Do you believe that breast cancer is preventable? Or are you more likely to think that you may get it anyway even if you do everything right? Actually, both are correct. Confused?
Here’s how to understand prevention of breast cancer (spoiler alert: it’s really good news). There’s quite a lot an individual can do to prevent breast cancer, and each of those actions reduces the chances or odds of disease, but does not completely eliminate the risk. But many other preventive health measures which we take for granted, such as seat belts, childhood immunizations, and wearing a bike helmet are also not perfect at prevention. All reduce the risk of a bad outcome, but you can still get chicken pox after being vaccinated. So while science is very clear that you can reduce your risk of breast cancer, these steps will not prevent 100% of cases. Do you have a guess as to how many cases could be prevented every year in the US? It’s actually over 73,000! At least that many women would never have to hear that bad news if all American women would follow preventive habits. And what are they?
Here are a few simple steps, backed by good research, that can be the most effective measures women can take to reduce risk of breast cancer:
1. weight control,
2. regular exercise,
3. reduce alcohol intake,
4. breastfeed your babies,
5. reduce toxins in food (such as trans-fats and pesticides on produce),
6. and eat some specific breast healthy foods regularly.
It is important to remember that it is the overall pattern and variety of foods that is most important for cancer prevention, not any individual “magic” foods, and certainly not supplements or pills. But it is also true that some foods have more research on their effect on breast cancer prevention specifically, and those are the ones I want to emphasize here. This list is not exhaustive, but would be a terrific start for all American women, starting as young as the beginning of puberty.
I’ll get straight to the point: what are my top 5 foods for breast cancer prevention?
Soy foods, including tofu, are high in isoflavones, potent anticancer agents. East Asian women with higher consumption of tofu and other soy foods have reduced rates of breast cancer. Cooking tip: buy extra firm, and wrap it in a towel between two plates for 2 hours to remove liquid before cooking; chop into cubes and it will absorb the taste of everything around it.
Broccoli and other Brassica vegetables (like cabbage and cauliflower) are high in indole-3-carbinol (I3C), which has strong anticancer properties. I3C is especially important for preventing breast cancer because it helps shift the balance of estrogen away from a form which more likely promotes tumor growth. Enjoy broccoli lightly cooked to better release nutrients, by steaming or sautéing in olive oil.
Get your fish oil from fish, more than pills, by enjoying rainbow trout, Alaskan salmon, sardines, or other oily fish, twice weekly. Women without breast cancer have higher levels of omega-3 oils in the body, and studies have found that one of the omega-3s, DHA, decreases tissue inflammation that can lead to tumor growth. Even farm-raised rainbow trout is safe (unlike other farmed fish) and loaded with omega-3 oils.
For a non-fish source of omega-3 oils, flax seeds are by far the best vegetarian source. High in lignans (cancer protective compounds), they may block some of the long-term tumor-promoting risks of natural estrogen. One to two tablespoons of ground flax seed a day, sprinkled on salads, yogurt, or smoothies works well. Keep refrigerated to avoid rancidity.
Finally, green tea is rightly renowned for an antioxidant called EGCG, which slows the growth of breast cancer cells. The cancer inhibitory effects of tea are from a synergistic effect of multiple compounds from the leaf – not EGCG alone. This is why your best health strategy is to drink real tea, and not to rely on extracts found in pills or the so-called green tea drinks prepackaged in plastic with a lot of sweetener.
I hope that you now understand that you have more power than you thought to prevent this disease. Can we change the national conversation about breast cancer together? Mostly you hear about early detection and better treatment and cure. Those are still really important, but we wouldn’t have to talk about them so much if we talked more about real prevention… and then to do more than talk about it. Take action! For yourself and for your family.
To learn more, get your copy of my book, Breast Cancer: Reduce Your Risk with Foods You Love (Penstokes Press, 2011), on Amazon (click here), or call the office for a copy if you are local.
to your health,
Robert Pendergrast, MD, MPH