Cancer
Seaweed may reduce breast cancer risk
By FC
Feb 4, 2005 - 10:18:00 AM

A study suggested that consumption of seaweed may reduce the risk of estrogen-dependent breast cancer.

The study was triggered by three cases in which doctors found that use of 700 milligrams of seaweed supplements daily improved irregular menstrual cycles from disorders such as endometriosis. It was also found that use of seaweed supplements lowered the levels of estradiol, a type of estrogen, in the blood.

The study was conducted on 24 female rats hopefully to confirm the effect seaweed might have on the human menstrual cycles and levels of female hormones. In the study, one group of rats was fed 700 milligrams of kelp daily, one group fed 250 milligrams, and the other group fed no kelp.

The study found after four weeks that consumption of kelp increased the rats' menstrual cycle by 37 percent on average. The rats fed the high dose of kelp had an average menstrual cycle of 5.9 days, and the rats fed the low dose of kelp 5.4 days, and the rats fed no kelp 4.3 days. It was also found that use of a low dose of kelp reduced the estradiol level in rats from 48.9 nanograms to 36.7 nanograms.

The length of menstrual cycles and estrogen levels are two factors affecting the risk of estrogen-dependent breast cancer. The longer menstrual cycle, and or the lower estrogen level lead to a lower risk of breast cancer.

While seaweed in itself may not cause any trouble to the health, one needs to consider the possible heavy metal pollution in the seaweed. Therefore, it’s not advisable to use a large quantity of seaweed such as kelp to reduce the risk of breast cancer.

The study was published in the Feb. 2 issue of the Journal of Nutrition