimes used to make store-bought cookies, crackers and cakes, are particularly bad for your cholesterol levels because they raise low-density lipoprotein (LDL), the "bad" cholesterol and lower high-density lipoprotein (HDL), "good" cholesterol. You should try to limit the number of calories you eat daily to less than 10 percent from saturated fat, and eliminate as many trans fats from your diet as possible.

Foods That Raise "Good" HDL Cholesterol

Foods that Raise *Good* HDL Cholesterol:

Garlic (fresh is best)
Grape Seed Oil
Almonds
Macademia Nuts
Avocadoes
Onions, raw
Leeks,Scallions
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Vitamin C rich foods(bell peppers, broccoli,cauliflower)
Beta-carotene-rich foods (carrots, spinach, broccoli)
Red Wine in moderation
Caution: Diets containing even minimal amounts of hydrogenated or
partially hydrogenated oils and fats *depress* HDLs.

From: "Food your Miracle Medicine"
(How Food can Prevent and Cure Over 100 Symptoms and Problems)
by Jean Carper

11 Myths About Breast Cancer You Probably Thought Were True

11 Myths About Breast Cancer You Probably Thought Were True
by www.SixWise.com



Aside from skin cancers, breast cancer is the most frequently diagnosed cancer in women, so as you have probably heard there's a lot of talk about this disease. However, not all of it is true.

young woman breast cancer risk

Though breast cancer is more common in older women, young women can also be at risk.

Myth #1: Only women can have breast cancer.

Reality: Although it occurs much less frequently, accounting for only about 1% of all breast cancer cases, men can also have breast cancer. On average, some 450 men die annually from the disease. Breast cancer in men occurs most often between the ages of 60 and 70, typically due to radiation exposure, family history of breast cancer, or high estrogen levels resulting from such diseases as Klinefelter's syndrome and cirrhosis.

Myth #2: Only women with a family history of breast cancer can develop the disease.

Reality: Approximately 80% of women diagnosed with breast cancer have no family history of the disease. A family history of breast cancer may increase your risk of developing the disease, but your physician or genetic counselor should be able to determine your risk level more accurately.

Myth #3: Since I don't have a mutated BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene, I can't get breast cancer.

Reality: Only about 5% of breast cancer cases are due to abnormal genes. A mutated BRCA gene does not necessarily mean you will develop breast cancer as it is only one of a number of risk factors. Other risk factors include age, poor diet, obesity, family history, beginning menstruation at an early age, menstruation past the age of 50, not having children, or having your first child after age 30, and exposure to radiation.

Myth #4: Young women don't have to worry about getting breast cancer.

Reality: Although your chances of getting breast cancer increase with age (age being one of the strongest risk factors associated with breast cancer), women of all ages are potentially at risk.
A Woman's Chances of Breast Cancer Increases With Age
By age 30 1 out of 2,212
By age 40 1 out of 235
By age 50 1 out of 54
By age 60 1 out of 23
By age 70 1 out of 14
By age 80 1 out of 10
Ever 1 out of 8

Myth #5: Most lumps found in the breast are cancerous.

Reality: Approximately 80% of lumps are a result of benign (non-cancerous) changes in the breast. However, the percentage of benign breast lumps may decrease with age because older women are at a higher risk for breast cancer. But any breast abnormality should be reported to your physician.

Myth #6: Mammograms are the safest, most effective way to check for breast cancer.

Reality: There is much controversy surrounding the mammogram's safety and effectiveness. Mammograms expose you to radiation, which in turn can cause cell mutation. Consequently, pressure from the machine can spread cancerous cells. A study published in the journal Archives of Internal Medicine showed that radiologists who interpreted mammogram slides were found to misdiagnose cancer 42% of the time, while 21% of the time cancer went undetected.

Your physician may order a mammogram to investigate a lump further, however, consider thermography instead -- it is a highly accurate, non-invasive way to detect cancerous tissue without the harmful radiation caused by mammograms. In addition, very early cancer detection is possible.

breastfeeding cancer risk

Despite the myth, there is no evidence that breastfeeding increases a woman's risk of breast cancer. In fact, it may actually lower it.

Myth #7: Breastfeeding will increase my risk of breast cancer.

Reality: There is no evidence that shows breastfeeding will increase the risk for breast cancer. Some evidence shows that breastfeeding may actually decrease a woman's risk of developing breast cancer.

Myth #8: Lumps are the only form of breast cancer.

Reality: A lump may or may not indicate breast cancer -- and most lumps are benign. However, there are other signs that may indicate cancer:

*

Swelling of the breast
*

Swelling of lymph nodes in underarm
*

Skin irritation or dimpling
*

Thickening skin of breast or nipple
*

Redness or scaliness of breast/nipple skin
*

Bruise-like area on breast
*

Breast or nipple pain
*

Inverted or retracted nipple
*

Bloody or watery nipple discharge

Myth #9: Wearing an underwire bra can cause breast cancer.Reality: There is no scientific evidence that supports the idea that underwire bras cause cancer. It was proposed that toxins accumulated in the breast because of compression of the lymphatic system due to pressure from the underwire. The result was believed to be breast cancer, however this has never been proven. Tightness of your bra, whether it has an underwire or not, has not been shown to have any connection to breast cancer.

Myth #10: Drinking coffee causes breast cancer.

Reality: Thus far no evidence has shown any link between caffeine and breast cancer. There is, however, some evidence that shows caffeine may be responsible for lowering your risk for breast cancer.

Myth #11: There is no way to avoid breast cancer if I'm at high risk.

Reality: There are many different ways to help prevent and reduce the risk of breast cancer. Conventional medicine may recommend certain medications, such as Tamoxifen, Evista or Selective Estrogen Receptor Modulators (chemoprevention), or even preventive surgery, such as removing one or both of your breasts if you are at high risk, although these options do carry risks of side effects. Alternatively, the simple lifestyle strategies that follow may also help reduce your breast cancer risk.

*

Ask your doctor about aspirin
Taking an aspirin just once a week may help protect against breast cancer, but be sure to talk to your doctor before you start. When used for long periods of time, aspirin can cause stomach irritation, bleeding and ulcers. More serious aspirin side effects include bleeding in the intestinal and urinary tracts and hemorrhagic stroke. In general, you're not a candidate for aspirin therapy if you have a history of ulcers, liver or kidney disease, bleeding disorders, or gastrointestinal bleeding.
*

Limit alcohol
Drinking alcohol is strongly linked to breast cancer. The type of alcohol consumed -- wine, beer or mixed drinks -- seems to make no difference. To help protect against breast cancer, limit the amount of alcohol you drink to less than one drink a day or avoid alcohol completely.
*

Maintain a healthy weight
There's a clear link between obesity -- weighing more than is appropriate for your age and height -- and breast cancer. The association is stronger if you gain the weight later in life, particularly after menopause.
*

Avoid long-term hormone therapy
The link between postmenopausal hormone therapy and breast cancer has been a subject of debate for years, partly because research results have been mixed. Estrogen exposure clearly contributes to breast cancer risk, but for most women, the size of the contribution over a lifetime is small -- particularly in the absence of other risk factors, such as family history of the disease. If you're approaching menopause and having frequent symptoms, it's probably safe to take hormones for as long as four to five years. Any longer does increase your breast cancer risk, without conferring any clear benefits. The same is true of hormone therapy after age 60. Many experts recommend natural, bioidentical hormones as a safe alternative to synthetic varieties.
*

Stay physically active
No matter what your age, aim for at least 30 minutes of exercise on most days. Try to include weight-bearing exercises such as walking, jogging or dancing. These have the added benefit of keeping your bones strong.
*

Eat foods high in fiber
Try to increase the amount of fiber you eat to between 20 and 30 grams daily -- about twice that in an average American diet. Among its many health benefits, fiber may help reduce the amount of circulating estrogen in your body. Foods high in fiber include fresh fruits and vegetables and whole grains.
*

Emphasize olive oil
A Northwestern University study, published in the journal Annals of Oncology, found that oleic acid -- the main component of olive oil -- inhibited activity levels of the Her-2/neu gene. This gene is thought to trigger breast cancer and is found in over one-fifth of breast cancer patients. The gene is associated with highly aggressive tumors and poor prognosis.
* Avoid exposure to pesticides
The molecular structure of some pesticides closely resembles that of estrogen. This means they may attach to receptor sites in your body. Although studies have not found a definite link between most pesticides and breast cancer, it is known that women with elevated levels of pesticides in their breast tissue have a greater breast cancer risk.

Further, scientists are also investigating a number of potential preventive therapies for breast cancer, including:

*

Retinoids
Natural or synthetic forms of vitamin A (retinoids) may have the ability to destroy or inhibit the growth of cancer cells. Unlike other experimental therapies, retinoids may be effective in premenopausal women and in those whose tumors aren't estrogen positive. Research is ongoing.
*

Flaxseed.
Flaxseed is high in lignan, a naturally occurring compound that lowers circulating estrogens in your body. Flaxseed appears to decrease estrogen production -- acting much like the drug Tamoxifen does -- which may inhibit the growth of breast cancer tumors. Lignans are also antioxidants with weak estrogen-like characteristics. These characteristics may be the mechanism by which flaxseed works to decrease hot flashes. Further research should clarify the connection.

Recommended Reading

Are Self Breast Exams Harmful? What Every Woman Needs to Know.

Eight Key Nutrients to Help Prevent Breast Cancer - and Where to Find Them.

Sources

Cornforth, Tracee. About.com: Women's Health. 7 Myths About Breast Cancer. October 2008.

BreastCancer.org. Myths About Breast Cancer. June 20, 2008.

Health.com. 25 Breast Cancer Myths and Misunderstandings. October 2008.

Imaginis.com. Myths About Breast Cancer. October, 2008.

Mayo Clinic. Breast Cancer. October 2008.

Medline Plus. Male Breast Cancer. October 2008.