Milk thistle may help curb liver inflammation in cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy, according to a recent study. An herb rich in the antioxidant silymarin, milk thistle has long been used in herbal medicine to treat liver disorders.

For 28 days, 50 children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (a type of cancer of the white blood cells) were given milk thistle or a placebo. All of the children experienced chemotherapy-related liver problems prior to the study's start.

In liver-function tests performed 28 days after the treatment period, children who had received milk thistle showed improvements in their liver enzymes compared with children who had received the placebo. Those taking milk thistle were also less likely to have to lower their chemotherapy doses. What's more, milk thistle did not appear to interfere with the chemotherapy's beneficial effects.

In past research, milk thistle has been found to benefit people with fatty liver disease and gallstones.

For women with breast cancer, a high intake of soy foods may be linked to a lower risk of death. That's the key finding of a recent study of female breast cancer survivors in China.

For the study, researchers focused on 5,042 women, all of whom were diagnosed with breast cancer between March 2002 and April 2006. At a median follow-up of about 3.9 years, 444 total deaths and 534 recurrences or breast-cancer-related deaths were documented.

Analyzing data on the participants, the research team found that patients with the highest intake of soy protein had a 29 percent lower risk of death during the study period, and a 32 percent lower risk of breast cancer recurrence (compared to patients with the lowest intake of soy protein).

Soy foods contain isoflavones, estrogen-like compounds thought to offer various health benefits. Isoflavones are also found in the herbs kudzu and red clover.

A compound found in green tea may help shield brain health, a new study shows.

For the study, researchers focused on amyloid plaques (substances known to damage brain cells and cause loss of memory, language, and motor function). Amyloid plaques are associated with the development of Alzheimer's disease.

In a series of lab experiments, the scientists found that a combination of the green tea compound epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) and a chemical called DAPH-12 caused amyloid structures to break apart and dissolve. The study's authors suggest that EGCG shows promise in the treatment of amyloid-based diseases, but caution that the compound's effects need to be further explored in other studies.

In an earlier study, published in 2006, researchers analyzed tea consumption among 1,0003 older adults and discovered that those who drank the most green tea were the least likely to show signs of weakened brain function.

Green tea may also protect against gum disease and stroke, according to other previous research.

A combination of curcumin (a compound found in the curry spice turmeric) and piperine (a substances derived from black peppers) could help protect against breast cancer by targeting stem cells, according to a recent study.

In lab experiments, scientists discovered that applying curcumin and piperine to breast cells helped decrease the number of stem cells (which are known to promote tumor growth) while having no effect on normal cells. By limiting the number of stem cells, the study's authors suggest, it may be possible to inhibit tumor growth.

In past research on animals, curcumin has been found to help reduce risk of progestin-accelerated breast cancer (a type of breast cancer thought to be particularly common among women receiving a combined estrogen and progestin hormone replacement therapy).

Other studies indicate that curcumin may help lower risk of Alzheimer's disease, diabetes, cataracts, and skin cancer.