Hope everyone has been having an enjoyable summer! I have been swamped with family matters and only got one post in this month, but I am getting a lot of comments on old posts so it is nice that everyone is finding the information they need through online searches and ending up here on this website. There were a few newsworthy items this month so I’ll get right into them.
Breast Cancer
A new test can find an epigenetic signature that is associated with all cases of breast cancer, not just those that implicate the BRCA genes (Healthline). As 90 per cent of breast cancers do not involve BRCA, this is a promising new preventative diagnostic tool. Discoveries about this common form of cancer continue as scientists discover that exposure to the chemical BPA while in utero can cause breast tissue to develop in a way that makes it prone to developing cancer later on (Environmental Health News).
Prevention During Pregnancy
Perhaps unfortunately, many decisions that can impact our health or the health of our children may be made for us before we are born. Scientists are discovering that a poor diet during pregnancy can cause symptoms like glucose intolerance and pancreatic issues in both offspring and their grandsons (Scientific American). Pesticide exposure during pregnancy can also cause disease in generations to come (Newsweek). Because prenatal health is so important it was reassuring to see this article in the mainstream media, alerting women to the fact that the synthetic folic acid found in most prenatal vitamins is not good for everyone (Fox News).
MTHFR Kiki
THanks for the great post. Not only should folic acid not be taken during pregnancy, there is a study that says if you have MTHFR and you do take prenatals with folic acid during pregnancy (in lieu of folate) you are 3 times more predisposed to premenopausal breast cancer. That means all the Ob Gyns should be screening their patients before telling them to take a prenatal. Very shocking stuff.