Epidemiology and Public Policy: Breast Cancer and Walnut Consumption

This essay explores the relationship between walnut consumption and breast cancer, advocating for the integration of this evidence into public health policies. The author references a study indicating that walnut consumption can slow breast cancer growth through gene expression changes. The essay proposes that decision-makers should consider this evidence to enhance nutritional policies, specifically suggesting incorporation into the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. The paper highlights the role of public health policies in shaping nutritional choices and promoting health, emphasizing the importance of evidence-based guidelines and the collaborative efforts required for policy implementation. It also discusses the potential of such policies to address public health challenges, such as breast cancer, obesity, and overall health, by emphasizing healthy eating patterns and the need for scientific rigor in policy changes.

Running head: EPIDEMIOLOGY AND PUBLIC POLICY 1
Epidemiology and Public Policy
Student’s Name
Institutional Affiliation

EPIDEMIOLOGY AND PUBLIC POLICY 2
Epidemiology and Public Policy.
From the article, there is evidence that consumption of walnuts slows breast cancer
growth. I would propose that such evidence is worth being used by decision-maker to enhance
nutritional policies. Although the benefit that walnut provides is related to gene expression
changes, it essential to consider such a benefit to improve human health. On the other hand,
clinical trials on women suggest women in the treatment group who consumed 2 oz of walnut
daily before and after breast lump cancer surgery had a different gene modification from the
other group (Hardman et al., 2019). Hence gene expression profiling, as well as phynotpic
changes, are evidence that walnut consumption has significant action on the way gene expression
took place. For instance, RNA-Seq Expression profiles that were analyzed concerning pilot
clinical trials done strongly suggested an expectation of walnut to reduce metastatic cancer.
Recent meta-analysis studies have concluded that nuts like peanuts are associated with the
reduction of all causes of mortality (Hardman et al., 2019). Moreover, strengths such as the
ability of such nut to change molecular cell structures and decrease oxidative stress are essential
in convincing the importance of nut consumption. Also, it is crucial to point out that such food
consumption policies change are relevant and safe because evidence from human and animal
trials shows that walnut consumption does not have adverse side effects.
The clinical trial presented in the article reveals the effectiveness of walnuts in the
management of breast cancer, a significant issue of public health policy concern. Furthermore,
modifications in gene expression online with walnut consumption portray the highest scores in
different gene networks illustrations in the article. Additionally, other studies have also revealed
that walnuts contain the ability to suppress cancer due to similar benefits of reducing
proliferation, and the oxidative damage significantly. The bioactive molecules present in the

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walnuts appear to offer benefits against cancer (Hardman et al., 2019). Therefore, since this
proposition is backed up by multiple scientific pieces of evidence, public health policy needs to
get reinstated into incorporating walnuts consumption in cancer management. Moreover, through
such a system, the existing assumptions regarding the negative impacts of walnuts consumption
can be easily disposed of. For instance, their use has been linked with increased weight, although
there is no practical evidence. In this regard, public health policy is of absolute necessity in this
context.
Policies like the Dietary Guidelines for Americans contain nutritional information that is
evidence-based to nutrition and is used to help make informed choices. This serves as a powerful
tool that every American can use to choose the best beverages and food based on healthy
options. It also offers insight into how nutrition is related to human health, hence making it
possible to inform the public on their nutritional choices and ultimately controlling the health of
the public via such guidelines that have been widely employed in the United States. For the
Dietary Guideline to come in place, collaboration from various sectors is involved, for instance,
an organization like USDA and HHS have efforts in promoting the guideline. Changes in such
policies keep on being implemented in aims to make relevant changes which entail a lot of
energy. For instance, the Dietary Guideline in America is reviewed every five years to optimize
the best action for the states to its citizens. It has three stages that include, Review of the existing
and current scientific evidence, development of the dietary guideline and implementation of the
policy to Americans. Therefore, for the change to be agreed upon, it has to be supported by
scientific finding which assists formulate the guideline and finally implement a well-processed
policy.

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Besides, the Dietary Guidelines for the period for 2015-2020 has key recommendation
and five guidelines that give details about healthy nutrition. The suggestion is built upon from
the various scientific evidence with an emphasis on topics that promote dietary health for the
public. Additionally, the emphasis is focused on issues that have the best public health details on
the element of healthy feeding patterns. Such public health need is then discussed to add new
recommendations and change those with weak evidence to populations nutritional needs (Pollack
Porter et al., 2018). For feasibility purposes, the guideline must be representative of dietary
science, food-based priority needs, and health to address a specific nutritional challenge in the
United States to find solutions of public health importance. After the three stages are completed,
the federal government is involved in comprehensive implementation and promotion of the
guideline. Then, the policy has many opportunities in various societal sectors that embrace its
importance. Therefore, the Dietary Guideline has a high potential in the future since multiple
settings are easily influenced and the key public health messages diffuse to all from school to
church to homes and communities.
Consequently, public health achievements are strongly associated with how public
policies work hand in hand to support the aim of reaching out to the populations. New scientific
findings on improving health can be diffused effectively through the employment of relevant
changes in public policies that foster the chances of easier diffusion to societies due to the
collaborative efforts in a broad spectrum of the populations. For instance, regarding the Dietary
Guidelines for America, it is easy to reduce the risk of breast cancer as well as obesity and
general health of the women in the nation through the promotion of nutritional guidance
(Hardman et al., 2019). Such health promotional policies on a diet may emphasize healthy
feeding patterns like eating vegetables and fruits which acts as a powerful tool to reduce the

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onset of diseases and prevent chronic illness like obesity, ultimately improving the public’s
health status. However, the process of policy change is fragile when done without evidence and
proper procedures. This condition should be mitigated through involving decision-makers and all
relevant stakeholders as well as the public at large to design the best policy possible. Therefore,
with the modern era of technological advancement, such technologies and scientific evidence
should be utilized in aims to change public policy where necessary carefully.

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References
Hardman, W., Primerano, D., Legenza, M., Morgan, J., Fan, J., & Denvir, J. (2019). Dietary
walnut altered gene expressions related to tumor growth, survival, and metastasis in breast
cancer patients: a pilot clinical trial. Nutrition Research, 66, 82-94.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nutres.2019.03.004
Pollack Porter, K., Rutkow, L., & McGinty, E. (2018). The Importance of Policy Change for
Addressing Public Health Problems. Public Health Reports, 133(1_suppl), 9S-14S.
https://doi.org/10.1177/0033354918788880