The bad news is there\u2019s still no magic pill to help you prevent breast cancer. But the good news is that you might just have some great tools to fight the disease already in your refrigerator or pantry.<\/p>\n
MultiCare oncology dietitian, Kelay Trentham, MS, RDN, CSO, says that while most women get the message about mammograms and regular self-exams to detect breast cancer early, too many don\u2019t realize there are simple things everyone can do to help reduce the chances of getting the disease in the first place. And perhaps more important, those same things can help cancer survivors reduce their chances of recurrence.<\/p>\n
First, a few things to avoid. Alcohol and processed meats top that list.<\/p>\n
\u201cIncreasingly we\u2019re seeing evidence that alcohol really puts people at pretty high risk of breast cancer,\u201d Trentham says.<\/p>\n
Meat in general should have a minor role in your diet and red meat in particular should be consumed sparingly.\u00a0Other foods to consume sparingly include sugary beverages and processed foods high in fat, starch and sugar.<\/p>\n
Trentham says research is clear that a plant-based diet is the best choice for reducing the chances of developing any kind of cancer.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat doesn\u2019t mean to never have meats,\u201d she says. \u201cBut try to limit animal foods to about 25 percent (and certainly not more than 30 percent) of your total diet.\u201d<\/p>\n
For breast cancer in particular, research supports anything from the cabbage family, also known as cruciferous vegetables \u2014 broccoli, cauliflower, brussels sprouts and watercress \u2014 as helpful. Just about any fruit typically eaten in the American diet will be\u00a0also full of cancer-fighting chemicals.\u00a0Think berries, peaches, nectarines, apples, plums and pomegranates.<\/p>\n
As a bonus, a diet designed to reduce cancer risk should be extra flavorful and delicious, Trentham says. While you should aim for at least 30 grams of fiber a day, you should also make it a goal to use plenty of herbs and spices.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnything in the plant family that has a particularly bright color, strong flavor or\u00a0strong smell is indicative of high levels of phytochemicals included in those foods,\u201d Trentham says.<\/p>\n
Phytochemicals seem to be the key to making those foods cancer fighters.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe phytochemicals can repair and prevent DNA damage,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n
And when phytochemicals encounter cells undergoing cancerous changes, \u201cthey may even assist in telling those cells \u2018You were supposed to die a few generations ago, it\u2019s time for you to kick it,\u2019\u201d Trentham adds.<\/p>\n
But don\u2019t fall prey to supplements that suggest they can give you the phytochemicals in plants while skipping out on your greens. Multiple studies have shown that extracting the chemicals from plants and using them as supplements doesn\u2019t work. In some cases, it even seemed to have negative impacts.<\/p>\n
\u201cNutrition research is tricky,\u201d she admits. \u201cWe tend to try to boil things down into individual nutrients and magic bullets, but it just doesn\u2019t work that way.\u201d<\/p>\n
More evidence points to the overall diet pattern as being beneficial rather than just individual food items.<\/p>\n
Trentham bases much of her recommendations on findings compiled by the American Institute for Cancer Research. The AICR has conducted careful, systematic literature reviews of thousands of studies. The resulting findings give us our best information to date on cancer prevention and survivorship.<\/p>\n
The AICR research surprises some people, Trentham says. For example, one of\u00a0the big myths is that you can\u2019t have any soy if you have breast cancer.<\/p>\n
The confusion comes from the fact that soy contains chemicals called phytoestrogens because they\u00a0are very similar to \u2014 but not identical to \u2014 estrogen.<\/p>\n
\u201cPlants do not make estrogen,\u201d she says. In truth, \u201ca few servings a day of whole soy can actually reduce recurrence of breast cancer.\u201d<\/p>\n
That\u2019s based on findings in humans, an important distinction from studies on animals because \u201cour physiology is different from a rat or a mouse,\u201d she adds.<\/p>\n
Like soy, dairy sometimes gets a bad rap.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat data is not very clear,\u201d Trentham says. \u201cThere have been some studies suggesting that for breast cancer it may be wise to use low-fat or preferably fat-free dairy.\u201d<\/p>\n
But if you\u2019re worried about hormones in dairy, those fears are probably misplaced simply because the amount you ingest is tiny compared to what you naturally have circulating in your body.<\/p>\n
The bottom line: Consume a whole foods\u00a0diet rich in plant foods, herbs and spices, and include some whole soy foods while limiting animal foods, added sugars, processed meats and alcohol.<\/p>\n","protected":false,"gt_translate_keys":[{"key":"rendered","format":"html"}]},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
There are simple things you can do to help reduce the chances of getting breast cancer, and for survivors to reduce their chances of recurrence.<\/p>\n","protected":false,"gt_translate_keys":[{"key":"rendered","format":"html"}]},"author":315,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[127,87],"tags":[165],"class_list":["post-5559","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-healthy-living","category-nutrition-wellness","tag-breast-cancer"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n