A recently published study has found a direct correlation between the increasing use of antibiotics and the risk of breast cancer. More than 10,000 women participated in a 17 year study which was published in the Journal of the American Medical Association. The study found that those who took antibiotics twenty-five times or more had double the risk of breast cancer to those who had not used antibiotics. It found the highest risk of cancer in the group had the highest consumption of antibiotics.
The study’s authors speculate that the detrimental effect antibiotics have on the beneficial bacteria that normally live in the human gut could be the explanation. There are normally about 500 gut bacteria, weighing one kilogram in total, in the human gut, and they play an important role in metabolising drugs, and breaking down hormones (including oestrogen) and carcinogens that pass through the gut.
In a healthy gut, the delicate balance of ‘friendly’ bacteria helps keep potentially harmful bacteria in check and prevents illness. But broad spectrum antibiotics destroy all bacteria in the gut, including ‘friendly’ bacteria, and this, in turn, reduces the synthesis of nutrients that normally occurs in a healthy gut.
While further research is planned to investigate the link, it is prudent to consume foods which contain friendly bacteria such as yoghurts with Lactobacillus acidophilus and bifidus, since these bacteria provide protection from salmonella, yeast infections and the bacteria responsible for many urinary tract infections. A proliferation of friendly bacteria also reduces the amount of oestrogen that is re-circulated back into the bloodstream from the gut.
After a course of antibiotics, probiotic supplements of Lactobacillus acidophilus, or Bifidobacterium infantis will help to re-establish the equilibrium of the gut.
A high fibre, balanced diet is another way of ensuring healthy gut bacteria.
JAMA. 2004;291:827-835. http://jama.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/abstract/291/7/827
