Eating to Avoid Breast Cancer

Breast cancers tend to be seen as a completely feminine affair but the truth is, men too are at risk, albeit very rarely, of developing breast cancer. Despite medical advances several things are still not clear about breast cancer and in most sufferers of this a disease, a clear cause can still not be shown to be responsible for the disease.

Breast cancer is not hereditary, though a family history of breast cancer increases the risk. Certain other factors linked with developing breast cancer include; the risk of postmenopausal breast cancer is increased by being overweight, the use of hormone replacement (HRT) increases the risk, having the last menstrual cycle from the early 50's and older increases the risk, having the first menstrual cycle at a later age and being pregnant at an early age lowers the risk. Although most breast cancers are hormonally related other factors may affect the risk, such as stress, carcinogens, use of stimulants, exposure to pesticides and oral contraceptive.

In its early stages, breast cancer doesn't show any sign and when it does the first sign is usually a painless lump that is found in the breast. When breast cancer becomes more advanced and spreads to other parts of the body then the symptoms could be more obvious depending on the part of the body affected. The symptoms could range from neurological problems, bone pain, weight loss, fatigue and anaemia.

Along with traditional medicine, changing the diet and one's lifestyle can help with breast cancer. Keeping to a vegetarian style diet by reducing animal fats in the diet; eating very little meat and cutting down on dairy products, will help. Only eating organic vegetables and meat (this will reduce the exposure of pesticides and hormones), consuming lots of tomatoes as these are high in lycopene which can inhibit the proliferation of cancer cells, consuming plenty of olive oil, increasing fiber in the diet, reducing the exposure of soft, fatty or acid foods to soft plastics; not using cling film, buying food that comes in paper, glass or ceramic containers or if food is supplied in a plastic container then removing and storing in a glass or ceramic container in the fridge. Cutting out stimulants such as caffeine, sugar and alcohol, changing one's lifestyle to minimize stress, maybe taking up Yoga and meditation, increasing exercise, cutting out smoking and increasing the consumption of the essential oils Omega 3 and Omega 6 which are found in oily fish, seeds, evening primrose oil, borage oil and flax oil.

Some food materials are known to be anti cancer in action. Increasing the amount of such food in your daily diet regime could go along way to preventing cancer. Such foods include sweet potatoes, carrots, watercress, peas, broccoli, cauliflower, kale, Brussels sprouts, spinach, onions, leeks, garlic, soy products, lemons, mangoes, melon, peppers, pumpkin, strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, blackberries, elderberries, pears, shiitake mushrooms, tomatoes, cabbage, grapefruit, kiwi fruit, oranges, seeds, nuts, squash, tuna, mackerel, salmon, wheat or rice bran, oats, wild rice, rye, apricot, walnuts, beans and the herbs and spices - rosemary, thyme, oregano and turmeric. These vegetable and fruits should be eaten raw and as fresh as possible or lightly steamed so that no goodness is lost. Soybeans and products are extremely good in reducing tumor growth and inducing cancer cells to revert to normal. Soybeans have genistein in them, which is an angiostat (anti-growth compound that prevents cancer from growing by preventing the formation of new blood vessels that aid cancer cells to grow).

There are so many factors linked to breast cancer that are beyond our control. Factors like exposure to radiation and chemicals, caused by environmental pollution, a family history of breast cancer and a couple of other factors are outside our reach. It makes real sense therefore, to play the little part we can in the prevention of this dreaded disease.

Michael Russell
Your Independent guide to Breast Cancer