Food can be a source of pleasure as well as a way of expressing your creativity and celebrating your culture. It can connect us to memories of celebrations, time shared with people we love and places we’ve visited or lived in. Food is also vital to our survival and is a key factor in good health.
Taking a balanced approach to what you put into your body can help you to reach or maintain a healthier body weight. This is a key factor in lowering your risk of breast cancer. Aim for variety in the food you eat, with smaller portions and meals that are high in fruits, vegetables and whole grains, and low in fat and sugar. The Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation offers you information and practical tips about how to reduce your risk of developing breast cancer.
A healthier diet may protect you from some cancers
The body seems to use the nutrients found in vegetables and fruits to protect against tissue damage, or oxidation, that occurs during normal metabolism. Because tissue damage is associated with increased cancer risk, some research suggests that these so-called antioxidant nutrients may protect the body against some cancers.
Can certain foods reduce your breast cancer risk?
The relationship of certain food groups to breast cancer risk is difficult to measure. You may have read or heard about studies on various food and food groups, including the following:
· Fat, including saturated, mono- and polyunsaturated, and omega-3 fatty acids
· Dairy products
· Meat and fish
· Fruits and vegetables
· Carbohydrates, such as sugars and starches
· Whole grains and fibre-rich foods
· Soy and other foods containing phyto- (plant-based) estrogens
While there are many studies on all the food groups listed above in relation to breast cancer risk, the findings have not been conclusive. Part of the reason for this uncertainty is that it is difficult to research the health effects of individual foods. Most people eat a variety of foods every day, so it is hard to connect findings to any one particular food.
More research is needed to improve our understanding of nutrition, cancer risk, and risk reduction. However, what research tells us now is that our food choices play a role in our risk of cancer as well as offering us a way to reduce that risk. We can reduce our risk of cancer now by eating a more balanced diet and working to gain—or maintain—a healthier body weight.
More Information
Sources
World Cancer Research Fund/American Institute for Cancer Research. Expert Recommendations. : Accessed July 31, 2011.
World Cancer Research Fund/American Institute for Cancer Research. Food, Nutrition, Physical Activity, and the Prevention of Cancer: a Global Perspective. In Washington DC: AICR, 2007. Accessed July 31, 2011.