Many Americans have begun taking folic acid supplements thinking that it can protect against colon cancer and also cut a person's risk of stroke and heart disease.

In the past, animal studies led researchers to believe that folic acid had these beneficial effects. The National Institutes of Heath funded a clinical trial that enrolled more than 1,000 men and women who previously had polyps removed from their colons.

Those in the study were randomly assigned to take daily pills containing either 1 milligram of folic acid or a placebo. The study showed that those who took the folic acid got just as many new colon polyps as those who took the placebo pills.

Robert Sandler, M.D., chief of the division of gastroenterology and hematology, told WebMD, "We are disappointed and surprised that it didn't work. In fact, there was some evidence that folic acid increased cancer risk."

I was going to write a blog later in my series of blogs on toxins and stress and disease from the studies that I have been reading for the last month. But since a comment was made about stress and whether it has a correlation to disease to the previous blog I wrote on toxins and stress creating disease in our bodies, I will jump ahead and share some research I found on the relation of stress and disease. A relation to stress and disease has been researched by many doctors, psychologists, and medical research facilities and conclusions are that stress does several things to the body causing it to shut down in areas that can effect the body with disease and illness.

Do the common phrases, Tension Headache, Upset Stomach, Shaky Nerves, Tight Chest, ring a bell? Studies showed that work place stress has created an increase in heart disease and high blood pressure as well as making the body more susceptible to flu and viruses. It also has shown that stress can be related to Type 2 Diabetes as well as obesity. "Stress in general can disrupt the body's ability to process glucose, especially in people whose genetics make them vulnerable", said Richard Surwit of the Duke University Medical Center in a research article in the November/December issue of the journal Psychosomatic Medicine.

Bisphosphonates are medicines that help build bone mineral density and strengthen bone. When breast cancer travels to the bone, it can weaken them and may cause them to become brittle.

A Phase III study has reported that two years after starting bisphosphonate treatment, women who took Zometa went longer without bone difficulties that those who took Aredia.

The study compared the effectiveness of the two bisphosphonate medications to see which worked better when given over a two year period. The results, after 13 months, showed Zometa did better than Aredia at reducing overall risk of weakening, pain or fracture of bone.

The two year results showed that those who were treated with Zometa had a 45 percent average reduction annually in the number of bone weakening, pain or fractures compared to Aredia.

The most important part is what this can mean for you -- This study suggests that Zometa may be a viable long-term option for women with ER+ advanced breast cancer to the bone. If you have ER- disease, this study suggests you may receive an equally good result from Zometa or Aredia.

Besides preventing birth defects in the brain and spine and other congenital abnormalities, the folic acid found in prenatal multivitamins has now been shown to prevent cancer in children whose mothers take the vitamins during pregnancy.

A new Canadian study, appearing online in the journal Clinical Pharmacology & Therapeutics, estimates prenatal multivitamin supplements can save hundreds of children each year in Canada -- where only 40 to 50 percent of women take prenatal vitamins -- from developing leukemia, brain tumors, or neuroblastoma. And the vitamins may prevent 900 cases of pediatric leukemia and more than 300 brain tumor cases annually in the United States.

It's not clear which vitamins or minerals, and in what amounts, could be protecting babies from cancer, but it's possible folic acid -- critical for cellular function -- may be acting alone.

One thing is certain, says lead investigator Dr. Gideon Koren -- this is one inexpensive way to prevent cancer.

Mushrooms can help prevent breast cancer, says a study published in Cancer Research, by suppressing estrogen production in the body. Controlling estrogen levels in women can help limit or prevent cancer growth.

Researchers confirmed the presence of anti-aromatase chemicals in white button mushrooms. The chemical found called conjugated linoleic acid has previously been found to have anti-cancer properties. In mice, these compounds stopped the growth of breast cancer cells.The mice that were fed mushroom extract had a 58 percent reduction in breast tumor growth.

They tested other mushrooms and found that although white button mushrooms had the strongest effect, shiitake, portobello, crimini, and baby button mushrooms also had significant anti-aromatase effects.

Previous posts on this topic:

Medicinal mushrooms: cancer treatment cancer prevention

Recipe for Healthy Living: Mushroom Garlic Soup

When I make a salad or anything that needs oil, I always reach for the olive oil. It is regarded as a healthful dietary oil because of its high content of monounsaturated fat (mainly oleic acid) and polyphenols.

In a study to be published in the January 2007 issue of The FASEB Journal, scientists from five European countries describe how the anti-cancer effects of olive oil may account for the significant difference in cancer rates among Northern and Southern Europeans.

The researchers examined urine samples of subjects consuming a little less than a quarter cup of olive oil for three weeks. They were looking for specific compounds known to be waste by-products of oxidative damage to cells, a precursor to cancer. At the beginning of the trial the presence of these waste by-products was much higher in the Northern European subjects than their Southern European counterparts. By the end of three weeks of consuming the olive oil the presence of this compound in Northern European subjects was substantially reduced.

They also found that phenols in olive oil are not the only compounds that reduced oxidative damage. Phenols are a known antioxidant that is present in a wide range of foods, such as dark chocolate, red wine, tea, fruits and vegetables. Even if the level of phenols in the olive oil was reduced the study's subjects still received the same health benefits.

When you are cooking this holiday season, pick up some olive oil. I also use the spray olive oil which is great for getting those muffins out of the tray!

The evidence is stacking up. And it seems almost everyone will soon agree that exercising can help prevent a return of cancer for those who have already done battle with the disease.

The American Cancer Society just issued a report updating nutrition and physical activity recommendations for cancer survivors. Exercise tops the list of recommendations.

For some types of cancers, exercising for just one to three hours per week can lower the risk of cancer recurrence and death, as well as death from all causes. Exercise has also been shown to improve fitness, diminish fatigue, and boost quality of life for survivors.

The report also states that while a vegetarian diet may be healthful in some ways, there is no direct proof that the diet can prevent cancer recurrence. Survivors who do choose a vegetarian lifestyle should ensure they are receiving an adequate intake of nutrients.

A standard multivitamin and mineral supplement equivalent to 100 percent of the Daily Value can help survivors meet their nutrient needs when it's difficult to eat a healthy diet. Some supplements -- such as those high in folic acid or antioxidants -- may be harmful during cancer treatment.

According to the American Cancer Society, food safety is especially important for cancer survivors, especially during treatment that causes immunosuppression.

And then there's alcohol. Alcohol can affect the risk for new primary cancers and should be used sparingly -- or not at all.

Folate is a water-soluble B vitamin that occurs naturally in food. Folic acid is the synthetic form of folate that is found in supplements and added to foods.

The latest research has shown that the risk of developing colon cancer is linked to a diet low in folate. Study authors report that this is the first study to directly connect the two. The research was done on mice. Investigators report none of the mice fed a control diet developed cancer, but one in four mice on the folate-deficient diet developed tumors. The study reveals this may happen because a low level of folate may cause an increase in DNA damage. Study authors caution that while these results are encouraging, more research is needed on humans to know for sure the protective effect of folate for colorectal cancer.

Researchers point out they don't think its necessary to eat excessive amounts of folate, but they do recommend using diet supplements to meet the daily recommended amount. You can find folate in leafy green vegetables, like spinach and turnip greens, fruits such as citrus fruits and juices. Dried beans and peas are all natural sources of folate.

I didn't know what was coming when I plopped myself down in the waiting room of an Ear, Nose, and Throat clinic yesterday -- which is a good thing. Had I known what doctors would do to me, I may have run the other way. I may have learned to live with the pain I was experiencing each time I swallowed food. But I waited patiently, aware that doctors would "scope" my esophagus, mildly certain the procedure could be uncomfortable, completely unprepared for the full "scope" experience.

I swallowed a pill on Friday night -- not even a whole pill, just a half of one pill -- and it hurt when it went down my throat. I've had the feeling before, a sensation like the pill got stuck, but the discomfort has always gone away within a few hours. This time, it lasted. It hurt to swallow saliva. It hurt to swallow food. It just hurt. So after three days, I took myself to the clinic -- with the subtle worry that cancer was settling in my esophagus.

I know rationally that every ache and pain I experience is not cancer. But I've had cancer. And so I constantly battle a nagging fear lodged deep in my head that reminds me cancer is always a possibility, that cancer is often a shocking outcome of a routine little test for a simple little health concern.

I do not have cancer. I do not have cancer of the throat, voice box, esophagus, or stomach. That's the good news. The scope revealed -- via a tiny camera that traveled through my body -- nothing but healthy tissue. That makes me happy. The test did not make me happy.

I now know the scope is a long, thin tube that enters the body through one nostril. Ouch. It travels into the throat. Ouch. The patient swallows when it reaches the throat to assist in maneuvering it down further. Ouch. The scope then makes its way past the voice box, though the esophagus, and into the stomach. Ouch. Ouch. Ouch. The travels are all displayed on a monitor, and I actually got a glimpse of these body parts -- during the split second when I was able to control my gagging, loosen my grip on the arms of the exam chair, and open my clinched eyes. So I saw for myself that everything looks healthy -- just before the tube was pulled right back through all these parts, leaving me with a very sore throat.

Now that I am home and have talked with a few people, I hear that some patients are unconscious for this procedure. They are completely unaware of the horrors of the scope. I got a few sprays to numb my nose and throat and drank a thick cocktail of lidocaine -- but I did not get the luxury of unconsciousness. And in the end that is okay. I got to see what was happening. I got to hear the doctor's revelation that nothing major is wrong. I got to witness the wonder of medical technology. I got to prove to myself that I can handle a little discomfort in exchange for a clean bill of health. And I got to learn that I have a bit of acid reflux. And now I have to squash that nagging fear that reminds me of the literature out there suggesting a link between acid reflux and cancer.

Studies exist that link acid-reflux conditions to cancer of the larynx -- or voice box -- but authors of a new study say they all suffer shortcomings in methodology.

The new study, published in the American Journal of Medicine, was intended to make up for these shortcomings by comparing 96 men and women with laryngeal cancer to a group of adults without the disease. All participants were matched by age, gender, and ethnicity -- three of the most important risk factors for this cancer. Overall, the study found people with GERD -- gastroesophageal reflux disease -- were twice as likely to develop laryngeal cancer, compared to those without the condition. GERD has long been considered a possible risk factor for this cancer, mostly because GERD is common among people with the cancer. More definitive studies are on the horizon.

GERD, which occurs when the muscle of the bottom of the esophagus fails to close properly, allowing stomach acids to leak into the esophagus, is also linked to esophageal cancer.

In a tragic event of unfortunate misdiagnosis, The Daily Mail is reporting that teen Stacey Stephenson died of stomach cancer after repeatedly being diagnosed with acid indigestion. At the beginning of summer, Stephenson began having digestive problems related to eating. When she visited the doctor, she was told she suffered from acid indigestion and given a prescription to combat acid indigestion.

However, several weeks later, when the young woman of 19 noticed her symptoms had not improved, she returned to see the doctor again. Again, she was told she suffered from acid indigestion. Shortly after, she went with friends to Greece on holiday. During holiday in Greece, the stomach pain became severe and she sought medical attention. An X-ray revealed a stomach tumor and this is when her stomach cancer diagnosis was made. Her family came to Greece to bring her home to England.

Once home, Stephenson was admitted to hospital and scheduled to undergo chemotherapy, but she became so weak from chemotherapy-induced kidney failure that she passed away in the hospital. Obviously, the doctors who initially saw this young woman dropped the ball when it came to following up on the potential causes of her stomach ailments. She was responsible about her health and sought medical attention for her stomach problems.

But so many of us dismiss acid indigestion and digestive problems as an after-effect of our modern diet and the stressors of every day living. We do not always take these symptoms seriously -- and we should. For more information on indigestion, visit the Medline Plus indigestion webpage.

Our sympathies go out to the Stephenson family for the shocking and sudden loss of their daughter.

I discovered a website called Quackwatch. The website's mission is to be a guide to health fraud and making intelligent decisions.

As a cancer survivor I was bombarded with well meaning people telling me about different alternative therapies, a cure they heard on television, a diet that can keep your body alkaline instead of acidic to kill the cancer, and a place you can go to cure cancer that you can only receive treatment somewhere in Mexico.

I can't blame anyone for bringing these things to my attention but most of this information is not scientifically proven. I know that even if its not scientifically proven it can still be of benefit, however stories about one person who say this or that cured their cancer does not mean much to me.

I went with conventional therapy. I do think there is a place for alternative treatments so I'm not bashing them. However, we all know that there are those out there who are going to prey on a cancer patient's need for help. Those that write false books and make false claims to make money. It's unfair that we have to deal with this but that is why we need to be careful about what we believe when we read or see something on television that claims to be a quick cure.

One book that really angers me is a book written by Kevin Trudeau called Natural Cures "They" don't want you to know about. I didn't read the book but I did see the infomercial. They really do try and make it look like a legitimate setting of two professionals discussing a new book.

Just one soft drink per day or a meal with little vegetables and a large piece of meat can cause our body's to become so acidic that it creates an ideal environment for cancer and other degenerative diseases. I recommend that you get adequate protein in the diet, but excessive amounts are to be avoided, as are the use of other foods which are acid forming to us like sugar and dairy products.

Lean cuts of beef, chicken, and turkey (preferably organic), wild game, cold water fish, beans (any plant based protein), eggs (especially omega 3 enriched), soy milk and all soy products, goats milk, cottage cheese, plain yogurt, and nuts (except peanuts) are all recommended protein foods. Proteins to avoid are pork, fatty cuts of domestic livestock, dairy, most cheese and peanuts.

Cancers have an appetite for glucose and the amino acid glutamine. Excess consumption of sugars tends to promote cancer growth as does glutamine and red meats have a high dietary source of glutamine. This is one reason why excess consumption of red meats and other concentrated sources of protein tend to promote tumor growth. So the best diet is one with a small amount of meat and proteins, approximately 20 percent, and the rest vegetables and fruits, about 80 percent. Do not overcook the meat making it harder to break down and digest. Learn to eat meats in 4oz servings with the bulk of foods on your plate being vegetables and fruits. Try to cut down soft drink consumption to one a8oz glass a day and drink a lot more green tea and water. I highly recommend drinking water and making tea with water that has been filtered through a reverse osmosis system.

Important research development in regard to the glucose controlling properties of avocado's by inhibiting glucokinase responsible for glycolysis that in turn retards and reduces tumor growth shows that avocados are not just beneficial for keeping a healthy heart when they are consumed in place of saturated-fat containing foods. Avocados are a good source of fiber and fiber may help maintain a healthy heart and digestion. Avocados provide more than 25 essential nutrients, including fiber, potassium, Vitamin E, B-vitamins, and folic acid and provides beneficial phytochemicals such as glutathione, beta-sitosterol, and lutein. Phytonutrients are thought to help prevent many chronic diseases.

Vicki's Avocado & Shrimp Salad
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice 
1/2 tablespoon Texas Pete hot sauce
1 tablespoon finely chopped garlic
2 teaspoons salt
1/3 cup fresh chopped cilantro
1/2 cup olive oil 
2 bay leaves
2 tablespoons Old Bay Seasoning
6 cups water
1 Pound peeled and deveined medium sized shrimp
1/2 cup finely diced red bell pepper
1/2 cup thinly sliced green onion
1/2 cup chopped celery
1 cup chopped fresh tomatoes
1 Head Romaine Lettuce
3 medium to large Fresh Avocados not too soft (diced in 1 inch pieces)
Lemon Wedges and Tortilla Chips for garnishing

Boil water and add old bay seasoning and bay leaves. Add shrimp to boiling water and cook until whitish pink or until they lose their translucent color. Don't over cook. It only takes 1 to 2 minutes in boiling water to cook the shrimp. Immediately remove and spread out on a large plate and place in refrigerator to cool down and stop the cooking process.

In another mixing bowl add the lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, cilantro, salt, and hot sauce and whisk together. After shrimp has chilled for about 30 minutes, drain and then toss together with the onions, bell pepper, celery and tomatoes. Stir lemon juice mixture over the shrimp and vegetables and then lightly toss in the diced avocado pieces so they will not mash.

Cover plate with whole leaves of Romaine lettuce and scoop a helping of the salad into the middle. Garnish with lemon wedges on the side and corn tortilla chips. (I like the blue corn tortilla chips)

It's summer time, it's hot, and most back yard cookouts have an ice cream maker churning away making that creamy frozen dessert that everyone loves.  Why not put a healthier more nutritional dessert on the table that even children will love? A diet high in fruits is likely to be linked to a decrease in the risk of cancer of the mouth, esophagus, stomach, lung, colon, rectum and possibly other cancers. Eating large amounts of fruits has been clearly linked to a decrease in the risk of cardiovascular disease. Eating fruits may also help improve bone health, diabetes control, and the maintenance of a healthy body weight. The consumption of fruits may strengthen the immune system, which is the body's defense against various diseases including cancer.

Three weeks ago one of my dalmatians developed a lot of bacteria in her stomach and my veterinarian reminded me of the healing powers of the cultures in yogurt.  She loves a couple of spoon fulls in her dry food. Tonight while I was on a fruit binge in the grocery store to fulfill my dedication of going back to my alkaline based diet, I remembered this salad recipe mixing the best of both worlds. I wasn't even tempted to pause at the frozen foods section to gaze longingly at my favorite mint chocolate chip ice cream.  By the way all of these ingredients are on the alkaline side of the food spectrum except for yogurt.  But your best diets contain 70 percent alkaline and 30 percent acid. So this salad is perfect.

Vicki's Mixed Fruit and Vanilla Yogurt Salad (with a minty twist)
1 cup blueberries
1 cup raspberries
1 cup diced strawberries
1 cup green grapes (slice them in half)
1 peach diced
1 pear diced
1 Granny Smith apple diced
1/3 cup sliced raw almonds
3 or 4 fresh mint leaves finely chopped.
1 6 ounce container vanilla yogurt

Mix everything but the mint in a large mixing bowl stirring gently so not to crush the raspberries and strawberries.  Sprinkle a pinch of the freshly chopped mint on the top of the individual servings.  It looks fancy and gives the dessert a little extra zing. This recipe serves 6 to 8 people. But remember if you have left overs to store them in an air tight container and then use them in the morning on your cereal or granola or for an added dessert treat at lunch.