Tips to Reduce Your Breast Cancer Risk

October is Breast Cancer Awareness month. According to the National Breast Cancer Foundation, one in eight women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetime in the United States, and 40,000 women will die this year from the disease.[i] While there are many factors that can contribute to a cancer diagnosis, the National Institutes of Health estimates that up to 35 percent of cancer-related deaths are associated with diet[ii]. This means that you can decrease your own risk of developing breast cancer by making healthy choices in what you eat. While a healthy diet that is high in fiber, whole grains, vegetables, and plant-based proteins can lower your risk of all cancers, research has shown some foods to be particularly beneficial to preventing breast cancer. To help lower your risk, follow these nutritional guidelines:

• Eat more broccoli. A promising study from the University of Michigan showed that sulforaphane, a nutrient found in broccoli, inhibited the growth of breast cancer stem cells in mice, which are the cells that encourage tumors to grow. While the effect has not yet been proven in humans, adding more broccoli into your diet could have a preventive effect. [iii]
• Make your diet rich in fiber. Studies suggest that eating fiber-rich foods may lower your risk for breast cancer.[iv] This effect has been noted particularly in those who consume whole grains and wheat bran. You can also increase your fiber intake by consuming more beans, nuts, and vegetables. Many fiber-rich foods possess other cancer-fighting nutrients, such as berries, which are rich in antioxidants.
• Eat salmon or other fatty fish. A recent study in the British Medical Journal found an eighteen percent decreased risk of developing breast cancer when women consumed fish rich in Omega-3 fatty oils. While other fish contain these cancer-fighting fats, salmon is one of the most concentrated sources.[v] In addition, salmon contains Vitamin D, which some research has associated with a reduced risk of breast cancer.
• Limit alcohol consumption. Numerous studies have acknowledged a link between alcohol and a higher risk of developing certain kinds of breast cancer. Even moderate alcohol consumption can increase risk of breast cancer; women who have three alcoholic drinks per week have a fifteen percent higher risk of developing breast cancer. And each extra drink per week, on average, raises the risk even more.[vi]
• Drink coffee. It was once believed that consuming coffee led to an increased risk of breast cancer; not only has research shown that this is not true, some studies even suggest that coffee can have a preventive effect on certain types of breast cancer![vii] Of course, coffee can have other negative effects on the body, such as sleep disruption, so you shouldn’t over do it, but you can enjoy your daily morning cup (or two) guilt free!