Phytoestrogens are chemicals produced by plants that act like estrogens. These chemicals mimic and supplement the action of the bodies own hormones.

Lignans are one of the two major classes of phytoestrogens, they are naturally found in grains, berries and vegetables. Research has shown that lignans affect the estrogen signaling system. Estrogens play an important role in the development and progression of breast cancer.

Since the research shows that lignans affect the estrogen signaling system, they may therefore have a potential to affect breast cancer risk.

The lignan antioxidants can be found in flax seeds, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, rye, soybeans, broccoli, beans, and some berries.

This research will hopefully contribute to the development of further studies on the effects of phytoestrogens on cancer.

According to a CBC News report, ancient druids believed mistletoe had magical properties because of the way it grows, never touching the ground and without taking nourishment from the earth. However, University Hospital of Wales in Cardiff researchers are warning there is nothing magical about the use of mistletoe extract for the treatment of cancer, and in fact, it can cause harm.

Serious side effects from the injection of mistletoe extract have been reported in the Christmas issue of the British Medical Journal, including a case concerning a 61-year-old woman who had a tumor-like growth develop under her skin, brought on when she self-injected herself with mistletoe extract. The researchers warn that the use of mistletoe extract has been shown to cause a severe allergic reaction, breathing difficulties, joint pain and kidney failure. Some studies have shown that mistletoe might actually lead to cancer growth.

Edzard Ernst, a professor of complementary medicine at the Universities of Exeter and Plymouth is quoted as saying, "The idea that mistletoe may help treat cancer is based on that the idea that mistletoe, like cancer, is a parasitic growth that eventually kills its host." The researchers of this published study indicated that there are over 30 mistletoe extract preparations available in Europe, and its use by cancer patients is well-known.

From another source, the National Cancer Institute's overview of mistletoe includes the following:

• Mistletoe is a plant that grows on several types of trees and has been used since ancient times to treat many ailments.
• Mistletoe extract has been shown to kill cancer cells in the laboratory and to boost the immune system.
• Animal studies have suggested that mistletoe may be useful in decreasing the side effects of standard anticancer therapy.
• Many human studies using mistletoe to treat cancer have been done in Europe with unclear results, and a few clinical trials in the United States and abroad are in progress.
• Very few bad side effects have been reported from the use of mistletoe extract, though mistletoe plants and berries are poisonous to humans.
• The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has not approved mistletoe as a treatment for cancer or any other medical condition.
  

To read detailed information about the highlighted overview, visit the NCI's FAQ about mistletoe.

In the phenomenal bestseller Foods That Fight Cancer: Preventing Cancer Through Diet, written by Montreal biochemist Richard Beliveau with fellow scientist Denis Gingras, the authors refer to fruits and vegetables as a preventative non-toxic version of chemotherapy.

Originally published in French, the book has recently been translated into English. Based on scientific studies in food chemistry, the book's two main goals are to educate people about what cancer is -- and how to eat for cancer prevention.

Beliveau explains in layman's terms how cancer develops, how it takes years for cancer to develop, how tumors form spontaneously, and how most cancers remain insignificant. He says, "Preventing cancer is destroying these microtumors and blocking them from reaching a stage where they become clinically relevant." There are foods with the biochemical capacity to block some cancers. He wants the reader to realize that we cannot eat as badly as we do and expect medicine to come up with a miracle pill when something goes wrong.

Following is an excerpt of some of the information the reader will find in Foods That Fight Cancer: Preventing Cancer Through Diet:

Here's news of practical use. According to the American Institute for Cancer Research, AICR, freeze-dried fruits have almost the same antioxidant phytochemicals and nutritional value as fresh fruit. Freeze-dried fruit is lightweight, making it a portable food; has a longer shelf live than fresh fruit; and makes fruit available year round. Not to say that fresh fruit isn't a perfect food, but it is seasonal if you grow or buy it fresh, spoils quickly after picking; and is not as portable due to bulk and weight.

Gary Stoner, Ph.D., Professor and Chair of Environmental Health Sciences at Ohio State University, has been doing research on freeze-dried fruits, especially berries, and has reported study findings that suggest raspberries, strawberries and blueberries might offer cancer prevention.

In a recent conference, Dr. Stoner stated that he uses whole freeze-dried berries instead of extracts for the synergy of phytochemicals like ellagic acid, carotenoids, anthocyanins, vitamins C, E and folic acid that only whole foods can offer. Most of his studies are conducted using freeze-dried berries ground into a powder. Because our family lives in a seasonal climate with a distinct growing season, I really like the idea that I can store up freeze-dried fruits to provide both nutrition and cancer prevention during the non-growing seasons and eat well all year.

New Zealand health authorities are investigating what they feel to be extravagant health claims by companies trying to sell goji juice as a cure for cancer. In New Zealand, that kind of health claim is illegal. That kind of health claim is illegal in the United States as well.

There might be a single magical berry that can cure cancer, but without rigorous scientific study, who can say for sure? Certainly not the manufacturers of goji juice, or those who seek to profit from the sale of goji juice. Not without scientific proof.

I am inclined to believe it is healthy for you, and does provide antioxidants that do have cancer prevention value, because it is a berry. Most berries have been shown to offer cancer prevention in supplying the body with vital nutrients essential to good health. But that is far cry from believing goji juice is a cure for cancer.

Common sense would keep us from buying into flamboyant claims that can give someone diagnosed with cancer false hope. A cancer diagnosis can create intense levels of fear and sometimes, a willingness to set aside normal and sensible judgment. Most of the nutritional experts are suggesting that given the current price of a goji juice drink, similar berries, fruits and vegetables might be more cost effective in getting the same antioxidant and nutrition value.