I absolutely love this time of year!  The weather is crisp and comfortable, pumpkins are everywhere and the trees are turning beautiful colors!  Everywhere I look I see a variety of colors: red, orange, yellow and brown. Lately though, I have been seeing a lot of pink around. Did you know that October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month?

According to the American Cancer Society, one in eight women will develop breast cancer at some point in their lives. I’ve found that there is some very interesting research being done to find out if there are specific foods that can help us prevent cancer. According to this research, the following may help protect your body.

Eat your produce. Fruits and vegetables are packed with powerful antioxidants which help protect against all forms of cancer. They are also low in calories so they can help you maintain your weight. Some studies have shown a reduction in the odds of breast cancer in those that consume five servings of produce daily. However, according to a study in the Journal of the American Medical Association eating more than that doesn’t show any further preventative effects so you don’t need to go overboard. Aim to eat a variety of brightly colored produce and you should get all the phytochemicals needed in cancer prevention.

Get enough calcium and vitamin D.  A study at Harvard found that premenopausal women who took in 1366 mg of calcium and 548 IU of vitamin D reduced their risk of breast cancer by 33%. Calcium-rich foods like low-fat dairy products, almonds, canned salmon, fortified orange juice and leafy greens can help meet that requirement. Another option would be to take a 1,000-1,200 mg calcium supplement. As for vitamin D, it is found in milk but not most yogurts and cheeses so you may need to take a multi-vitamin.

Add flaxseed. Sprinkle flaxseed in your morning cereal, yogurt, or oatmeal. According to Marji McCullough from the American Cancer Society, flaxseed is a good source of lignans which play a part in preventing estrogen dependent cancers by inhibiting tumor development. Other sources of lignans include peanuts, cashews, rye bread and strawberries!

Don’t get too happy at happy hour.  Nutritionist Rachel Zinaman, R.D., says that “more than one daily drink increases your odds of developing breast cancer by 20% or more”. The reason is that alcohol can raise estrogen levels which interfere with the body’s ability to use folic acid. Folic acid has been linked to cancer prevention, so to protect your health stop after one drink!

Get your fill of fiber. By consuming 30 grams or more of fiber a day, premenopausal women can cut their risk of breast cancer in half, according to a study done at the University of Leeds in England. The reason may be that foods rich in fiber tend to contain many of those antioxidants and phytochemicals that are thought to protect from a variety of cancers.

Of course, in addition to the above, you should also continue to utilize traditional breast cancer prevention methods.

Source: WebMD

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