While no diet can guarantee that you won't get breast cancer, some foods can help bolster your immune system and reduce your likelihood of getting it or any other kind of cancer. These same foods can also assist your recovery after treatment for breast cancer. Eating healthy foods that help you maintain a normal weight may reduce the risk of both first-time breast cancer and recurrence, according to BreastCancer.org.
Breast Cancer
Many women share the fear of being diagnosed with breast cancer, and rightly so. About 1 in 8 women in the United States develop invasive breast cancer, notes BreastCancer.org. Breast cancer occurs when cells in the breast tissue grow and divide out of control. As cancer begins to develop, it becomes a mass of extra tissue called a malignant tumor. Cancerous tumors in the breast usually grow slowly. By the time they are felt as a lump, they may have been growing for 10 years, so an early diagnosis reduces your chance of dying from breast cancer.
Foods
Fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts and seeds provide vitamins and minerals, and also antioxidants to help prevent oxidative damage inside the body that can lead to cancer. Cruciferous vegetables such as kale, cabbage and broccoli contain phytochemicals such as indole-3-carbinol that change the activity of estrogen, detoxify carcinogens and stop tumor growth, notes Project Angel Food. Blueberries and raspberries also have high cancer-fighting activity. Foods like salmon and tuna provide omega-3 essential fatty acids, which may slow tumor growth. Meat, dairy and poultry should be organic and hormone-free. Extra fiber, in the form of psylium husks, keeps the colon clean and carries harmful estrogens out of the body.
What to Avoid
Eliminate saturated fats like butter and lard, as well as trans fats found in margarine and baked goods, and replace these with monounsaturated fats from avocados, olives, nuts and seeds. Limit or eliminate alcohol consumption, as studies show that alcohol consumption increases breast cancer risk, according to Project Angel Food. Stay away from junk foods, processed refined foods, salt and white flour. Cancer thrives on sugar, so it is best to cut it out completely. Limit charred or grilled foods, which have been linked with higher cancer risk.
Supplements
Life Extension recommends the following supplements for cancer prevention. CoQ10 stimulates the immune system and protects against heart damage caused by chemotherapy. Curcumin, an extract of the spice tumeric, has a number of positive effects on the body, including inhibition of growth signals emitted by tumor cells. A 1999 study reported in "Experimental Cell Research" showed that conjugated linoleic acid, or CLA, inhibits mammary cancer in rats if given before puberty. Melatonin blocks estrogen receptors like the drug tamoxifen, but without long-term side effects. Vitamins A and D3 inhibit breast cancer cell division. However, none of these claims have been definitively proven to help with breast cancer. Consult your doctor prior to taking any supplements.
References
- BreastCancer.org: Can Food Reduce Your Risk of Breast Cancer?
- Project Angel Food: Nutrition to Help Prevent Breast Cancer
- "Disease Prevention and Treatment"; Life Extension Foundation; 2003
- "Prescription for Natural Healing"; Phyllis A. Balch, CNC, and James F. Balch, M.D.; 2000
