In a recent column by Dr. Paul Johnson, a concerned husband writes in and asks about his 68-year-old wife who had recently been diagnosed with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS):

"My 68-year-old wife was diagnosed with irritable bowel syndrome accompanied by belching, flatulence and abdominal distention. The distention mimics a pregnant abdomen. Is distention a symptom of IBS, or is something else going on?"

Dr. Donahue responds with a description of the symptoms and treatments for IBS, however, he finishes his response off with a very important piece of information:

"Your wife is a bit old to come down with IBS. It usually appears before age 50, and often in the 20s. Other illnesses should be considered, such things as colon cancer, stomach cancer, ovarian cancer and celiac disease."

We don't know what this woman has and it could indeed be IBS. However, this response from Dr. Johnson reminds us that it is a good idea to get a second opinion on any major diagnosis.

Several years ago, The American Chemical Society (ACS) announced they were behind the news that fermented cabbage, or sauerkraut, had the ability to reduce breast cancer risks. Information from the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry research indicated isothiocyanates present in sauerkraut might be more effective in cancer prevention than raw cabbage. Isothiocyanates, a class of compounds known for their ability to fight cancer, are not found in raw cabbage and only occur during the fermentation of cabbage into sauerkraut.

"We are finding that fermented cabbage could be healthier than raw or cooked cabbage, especially for fighting cancer," says Eeva-Liisa Ryhanen, Ph.D., research manager of MTT Agrifood Research Finland, located in Jokioinen, Finland. "We are now working on ways of optimizing the fermentation process to make it even healthier so that consumers will eat more sauerkraut."

University of New Mexico researchers found sauerkraut might have the ability to reduce the risk of breast cancer by up to 74 percent. What brought the interest of sauerkraut to the attention of researchers was the low incidence of breast cancer in populations known for an almost daily consumption of sauerkraut.

"Other studies have shown that sauerkraut fights all forms of massy tumor cancer, including cancer of the lung, colon, prostate, breast, and liver. It's also been shown to manage digestive problems like irritable bowel syndrome, and may work to prevent heart disease." says Ryan Downs, co-owner of the Great Lakes Kraut Company, the largest producer of traditionally fermented sauerkraut in the world.

The Great Lakes Kraut Co. offers an abstract of the research discussing the breast cancer prevention benefit of sauerkraut as a PDF document. For more information about sauerkraut, and sauerkraut recipes, visit Great Lakes Kraut Company.