Is breast cancer inherited? My answer is an emphatic no.
Q. I am concerned because my grandmother and my mother had breast cancer. I am in my early 30s. Am I destined to have it, too?
J.O., Dallas, Texas

A. Breast cancer is a serious subject, but right up front I want you to know there are ways to put yourself in a low-risk category. I understand your concern. The threat of breast cancer is preoccupying women all over the world.

In the United States, 12 percent–or 1 in 8 women–will develop breast cancer in their lifetimes. If this type of cancer “runs in the family,” the risk increases significantly.

In rare instances (5 percent of breast cancer cases) a genetic mutation in the two genes BRCA1 and BRCA2 has been associated with an increase in risk from the normal 12 percent to a whopping 90 percent.

But are the genes the real threat? I do not believe they are.

Here’s why:

* Even though BRCA mutations increase the risk enormously, they are not the cause. If they were, 100 percent of women with the mutation would develop breast cancer.

*These altered genes must be triggered to convert a normal cell into a malignant one. The same thing happens to a completely normal gene that mutates.

In other words, even though mutated genes are more susceptible to producing malignancy, they still need to be triggered by the same factors that alter a nonmutated, or normal, gene. Let me re-emphasize that only five cases in every 100 breast cancers even have the mutated gene involved.

Is breast cancer inherited in the family genes, you ask? My answer is an emphatic no.

In spite of your family’s supposedly challenged genetic code, you can reduce your own risk and avoid cancer triggers by improving your eating habits and lifestyle. It is common for various members in a family to be diagnosed with even different kinds of cancer, and the probable explanation is that they eat the same poor diet, share similar habits of lack of exercise, and live in the same home and environment.

If I were you, I would not worry about predisposed genes. Start to take charge of your life by exercising regularly and eating a high-fiber, low-fat diet.

Adapt a diet similar to those of Bible times. Find a natural-food grocery store where you can purchase organic fruits and vegetables that were grown without the use of pesticides. Eat free-range meats, which don’t contain unwanted chemicals.

Q. I just turned 40 and I’m having light hot flashes. My doctor suggests I start ERT. Is there an alternative?
M.G., Exeter, Australia

A. Until 2000, Premarin, an estrogen replacement therapy (ERT) developed from pregnant mare urine, was the highest selling prescription drug in the United States. Unfortunately, many clinical studies showed ERT was strongly associated with a sharp rise in incidents of breast cancer. To neutralize this, the pharmacological industry added progestins, or synthetic progesterone, and as a result ERT evolved into hormone replacement therapy (HRT).

HRT also was unable to reduce the incidents of breast cancer. On July 10, The Wall Street Journal reported on a study by the National Institutes of Health that included some alarming results about HRT. The women who took estrogen combined with progestin had 29 percent more coronary incidents and 26 percent more incidents of invasive breast cancer compared with those who took a placebo (the famous sugar pill).

Many doctors now say menopause is a natural part of life, not a disease. Why then do modern women experience so many menopausal symptoms?

Because God’s designed hormonal balance has been devastated through the abuse of hormones by the food industry and by other environmental chemicals.

You can combat this by using natural progesterone (cream). Several studies have shown it will control symptoms of menopause and PMS, reduce incidents of breast cancer and increase bone density. Combining this with exercise and a healthy diet will also protect your heart.

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Francisco Contreras, M.D., oversees Oasis of Hope Hospital (), a cancer-care facility in Mexico widely known for alternative-treatment methods. He is the author of several books on health, including his new The Coming Cancer Cure (SiloamPress, ).

Q. I work in newspapers, and everyone I interact with is always stressed. Is all stress bad? How can I manage it?
–J.S., Atlanta, Georgia

A. When we feel stress, a chemical reaction occurs, and the adrenal glands release hormones. Normally you will feel a boost of energy but later will feel really tired.

God placed this mechanism in us for our survival. He gave it so we’d have that extra burst of strength and speed we’d need in demanding situations.

In this sense, stress is not bad. The problem lies with high levels of stress that go unmanaged for a long time. This can be very dangerous to your health.

Stress can be physical or emotional. Physical stress might include exposure to an extreme temperature. Emotional stress could be realizing you haven’t enough money to pay your rent.

Most prolonged stress is emotional. Primarily it stems from a traumatic experience the person is unable to cope with. Stress like this can keep a person in a continual state of “fight or flight,” and over a long period of time this provokes pathologies, including heart disease and cancer.

More than 80 percent of my patients experienced a traumatic event within three years of their cancer being diagnosed. A job layoff, divorce and death of a child top the list.

I am not a big fan of managing stress with prescription drugs. Most of these medications address the symptoms but not the causes. They can be addictive and cause long-term damage to the immune system and organs. Instead, I prescribe exercise, a healthful diet and vitamin supplementation.

Yet most important of all is your spirituality. I encourage you to pray.

This may sound like something your pastor says, but I want you to consider the role prayer plays in relieving stress. Prayer can be therapeutic on both natural and supernatural levels.

In the natural sense it is documented that prayer causes the whole body to relax (haven’t you ever dozed off while praying)? Prayer also works just because people believe it will (scientists call this a “placebo effect,” but I refer to it as a “faith effect”).

In the supernatural sense prayer can be empowering if it’s done in the name of Jesus. Each day, set aside a specific time for prayer therapy. Get in a quiet place for about 10 minutes and talk to Jesus about your daily activities.

List the stressful things in your life and turn them over to God one by one. Keep a journal of how Jesus helps you have victory in each of them. And don’t forget to visit your doctor regularly!

Q. I have arthritis. Is it safe for me to take a prescribed, steroid-based medication for this?
–M.G., Dallas, Texas

A. As a doctor, I wouldn’t be very popular if I said pharmaceuticals are not safe. What’s being prescribed to you is the standard treatment.

However, I do have suggestions for some natural alternatives that you may want to consider. Why not ask if your doctor will oversee your use of natural supplements? The goal would be to lower your dosage of prescription drugs.

A good friend of mine, Dr. Sheldon S. Hendler, is the author of the Physicians’ Desk Reference for Nutritional Supplements. This is the book physicians refer to for indications that will help them determine the use of vitamins and natural substances in treating illnesses.

It states that both shark cartilage and glucosamine combined with chondroitin sulfate may have some anti-inflammatory qualities, though there is not enough scientific evidence to verify if either have pain-relief or anti-arthritic mechanisms.

My personal experience with shark cartilage and glucosamine is that many of my patients have been able to completely substitute steroids with them. That’s good because prolonged use of steroids can be devastating to your health.

If you decide to seek natural alternatives, the use of them must be administered under medical supervision. Vitamin and herbal remedies can be as powerful as pharmaceuticals and can overload your liver and kidneys. But, in my experience, they can be less damaging long term than medications, if used correctly.

The most important factor in whether or not you develop heart disease is the food you eat.

Q. With heart disease as rampant as it is, just how concerned should I be if I have a high cholesterol level?
M.C., Coronado, California

A.When people get together and the subject of health comes up, it’s very common to hear someone ask, “What’s your cholesterol level?” If the answer is 195, people think it’s good. However, if the answer is, say, 220, then the reaction is typically sympathetic.

Most people think anything under 200 is good and anything over that is bad. But a level of 195 may not be good, and 220 may not be all that bad.

There is good cholesterol and there is bad cholesterol. High-Density Lipoproteins (HDL) is the “good” cholesterol and Low-Density Lipoproteins (LDL) is the “bad” cholesterol. The important thing is the ratio between them.

HDL actually helps prevent cardiovascular disease because it helps remove LDL from blood cells, which means that less LDL can enter into the blood vessel walls. HDL can reverse the buildup in the arteries and act as a blood-thinning agent. This is very important to good heart health.

LDL, on the other hand, is very unhealthy for you if the level in your blood is high. It can cause the inside layers of your arteries to inflame, and fatty plaques and platelets can begin to build up. The blood can start to thicken, a process that can lead to heart complications.

Here is the most important fact to know about cholesterol levels: It is not the individual levels of HDL and LDL or their combined levels that make a big difference. It is the ratio of HDL to LDL that will determine your risk for heart disease.

Your total cholesterol divided by your HDL should be less than 4, and your LDL divided by the HDL should be less than 3.

If your ratios work out to be less than 4 and less than 3 respectively, you are at a low risk to develop heart disease. If your ratios are higher, your risk of heart disease is much higher, regardless of what the individual levels of cholesterol are. That is why a person with a total cholesterol greater than 200 may not be at risk, and a person with a lower cholesterol level may be at great risk.

I recommend that you have your cholesterol levels checked by a doctor and then work out your ratios. If you see that they are higher than what they should be, you should ask your doctor and a nutritionist to help you lower them, preferably through diet and exercise instead of prescription drugs. May you be blessed with a healthy heart.

Q. My father died at age 52 of a heart attack. I am 48. What can I do to lower my risk of the same?
J.M., Houston, Texas

A.I have been to Texas quite a few times, and it is one of the best states in America to get a huge, delicious steak and a baked potato with all of the fixings. But if you really love your heart, you need to add more fruits and vegetables to your diet. The most important factor in whether or not you develop heart disease is the food you eat.

In 1989, the U.S. Surgeon General issued a report on nutrition and health that confirmed a reduction in the intake of fat would reduce the risk of heart disease. Fruits and vegetables are the foundation of a heart-healthy diet.

You see, when God created us, He put the foods before us that were designed to keep our bodies healthy forever: “Then God said, ‘I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food'” (Gen. 1:29, NIV). Or consider Psalm 104:14: “He causes the grass to grow for the cattle, and vegetation for the service of man” (NKJV).

Science confirms the Scriptures. Many studies conclude that people who eat lots of fruits and vegetables have a reduced risk of heart disease.

My book An Alternative Guide to a Healthy Heart (Siloam Press) shares the findings of many of these studies, as well as the benefits of exercise, which is the second most important factor in heart health.

It is not that difficult to lower your risk of heart disease, but are you willing to make the lifestyle changes needed? Having a healthy heart depends on making healthy choices.

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Francisco Contreras, M.D., director of Oasis of Hope Hospital in Mexico, oversees the treatment of 600 cancer patients annually. He is a surgical oncologist, health educator and author of several books, including The Hope of Living Long and Well (Siloam Press), available at .

Q. I want to lose weight and keep it off. A lot of people are trying high protein, low carbohydrate diets–eating meat but skipping bread, potatoes and pasta. Do these diets really work?
D.M., San Diego, California

A.It’s great that you want to lose weight. Being overweight increases the risk of heart disease, diabetes and cancer. But you need to be careful how you shed those pounds.

High protein, low carbohydrate diets are the subject of many heated discussions by everyone from health nuts to university professors. And these diets are growing in popularity and acceptance.

Are they effective? Yes they are, but you should approach them with caution. Here’s why they work.

The simple sugars found in starches such as white breads and pastas stimulate the pancreas to produce a lot of insulin. Insulin is the remarkable hormone responsible, among its many other functions, for controling the level of sugar in the bloodstream. When the body’s cells become saturated with sugar, insulin converts the excess (carbohydrates) into fat.

Protein-rich foods do not stimulate the production of insulin. Therefore in the absence, or lack, of carbohydrates in the cells, the body quickly starts to consume stored fat as energy. The result? You start to lose weight–and inches.

But before you set out to stuff yourself with meat and cheese, consult your doctor. Find out first if you are a proper candidate for such a diet.

I recommend you eat a balanced, moderately portioned diet and couple it with one hour a day of light exercise. Walking, for instance, is essential to weight loss, and it will decrease your probability of heart disease significantly.

Also, avoid processed foods and those proscribed in the Bible, such as pork. Take a fiber supplement and multivitamin every day, too.

The important thing about being at your correct weight is not looking great. It is about living longer and stronger by lowering your risk of disease.

To determine if you are overweight or obese, use this formula to calculate your Body Mass Index (BMI): Multiply your weight in pounds by 705, then divide the answer by your height in inches–then divide that answer by your height in inches.

A BMI between 18 and 25 means healthy weight, between 25.1 and 30 means overweight and above 30 means obesity.

Weight control is vitally linked to longevity of life. If you dream of being around to see your grandchildren grow up, or to serve the Lord for decades, you’ll need to get your weight under control.

Q. I’ve heard that diabetes is genetic, especially if a person’s father or mother has it rather than a grandparent. Is this true?
G.G., El Mirador,
Yucatan, Mexico

A.Many of my patients ask me if they will get diabetes if one of their parents has it. People can have genetic predispositions for certain diseases, but I believe a person inherits bad habits more than bad genes.

For example, if your father has diabetes and you live exactly like him, eating the same diet, your probability of getting diabetes is high.

But it is more for this reason–because your lifestyle is like your parent’s–that you may have a higher risk of developing it yourself.

Studies indicate that people who exercise and eat a diet low in refined flour and sugar have a lower risk of developing diabetes. Americans, for example, maintain diets high in sugar, ingesting about 170 pounds of it per person annually.

Still, the best news is that you are aware of your need to do something to lower your risk for this disease. If one of your parents has it, you are at a distinct advantage because you know you need to take precautions to protect yourself.

I recommend that you talk with your family doctor and ask for advice on what would be the most healthful course of diet, exercise and lifestyle for you. Taken together, these three things can decrease your probability of getting the disease.

You have a lot of power for lowering your risk. You are not predestined to be diabetic just because a family member is.

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Francisco Contreras, M.D., oversees Oasis of Hope Hospital, a cancer-care facility in Mexico widely known for alternative-treatment methods. He is the author of several books on health, including the new The Hope of Living Long and Well (Siloam Press), available at .