Many women fear breast cancer because it can be a devastating and life-threatening diagnosis. There are many ways to reduce your risk of getting breast cancer, and eating the right foods is one important way that you need to consider. Elaine Magee, author of "Tell Me What To Eat To Help Prevent Breast Cancer," reports that the food choices you make today may cut your risk of developing breast cancer in the future.
Fruits and Vegetables
Any fruits and vegetables you consume provide some vitamins and minerals that help protect your breasts. Fruits and vegetables contain a plethora of antioxidants, says Magee, that prevent free radical damage that can lead to the development of cancerous cells in your breasts. Magee recommends including several different colors and varieties of fresh produce in your diet to get as many different antioxidants as possible. Broccoli is perhaps one of the best vegetables to include because it contains a specific compound that acts as a cancer inhibitor, adds Magee. Citrus fruits are another important cancer preventative food because they contain vitamin C, which may prevent cancer from forming.
Eggs
Eggs are an important part of an anti-cancer diet because they may help inhibit the formation of breast cancer cells, report John R. Lee, David Zava and Virginia Hopkins, authors of "What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Breast Cancer: How Hormone Balance Can Help Save Your Life." The nutrients in eggs are essential for a process called methylation, which rids your body of wastes that can lead to the development of breast cancer. The nutrients you consume when you eat eggs enables your body to neutralize the estrogens that often lead to breast cancer, say Lee, Zava and Hopkins.
Garlic
Garlic is considered one of the most powerful ways to prevent developing any kind of cancer, including breast cancer, say Lee, Zava and Hopkins. Garlic works to prevent cancer-causing chemicals from forming in your body. The sulfur in garlic is an antioxidant that removes carcinogens that often turn into cancer. Garlic may also inhibit the growth of new cancer cells. Lee, Zava and Hopkins add that a diet rich in garlic increases the strength of your immune system, which can target cancer cells as they form and destroy them before they develop into breast cancer. Fresh garlic cloves offer the most benefit, but supplements may help as well.
References
- "Tell Me What To Eat To Help Prevent Breast Cancer"; Elaine Magee; 2008
- "What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Breast Cancer: How Hormone Balance Can Help Save Your Life"; John R. Lee, David Zava and Virginia Hopkins; 2002
