Cool nickname.
Yes, it seems natural remedies may have interactions with drugs; similarly, natural remedies may have interactions with natural remedies, and drugs may have interactions with drugs -- and so on.
-- but your Doctor is the probably best person to ask; considering you probably are not going to reveal your entire medical history to an online device.
That's not all this study seems to be reporting on, however.
Dietary supplements in the United States are regulated like foods; which -- if you've been paying attention to recent news, doesn't appear to be good enough.
It is best to make your Doctor fully aware of any drugs and supplements you may be taking. Even some foods can alter your body's metabolism enough to possibly lead to cancer!
First, some information regarding the primary source of evidence, The British Journal of Cancer, a publication of Cancer Research UK:
This following information from Wikipedia found July 16, 2007 seems to be accurate:
British Journal of Cancer
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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The British Journal of Cancer a twice-monthly professional medical journal of Cancer Research UK (a registered charity in the United Kingdom), published on their behalf by the Nature Publishing Group (a division of Macmillan Publishers Ltd).
The British Journal of Cancer (BJC) provides a forum for clinicians and scientists to communicate original research findings that have relevance to understanding the etiology of cancer and to improving patient treatment and survival. BJC works with a team of international experts to ensure high standards of selection and review. Once accepted, papers are published in print and online.
Full research papers and short communications are published under five broad headings:
o clinical studies
o translational therapeutics
o molecular diagnostics
o genetics and genomics
o epidemiology
Here's information regarding Cancer Research UK, also from Wikipedia, which seems to have accurate data as of July 16, 2007:
Cancer Research UK
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Cancer Research UK is a cancer research and awareness-promotion group in the United Kingdom, formed on 4 February 2002 by the merger of the Cancer Research Campaign and the Imperial Cancer Research Fund. It is the foremost cancer charity (charity number 1089464) in the United Kingdom, and the biggest cancer research organisation outside the USA. It is accredited by the UK's National Health Service as a health information provider.
As of 2006, the charity spends approximately £213 million per year on cancer research, supporting the work of more than 3,000 researchers, physicians, nurses and other medical professionals. The vast majority of its funds come from private and corporate donations. It also conducts fundraising events[1] including the women-only Race for Life 5k series, has a network of volunteers, and operates over 600 "high street" charity shops, which stock both new and donated items.[2]] In recent years a number of Relay For Life events have been held in the UK (the idea having been imported from the American Cancer Society); their numbers, and the amount of money they bring in, are increasing year on year. The charity has recently moved into the area of public campaigning, lobbying the Government on issues such as smokefree workplaces legislation and long-term strategies for cancer services.
Cancer Research UK is supported by a number of celebrities, including Nicole Kidman, Madonna, Kara Tointon, Nell McAndrew, Kirstie Allsopp, All Saints, Mica Paris, Gloria Hunniford, Lemar, Cilla Black and Cate Blanchett.
Cancer Research UK supports and undertakes cancer research in hospitals, universities and medical schools throughout the United Kingdom, and disseminates information to the general public and the scientific community through its various websites, as well as its twice-monthly scientific publication, the British Journal of Cancer. It also makes information about current clinical trials accessible via its website; as at January 2006, there were 211 such trials open to UK cancer patients.[3]
And it appears that Cancer Research UK's work is published on their behalf by The Nature Publishing Group.
Here is some information regarding the Nature Publishing Group, which is in fact a division of Macmillan Publishers Ltd:
Nature Publishing Group: scientific and medical excellence in print and online
Nature Publishing Group (NPG) is a division of Macmillan Publishers Ltd, dedicated to serving the academic and professional scientific and medical communities. The flagship title, Nature, is the world's most highly-cited weekly multidisciplinary journal and was first published in 1869. NPG is a global company, with headquarters in London and offices in New York, San Francisco, Washington DC, Boston, Tokyo, Paris, Munich and Basingstoke.
The mission of the Nature Publishing Group is to become the premier scientific and medical publisher, focusing always on the quality of the information we publish. NPG strives to serve scientific, technical and medical communities by delivering dynamic and audience-focused web services. Our goal is to become the first choice of scientists in search of (1) ground-breaking original research that has been rigorously and rapidly peer-reviewed; (2) superior review, filtering and navigating material; (3) the most relevant career information; and (4) timely and essential breaking news.
NPG Journals
Nature, our flagship journal, has been an influential force in scientific publishing for more than 130 years. Today it is still fresh, arresting and innovative and aims to communicate the latest ground-breaking and original scientific discoveries across all disciplines of science. It is published weekly: www.nature.com.
Nature research journals – The Nature research journals are published monthly, covering extensively the breadth of life sciences as well as material science, chemistry and the physical sciences. The aim of the Nature research journals is to be the most prestigious journals in their respective fields, publishing primary research papers of high scientific quality and of exceptional interest and significance in their disciplines. Many of the journals are the most highly cited in their disciplines. By publishing news, reviews and other secondary material, the Nature research journals aim to be the voice of their respective communities.
Nature Methods is a cutting edge methodology journal for life scientists and chemists. Publishing both novel methods and significant advances to tried and tested techniques. Nature Methods presents and discusses methods of immediate practical relevance, helping researchers perform faster, better and more efficient experimental research.
Nature Reviews – The acclaimed Nature Reviews series has revolutionized review journal publishing, providing authoritative coverage of the breadth and depth of their science discipline. Published monthly, their mission is to be the premier source of reviews, commentary and associated current-awareness in their communities. Nature Reviews makes full use of innovative advances in print and online technology and design principles to produce engaging, informative and accessible journals of the highest quality: a one-stop shop for cutting-edge information, analysis and opinion in each field.
Nature Clinical Practice journals deliver timely, authoritative interpretations of key research developments, translating the latest findings into clinical practice. Content includes editorial and opinion pieces, highlights from the current literature, commentaries on the application of recent research to practical patient care, thorough reviews, and in-depth case studies. The distinguished Editors-in-Chief and international advisory boards ensure comprehensive coverage throughout the year, with discussion of topical issues included as soon as possible after publication of the original research.
NPG academic journals publish a wide range of high quality scientific and medical journals, many in partnership with eminent national and international societies. NPG's aim is to be the publisher of choice for authors, readers and scientific societies in our chosen specialist subject areas. The aim is to publish high-quality scientific papers quickly; to provide the best support to editors and partner societies; to ensure the widest possible readership of all our published material; to understand and fulfill the needs of all our customers; to offer excellent service to authors, editors, readers, librarians and subscription agents; and to have a strong business profile within the publishing industry. NPG academic journals are editorially independent of the Nature journals, but have the same core publishing values.
www.nature.com. hosts the online edition of all NPG publications plus additional electronic resources and community portals. With over 20 million hits a month, nature.com is one of the most important online scientific resources in the world and serves over 1.8 million registered users. The online format offers users many additional benefits such as personalized electronic delivery including RSS feeds, Advance Online Publication (AOP), valuable search and browse functionalities, links to related resources from NPG and beyond, and integration with all major abstracting services. Access is provided to all published content, plus supplementary information and extended digitized archives. Online access is available on a personal and institutional level.
Here is some information regarding Nature that's found at Wikipedia and seems to be accurate as of today(July 16, 2007):
Nature Publishing Group (NPG) is an international publishing company that publishes scientific journals. It is a division of Macmillan Publishers Ltd, which in turn is owned by the Georg von Holtzbrinck Publishing Group. NPG's flagship title is Nature, a highly-cited weekly multidisciplinary journal first published in 1869. Other publications include Nature, the Nature research journals, the Nature Reviews series, the Nature Clinical Practice series, and a range of academic journals, including society-owned publications. Other services include Naturejobs, containing scientific career information, tools and jobs, the pre-print server Nature Precedings, Connotea, a free online reference management service for scientists, and Nature Network, the free social networking website for scientists. NPG's has offices in London, New York City, San Francisco, Washington, D.C., Boston, Tokyo, Paris, Munich, Hong Kong, Melbourne, Gurgaon, Mexico City and Basingstoke.
Okay, to the study; here's the abstract:
British Journal of Cancer advance online publication 10 July 2007; doi:10.1038/sj.bjc.6603880 www.bjcancer.com
Prospective study of grapefruit intake and risk of breast cancer in postmenopausal women: the Multiethnic Cohort Study
K R Monroe1, S P Murphy2, L N Kolonel2 and M C Pike1
1Department of Preventive Medicine, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089-9175, USA
2Cancer Research Center of Hawaii, University of Hawaii, Honolulu, HI 96813, USA
Correspondence to: Dr KR Monroe, USC/Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center, 1441 Eastlake Avenue (MS# 44), Los Angeles, CA 90089-9175, USA. E-mail: kmonroe@usc.edu
Received 30 April 2007; revised 11 June 2007; accepted 19 June 2007; published online 10 July 2007
In vitro and in vivo studies have shown that cytochrome P450 3A4 (CYP3A4) is involved in the metabolism of oestrogens. There is evidence that grapefruit, an inhibitor of CYP3A4, increases plasma oestrogen concentrations. Since it is well established that oestrogen is associated with breast cancer risk, it is plausible that regular intake of grapefruit would increase a woman's risk of breast cancer. We investigated the association of grapefruit intake with breast cancer risk in the Hawaii-Los Angeles Multiethnic Cohort Study, a prospective cohort that includes over 50 000 postmenopausal women from five racial/ethnic groups. A total of 1657 incident breast cancer cases were available for analysis. Grapefruit intake was significantly associated with an increased risk of breast cancer (relative risk=1.30, 95% confidence interval 1.06-1.58) for subjects in the highest category of intake, that is, one-quarter grapefruit or more per day, compared to non-consumers (Ptrend=0.015). An increased risk of similar magnitude was seen in users of oestrogen therapy, users of oestrogen+progestin therapy, and among never users of hormone therapy. Grapefruit intake may increase the risk of breast cancer among postmenopausal women.
Keywords: breast cancer; grapefruit intake; CYP3A4 metabolism
For a mainstream report on this matter, here is a link to BBC's story called: "Grapefruit link to breast cancer."
Thoughts or comments?
My comment? It seems this study's (and BBC's report) importance may be in helping advance understanding of the potential function of the P450 3A4 (CYP3A4) enzyme in the female hormone system. What might this imply for men?
Take care.
Take care.
P.S. Sorry if I overload folks with information regarding primary sources of evidence and such -- I just don't want to see the past repeat itself (i.e. it's best to know your source of evidence, don't trust online self-proclaimed [airquote] experts [/airquote] ! Don't believe anything you hear and only half of what you read! -- Mark Twain)
