Breast cancer is one of the top killers of American women, according to the Centers for Disease Control. Even though there is no known full-proof way to prevent breast cancer, women can take steps to reduce their risk of developing the disease. Diet plays a large role in cancer prevention. It's up to each individual to reduce her risk as much as possible, reports the American Cancer Society (ACS) in its Complete Guide to Nutrition and Physical Activity, "by avoiding weight gain and obesity, engaging in regular physical activity and minimizing alcohol intake."
Nutrients
According to The American Cancer Society, the body uses certain nutrients in fruits and vegetables to protect cells from oxidation. Antioxidants, which fight the oxidized cells can be derived from different vegetables like broccoli and peppers, as well as tomatoes, salmon and milk.
Food Preparation
In 2006 the American Cancer Society reported a link between food preparation and breast cancer risk. According to ACS, "some research suggests that frying, broiling, or grilling meats at very high temperatures forms chemicals that might increase cancer risk." Though it's hard to pin down official statistics determining how much your risk is increased, if you have a genetic predisposition to breast cancer---your mom, sisters, or grandmother has or had breast cancer---follow the guidelines suggested by the American Cancer Society and the National Cancer Institute to reduce your risk of developing cancer.
Food Variety
In 2008, the American Institute for Cancer Research issued guidelines indicating that women should limit consumption of red and processed meats and increase their intake of fruits and vegetables to reduce their risk of developing breast cancer. An article published by the University of South Carolina's Arnold School of Public Health in 2007 found that breast cancer risk was elevated 74 percent in postmenopausal women who ate grilled, barbecued or smoked meats and also consumed less than five daily servings of fruits and vegetables. Fish, no matter how it was prepared, did not contribute to an increased risk of breast cancer.
Bad Fats
The Nurses' Health Study---the longest running study of women's health, started in 1978 at Harvard University---looked at a review of 25 studies that showed pre menopausal women who had a diet with large amounts of animal fat, including those found in dairy foods, increased their breast cancer risk by 40 to 50 percent compared with subjects who ate minimal amounts of animal fat.
Good Fats
Good fats, like omega-3 fatty acids commonly found in fish, and monounsaturated fats, popularized in recent years with the olive-oil-based Mediterranean diet, has showed some promising links to a reduced risk of developing breast cancer. One study published by Cornell University in 1999 pointed out the gap in breast cancer incidences in the United States, which contributes about 34 percent of total food calories to fats, compared with China, a low breast cancer population where total fat amounts to approximately 15 to 20 percent of total calories.
