The Breast Cancer Prevention Diet: The Powerful Foods, Supplements, and Drugs That Can Save Your Life

"Dr Arnot knows that no diet can prevent breast cancer. With the exception of alcohol (two or more drinks a day), no diet or foods have been conclusively linked to substantially increasing or decreasing the risk of breast cancer. It is disappointing that a tv doctor who is familiar to millions chose to give false hope to readers -- and make money from it. He should be embarrased and ashamed to be cashing in on women's fear of breast cancer by claiming that there is any combination of food and supplements that can prevent breast cancer. Anything for a buck!"
~ Written on 2008-05-05

"I have not read Arnot's book. However, to those reviewers who cite the attacks made against the book by the American Council for Science and Health, you need to know the shaky credentials and corporate sponsorship of that particular organization. Go to their website: there you will find articles saying that pesticide in foods poses absolutely no health risks, and articles saying that vending machines in schools should be allowed to continue selling soda and a whole range of snack foods in the interests of a free market system. This Council appears to be nothing more than a highly-financed mouthpiece for various corporate interests. I have been highly skeptical of any of their "scientific" claims for a while now. Finding out that they do not support Arno's book actually makes me more interested in checking it out myself, so I have ordered a copy."
~ Written on 2005-10-28

"Having just been diagnosed with a recurrence of non-metastatic breast cancer, I decided to seek out resources that might help me make the lifestyle changes I failed to make after my first episode, in order to prevent yet another recurrence. Since I'm in a doctoral program, I decided to take a course on alternative medicine and immediately began reading the texts, which led to this excellent resource.

Dr. Arnot's book is highly readable and very sincere. By that I mean it has heart, explained by Dr. Arnot's statement that he conducted the research for his wife who, upon her Mother's diagnosis with breast cancer, asked him what she could do to keep from getting it. The information in the book was his answer to her--information he decided to share with other women. His job as a medical reporter provides him with a language deftness and communication skills that enabled him to make technical information accessible to a lay audience. The latter is what makes the book easy and enjoyable reading rather than work.

Like many, I questioned how valid his information was--until I encountered the same information (as well as studies) in other credible sources. Dr. Anot is not just a good reporter, he's a good scientist.

I, too, have talked this book up to most of the women I know. Prior to reading it and the other resources I've encountered, despite having a decent lay knowledge of this disease, surprises abounded. Why don't they teach anything substantive about health and wellness in school when it's so crucial to leading a happy, productive, and healthy life? I expect many of you can guess the answer--it's not in the interests of the power elite, specifically the drug companies and American food industry. (Read one of the fascinating books on "McDonalidization" for insight on this mindset and it's political/economic influence.)

My only complaints about the book are that I would like to see a follow-up edition with the conclusion to many of the studies that were in progress when it was written. Many of them have concluded by the end of 2004 and I'd sure like to know the results. I'd also like to have seen the recipes that accompanied the meal plans, or even a separate volume containing recipes.

There is much that women who currently have, have had, or want to prevent this disease can do to hold it at bay and show it who's boss (especially since only 20% of cases are attributed primarily to genetic causes). Reading, no, absorbing the contents of this book, is one of them!
"
~ Written on 2005-03-27

"First, every woman I care about, my friends, sisters, mom, etc., will be getting a copy of this book as their next gift from me! Dr. Arnot gives example after example of medical research PLUS lifestyles of women all over the world showing better health than most Americans, revealing what scientists believe attribute to it! Unless every word and Doctor, or school referenced are all liars, this book is a LIFESAVE. Scientist have come a long way. They don't just say "don't eat this, but eat that" and you'll be fine. That's too simple. They know much more than that now and we need to take advantage of that. If they say breakfast is important, always eat SOMETHING, than that's what we should do! If you want a fiction book, or an easy fix, or if you want to ramble about how research in mice has little to do with humans, than keep fooling yourself. I'll take all the help a reputable doctor or scientist or medical college wants to give to prolong my life AND give me GOOD HEALTH at the same time. Many of us ae having our children late in life. My youngest was born when I was 38. I've got to live a long time to be there for her. My mother had me at 18! She's 70 now and I love having her around. I trust there is nothing in Dr. Bob's book that will hurt me -- but that will only help me. Should I still go to the doctor? OF COURSE!!! I have been getting yearly mamograms for 15 years, and only this year did I have a a small spot. I'm to get another exam in May 2002. I'm worried. They think it's nothing and say MOST OF THEM ARE BENIGN. What if i'm one of those woman not so lucky? I am not sure about Soy Isoflavones (the dosage) although Dr. Bob talks about it. Thanks, and KEEP READING!! ..."
~ Written on 2002-03-06

"I was all set to get this book, really...Till it came to my attention that I alreasy HAVE a book that cites Lillian Thompson's research at The Univerity of Toronto with flax seeds on breast cancer in mice (or rats, whichever-- except that its NOT whichever, it's bloody mice! and they don't always get the same results in both!) and it says that she is going one step further and, in a pilot study, is giving flaxseeds to women recently diagnosed with the disease. Now there is a review right here written in December, 1998, about the hardcover edition of this book that says that Dr. Arnot failed to make clear that the results Lillian Thompson obtained were for mice. The book I bought was published in hardcover in 1998 and in paperback in 1999, and I just got it in 2000. So I though maybe since then Lillian Thompson had published something in which she had given flaxseeds to human subjects diagnosed with breast cancer. Since the government has granted free poblic access to Medline, I looked up her reasearh on it. She hasn't done recent research on any human subjects unless you count one experiment done a few years ago in which she gave various doses of of raw flaxseeds and processed (as in cooked: in bread and muffins) flaxseeds to healthy human subjects to see if what (no I don't know what--but it was what it was supposed to be) was excreted would be excreted in a dose dependant manner and if it would be affected by processing ( raw vs. processed): it was excreted in a dose dependant manner and this was regardless of whether the flaxseeds were raw or processed in muffins and bread. But on Medline I could find no experiments of hers on human subjects with breast cancer going back as far as 1993. It's not that her experiments on mice aren't encouraging , but one wonders what happened to the human subjects that were recently diagnosed with breast cancer who were going to get the flax seeds. It may not even be that she hasn't done that and published it too--it's just that as of now, if she has, I can't find it on Medline and I can find this other stuff of hers. I don't intend to stop using flaxseeds, but I'm also not getting this book yet. Also to be consdered, possibly, that I do not know about: another reveiewer said that some of the scientists whose work was cited in the book have disassociated themselves from it. One might want to know why. I do think that diet and some cancers are related and that it is worth one's while to find out what one can and try to reduce one's risk. However, I ,too, live on a budget, I have other needs too, and i'm not ready for this book yet."
~ Written on 2000-11-19