Breast Cancer

Cancer is a disease in which abnormal cells in the body grow out of control. Cancers are named after the part of the body where the abnormal cell growth begins. Breast cancers are cancer cells from the breast. When breast cancer cells spread to other parts of the body, they are called metastases.

Common Kinds of Breast Cancer

There are different kinds of breast cancer. The kind of breast cancer depends on which cells in the breast turn into cancer. Breast cancer can begin in different parts of the breast, like the ducts or the lobes.

Common kinds of breast cancer are

* Ductal carcinoma. The most common kind of breast cancer. It begins in the cells that line the milk ducts in the breast, also called the lining of the breast ducts.
o Ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS). The abnormal cancer cells are only in the lining of the milk ducts, and have not spread to other tissues in the breast.
o Invasive ductal carcinoma. The abnormal cancer cells break through the ducts and spread into other parts of the breast tissue. Invasive cancer cells can also spread to other parts of the body.

* Lobular carcinoma. In this kind of breast cancer, the cancer cells begin in the lobes, or lobules, of the breast. Lobules are the glands that make milk.
o Lobular carcinoma in situ (LCIS). The cancer cells are found only in the breast lobules. Lobular carcinoma in situ, or LCIS, does not spread to other tissues very often.
o Invasive lobular carcinoma. Cancer cells spread from the lobules to the breast tissues that are close by. These invasive cancer cells can also spread to other parts of the body.

Who gets breast cancer?

Breast cancer is more common among older women. The risk for getting breast cancer increases with age. More than three-quarters of women who get breast cancer are over the age of fifty. White women are more likely to get breast cancer than Black women. Also, women with high socioeconomic status (those whose family income is above average) are more likely to get breast cancer. Scientists believe this may be related to having their first child at an older age, fewer pregnancies, diet and possibly other factors shared by women in higher income groups.

Symptoms
Different people have different warning signs for breast cancer. Some people do not have any signs or symptoms at all. A person may find out they have breast cancer after a routine mammogram.

Some warning signs of breast cancer are

• New lump in the breast or underarm (armpit).
• Thickening or swelling of part of the breast.
• Irritation or dimpling of breast skin.
• Redness or flaky skin in the nipple area or the breast.
• Pulling in of the nipple or pain in the nipple area.
• Nipple discharge other than breast milk, including blood.
• Any change in the size or the shape of the breast.
• Pain in any area of the breast.

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Keep in mind that some of these warning signs can happen with other conditions that are not cancer.

Risk Factors

Research has found several risk factors that may increase your chances of getting breast cancer.
Risk factors that increase risk of breast cancer include

* Getting older.
* Being younger when you first had your menstrual period.
* Starting menopause at a later age.
* Being older at the birth of your first child.
* Never giving birth
* Not breastfeeding
* Personal history of breast cancer or some non-cancerous breast diseases.
* Family history of breast cancer (mother, sister, daughter).
* Treatment with radiation therapy to the breast/chest.
* Being overweight (increases risk for breast cancer after menopause).
* Long-term use of hormone replacement therapy (estrogen and progesterone combined).
* Having changes in the breast cancer-related genes BRCA1 or BRCA2.
* Using birth control pills, also called oral contraceptives.
* Drinking alcohol (more than one drink a day).
* Not getting regular exercise.

Having a risk factor does not mean you will get the disease. Most women have some risk factors and most women do not get breast cancer. If you have breast cancer risk factors, talk with your doctor about ways you can lower your risk and about screening for breast cancer.

Reducing Risk

There are ways you can help lower your risk of breast cancer:

• Control your weight and exercise. 2 3 4 5 6 Make healthy choices in the foods you eat and the kinds of drinks you have each day. Stay active. To learn more about keeping a healthy weight and ways to increase your physical activity, visit CDC's Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity and Obesity and MyPyramid.gov.
• Know your family history of breast cancer. 2 3 7 8 9 If you have a mother, sister, or daughter with breast cancer, ask your doctor what is your risk of getting breast cancer and how you can lower your risk. For more information, visit the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality for information about medicines to prevent breast cancer and about genetic testing for breast cancer.
• Find out the risks and benefits of hormone replacement therapy. 2 3 5 6 8 Some women use hormone replacement therapy (HRT) to treat the symptoms of menopause. Ask your doctor about the risks and benefits of HRT and find out if hormone replacement therapy is right for you. To learn more about HRT, visit the Agency for Healthcare Research Quality and the National Cancer Institute (NCI)—Menopausal Hormone Use and Cancer: Questions and Answers.
• Limit the amount of alcohol you drink. 3 5 6 8 For more information, see the Alcohol Chapter of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2005.
• Get screened for breast cancer regularly. 1 By getting the necessary exams, you can increase your chances of finding out early on, if you have breast cancer. For more information about the kinds of tests used to screen for breast cancer, and to learn how you can be screened, see Screening.

Screening

Breast cancer screening means checking a woman's breasts for cancer before there are signs or symptoms of the disease. Three main tests are used to screen the breasts for cancer. Talk to your doctor about which tests are right for you, and when you should have them.

• Mammogram. A mammogram is an X-ray of the breast. Mammograms are the best method to detect breast cancer early when it is easier to treat and before it is big enough to feel or cause symptoms. Having regular mammograms can lower the risk of dying from breast cancer. 1 If you are age 40 years or older, be sure to have a screening mammogram every one to two years.
• Clinical breast exam. A clinical breast exam is an examination by a doctor or nurse, who uses his or her hands to feel for lumps or other changes. 2
• Breast self-exam. A breast self-exam is when you check your own breasts for lumps, changes in size or shape of the breast, or any other changes in the breasts or underarm (armpit).

Which tests to choose: Having a clinical breast exam or a breast self-exam have not been found to decrease risk of dying from breast cancer. 1 Keep in mind that, at this time, the best way to find breast cancer is with a mammogram. If you choose to have clinical breast exams and to perform breast self-exams, be sure you also get regular mammograms.

Diagnosis

Doctors often use additional tests to find or diagnose breast cancer.

• Breast ultrasound. A machine uses sound waves to make detailed pictures, called sonograms, of areas inside the breast.
• Diagnostic mammogram. If you have a problem in your breast, such as lumps, or if an area of the breast looks abnormal on a screening mammogram, doctors may have you get a diagnostic mammogram. This is a more detailed X-ray of the breast.
• Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). A kind of body scan that uses a magnet linked to a computer. The MRI scan will make detailed pictures of areas inside the breast.
• Biopsy. This is a test that removes tissue or fluid from the breast to be looked at under a microscope and do more testing. There are different kinds of biopsies (for example, fine-needle aspiration, core biopsy, or open biopsy).

Kinds of Treatment

Breast cancer is treated in several ways. It depends on the kind of breast cancer and how far it has spread. Treatments include surgery, chemotherapy, hormonal therapy, biologic therapy, and radiation. People with breast cancer often get more than one kind of treatment.

• Surgery. An operation where doctors cut out and remove cancer tissue.
• Chemotherapy. Using special medicines, or drugs to shrink or kill the cancer. The drugs can be pills you take or medicines given through an intravenous (IV) tube, or, sometimes, both.
• Hormonal therapy. Some cancers need certain hormones to grow. Hormonal treatment is used to block cancer cells from getting the hormones they need to grow.
• Biological therapy. This treatment works with your body's immune system to help it fight cancer or to control side effects from other cancer treatments. Side effects are how your body reacts to drugs or other treatments. Biological therapy is different from chemotherapy, which attacks cancer cells directly.
• Radiation. The use of high-energy rays (similar to X-rays) to kill the cancer cells. The rays are aimed at the part of the body where the cancer is located.

It is common for doctors from different specialties to work together in treating breast cancer. Surgeons are doctors that perform operations. Medical oncologists are doctors that treat cancers with medicines. Radiation oncologists are doctors that treat cancers with radiation.

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Foods To Eat For Killer Immunity

9 resistance-boosting foods and ingredients to help you win the cold war.
It takes more than an apple a day to keep viruses at bay. You can improve your body’s resistance by getting your seven servings of fruits and veggies and eight to 10 glasses of water a day, at the very least. While an all-around diet is the key to stronger immunity, these particular immune system-boosting foods and ingredients can keep you in fighting condition.

Yogurt

Probiotics, or the "live active cultures" found in yogurt, are healthy bacteria that keep the gut and intestinal tract free of disease-causing germs. Although they're available in supplement form, a study from the University of Vienna in Austria found that a daily 7-ounce dose of yogurt was just as effective in boosting immunity as popping pills.

In an 80-day Swedish study of 181 factory employees, those who drank a daily supplement of Lactobacillus reuteri — a specific probiotic that appears to stimulate white blood cells — took 33 percent fewer sick days than those given a placebo. Any yogurt with a live and active cultures seal contains some beneficial bugs, but Stonyfield Farm is the only U.S. brand that contains this specific strain. Have two 6-ounce servings a day.

Be sure you chose a yogurt that is no more than 200 calories, 4 grams of fat or less, 30 grams of sugar or less and at least 6 grams of protein.

Sweet potatoes

You may not think of skin as part of your immune system. But this crucial organ, covering an impressive 16 square feet, serves as a first-line fortress against bacteria, viruses and other undesirables. To stay strong and healthy, your skin needs vitamin A. "Vitamin A plays a major role in the production of connective tissue, a key component of skin," explains Dr. David Katz, director of the Yale-Griffin Prevention Research Center in Derby, Conn.

One of the best ways to get vitamin A into your diet is from foods containing beta-carotene, which your body turns into vitamin A. One of the quickest, most delicious ways to get beta-carotene? Serve candied sweet potatoes (canned are fine). Each 1/2-cup serving delivers only 170 calories but 40 percent of the daily recommendation of vitamin A as beta-carotene. They're so good, you might want to save them for dessert! Think orange when looking for other foods rich in beta-carotene: carrots, squash, canned pumpkin and cantaloupe.

Tea

Take frequent tea breaks this winter, and you may just get through it without a sniffle. Immunologists at Harvard University discovered that people who drank five cups of black tea a day for 2 weeks transformed their immune system T cells into "Hulk cells" that pumped out 10 times more cold and flu virus-fighting interferon — proteins that defend against infection — than did the immune systems of those who didn't drink black tea. Green tea should work just as well.

"Not just the common cold and flu, but food poisoning, infected cuts, athlete's foot — even diseases such as tuberculosis and malaria — are caused by germs that your body fights with interferon. We think the interferon boosts from tea may help prevent or lessen the severity of all these conditions," says Dr. Jack Bukowski of the Harvard Medical School.

While five cups a day may seem like a lot, he thinks fewer cups may still offer some valuable protection. "And the interferon link may explain tea's other health benefits, including its reported cancer-fighting power, since we already know that interferon slows the growth of tumor cells," he says.

Chicken soup

When University of Nebraska researchers tested 13 brands, they found that all but one (chicken-flavored ramen noodles) blocked the migration of inflammatory white cells — an important finding, because cold symptoms are a response to the cells' accumulation in the bronchial tubes.
The amino acid cysteine, released from chicken during cooking, chemically resembles the bronchitis drug acetylcysteine, which may explain the results. The soup's salty broth keeps mucus thin the same way cough medicines do.

Added spices, such as garlic and onions, can increase soup's immune-boosting power. Have a bowl when feeling crummy.

Beef

Zinc deficiency is one of the most common nutritional shortfalls among American adults, especially for vegetarians and those who've cut back on beef, a prime source of this immunity-bolstering mineral. And that's unfortunate, because even mild zinc deficiency can increase your risk of infection. Zinc in your diet is very important for the development of white blood cells, the intrepid immune system cells that recognize and destroy invading bacteria, viruses, and assorted other bad guys, explains William Boisvert, Ph.D., an expert in nutrition and immunity at The Scripps Research Institute in La Jolla, Calif.

A 3-ounce serving of lean beef (enough to make a respectable, but not decadent, roast beef sandwich) provides about 30 percent of the daily value for zinc. That's often enough to make the difference between deficient and sufficient. Just can't stomach beef? Try zinc-rich oysters, fortified cereals, pork, poultry, yogurt or milk.

Mushrooms

For centuries, people around the world have turned to mushrooms for a healthy immune system. Contemporary researchers now know why. "Studies show that mushrooms increase the production and activity of white blood cells, making them more aggressive. This is a good thing when you have an infection," says Douglas Schar, director of the Institute of Herbal Medicine in Washington.


Shiitake and maitake mushrooms, now available fresh in U.S. supermarkets, appear to pack the biggest immunity punch. They're easy to use too. Just add a handful to pasta sauce, saute with a little oil and add to eggs, or heap triple-decker style on a frozen pizza. Good news for absent-minded chefs: "Basically, you can burn them, and they will still powerfully stimulate the immune system," says Schar.

Fish and shellfish

Getting adequate selenium (plentiful in foods like oysters, lobsters, crabs and clams) increased immune cell production of proteins called cytokines in a British study of 22 adults. The scientists say that cytokines help clear flu viruses out of your body.

Of all fats, omega-3s — found in fish such as Pacific salmon — created the highest blood levels of flu-fighting T cells and interferon-gamma cytokines in a British study of 150 people.

Garlic

Garlic contains the active ingredient allicin, which fights infection and bacteria. British researchers gave 146 people either a placebo or a garlic extract for 12 weeks; the garlic takers were two-thirds less likely to catch a cold. Other studies suggest that garlic lovers who chow more than six cloves a week have a 30 percent lower rate of colorectal cancer and a 50 percent lower rate of stomach cancer. Eat two raw cloves a day and add crushed garlic to your cooking several times a week.

Oats and barley

These grains contain beta-glucan, a type of fiber with antimicrobial and antioxidant capabilities more potent than echinacea, reports a Norwegian study. When animals eat this compound, they're less likely to contract influenza, herpes, even anthrax; in humans, it boosts immunity, speeds wound healing and may help antibiotics work better. At least one in your three daily servings of whole grains.

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Avoid 5 fitness faux pas

By Jacqueline Stenson, contributor

No one wants to get hurt while playing sports or working out, of course. But too often we’re our own worst enemy, doing just the things that put us at risk — or not doing the things that protect us.

Consider a new Consumer Reports survey showing that nearly 60 percent of people never wear a helmet when riding a bicycle. That’s risky business, the magazine says, pointing to statistics from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety showing that 92 percent of bicyclists killed in 2007 reportedly were not wearing a helmet. It also noted that wearing a helmet reduces the risk of head injury by an estimated 85 percent.

In fact, most sports and fitness injuries can be avoided with the right knowledge and a healthy dose of common sense, experts say. Click on the arrows above to learn more about common risks and ways to keep yourself in the game.

Not sporting the right gear

In addition to cycling, helmets are an important safety measure for inline skating, skiing and contact sports such as football, says Dr. Matthew Matava, co-chief of sports medicine at Washington University in St. Louis and spokesperson for the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.

What other gear do you need? That depends on the activity. “You want to get the right equipment for the right sport,” says Matava.

Aside from the proper safety gear, which might include equipment such as face masks, chest protectors and shin guards, it’s also important to get the right shoes to avoid leg problems. For example, Matava says he sees kids who’ve been running cross-country in basketball shoes and end up with knee trouble because their sneakers weren’t up for the job.

Overdoing it

“Many (sports and fitness injuries) are preventable by avoiding the ‘too's’ — too much, too soon, or too hard,” says Dr. William Roberts, a professor of family medicine at the University of Minnesota and a past president of the American College of Sports Medicine. “The body needs to be gradually worked into fitness, and starting with too much work can lead to injury.”

This is particularly true for overweight couch potatoes. If you fall into this category, especially if you have a history of heart problems, see a doctor for a checkup before embarking on a new fitness regimen. Then start slowly — making sure to warm up with some light exercise first — and build up your exercise routine gradually over time.

Experienced exercisers should pace themselves, too, says Roberts. “People can exercise daily but not with high volume and intensity,” he says. “Alternate hard and easy days and take one day off a week if involved in high-level training.”

Working too hard day in and day out without proper rest — which can happen, for example, when people decide to train for a marathon and go too far too fast — can lead to the most common form of sports and fitness injuries known as “overuse” injuries. These include such problems as tendonitis, stress fractures, bursitis and nerve entrapment.

Ignoring instruction

You wouldn’t start out on a long trip without a map or at least a GPS system, or attempt to operate a food processor without reading the instructions, right? But too often people take up a new sport or attempt to use a new piece of fitness equipment without the proper know-how.

Experts say it’s well worth the money to sign up for a few sessions with a golf or tennis instructor, for instance, or a personal trainer at the gym to learn how to do an activity correctly and safely. Many gyms offer a few free sessions with a trainer when a new member signs up. And trainers should be readily available on the gym floor to help out members who are unsure how a particular piece of equipment works.

So if you don’t know something, ask! It could spare you aches and pains later.

Not varying your routine

Just as pushing yourself too hard can lead to injury, so can engaging in the same exercise over and over without varying your routine. Doing so puts you at risk for both overuse injuries and muscle imbalances.

So rather than always hitting the treadmill, for example, it’s better to mix things up. You can still do the treadmill two or three days a week, but you’ll want to engage in other activities such as swimming, weight training or using another cardio machine on other days to work additional muscle groups and challenge the body in different ways, says Matava.

“Cross-training is very helpful,” he says. Plus, it’s not as boring!
Overexposing yourself ...

… to Mother Nature. Earlier this month when the Illinois House voted to impeach Gov. Rod Blagojevich for alleged abuse of power, he was photographed jogging in the snowy Chicago weather and committing a big fitness faux pas: not wearing gloves and a hat.

Joggers and others who exercise outdoors in the winter should be sure to cover up their extremities to keep the body warm and protect against frostbite, experts say. Exercisers also should dress in layers of clothing, ideally with a first layer made of material that wicks away sweat, keeping moisture off of the skin (moisture-wicking material is commonly available in brand-name fitness clothes).

Also take precautions when it’s hot and sunny, including wearing light-colored clothing, replacing fluids lost through sweat and avoiding peak sun. Be on the alert for signs of possible heat exhaustion, including nausea, dizziness, fatigue and headache. A heatstroke can lead to loss of consciousness and even death.

And don’t forget your sunscreen. The Consumer Reports survey, which polled 1,000 Americans about risky behaviors and is published in the February issue of the magazine, also found that 27 percent of people never wear sunscreen when in the sun for extended periods. That can lead to really feeling the burn after exercise — and putting you at risk for skin cancer, too.

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Health Benefits of Mushroom

The health benefits of mushroom include relief from high cholesterol levels, breast cancer, prostrate cancer, and diabetes. It also helps in weight loss, increasing immunity.

Almost all of us are familiar with mushrooms and their miraculous and magical powers. Particularly those who have read or heard a lot of fairy-tales such as Alice in Wonderland, Three Bears and a Baby etc. or those who have been playing the Super Mario Brothers.

You have seen mushrooms making somebody big or playing shields against the dreaded monsters. Actually, these are just symbolic representations of the actual health benefits of mushrooms. Believe me! They can really make you big and protect you against diseases and infections, as they are full of proteins, vitamins and minerals, amino acids, anti biotic and anti oxidants. Mushrooms are edible fungi bearing a common scientific name “Agaricus”, having different names for different species. They are essentially Saprophytes, the organisms (plants without chlorophyll) which thrive by extracting nutrients from the dead and decaying plant and animal matters. They vary greatly in their color, texture, shape and properties.

The health benefits of mushroom include the following:

• Cholesterol Levels: Mushrooms themselves provide you with lean proteins as they have zero cholesterol, fats and very low carbohydrates. The fiber and certain enzymes in them also help lower cholesterol level. Moreover, the high lean protein content in mushrooms helps burn cholesterol when they are digested.
• Breast Cancer & Prostrate Cancer: Mushrooms are very effective in preventing cancer of breast and prostrate due to presence of Beta-Glucans and conjugated Linoleic Acid having anti carcinogenic effects. Out of these two, linoleic acid is particularly helpful in suppressing effects of estrogen. This estrogen is the prime reason for breast cancer in women after menopause. The Beta-Glucans, on the other hand, inhibit growth of cancerous cells in cases of prostrate cancer. Selenium in mushrooms is very effective in inhibiting cancerous cells.
• Diabetes: Mushrooms can be an ideal low energy diet for diabetics. They have no fats, no cholesterol, very low carbohydrates, high proteins, vitamins and minerals, a lot of water and fiber. Moreover, they contain natural insulin and enzymes which help breaking down of sugar or starch of the food. Again, they are known to contain certain compounds which help proper functioning of liver, pancreas and the other endocrinal glands, thereby promoting formation of insulin and its proper flow. Diabetics often suffer from infections, particularly in their limbs, which tend to continue for long. The natural antibiotics in mushrooms can help protect them from this dreaded situation too.
• Immunity: Ergothioneine, a powerful anti oxidant present in mushrooms is very effective in giving protection from free radicals as well as boosting up immunity. Mushrooms contain natural antibiotics (similar to penicillin, which itself is extracted from mushrooms) which inhibit microbial and other fungal infections. They also help heal ulcers and ulcerous wounds and protect them from infections. A good combination of vitamins A, B-Complex and C, found in mushrooms also strengthens immune system.
• Weight Loss: Would you believe me if I say that a totally lean protein diet is ideal for losing fat and building muscle mass? Perhaps no! But it is true. A lot of fats are burnt to digest (break-down) proteins in the food, more so when the protein is accompanied by a very low carbohydrate, zero fats and cholesterol and a good amount of fiber. This is exactly what mushrooms offer.
• Other Benefits: Mushrooms are the only vegetable and the second known source (after cod liver oil) to contain vitamin-D in edible form. They are rich in calcium (good for bones), iron (benefits in anemia), potassium (very good for lowering blood pressure), copper (anti bacterial) and selenium (very good for health of bones, teeth, nails, hair and as an anti oxidant). The best source of selenium is animal proteins. So, mushrooms can be the best choice for vegetarians to obtain selenium.

Few Words of Caution: Let me put it very straight without any word of condolence. Mushrooms can even kill! Most of the mushrooms are not edible, are highly poisonous and look strikingly similar to their edible counterparts. Even certain edible mushrooms can go poisonous depending upon the substance they grow on. Don’t ever try picking them up from woods unless you identify them very well. Do not trust on the unknown vendors too. Always trust sealed products from reputed companies or those which you grow yourself under controlled conditions after buying their seeds (called spawns) from trusted source. Because a single poisonous mushroom among others can send a whole lot of people to coma, induce severe poisoning symptoms, nausea, vomiting, convulsions, cramps, insanity or worst, can kill them. Avoid eating discolored mushrooms or those which are different in color than the characteristic color of their species.

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Health Benefits of Strawberry

The health benefits of strawberry include eye care, proper brain function, and relief from high blood pressure, arthritis, gout and heart diseases.

These berries, with their tempting looks and great taste, have secured their place in the list of favorites for ages. Strawberries, with their common scientific name Fragaria (there are different suffixes for different varieties, such as Fragaria Vesca for wild strawberry, Fragaria Orientalis for Eastern Strawberries etc.), are berries which grow in bushes.

They are extensively used in food stuffs ice-creams, jams, jellies, squashes, syrups, confectionaries, bakeries, chocolates and even medicines for their extraordinarily rich flavor, taste and color. They are also consumed fresh. We know that all fruits, particularly berries and those with exotic colors are rich in anti oxidants. Strawberries are no exceptions. In addition to anti oxidants, they have many other nutrients and can be efficiently used to prevent many diseases.

Let us see what they are. The health benefits of strawberry include the following:

• Eye Care: The primary reasons for almost all the problems of eyes are free radicals and deficiency of certain nutrients. With the growing age and lack of these protective nutrients, the harmful oxidants or free radicals cast heavy damage on our eyes, such as drying up of eyes, degeneration of optical nerves, Macular degeneration, vision defects and make them prone to infections too. The anti oxidants such as vitamin-C, Flavonoids, Phenolic Phytochemicals and Elagic Acid, present in strawberries can help avoid this situation to a great extent. One more factor is ocular pressure, i.e. the pressure of the eyes. Any disturbance in it is also harmful for the eyes. Here too, strawberries are helpful as they contain potassium, which help maintain right pressure.
• Arthritis and Gout: The degeneration of muscles and tissues, drying up of the fluid which help mobility of the joints and accumulation of toxic substances and acids (such as uric acid) in the body are some of the ill effects of free radicals present in our body, which are primarily responsible for Arthritis and Gout. Strawberries, with their team of anti oxidants and detoxifiers, can effectively help push away such health hazards forever. It is a famous saying in India that a serving of any fruit a day will remove the rust from the joints. It is very true for strawberries.
• Cancer: Vitamin-C, Folate and Anthocyanin, Quercetin and Kaempferol (few of the many Flavonoids in strawberries which possess excellent anti oxidant and anti carcinogenic properties) together form an excellent team to fight cancer and tumor. A daily intake of strawberries is seen to have remarkably brought down the growth of cancerous cells.
• Brain Function: It is a very common observation that old people tend to lose their memory and control over their activities, limbs etc. This is because of aging of their brain and the nervous system. Actually, the free radicals, the agents very much responsible for aging, have a very adverse effect on these systems. Due to them, the brain tissues start degenerating and the nerves get weaker. Strawberries can help you out. The vitamin-C and the phytochemicals in them neutralize the effect of these oxidants and also rejuvenate the system. One more thing, strawberries are rich in iodine too, which is very helpful for proper functioning of the brain and nervous system.
• High Blood Pressure: Strawberries are very good in potassium and magnesium content, both of which are very effective in lowering high blood pressure caused by sodium.
• Heart Diseases: High fiber, Folate, no fats and high anti oxidants such as vitamin-C and those phytochemicals (Flavonoids) together form an ideal cardiac health pack, as they effectively reduce cholesterol. Some of the members of the vitamin-B family present in strawberries also strengthen the cardiac muscles and help better functioning of the heart.
• Other Benefits: Folate is known to protect from birth-defects. Vitamin-C effectively prevents from infections and cold. The phytonutrients also have anti inflammatory properties. Wait! I forgot to tell you about the best benefit. The strawberry preserve tastes just awesome.

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