10 Ways to Reduce Your Risk for Breast Cancer

May 1, 2009

Posted by Maggie Spilner

Breast cancer is the most common cancer among women, and is second only to lung cancer as the leading cause of death for women. However, as more and more research is showing, there is much you can do to reduce your risk.

For example, a new study published in the April 2009 issue of Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, women with low fitness levels are three times more likely to die of the disease than physically fit women. The study, which included over 14,000 women, is even more impressive than previous research that’s linked breast cancer survival with exercise. This is just one of many easy-to-understand, easy-to-do things that can really decrease your risk of developing breast cancer.

Here are 10 recommendations from Ann Kulze, M.D., author of Dr. Ann’s 10-Step Diet for what you can do to avoid breast cancer:

1. Maintain a healthy body weight. Keep your body mass index (BMI) below 25 throughout your life.

2. Ban the booze. Alcohol use is the most well established dietary risk factor for breast cancer. More than one drink a day is a hazard.

3. Eat your fruits and veggies. Eat seven or more servings daily, especially of cruciferous veggies like broccoli and cauliflower, dark leafy greens, carrots, tomatoes, citrus, berries and cherries.

4. Get more omega-3 fatty acids. The type of fat in your diet can affect your breast cancer risk. Minimize your consumption of omega-6 fatty acids (from sunflower, safflower, corn and cottonseed oils), saturated fats and trans fats. Maximize your intake of omega-3 fatty acids, (especially from oily fish like salmon, tuna, mackerel, sardines, lake trout and herring). Consume monounsaturated oils (from canola, olive oil, nuts, seeds and avocados) as your primary fat source.

5. Avoid white flour, white sugar, white rice and other processed carbohydrates. These foods can trigger hormonal changes that may lead to breast cancer. Use whole grains and beans instead.

6. Eat minimally processed whole soy products regularly. Stick to non-GMO traditional soy foods like edamame, tofu, tempeh and miso. Avoid the highly processed stuff found in places like protein bars and texturized soy protein based meat substitutes.

7. Avoid estrogens, both from prescriptions and pesticides. Do not take prescription estrogens unless medically indicated. Buy organic produce when possible and be sure to wash all non-organic produce, as many pesticides contain estogen-like substances. Buy hormone free dairy, meat and poultry products.

8. Take a multivitamin daily. A multivitamin may be your best insurance, if you want to make sure you are getting the nutrients you need for disease risk-reduction. Other supplements that may be beneficial include: 500 – 1,000 mg daily of vitamin C in divided doses, 200 – 400 IU daily of vitamin E as mixed tocopherols and tocotrienols and a pharmaceutical grade fish oil. Also take 200 mcg daily of selenium, or eat one to two Brazil nuts as an alternative. A comprehensive, multiple-pill-per-day multivitamin will likely include all of these nutrients at these doses. If you have a chronic medical condition or take prescription drugs, consult your physician first.

9. Don’t worry, be happy! Engage in self-nurturing behaviors regularly. Develop rich, warm and mutually beneficial relationships with family and friends. Get adequate sleep (7 – 8 hours per night). The mind-body associations with breast cancer are significant.

10. Exercise regularly. Staying physically fit may be the most important thing you can do to reduce your risk of dying from breast cancer. Just 30 minutes of moderately paced walking, five days a week, can pull you out of the low fitness category. To reach the most fit category, you’d need to double that to an hour a day, or exercise more vigorously for 30 minutes a day.

The Anti-Aging Bottom Line: Don’t let breast cancer get the best of you! Over 40,000 women die of breast cancer every year. But if more women exercised regularly, that number could be drastically slashed. In addition to staying physically fit, there are a number of things you can do to successfully avoid breast cancer. Regardless of your age, it’s never too late or too early to start a breast cancer prevention program, as the efforts you make now can add years to your life.