Don’t trust our advice on breast cancer prevention tips, listen to a brilliant doctor! Michael Greger, M.D., Director of Public Health at HSUS, sets us straight about what we can do keep our breasticles safe and bouncy forevermore;
October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, a concept invented more than 25 years ago by Imperial Chemical Industries with the curious mantra “Early Detection Is Your Best Prevention.” Of course early detection by definition doesn’t prevent breast cancer at all; it just attempts to mediate the impact of the cancer that’s already there. As one of the largest producers of petrochemicals and pesticides in the world, the multi-billion dollar chemical company may not have been particularly interested in getting at the root causes, especially after having subsequently developed the leading breast cancer chemotherapy drug.
Breast cancer remains the leading cancer killer of young women in the United States. In recognition of this epidemic, NutritionFacts.org spent the week releasing five new videos highlighting some of the latest research on preventing the disease in the first place.
Monday’s video Cancer Prevention and Treatment May Be the Same Thing underscored the fact that since breast tumors can take decades to grow, “early” detection is actually very late, and in some cases too late. Tuesday’s Vegetables Versus Breast Cancer video, though, points to exciting new research that mushroom consumption may be beneficial for prevention, with Wednesday’s Breast Cancer Prevention: Which Mushroom Is Best? comparing the potential anti-cancer activity of a dozen different types leading to a surprising result. Yesterday’s Multivitamin Supplements and Breast Cancer highlights new research suggesting that multivitamin use may significantly increase the risk of breast (and prostate) cancer, while today’s video, Relieving Yourself of Excess Estrogen, offers a natural strategy to reduce one’s risk.
I suggest a plant-based diet may be beneficial in preventing, slowing, and even reversing breast cancer, despite flawed or deceptive studies to the contrary. Diets containing less meat may reduce the risk of breast cancer by lowering one’s exposure to anabolic steroids, heterocyclic amines, and industrial pollutants. Dairy contains hormones that may increase breast cancer risk directly, or indirectly by contributing to premature puberty.
Melatonin suppression by meat and dairy may also play a role.
Eating a single egg a day has been associated with nearly three times the odds of breast cancer.
There are also some plant foods, though, that one may want to avoid. Kimchi, acrylamide in crispy carbs, and alcohol may increase one’s risk, and from a breast cancer perspective, folate in beans and greens may be preferable to folic acid in pills. The good news is that numerous vegetables , may be protective against breast cancer. The most useful are likely cruciferous vegetables (such as broccoli, kale, and cabbage) and allium family vegetables (such as garlic, onions and leeks).
Among fruits, organic strawberries appear to preferably block cancer cell growth and, like other berries, may block breast-cell DNA damage. Apples also appear to reduce breast cancer risk. Soy foods have the distinction of both helping prevent breast cancer (in part by supporting normal pubertal development) and improving survival, even for women on Tamoxifen.
To further decrease risk of breast cancer, look to daily tea consumption (including a few herbal varieties) flax seeds, black beans, the spice turmeric, and an hour of exercise every day.
Michael Greger, M.D., is a physician, author, and internationally recognized speaker on healthy eating. Hundreds of Dr. Greger’s nutrition videos are freely available at NutritionFacts.org, with a new video posted every day! All the proceeds from the sales of his books and DVDs are donated to charity. Follow Dr. Greger Twitter and Facebook.