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Tragically, over 40,000 women will die with breast cancer this year in America. Current anti-breast cancer medical efforts are aimed at critical early detection with mammograms. Early detection allows doctors to treat the cancer while it is still small and confined to the breasts. However, new medical research confirms that women can eat and live proactively to prevent breast cancer before it strikes. Whether one is currently a breast cancer patient, a survivor, or at high-risk for breast cancer, using the latest eating and lifestyle research can help reduce one's risk of occurrence or recurrence.
Numerous foods have been reported to have anti-cancer benefits; however, some appear to be more beneficial than others. The following foods comprise my top 10 foods that help reduce breast cancer risk.
1. Carrots
Carrots contain a couple of different compounds that might reduce breast cancer risk. One natural substance in raw carrots, named falcarinol, can slow the growth of cancer cells. Falcarinol is inactivated by heat or cooking, so to get any appreciable amounts in your diet from carrots it is critical to eat raw carrots. The more widely known beta-carotene found in carrots, which is responsible for their orange hue, also has been reported to reduce breast cancer risk. In fact, Harvard researchers found that younger women who consume more than 2 servings of carotenoid-rich foods daily had a 17% lower risk of breast cancer compared to women who ate less than 4 servings per week.
2. Green Tea
Green tea consumption may reduce your breast cancer risk by over 50%. Green tea is rich in polyphenol antioxidants that protect your DNA from damage and shortening, reduce inflammation, reduce estrogen, and reduce breast tissue density. The primary antioxidant in green tea, EGCG, has been shown to limit breast cancer cell growth; however, the full effects of green tea polyphenols and their mechanism(s) of action require further elucidation.
3. Apples
Apples contain several biologically active phytochemicals, including ursolic acid, that have been reported to have antioxidant and anti-proliferative activities. Animal studies show that the natural substances found in apples decrease the number of tumors, size of tumors, and tumor growth rates. The more apple extract the animals were fed, the greater the reduction in cancer. Remarkably, the researchers found that the most deadly adenocarcinoma form of breast cancer was found in 81% of animals not fed the apple extract, but in only 23% of the animals fed the highest dose of the apple extract.
4. Fiber
Most of us know that adding fiber-rich foods to our diets has many benefits. Among these benefits is a potential reduction in breast cancer risk. One recent study reported that high fiber intakes were associated with a 42% lower risk of postmenopausal breast cancer when compared to women consuming a low amount of fiber. Additional studies have found that fiber can reduce hormones, including estrogen, associated with breast cancer risk.
5. Omega-3 Oils
Omega-3 fatty acids are commonly found in oil-rich fish like salmon, albacore tuna, mackerel, lake trout, and sardines. Omega-3 fatty acids, particularly eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docohexaenoic acid (DHA), are some of the most popular dietary supplements and there appears to be a lot of evidence supporting the potential benefits of these oils. One recent study reported a substantial reduction of breast cancer risk with increasing consumption of omega-3 fatty acids in pre- and post-menopausal women. In this study, women with the greatest amount of EPA, DHA, and total omega-3 fatty acids present in the their red blood cell membranes had a 73%, 94%, and 89% lower risk of breast cancer, respectively. These fatty acids appear to work via multiple mechanisms including cell growth inhibition, immune support, and inflammation suppression.
6. Flaxseed
While flaxseed is a good source of omega-3 fatty acid and fiber, it is also rich in lignans, phytochemicals reported to have a variety of health benefits. Human studies have reported that high blood levels of lignans are associated with a reduction in breast cancer risk. The decrease in breast cancer risk might be hormonally mediated since it has been demonstrated that women consuming 1 ounce of flaxseed daily had lower levels of estrogen metabolites associated with increased breast cancer risk.
7. Walnuts
Seeds and nuts can be an important part of a healthy diet. Walnuts contain omega-3 fatty acids, antioxidants, and phytosterols. A recent animal study suggested that adding walnuts to the diet might provide anti-cancer benefits. In this study, cancer-prone mice consuming walnuts as part of their daily diet showed a substantially lower incidence of breast cancer tumors with a delayed time in tumor development and smaller tumor size.
8. Pomegranates
While pomegranates can be a difficult fruit to eat, they contain many beneficial antioxidants. Research indicates that the phytochemicals found in pomegranates function as anti-cancer agents in multiple ways including cell growth interference, inhibition of cancer cell invasion, and suppression of cancer blood supply. Recent laboratory studies suggest that pomegranate reduces the formation of breast cancer tumors by 87%; however, animal studies and human trials still need to be done to further elucidate the full benefits of pomegranates.
9. Broccoli
Broccoli, as well as other cruciferous vegetables, is rich in sulforaphane and indole-3-carbinol, two phytochemicals reported to have anti-cancer properties. Indole-3-carbinol has been shown to alter estrogen metabolism in a way that protects breast tissues. In contrast to indole-3-carbinol, sulforaphane acts to increase the body's product of detoxification enzymes, which then act to remove carcinogens from the body.
10. Low-Glycemic Foods
In the simplest of terms, the glycemic index ranks a foods ability to impact blood sugar concentrations. Consumption of high glycemic foods causes a rapid rise in blood sugar and corresponding rise in blood insulin levels. An increasing amount of evidence suggests that a high glycemic diet has negative effects on human health, including increased risk for cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and cancer. One recent study reported that women consuming a high glycemic diet had a 57% increased risk of breast cancer. Consuming a low glycemic diet does not have this kind of impact on blood sugar and insulin.
Bonus: Vitamin D
Vitamin D is getting a lot of attention right now. This is because most of us are deficient in vitamin D and research has been reporting that a deficiency if vitamin D appears to be associated with a number of chronic health conditions, including breast cancer. One study reported that 74% of breast cancer patients visiting their clinic were deficient in vitamin D3, the active form of vitamin D. Recent studies demonstrated that women with higher vitamin D3 blood levels had at least a 50% reduction in breast cancer risk compared to women with low vitamin D3 levels. Furthermore, it has been reported that breast cancer patients might fare worse if their vitamin D3 levels are deficient and that women with low vitamin D3 intake tend to have denser breast tissues upon mammography. The American Medical Association (AMA) strongly recommends that physicians test patients for Vitamin D3 deficiency.
During the past 100 years, doctors have focused primarily on drugs, surgery, and medical tests to fight disease. This has undoubtedly extended the average life span. In fact, modern medicine has nearly doubled the average lifespan since the early 1900's. However, we should have also included additional vigorous research into the power of foods and plants to prevent and cure disease. By making the proper lifestyle and dietary modifications women can become proactive in their fight against breast cancer.
Aaron Tabor, MD, is the CEO and medical research director of Physicians Pharmaceuticals Inc. in Kernersville, NC 27284. He is the author of Fight Now, Eat & Live Proactively Against Breast Cancer.
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