Natural Protection Against Ovarian Cancer

Ovarian cancer has often been referred to as the silent killer because there was no tell-tale symptoms that women and doctors could relate to. Every year in America it is estimated that 20,000 women are diagnosed with ovarian cancer. Of those, only about 5,000 women survive the disease. These numbers are not good. Women need to take precautions to help eliminate their risk of developing the disease.

New research suggests that there are signs if you pay attention to them.

The signs include:

• Bloating and abdominal pressure
• Urge to urinate more often
• Persistant indigestion
• Nausea
• Gas
• Lower back pain
• Painful intercourse

If you have these symptoms for 13 days out of a month, you need to see your doctor and get tested for ovarian cancer. Early detection can help your odds of surviving ovarian cancer by up to 90%. Unfortunately there are no standard tests or methods of discovering the disease. Pap tests only give results for uteran cancers and infections. Common blood tests may not pinpoint ovarian cancer since the protien that indicates cancer could be elevated from other sources.

A transvaginal ultrasound is often the best test because it can show images of the ovaries and whether or not they contain any masses or growths.

These are some things you can do for ovarian cancer prevention.

Get more carotenoids in your diet. Carotenoids are unique antioxidants found in carrots. The carotenoids help clean up pollutants and damaging chemicals that are present in the body and especially in the ovaries. Eating four raw carrots each day could help reduce your risk of ovarian cancer by up to 54%.

Some studies indicate that the less a woman ovulates, the less her chance of getting ovarian cancer. Oral contraceptives halt ovulation. Taking oral contraceptives for 5 to 10 years could reduce your risk of ovarian cancer by up to 50% according to Hackensack Medical Center.

It is also estimated that women who have tubal ligation after bearing children lower their risk of ovarian cancer by 67%.

Women who have breast fed for more than a year are also at a lower risk for developing ovarian cancer.

Taking 120 mg. of Gingko each day for six months can reduce the risk of ovarian cancer by 60%. Studies also indicate that two ingredients found in Ginkgo may even impede the growth of cancer cells. Gingko can interact with some medications so you should check with your doctor before starting any natural remedy.

With no standard test available for the diagnosis of ovarian cancer, it's best to know the symptoms and live a healthy lifestyle in order to help prevent the disease from developing.

Resource: http://www.ovariancancer.org/