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 with carrots, 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