breast health
Plant-based diets may help prevent breast cancer and prolong survival, thanks to phytonutrients in flax, broccoli, and soy, and the avoidance of animal products such as meat and dairy. One should eat lots of fruits and vegetables, and get a enough exercise and sleep. Some foods may be especially helpful include: dark-green leafy vegetables, coffee, Indian gooseberries, avocados, spinach, garlic, onions, cinnamon, apples, strawberries, herbal teas, green tea, and white-button mushrooms.
Those at high risk should consider reducing their consumption of meat, dairy (see also here), trans fat, saturated fat, Kimchi, folic-acid supplements (but folate from beans and greens is helpful), multivitamins, and deep fried foods. Large stool size has been associated with breast health and may reduce cancer risk. One might also not want to take advice from health food store employees, as their recommendations for breast cancer treatment were found to lack a sound medical or scientific basis.
Topic summary contributed by a volunteer.
To help out on the site, email volunteer@nutritionfacts.org
Watch videos about breast health
-
Cranberries versus CancerDrug companies and supplement manufacturers have yet to isolate the components of cranberries that suppress cancer cell growth.
-
Breast Cancer and Alcohol: How Much is Safe?Nearly 5,000 breast cancer deaths a year may be attributable to just light drinking (up to one drink a day).
-
Flax Seeds For Breast PainA tablespoon a day of ground flaxseeds appears to improve ovarian function and is considered a first-line therapy for breast pain associated with one's period (cyclical mastalgia).
-
Plant-Based Diets For Breast PainPlant-based diets appear to offer relief from a variety of menstrual symptoms, including cramping, bloating, and breast pain (cyclical mastalgia).
-
Herbal Tea Update: Rooibos & NettleRooibos (red) tea may reduce stress levels by suppressing adrenal gland function. Nettle tea is mineral rich but may have estrogenic side effects.
-
Protein, Puberty, and PollutantsThe early onset of puberty in girls associated with animal protein consumption may be due to endocrine disrupting chemical pollutants in the meat supply.
-
Prolonged Liver Function Enhancement From BroccoliThe boost in detoxifying enzymes triggered by cruciferous vegetable consumption may last for weeks!
-
Cancer, Interrupted: Green TeaUsing the cooked meat carcinogen PhIP to turn normal breast cells cancerous, researchers explore the use of green tea to interrupt this malignant transformation.
