Postmenopausal women who take calcium and vitamin D supplements may reduce their risk of cancer, according to a report published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. The study was a randomized controlled trial. This is in contrast to many earlier studies that show that vitamin D is protective against cancer, but were only observational trials.

The researchers found that women who took both calcium (1400-1500 mg/day) and vitamin D (1100 IU vitamin D3/day) had a lower incidence of cancer than those who took the placebo. There were 13 cases among the 446 women who took the supplements versus 20 cases among 288 women who took the placebo during the four year period.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is making it easier for consumers to read food labels. With a quick stop at a website called Make Your Calories Count, we can all learn how to better decipher and truly understand the numbers we find printed on the back of food items.

The FDA interactive site, featuring a cartoon character called Labelman, provides consumers with information related to healthful diets and calorie management. There are exercises, quizzes, and a training module available for download and printing.

The program, which presents two nutrients that should be limited (saturated fat and sodium) and two that should be consumed in adequate amounts (fiber and calcium), may be just the resource we need in our pursuits of better health and disease prevention.

Time to test your smarts -- about sleep, sun, food, and alcohol.

Just read the following questions, pick an option and then scroll down to determine if you really know what's best for your health.

• Is it healthier to sleep an extra hour or force yourself out of bed in the morning to exercise?

• Is it healthier to spend 15 minutes in the sun without sunscreen or two hours in the sun wearing SPF 30?

• Is it better to have a second glass of wine at dinner or a sinful dessert?

Beets are so healthy for you. But did you know that beets beat cancer? Beets are not only rich in calcium, but recent research has shown that they are also extremely rich in cancer-fighting flavenoids. They are also high in magnesium, folate, potassium, fiber, vitamin C and iron. Here is one of my favorite ways to eat beets in a healthy salad. Arugula and pine nuts give this salad an extra nutty and peppery flavor and make it even more healthy.

Vicki's Arugula & Beet Salad
4 cups young arugula leaves, rinsed and dried
1 jar or can sweet pickled beets rinsed and drained
(reserve the beet juice in a bowl)
1/2 cup pine nuts
1 red onion thinly sliced
1 Bay leaf
2 cloves

In a medium saucepan, combine the reserved beet juice and bring to a boil. Add cloves, bay leaf, and onion, and return to a boil. Remove from heat, strain and chill for one hour. Be sure to take out the bay leaf so you don't eat it. Mix the cooked onions and beets together and stir. Divide arugula into four bowls and divide beet/onion mixture on top of each bowl. Divide pine nuts between the bowls.

Tofu is rich in high-quality protein. It is also a good source of B-vitamins and iron. When the curdling agent used to make tofu is calcium salt, the tofu is an excellent source of calcium. While 50% of the calories in tofu come from fat, a 4-ounce serving of tofu contains just 6 grams of fat. It is low in saturated fat and contains no cholesterol. Generally, the softer the tofu, the lower the fat. Many women fear soy foods if they have estrogen-receptor positive cancers. There is NO good research showing soy FOODS are bad for you if you have estrogen-receptor positive cancer. Soy FOODS seem to contain things that slow down cancer cells. Soy FOODS may even make cancer cells less aggressive. If you have estrogen-receptor positive cancer, DO NOT USE SOY SUPPLEMENTS.


Vicki's Vegan chocolate cheesecake
1 pound extra firm tofu
1 cup honey
1 cup cocoa
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
2 tablespoons liquid espresso or strong coffee
1 pre-made pie crust

Blend ingredients until smooth. Pour into crust. Bake
at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Chill for minimum 2 hours before slicing.

Bok Choy is low in calories, fat and is high in calcium, potassium and Vitamin C and A. Bok Choy also contain glucosinolates, which may help prevent cancer by eliminate carcinogens. Bok Choy is used in a lot of stir fry recipes but I personally like to make a soup that allows me to drink all of the nutrients in the broth. It is simple and quick to make and packed full of flavor and nutrition. If you add diced tofu to the recipe, it will also give you protein.

Chef Vicki's Bok Choy Soup

3 cups vegetable broth
(you can use three cups of water and 3 vegetable bouillon cubes)
1 celery stalk diced
1/2 white onion diced
6 button mushrooms sliced
6 Bok Choy leaves chopped
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/2 block Extra Firm Tofu cubed in 1/2 inch pieces (optional)

Bring broth to boil and add celery, onions, garlic, and mushrooms. Boil for 2 minutes and lower heat to medium. Add Bok Choy and tofu and simmer for approximately 5 minutes. Salt and pepper to taste.

A drug commonly used to minimize the toxic effects of chemotherapy has been shown in mice to cause bone loss and promote tumor growth, according to the results of a recent study.

This drug, granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) -- also known as Neupogen, Neulasta, and Granocyte -- helps restore white blood cell counts that take a beating during chemotherapy, protecting cancer patients from an increased risk of infection.

According to researchers, G-CSF -- essentially a growth factor -- encourages bone breakdown. And any therapy that decreases bone density can enhance tumor growth in bones. So doctors are urged to closely monitor their patients during chemotherapy with regular bone density scans. They can also prescribe medications to prevent bone loss if necessary. And patients can protect their bones by consuming enough calcium and vitamin D and engaging in regular exercise.

Currently, research on cancer patients treated with G-CSF have not yielded the same strong results researchers found among mice.

The details of this study appear online in the journal Blood, and will be published in an upcoming print issue.

In the January issue of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, findings were published that says calcium seems to protect high-risk people from developing polyps in the colon. Polyps are growths in the colon and some can become cancerous over time.

Patients, who had a history of benign polyps, either took 1,200 milligrams of calcium in supplement form or received a placebo daily for four years. In this study it showed that calcium use was associated with a 17 percent lower risk for polyp recurrence.

"It really does look like calcium interferes with carcinogenesis in the large bowel" researcher John A. Baron, MD, tells WebMD. "The fact that this reduction in risk persisted for years after people stopped taking calcium is amazing".

Baron also stated that it is still not clear if the benefits outweigh the risk since some studies have linked calcium treatment with an increase in prostate cancer risk.

On the flip side a University of Arizona epidemiology professor Maria Elena, PhD, worries that the findings will make people think that all they need to do to protect themselves from colorectal cancer is to increase their calcium intake, which in men high doses can be dangerous.

The best way to prevent colon cancer is to get a colonoscopy when you turn fifty and make sure you have follow-ups. That is not as easy as popping a pill but its true.

The American Cancer Society recommends that adults aged 19 to 50 take in 1,000 milligrams per day of calcium and that those over 50 get 1,200 milligrams. The guidelines stress that the calcium should come primarily from food sources and not supplements.

I am struggling to find healthy lunch items for my kindergartner who has been a picky eater since the day he was first introduced to food. He won't eat a sandwich -- well, he will eat a peanut butter sandwich but for some reason he thinks it must be warmed in a microwave. But microwaves are not available in his school cafeteria, so peanut butter sandwiches won't work -- nor will anything else that must be heated to satisfy Joey's picky palate. And he won't eat lunch meat or cheese or tuna fish or anything that seems to fill most kids' lunch boxes. He does eat fruits and vegetables -- which is primarily what I send him with to school -- but it seems he needs something more. Something with a kick of protein. But I'm stuck. So today I went to the grocery store in search of the magic item that will both satisfy Joey and satisfy even the smallest of nutritional needs. I ended up with yogurt.

I have never been a huge fan of yogurt because it's loaded with sugar. But yogurt does contain some vitamins and some calcium and a little bit of protein -- 5 grams -- and I opted for the light, fat-free variety which makes me feel better about my purchase. And tomorrow, my experiment begins. If the yogurt container is missing when I open Joey's lunch box after school, I will assume he has eaten the yogurt. If the container is still in the lunch box -- and is still full of yogurt -- I will start back at square one. And I'll just hope he doesn't figure out that he can toss the whole unopened yogurt container right into the trash. Surely, a five-year-old wouldn't think of that. Okay, yes he would.

Even though Joey may not take to my yogurt idea, something good has already come from my purchase of 10 servings of Yoplait Yogurt -- each one features a lid reading Save Lids to Save Lives with a pink breast cancer ribbon printed on the pink foil top. I didn't even notice this until I was in the check-out line, but now I know that for every pink lid I send in, 10 cents will be donated to the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation. Yoplait will contribute up to $1.5 million and guarantees a $500,000 donation. So regardless of Joey's decision regarding the yogurt, someone will benefit from this purchase -- if only I can convince Joey to save the lids.

And so somehow, helping fund a cure for breast cancer seems easier than convincing my child to try new foods. Both are difficult ventures. And hopefully, a remedy will one day surface for both.

I have a cabinet full of supplements I've never taken. I've never been convinced they will do much for me -- other than add an easy-to-forget routine to my day -- and doctors have typically advised me that a healthy diet will deliver just about everything I need for optimal functioning. I still wonder sometimes if I get enough calcium and at times I have taken iron supplements when doctors have determined I lacked appropriate iron levels. But I have never wondered about all the other pills and powders and liquids that claim to promote health -- and sometimes prevent cancer. And after reading a recap of a study in the September 2006 Oprah magazine, I am further convinced that supplements are just not for me.

A report from ConsumerLab.com (CL), a company that tests and certifies supplements, suggests that some people might be ingesting too much lead as they try to keep cancer at bay. CL randomly selected various green tea preparations from store shelves, websites, and direct marketers and found that two out of four contained what is considered unacceptable levels of lead. Green tea products they recommend avoiding are Futurebiotics Premium Extract Standardized Green Tea tablets and Herbal Select Standardized Green Tea Extract. Products found to be totally free of lead are Life Extension Mega Green Tea Extract, Nature's Bounty Green Tea Extract, Pharmanex Tegreen 97, and Puritan's Pride Green Tea Extract.

Experts believe that some supplements may help prevent cancer. But most testing is done on food so we can't be entirely sure about the safety of supplements. Their advice is this -- make a change through a healthy diet rather than supplements. This is just what I plan to do.

I could eat pesto on just about everything. As a spread on warm bread, sauce over meats, drizzled over salads and into soups, and on pasta. So some good news for all you pesto lovers because it is extremely healthy aiding in digestion and boosting the immune system. It is good for gout, muscular aches and pains, rheumatism, and your respiratory system. Some studies show that basil is a cancer preventative herb. It also helps people with diabetes because it can lower blood sugar levels and aid insulin release. 

One ounce of fresh basil leaves has 12 calories.  It provides 0.9 g protein, 0.3 g fat, 2 g carbohydrates, 91 mg calcium, 0.3 mg iron, approximately 12,380 IU vitamin A and 8 mg vitamin C.  One teaspoon ground basil has 4 calories.  It provides 0.2 g protein, a trace of fat, 0.9 g carbohydrates, 30 mg calcium, 0.6 mg iron, 131 IU vitamin A and 0.9 mg vitamin C.

Vicki's Pesto Sauce
4 cups fresh basil leaves
4 large garlic cloves
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup freshly grated Pecorino Romano cheese
1/2 cup pine nuts
1/2 lemon
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup walnut oil  (if allergic to walnuts then double the olive oil)

Squeeze lemon into food processor making sure no seeds get in. Combine the garlic and pine nuts in the processor with the lemon juice. Add basil and cheeses and continue processing. With the machine running, slowly add the mixture of olive and walnut oils.  Season to taste with salt and freshly ground pepper and process to the desired consistency.  Let stand 10 minutes before serving. Can be kept in the refrigerator in an air tight container for up to a week.

I love oysters any way and every way, and if I could every day. But as a cancer survivor and also a lupus patient I have to listen to the warnings my mother and the medical professional give me. Especially my mother.

Cancer patients including lymphoma, leukemia, and Hodgkin's disease are at risk for getting seriously ill or even dying when eating raw or under-cooked oysters. Vibrio vulnificus bacteria is without a doubt something that affects at risk people including cancer patients, people with liver disease including alcoholism, stomach disorders, and people with low immune systems. The illness is characterized by fever, chills, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, a sharp drop in blood pressure, intractable shock and possibly death. The majority of patients also develop painful skin lesions. The skin appears red then blisters develop quickly and erode into necrotic ulcers.

So do I have to cut out eating my favorite morsel from the sea? You can avoid Vibrio vulnificus bacteria by either not eating oysters or by eating them fully-cooked. Oysters are a good source for calcium, phosphorus, potassium, and vitamin A -- one of the antioxidants believed to help prevent cancer and protect against bacterial infections. Because of their copper and manganese content, oysters are credited with the prevention and treatment of anemia.

I choose to go the fully-cooked method. Here is one of my favorite recipes:

Spicy Asian Cooked Oysters

1 quart fresh shucked oysters, any size
2 T. butter
1 T. minced garlic
1/2 chopped onion
1 T. Worsheshire Sauce
1 T. Thai Chile Sauce
1 T. Oyster Sauce
juice of 1/2 fresh lemon
2 stalks thinly sliced celery
1 C. sliced red & green peppers
1 T. sesame oil
1 T. soy sauce
1 tsp finely chopped lemon grass
3 chopped green onions
1 T. chopped fresh cilantro
black pepper to taste

In a large saucepan, boil one quart of salted water. Add oysters, stir gently for 2-3 minutes. Remove oysters from pan, wash and rinse, set aside. In a large sauté pan, heat sesame oil and butter, add garlic, onion and lemon grass and sauté approximately one minute. Add oysters and simmer 2-3 minutes. Add remaining ingredients. Simmer, stirring gently until heated through. Add cilantro and green onions and stir well. Serve over steamed rice. Sprinkle with sesame seeds if desired.

Bon Appetit!

In a newspaper feature, Cathy Zimmerman begins by asking, milk -- could it be possible that it does a body bad? As part of a session of classes on foods that fight cancer at Wild Oats in Portland, Oregon, she quotes Dr. Amy Lanou, a nutrition scientist and professor of health and wellness at the University of North Carolina at Asheville and board member of the Cancer Project -- a nonprofit group of physicians, naturopaths and educators -- as saying, "There is a large body of evidence that dairy products do more harm than good. Whole milk, full of lactose sugar and unsaturated fats, is the number-one source of fat in children's diets." Concerned adults are attempting to stop the growing problem of obesity for children by reducing less-nutritious or fat-laden foods that lead to weight gain. Obesity can lead to a number of diseases later in life -- including cancers.

According to The Cancer Project, other mammals quit drinking milk after infancy, but not humans, who started drinking cow's milk in northern Europe about 1,000 years ago. The proteins, fat and sugar in milk promote fast growth, as well as dozens of hormones that nourish infant development. But that's mother's milk. And babies drinking it. Dairy milk is too rich for an adult body. Previous research on dairy has shown that it can increase the risks for some cancers. What about calcium? Contrary to popular belief, dairy is not the best bet for getting the calcium we need to maintain good health. Calcium can be obtained from a diet of green leafy vegetables, beans, peas and legumes. Fortified juices are another source of calcium. Does milk do a body bad? You decide.

In 2003, University of Idaho and Utah State University researchers cloned three mules. The success of the cloning came about by manipulating calcium levels. Calcium affects how quickly cells divide. The researchers are hoping that calcium levels and function might explain why horses and mules develop cancer at much lower rates than humans. Because of these cloning facts and findings, they base a possible hypothesis for discovering a key to cancer on the fact that calcium imbalances are indicators of human prostate cancer and diabetes. According to a news report aired on KBCI News in Boise, Idaho, no male horse or mule has ever been diagnosed with prostate cancer and melanoma does not metastasize in their bodies.

Two of the three healthy cloned mules, Idaho Star and Idaho Gem, are preparing to race in Winnemucca, Nevada at the Mule Races and Draft Horse Challenge. The cloned mules will gain worldwide attention next week when they become the first cloned mules to participate in a sporting competition. Perhaps one day, cloned mules will help win the race in a cure for cancer.

In London, on May 24, 2006, The Vegetarian and Vegan Foundation will be launching White Lies, a campaign to raise awareness of the health risks of consuming dairy products. Why You Don't Need Dairy, an event to mark the beginning of the campaign, will feature Heather Mills McCartney, wife of former Beatle Sir Paul McCartney, as a speaker who will call for milk to be dropped from the nation's diet.

Other speakers include Professor Jane Plant CBE, a geochemist, who fought breast cancer three times and went into remission after giving up dairy products. Plant is the author of the best selling books ‘Your Life in Your Hands - Understanding, Preventing and Overcoming Breast Cancer’ and ‘Prostate Cancer.’

On March 1, the foundation called for a total ban on all imports of milk that contain raised levels of a growth hormone linked to cancer. Tests confirmed that milk from the US is being imported into the EU, dosed with the synthetic growth hormone, rBST, recombinant bovine somatotrophin. According to The Vegetarian and Vegan Foundation, one of the effects of this hormone in milk is to increase its levels of the naturally-occurring growth hormone IGF-1 as much as fivefold.  IGF-1 has been strongly linked to certain cancers.

In a related post, drinking milk can lead to ovarian cancer, we shared news on a Harvard School of Public Health report which indicated a 19 percent higher risk of ovarian cancer for some women who drink milk. Included in the post is the Nutrition Resource Centre of the Ontario Public Health Association, Non-Dairy Sources of Calcium, available as a PDF document online, with non-dairy food suggestions that offer plenty of calcium.

In 1956, Paul McCartney lost his mother, Mary, to breast cancer. His first wife, Linda McCartney, died on April 17, 1998 from breast cancer.