Letter from Marilyn – July 2007
Dear Reader,
This issue of Natural News is packed full of useful articles and tips to keep you in good health. The recipe this month is hummus which is a wonderful summer food to have with raw vegetables or warm wholemeal pitta bread. The spotlight ingredient is chickpeas, which are actually an amazing food with potential to reduce the risk of heart disease and diabetes and also are excellent around the menopause as they are a rich source of phytoestrogens.
In the May issue of Natural News, I talked about the confusion surrounding black cohosh and how I felt that it is still the herb of choice around the menopause for its ability to help with hot flushes and night sweats.
Further research has shown that black cohosh could have other benefits for women. Research published this year in the International Journal of Cancer has shown that black cohosh may halve the risk of breast cancer. The researchers found that the use of black cohosh was associated with a 61% reduction in the risk of breast cancer. This was confirmed by another study this year on breast cancer cells which showed that black cohosh inhibited the growth.
It has been suggested that in fact black cohosh works like a SERM (selective oestrogen receptor modulator). SERMs function as an oestrogen promoter in organs where oestrogen is needed, such as the bones, while acting as an ‘anti-oestrogen’ in organs where unnecessary oestrogen can be dangerous (for example, the breast and womb). This would explain the beneficial effects of black cohosh on breast cancer because the herb would actually be blocking the oestrogen receptors in the breast. It also explains why there are no significant changes in hormone levels when women are taking black cohosh indicating a non-oestrogenic effect.
So at least, the research is now confirming what many cultures have known for centuries when they have used herbs as their way of preventing and treating illnesses.
Kind regards,
Marilyn Glenville PhD