Breast Cancer: Fighting it with Food

Breast cancer claims the life of 45,000 American women annually.Here are some dietary changes that might make a difference and lower your risk for this disease.

Wheat Bran Cereal- ½ cup of All-Bran (10 grams fiber) lowers estrogen levels. Experts believe high levels of estrogen stimulate breast cancer.

Canola Oil- a vegetable oil rich in omega-3 fatty acids- New studies are testing whether omega-3 fatty acids can prevent the recurrence of breast cancer. There is less breast cancer in countries where women have high levels of omega-3. Other good sources of omega-3 are fish oil, walnuts, flaxseed and flaxseed oil.

Carrots and Spinach- Compared with women who ate carrots or spinach more than twice a week, women who never ate them had twice the incidence of breast cancer. Beta-carotene is the common nutrient in foods that are protective. Other foods include sweet potatoes, pumpkin, cantaloupe, red pepper, and romaine lettuce. Don't use supplements there are other nutrients in these foods that are protective -too much of this one and you'll miss all the rest.

Yogurt- In a test tube study yogurt slowed the growth of breast cancer cells, even if the yogurt's active culture were removed first. - It's not just the kind with live cultures that may be protective against breast cancer- the reason is unknown.

A prevailing thought has been that compared to Americans, Asians eat soy and have less breast cancer. For those with breast cancer or a family history this be dangerous. The reason is that the isoflavones in soy are phytoestrogens and that they may act like the estrogens that are naturally produced by premenopausal women or the estrogen pills taken by many postmenopausal women. Estrogen is implicated in breast cancer.

It may also be that the phytoestrogens in soy are protective- in otherwords they compete and bind at estrogen receptor sites and decrease the body?s ability to pick up the natural hormone. In test tubes genistein, the major isoflavone (phytochemical) in soy either stops the cancer cells from growing or makes them grow. It depends on the kind of cells.

Two studies have researchers worried - One study found that women who got a daily beverage with 38 grams of soy beverage and 38 mgs of genistein showed an increase in cell proliferation- anytime cells multiply rapidly there and increase risk of cancer. In the second study British investigators gave 60 grams of soy protein with 45 mgs of isoflavones a day for two weeks prior to breast biopsy, again soy stimulated breast cell proliferation

In rat studies, animals given genistein soon after birth or in early puberty got fewer tumors when treated with carcinogens later in life. They seemed to have lifelong protection from cancer.

Play it safe eat soy in moderation and avoid soy supplements e.g. genistein if you have breast cancer or a family history of the disease.

Exercise and Breast Cancer. A Harvard study showed that women who engaged in aerobic exercise like walking, bicycling for seven or more hours a week were less likely to get breast cancer than women who exercised less than one hour weekly. The study consisted of more than 121,000 middle-aged women who were followed over a period of 16 years.

Donna Tinnerello, MS, RD, CD/N is a registered dietitian, living in Manhattan, with more than 10 years experience in HIV and nutrition. Her subspecialties are cardiovascular, renal, gastrointestinal disease, diabetes and weight management.
Donna is available for private consultation by referral only. Ms.Tinnerello has donated time and articles to our web site at always your choice and we sincerely appreciate her contributions.