Foods That May Help Prevent Breast Cancer : Healthymagination

By Paula Dranov | Posted April 6 2012

No guarantees here, ladies, but what you eat could help lower your risk of breast cancer. Research has been zeroing in on how different foods affect the body and which ones can kill cancer cells in lab experiments, as well as checking out diets in areas of the world where breast cancer risk is lower than it is here.

Some of the risks of breast cancer are unavoidable: being female, getting older, and having a family history of the disease. But we may be able to put the brakes on some of the other risks by watching our weight (for postmenopausal women), getting regular exercise and avoiding alcohol.

Now let?s take a look at foods that may be protective:

Green Tea: From the same plant (camellia sinesis) as the black tea we?re used to drinking, green tea is less processed and is loaded with antioxidants called polyphenols shown in lab tests to combat dangerous changes in the body that can lead to cancer. Some researchers think that drinking green tea on a regular basis may be a factor in why women in China have a breast cancer risk that?s four to five times lower than ours. In 2009 a study including more than 2,000 women in China showed that the more green tea they drank, the lower their risk of breast cancer.

Fruits and Vegetables: The latest news on the many health benefits of a diet loaded with fruits and veggies comes from a study looking at the benefits of the DASH diet designed to reduce risks of high blood pressure. The study included more than 86,000 nurses. Researchers found that the women whose diets corresponded most closely to the DASH diet and ate the most fruits and vegetables were 20 percent less likely to develop estrogen-receptor negative breast cancer (a type that accounts for about 25 percent of all cases) compared to women whose eating habits were least like the DASH diet.

Lots of Fiber: Here, researchers compared the results of 10 studies to conclude that a diet high in fiber may be protective. Published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition in August, this study found an 11 percent lower risk of breast cancer among women who ate the most fiber compared to women who ate the least. What the authors don?t know for sure is whether the diet specifically lowered breast cancer risk or if the risk dropped because of the overall health benefits of fiber.

Fish:? Specifically, this means fish that provide omega-3 fatty acids, also known as ?fish oil.? A study published this year showed that women who took fish oil supplements had a 32 percent reduced risk of the most common type of breast cancer: ductal carcinoma. The researchers from the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle said it is too soon to advise women to take fish oil supplements to prevent breast cancer, but we already know that omega-3 fatty acids reduces the risk of heart disease and stroke and that we can get it by eating salmon, tuna, halibut, sardines and other fish that live in cold water.

Turmeric: This spice, native to India, and other parts of Asia is being scientifically scrutinized for its anti-cancer and anti-inflammatory benefits. Some studies have suggested that turmeric can slow the growth of certain tumors, including breast cancers. Its active ingredient, the antioxidant curcumin, has been shown in some laboratory studies to interfere with key aspects of cancer development and spread. According to the American Cancer Society, researchers have found that curcumin can kill cancer cells in lab dishes and reduce the growth of surviving cells. In animal studies it has reduced development of several types of cancer and has shrunk animal tumors. Turmeric is used to flavor curry and is the ingredient that gives American mustard its yellow color. In addition to eating curry, you can drink turmeric tea.

CONNECT THE DOTS

To learn more about breast cancer prevention, visit the websites of National Cancer Institute and Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. Take a look at our blog post about ?GE?s $1 billion commitment to speed up the fight against cancer,? starting with a focus on breast cancer.? Also check out ?Patients Help GE Design Mammograms of the Future? and ?Two Breast Cancer Vaccines Approved for Clinical Trials.?

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