The cause of breast cancer is unknown. Genetic factors may result in some families having a higher risk than others, but this is uncommon.

• There may also be a link with high levels of fat in the diet, and obesity
• Age and Gender — Unfortunately the age incidence also seems to be lower than that in the west—the average age in our country being from 35
• Genetic Factors and Family History of Breast Cancer : Only 5 to 10% of breast cancers may be linked to family history, however women who have a relative who has had breast cancer may face an increased risk of developing the disease. However, at least nine out of ten women who get breast cancer do not have a family history
• Early Menstruation and Late Menopause. Also, women who have never had children or who had them only after the age of 30 have an increased risk
• Long Term Use of Oral Contraceptives (birth control pills)
• Hormone Replacement Therapy
• Women who have cancer in one breast (they are at increased risk of developing cancer in the other)
• Women who are on high doses of oestrogen after menopause
• Exposure to Chemicals, Radiation

• Every three minutes a woman is diagnosed with breast cancer.
• Every thirteen minute a woman dies from breast cancer
• It accounts for 20% of the total cancer-related diseases in India and is largely prevalent among urban women.  In India, younger urban women in the 30 to 55 age group are more vulnerable to breast cancer. Most cases are diagnosed late.
• Presently, 75,000 new cases occur in Indian women every year.
• Over the course of a lifetime, one in twenty two women will be diagnosed with breast cancer.
• The Breast is an important psychological, physiological & aesthetic part of the female form. Therefore any disease state affects social, moral & physical balances in the woman’s life.
• The incidence of the disease was deemed to be high in the western hemisphere but of late there is an alarming increase in the number as well as the type of breast cancer cases being detected in India.
• Self-breast examination is the cheapest and best way of detecting such symptoms. Women must examine their breasts seven days after the periods,’’

Arthritis generally comes in two forms osteoarthritis and inflammatory-arthritis. For this article we will discuss inflammatory-arthritis and natural herbal alternatives for reducing swelling and pain. The popular option for controlling arthritis pain is taking prescribed non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs; these drugs have been linked to cardiovascular, kidney and liver disease. If that doesn’t sound appealing, natural alternatives are available for inflammatory arthritis. Herbs like boswellia, ginger, skullcap, turmeric, acacia, hops, holy basil, feverfew, and white willow bark.

Fortunately supplement manufacturers have learned about the anti-inflammatory properties of these herbs and do make them in various combinations to help relieve swelling and pain.

The first one on the list is boswellia, has a long history of use as a mild anti-inflammatory herb for joint pain and stiffness, and noted by herbalists of its effectiveness. The primary compound in boswellia known for its anti-inflammatory affect is boswellic acid, when purchasing boswellia always look for products standardized to boswellic acid. Ginger root has been known for its anti-inflammatory affects as well, ginger inhibits the production of the immune-system components called cytokines which cause inflammation in the body. Ginger is also known as a COX-1 and COX-2 inhibitor in suppressing prostaglandin synthesis which would reduce inflammation in the body.

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1. A teaspoon of iodine is all a person requires in a lifetime, but because iodine cannot be stored for long periods by the body, tiny amounts are needed regularly. As iodine is only found in soil, humans receive their iodine by consuming animal products and plants.

2. The solution to IDD is relatively simple and inexpensive. Food fortification has proven to be a highly successful and sustainable intervention. Iodized salt programs and iodized oil supplements are the most common tools in the fight against IDD.

3. Iodized salt is the first choice for intervention because it is universally and regularly consumed, costs very low per person annually and is manufactured with simple technology.

4. A reliable method of assessing the extent of IDD in a population is to determine the urinary iodine excretion levels in a vulnerable group. Pregnant mothers are a susceptible group for assessing iodine deficiency, as the iodine requirements during this physiological state are comparatively high.

5. High TSH levels are an indicator of low iodine levels. TSH helps the thyroid gland capture iodine from the blood, so if little iodine is available, the body increases its production of TSH to try and capture more. In a population with sufficient iodine, fewer than three per cent of newborns should have a TSH concentration over 5mIU/L, says the WHO. Dietary changes are responsible for the lack of iodine.

6. Health education is a effective way to eradicate IDD, where messages related to IDD are disseminated and the schoolteachers can be requested to visit children’s homes to check living conditions and to check if they are consuming iodized salt and if the iodine content of the salt they consume is adequate. A public awareness program before and during pregnancy would be good for iodine.

Training teachers and other workers to conduct home iodine checks is a part of UNICEF’s strategy focusing on grassroots awareness building to increase the consumption of adequately iodized salt. UNICEF also assists the Government of India and the state governments with the production and distribution of information materials.

For example, to mark Global Iodine Deficiency Disorders Day on October 21, 2001, India issued a commemorative stamp on iodized salt.

A salt-testing kit costs are very cheap and can easily be used by local communities to verify whether the salt they buy is adequately iodized. With UNICEF support, thousands of these kits are being distributed in India through the public network of anganwadi, or community health centers, and schools. UNICEF also provides support for the production and distribution of millions of leaflets and other materials promoting consumption of iodized salt.

1. Salt provides 15 to 42 percent of daily requirements.

2. Seafoods, eggs, papayas, mangoes, pineapple, onions, potatoes, oats, leaf lettuce, beans, carrots, and anything grown near the ocean. Depending on the amount consumed, fresh fruits and vegetables provide between 4 and 27 percent of daily iodine requirements.

3. Herbal sources are kelp, dulse (another seaweed), black walnut, spirulina. Kelp lowers the bowel transit time, absorbs toxins from the bowel, and regulates the intestinal flora. This is why many people notice a reduction in body odor and gas while taking the kelp, because it purifies the body, making it a favorite source of iodine supplementation.

4. Cereals contribute 32 to 49 percent of dietary iodine. Milk and other dairy products are another important source.

Best sources are raw because heat and food processing destroys iodine. Insufficient iodine in the diet can lead to the medical condition goiter and other iodine deficiency disorders.

Iodine also protects against cancer, it provides the lymph with extra fighting power to eliminate toxins from the blood. The body makes estrogens from fat, even if the ovaries are removed surgically. High estrogens are related to increased risks of breast and uterine cancer. In fact, estrogen is the ONLY known cause of uterine cancers. Iodine is also protects against both cancers. So, for women on HRT, estrogen only therapies, increased iodine in the diet is needed.

It protects against radiation, and was given to workers at Chernobyl in the cleaning up of the nuclear waste, and government workers who may potentially be at risk for radiation poisoning were rationed iodine supplements. It is known that 90% of the blood going to the brain is filtered by the thyroid and clean blood to the brain reduces nervousness, brain fatigue, and “stinking thinking”.

Manganese and magnesium assimilation is also defective when iodine is missing. The reason is the heart beats with calcium and relaxes with magnesium. When you have a deficiency of magnesium, you will find it difficult to relax, or relax your heart.

In children, the thyroid does not function normally until age 2 or 3, but for some children that function isn’t complete until ages 5-12. Iodine during the growth of children is therefore essential to help protect growing children against toxins in their systems.

Iodine is essential for regulating the thyroid gland, manufacturing the hormone thyroxin to control the metabolism of the body, affecting growth rate, digestion, and the burning up of excess fat. It regulates cholesterol levels, prevents cretinism in newborns when taken by the pregnant women, it’s essential for energy production, prevention of anemia, necessary for lymphatic system (this is where the body destroys a lot of toxins), and protects against toxins in the brain.