Eating to Beat Breast Cancer
You are what you eat, so choose wisely
YOU'VE HEARD OF SOME FOODS that may increase
your risk of getting breast cancer-it has been estimated that diet
is partly responsible for 30 to 40 percent of all cancers-but how
about foods that might decrease the risk?
Groups such as the American Cancer Society and Susan G. Komen
for the Cure don't endorse specific foods as likely to prevent or
cure cancer. Instead, they recommend a healthy, balanced diet with
at least five servings of fruits and vegetables a day to help
prevent obesity, since women who gain weight after menopause are at
a higher risk for breast cancer.
Another reason: With so many fruits, vegetables and other foods
showing promise in the fight against cancer, you'll need to graze
far and wide to maximize the possible benefits. Here are few foods
to keep piling on your plate:
+ The vitamin A and carotenoids
in dark yellow vegetables may lower the risk
of cancer in epithelial cells, which are the site of 90 percent of
cancers, including breast cancer. The best-known carotenoid, beta
carotene, is probably most associated withcarrots,
but don't forget about sweet potatoes
and squashes. And fall is the perfect time to
find fresh pumpkins!
+ A study presented at the 2009 meeting of the
American Association for Cancer Research suggests that the omega-3
fatty acids and antioxidants in walnuts can
reduce the risk of breast cancer and slow the growth of tumors that
do develop.
+ Scientists at the University of California,
Santa Barbara report that broccoli, Brussels sprouts,
cabbage and other cruciferous
vegetables contain cancer-preventive compounds called
isothiocynates that inhibit tumor cells from developing and
multiplying.
-By Sam Mittelsteadt