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I was diagnosed of IIIc OVca. I went through my second chemo. I am trying to have a healthy diet, trying to avoid dairy products. Every morning I would blend my own vegetable and fruit juice.
Does anyone know if soymilk or tofu is bad for OVca?
Juliach, My gyn -onc cautions against starting to use soy products if you haven't been using them all along before ever having cancer. His concern is that the phyto-estrogens might cause recurrence if the cancer is estrogen receptive.
You might want to try goat's milk. The one I buy is Meyersberg (sp?). I also like goat's cheese. The taste is a bit salty but drinkable and eatable. The only thing is goat's milk can be hard to find and it can be a bit pricey.
Firstly, I would ask your oncologist. I have asked two oncologists about this. One told me to eat soy in moderation. The other said there is no evidence that soy increases risk much. I asked these questions several years ago, but I'd be surprised if there had been definitive research on the subject since then.
It is also true that some oncologists will allow ERT for women who were pre-menopausal prior to diagnosis. My understanding is that the estrogens in soy are much weaker than in ERT. From this one could certainly infer that soy might be OK.
Do you know the ER status of your tumor? That might be an important consideration, but I would still ask my oncologist for advice on this. Each patient has her own particular situation.
I asked my gyn/onc,and he said I could safely use soy, as my cancer was not estrogen receptive. He said only about 10% are. So you need to ask you doc about yours.
I gave up milk and many dairy products. I drink soy, eat tofu and drink rice milk. Now I'm wondering if I should continue with the soy. Will ask my onco. next week. I don't like the taste of goat's milk.
Be very cautious about using soy products if you have cancer. I've read many articles about not using it, so I'd definitely ask your doctor.
Soy is a tricky issue. I have read a ton about it and it's all over the place, yes in moderation, definitiely no-no, etc...
The best book I have read about anticancer foods is:
Anti-Cancer - A new Way of Life by David Servan-Schreiber.
Here is an extract of what he says about soy:
<<Soy isoflavones (including genistein, daidzein, and glycitein) block the stimulation of cancer cells by sex hormones (such as estrogens and testosterone). They also intervene by blocking angiogenesis. There are significantly fewer breast cancer cases among Asian women who have eaten soy since adolescence...Take note: isoflavones in pill form have been associated with an aggravation of certain breast cancers, but not soy taken in as food....
Warning about Soy and TAXOL: it seems that genistein in soy can interfere with Taxol. while awaiting confirmation in human studies - it is advisable not to consume soy-based foods during chemotherapy with taxol. (stop a few days before and start again several days after treatments)
Also protective action of soy against breast cancer has been formally demonstrated only for women who have consumed it since adolescence. Its protective action against cancer has not been proven where consumption begins in adulthood. >>
The other problem I have with soy is that 80% of soy in this country is GMO (Monsanto developed a soybean that is resistant to Roundup and this new bean constitutes 80% of America's soybean crop. The bean fields are doused in Roundup to keep down the weeds). I would only consume organic soy if I wanted to consume soy - which I don't, and only the fermented forms of soy (tofu, tempeh, edamame, miso). Those are the only acceptable soy foods - soy milk, if organic and does not contain carrageenan is ok in moderation, but most soy milks, even organic ones do contain this ingredient (carrageenan can cause ulcerations and cancers of the gastrointestinal tract).
My take is that I don't NEED soy in my diet and there are many other anticancer foods that are not as controversial and I stay away from it. If you need a milk replacement, try almond milk instead of soy milk, its' delicious.
And if you read the book "The Whole Soy Story" by Kaayla Daniels, you will probably never want to eat soy again. It was an eye-opener to me. I used to eat those meat substitutes all the time and loved it. No more.
Soy and soy products are a serious no no. I was told they only make the cancer worse. And dont use flax seed oil I was told this by one one of my docotrs it makes cancer cells grow.
My cancer nutritionist told me soy milk and tofu are fine. Its the concentrated soy isolate added to many food you need to look out for.
Try Almond milk its my favorite.
To be on the safe side, I would stay away from soy and tofu. Better sources of protein would be fish (not farm raised), organic chicken and turkey and an occasional egg. The bulk of an anti-cancer diet should be 80% veggies, mostly raw, no fruit except berries and melon, little or no meat, wheat or dairy and no red meat or sugar of any kind.
Thank you.
I thought fruit groups are great source of vitamins and antioxidants, why do we have to limit to berries and melon?
Because fruits contain sugar and cancer feeds on it. Since you are IIIC, you have metastases, and according to Dr. Blaylock, a cancer expert, the only fruit allowable is berries and melon.
The best nutrition anti cancer book I have read is The China Study. He advocates a whole foods, plant based diet and has a mountain of evidence to back it up. No meat, no dairy, no processed foods.
It really depends on what sources you're reading when you try to identify what's good and what isn't when it comes to cancer and what you eat.
After lots of research this is what I found...now this is my personal opinion:
Foods that fight cancer and these are organic: apples & their seeds, purple or black grapes & their seeds, strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, cantaloupe, brocolli, carrots, tomatoes, avocados, garlic, lemons & limes, peppers, coconut oil, flax seeds, flax oil, raw walnuts, ginger, tumeric.
Yes there is sugar in some of these fruits & vegs, but there are also other chemical components in them that when the cancer cells consume them, they are, in essence, ambushed and die.
These are my main diet choices, but that is not to say that I cannot have other vegs and fruit choices. I do have organic chicken and dairy especially with the organic cottage cheese and flaxseed. That works together chemically to attack the cancer cells...one without the other will not work...it has to be combined.
When we go out to eat, which we do occasionally, I obviously can't eat the way I do at home, but that's okay...and then I get back to our regular diet.
The book I recommend is "Cancer Step Outside The Box" by Ty Bollinger. He not only talks about foods but also about the fight against cancer and some possible reasons why so many people are getting cancer. The numbers are growing at alarming rates. He's done extensive research as alot of his family members have died of cancer.
There's so much out there for us. We just need to educate ourselves and make our own decisions.
Blessings and hugs!!!
Wow...
I am a vegetarian and have eaten soy - as well as dairy - for years regularly, in large quantities too. When I was dx w/cancer, I did ask my oncologist, and he said soy in moderation - NOT daily and definitely not in form of powder/supplement! - is fine. I was cautioned against dairy for my cancer (papillary serous carcinoma) so I cut that out cold. Soy I still eat but much less than before. I just need to get some protein from somewhere. I eat fish and eggs for that, or when I remember I mix non-soy protein powder in a smoothie...but I sometimes eat some soy yogurt, or some tofu when I go out to eat.
I don't eat any soy products as this is what I've learned...unfermented soy products are undigestible. Soy is not a complete protein, is not a natural food, contains several harmful carcinogens, and most soybeans in the US have been genetically modified. It's been known for several decades that soy causes cancer, destroys bones, and messes up our hormonal system. Elaine Hollingsworth says in her book "Soy, the Abominable Bean"...
"in order to obtain that pure looking, inviting stream of white liquid pictured so appealingly in the ads, many processes are needed. It is necessary to grind the beans at high temperature, and then extract the remaining oils with dangerous solvents, some of which remain in the meal. Then the meal is mixed with an alkaline solution and sugars, in a separation process designed to remove fibre. Then it is precipitated and separated, using an acid wash. At each stage of processing a tiny amount of poison remains within the soy. Government regulators says it's so small an amount that it doesn't count. I wonder who told them that? And why don't they take notice of the scientists who say it does count, due to its accumulation in the body over long periods of soy ingestion? Are your really happy to accept the manufacturer's assurance that it's safe to eat a tiny amount of poison each day, perhaps several times a day , until you have a serious health problem?"
www.doctorsaredangerous.com/pdfs/soy_chapter.pdf
Isoflavones in soy can depress thyroid function, causing autoimmune thyroid disease and even cancer of the thyroid. Researchers in Japan concluded that daily consumption of only 1 ounce of soybeans over the course of 90 days caused enlargement of the thyroid and supressed thyroid function. Some even developed goiter. They returned to normal when they quit eating soy.
There is so much regarding soy and the development of cancer that scientists have known for decades. Dr. Craig Dees has found that soy isoflavones cause breast cancer cells to grow! Yet the public chooses to believe the companies who are putting it in our foods....so much of our foods contain soy! It's a big business in the US.
I can't seem to put it in my mouth...it's so hard to find even any bread that doesn't contain soy...check it out for yourselves. I make homemade bread for my husband at home. It's in practically everything.
It's like sugar. Someone here on Inspire said if it's the thing that cancer cells are wanting and asking for, I, for one, don't want to give it to them!
Blessings and hugs!!!
I was told by my onclogist to avoid soy if possible.
You can also try Almond Milk. That's what my wife uses.
tomd
so new at all of this nutrition stuff. So much to learn. What books that are simple to understand and easy to read on nutrition does anyone recommend. I had no idea about soy or dairy products or sugar. My gosh, it is all so overwhelming all of a sudden!
I recently stopped using soy milk, cheese, and other soy products . I drink almond and rice milk. They are good.
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