Two recent studies on HRT show what scientists have suspected for a while now. There's an obvious connection between hormone replacement therapy and breast cancer.

The U.S. has the highest rate of breast cancer in the world. It affects 1 out of every 8 women. Next to skin cancer, breast cancer is the most common for women. And it's the second most deadly, after lung cancer.

Research makes the HRT cancer link clear.

Millions of women have given up hormone replacement therapy, turning to alternative treatments for menopause symptoms instead. As a result, research shows breast cancer rates have gone down dramatically.

Scientists were shocked to see statistics drop by close to 12% in 2003. This was the largest decrease ever seen in a year. And rates are still going down – particularly for women over 50, who seem to be more sensitive to HRT.

Recently, Dr. Peter Ravdin of the MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston spoke at the 29th Annual San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium. He said he's convinced the drop in cancer is related to the decrease in HRT use for menopause symptoms.

The author of the second study, published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, Dr. Christina Clarke of the Northern California Cancer Center in Fremont, agrees wholeheartedly about the HRT cancer link. "Hormone therapy use dropped by 68% between 2001 and 2003, and shortly thereafter we saw breast cancer rates drop by 10% to 11%. This drop was sustained in 2004, which tells us the decline wasn't a fluke."

What are your options?

The best thing you can do is make lifestyle changes that will maximize your health and minimize your risk of breast cancer. That means, regular exercise, less stress and the healthiest diet possible. Healthy women simply have far fewer disturbing menopause symptoms.

You can begin with a nutritious diet rich in colorful vegetables and fruit, whole grains and fatty fish, such as salmon. Eliminate refined carbohydrates and sugars, saturated and trans-fats, coffee, alcohol, tobacco and carbonated sodas.

And definitely get out for a half-hour walk at least three to five days a week – preferably daily.

What else can you do?

To improve your odds of having a pleasant, easy, carefree menopause, get started on a high quality nutritional supplement program. Make sure you're getting all of the necessary vitamin and mineral requirements, plus essential omega 3 fish oil fatty acids.

Balanced, natural source omega 3 can make all the difference to your hormones.

Omega 3 fatty acids are essential for the production and release of natural hormones. I've helped many women (including myself) to dramatically reduce hot flashes, mood swings and to eliminate other unpleasant symptoms – naturally.

And there are many other long-range fish oil health benefits. Besides greatly reducing menopause symptoms, my nutritional plan has also been proven to be a great anti-cancer, healthy heart program. So don't wait. The best time to begin is right now.

Copyright by Moss Greene. All rights reserved.

Moss Greene is the nutrition editor at BellaOnline.com and a journalist specializing in proven health alternatives. Over the past 33 years she's helped thousands of people get healthier.