Review

The Breast Cancer Prevention Diet: 
The Powerful Foods, Supplements, and Drugs That Can Save Your Life
Dr. Bob Arnot

     The book, THE BREAST CANCER PREVENTION DIET  can save lives.  For many years not much research was done on the prevention of breast cancer, but this is changing.  Current medical doctors and writers are now beginning to synthesize this new medical information to give women prevention strategies to reduce the risk of getting breast cancer.  For many years doctors said there is nothing you can do to prevent breast cancer.  Some doctors continue to say this.  But this new medical information says differently.  Now this research is so new that one could wait the 10 years when all the double blind studies are over before attempting to prevent breast cancer.  Or one can do the wise thing and purchase a book such as this and prevent breast cancer now, so you don't have to face this disease in ten years.  Not waiting, but making changes now has a name.  It is called evidence-based nutritional analysis, because most of the preventive strategies involve nutrition, supplements, and drugs.

        Being a breast cancer survivor myself, seeing this book presented on The Ophra Winfrey Show was exciting.  I feel that after my own extensive research that this is an easy to read book for laywomen to get going and change their life toward wellness, thereby preventing breast cancer and also influencing the health and life of their daughters as well.

        Most of the book outlines his 12 steps to preventing breast cancer.  The first step involves all the information he condenses on the many causes of breast cancer which he calls toxic soup.   When you study the causes, one can see that there is not one cause, but a multitude of causes which he outlines.  He goes into a lot of detail explaining estrogens role in breast cancer including a study of the estrogen receptors.     Then Dr. Arnot advances to how foods can prevent breast cancer.  He calls this chemoprevention. He talks a lot about the eastern cultures and Mediterranean cultures with low breast cancer rates .  He emphasizes all the statistics in lowering cancer with a  low fat, high-fiber diets and a lot about how soy products..  (This is a controversial subject for which there isn't a definitive answer in the literature for post-menopausal women with estrogen positive breast cancer). He encourages the use of flax seeds to block estrogen receptors.

        Dr. Arnot writes about the difference between the right and wrong fats and how they promote or protect the breast from cancer.  He shows how in three months of using the right fats like olive oil, the breast biology can be changed. 

        Dr. Arnot also emphasizes the danger of all refined carbohydrates.  This raises the insulin levels and creates insulin resistance.  People don't usually equate eating bakery and candy with an increased breast cancer rate, but the statistics are there for lowering immunity, feeding cancer cells etc. He has a list of foods to drop the foods with a high glycemic index, those foods which raise the blood sugar levels really fast like white flour products, white rice, potatoes, candies, chips etc.

        The evidence is building towards lowering oxidative load by eating at least nine vegetables and fruits a day and taking supplements, although he doesn't emphasize the full range of protective vitamins.  He only emphasizes a few like fish oils, genistein supplements and vegetable supplements.

        Alcohol is another area he emphasizes.  Alcohol consumption is the most solidly established dietary factor related to cancer of the breast and one of the most powerful.  Especially with hormone replacement therapy, drinking is downright dangerous.

        It come as no surprise that exercise is a powerful statistical prevention strategy in breast cancer.  Dr. Arnot writes that if exercise were a drug, it would be considered a major breakthrough.  The same goes for obesity.  Many studies show that being overweight is the highest risk factor for breast cancer.

        The last part of the book THE BREAST CANCER PREVENTION DIET outlines different breast cancer prevention plans for  premenopausal, menopausal, breast cancer survivors, and  intergenerational breast cancer prevention for daughters.  He ends with various meal plans and healthy cuisines.

        All in all, this is an easy to read book and easy to follow.  However, if one is really serious about preventing breast cancer, I would also recommend the book by Dr. Peter DAdamo, EAT RIGHT FOR YOUR TYPE, and the book by Dr. Samuel Epstein entitled THE BREAST CANCER PREVENTION PROGRAM.   These three books should enable women to do the best they can to not only prevent breast cancer, but enhance their chances for survival after a breast cancer diagnosis and treatment.  No one has the total ANSWER  in the prevention of any cancer, but common sense should tell women that the answer lies is in lifestyle and not in just a pill.  Prevention is a hard thing.  It entails many changes for a goal that is not seen for years.  Many people don't want to change, or are oblivious to the fact that they should change.  I know that I have learned the hard way. Trust me ladies, you do not want to walk down that breast cancer path if you can avoid it. And with all the latest research, for the first time the outlook is optimistic that there are ways to be pro-active to prevent the plague of the twentieth century for women--Breast Cancer.