The #ReduceYourRisk Campaign + His & Hers ProfBiotics Supplements

The #ReduceYourRisk Campaign + His & Hers ProfBiotics Supplements

The current cancer stats are scary and the latest forecast by experts show that one in two people born after 1960 in the UK will get cancer at some point in their life. According to WHO, about 1 in 3 cancer deaths are due to the five leading behavioural and dietary risks — high body mass index, low fruit and vegetable intake, lack of physical activity, tobacco use and alcohol use — and therefore might be avoidable with a healthy diet and lifestyle. Still, 41% of the British population don’t realise that diet plays a risk in cancer development.

Research indicates that there are a few key cancer preventing nutrients that can be obtained from commonly available foods like tomatoes, curcumin, pomegranate and green tea. Most people do not eat these products in doses high enough to be optimal for cancer prevention, though, so by supplementing your diet with these nutrients, you can make sure you are doing your best.

ProfBiotics is a range of supplements to support your wellbeing — it’s developed by experts and supported by research.

I found that there is “no single one fits all” combination of beneficial vitamins and supplements and that different organs are more at risk from certain vitamin deficiencies and conversely benefit from different vitamin and supplement combinations. Some vitamin combinations can sometimes even be harmful. — Professor Martyn Caplin, Gastroenterologist and cancer specialist

Therefore, ProfBiotics have been formulated for people who may have an increased risk of certain cancers as a supplement to support a healthy diet. Each type contains a specific blend of active compounds that support the wellbeing of the organs.

My husband and I are currently trying these supplements as a part of this campaign. I chose the breast cancer one as that’s the only cancer we have on my side of the family and my husband chose the bowel one. Unfortunately, there are quite a few different types of cancer and illnesses on his side of the family, but bowel was the one he was most concerned about and after reading the ingredients, I think it’s the perfect choice for him.

ProfBiotics Breast

Each capsule contains:

• Vitamin D³ 5mcg (500 IU) — which regulates cell death and studies show that there is an association between low levels and breast cancer
• Zinc (from Citrate) 7.5mg — low intakes has also been linked to breast cancer
• Curcumin extract 25:1 – 240mg providing 6000mg whole herb equivalent — appears to be useful in preventing human breast cancer development
• Lycopene-rich Tomato powder 5mg — Lycopene has been increasingly associated with breast health and studies suggest a higher intake may reduce the risk of breast cancer

1 in 8 women in the UK will develop breast cancer in their lifetime. A healthy diet with the right nutrients may help reduce your risk. Tara Whyand, Oncology Dietitian, shares her top diet tips for breast wellbeing:

1. Eat lean meat and nuts as they contain zinc. A low zinc intake has been found to increase the risk of breast cancer.
2. Consume more fruit for their high antioxidant vitamin and fibre content. Tomatoes, watermelon, papaya and pink guava contain a carotenoid called lycopene which has been linked to reduced risk of breast cancer.
3. Eat more foods containing compounds called flavonoids, found in onions, broccoli, tea, fruits and turmeric. In one laboratory study, curcumin, the flavonoid found in turmeric, was able to prevent breast cancer when a cancer causing chemical was added to breast cells.
4. Prevent vitamin D deficiency by eating fortified foods, oily fish, eggs and supplements. A small amount of sunshine will help, but cannot be relied on. There is evidence that higher levels of vitamin D in the blood decrease the risk of breast cancer.
5. Keep a healthy weight and limit alcohol.
6. Eat more marine foods containing fish oils (marine omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids). Salmon, fresh tuna, herring, pilchards and sardines all make good choices.

Supplementing with ProfBiotics Breast makes sure you get enough of the most important nutrients.

ProfBiotics Bowel

Each capsule contains:

• Curcumin extract 25:1 – 240mg providing 6000mg whole herb equivalent — has been shown to inhibit cell invasion and to be anti-inflammatory and studies show that can help reduce cancer cells’ growth and tumour formation
• Green Tea 30:1 – 33.34mg providing 1000mg whole herb equivalent has — been shown in human studies to be associated with a reduction in colorectal cancer risk
• Vitamin D 12.5mcg (500 IU) — studies show that there is an association between lower levels of vitamin D and higher rates of bowel cancer

1 in 20 people in the UK will develop bowel cancer in their lifetime. Like other cancers, there’s no guaranteed way to prevent the disease but a healthy diet may help lower the risk.

Researchers believe that, by making changes to people’s diet, 15-35% of bowel cancers could be prevented. Five easy diet changes that might reduce your risk are:

1. Eat less cured and processed meat such as bacon, sausages and ham. There is evidence that eating cured and processed meat may increase bowel cancer risk. Cut down by eating processed meats less often or in smaller amounts – why not try swapping these meats for alternatives such as chicken, fish or vegetarian options?
2.  Consume less red meat and more fish. The Department of Health advises people who eat more than 90g (cooked weight) of red and processed meat a day to cut down to 70g (e.g. two beef burgers or three slices of roast beef, pork or lamb) to help reduce their bowel cancer risk, whilst research indicates that eating more fish may also help lower your risk. Try having occasional meat-free days, and try to eat at least two portions of fish each week.
3.  Increase intake of fibre from cereals, beans, fruit and vegetables. The large European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) study has shown that people who regularly consume fruit and vegetables have a lower bowel cancer risk – make sure you get your five a day!
4.  Supplement your diet. ProfBiotics Bowel is a supplement developed by a leading cancer specialist, containing anti bowel cancer nutrients in high dosages, such as curcumin, green tea, and vitamin D. The formula contains the equivalent of eight teaspoons of turmeric, and the same quality of polyphenols found in 10 cups of green tea, which would be difficult to consume each day through diet alone.
5.  Limit alcohol. Bowel cancer risk increases by 15% in people who drink 12.5 units of alcohol per week and is higher in people who drink more than this. Men should not regularly drink more than 3-4 units of alcohol a day, 2-3 for women. If you’ve had a heavy drinking session, avoid alcohol for 48 hours.

What we do to reduce our risk of developing cancer:

• I’ve been a vegetarian for 15 years and eat plenty of vegetables and fruit. My husband eats vegetarian food most of the time and some kind of meat maybe once a week, if that. He does not like fruit but he’s good at eating his vegetables!
• We especially like tomatoes and love the benefits of lycopene so we use a lot of cooked tomatoes and tomato purée every week.
• We eat a lot of high fibre foods like wholegrain cereal, bread, pasta, rice and pulses. We only have white bread as a treat and only white rice if we’re having sushi. We never have white pasta because we prefer wholegrain.
• We drink tea (rich in flavonoids) nearly every day. I love all kinds of tea and drink different varieties most days. My husband only drinks black tea and the occasional Rooibos so it’s great that his supplement contains green tea.
• We don’t eat much processed food at all and especially not processed meat.
• My husband is good at eating oily fish and I take a vegetarian supplement that provides me with Omega 3.
• We use onions (rich in flavonoids) in most our meals. My husband even likes them raw on sandwiches.
• We’re both a healthy weight and we try to limit our alcohol intake and to not drink in the week.
• We don’t do sports but we are quite active in general. We like walking, go on hikes when we can, choose stairs over lifts and play very actively with our daughter (running, jumping, dancing, chasing, etc.)
• We avoid the sun due to being pale and burning easily (and mainly to reduce the risk of skin cancer) but we do remember to take a Vitamin D supplement, currently the ProfBiotic one. We eat fortified cereals and my husband eats eggs, too — both good sources of Vitamin D.

What do you do to #ReduceYourRisk of developing cancer?

Read more about ProfBiotics on their website.

We were sent these supplements to go with this post about the #ReduceYourRisk campaign. All words are my own except for the diet tips which have been supplied to me. As always, all my posts are 100% honest and all thoughts and opinions are my own.