Recommendations
Lifestyle and breast cancer risk – putting you in control.
Breast cancer develops over many years and goes through a number of stages. It is highly unlikely that breast cancer will be caused or prevented by one single food or nutrient. The search for foods that may protect us from breast cancer is a Holy Grail for many women and researchers.
Many people hoped that soy would protect women from breast cancer, but the benefits of soy are far from proven. A number of foods and nutrients seem to have a small effect on risk, but the biggest factors seem to be eating too many calories, lack of exercise, and above all putting on weight.
Why does weight gain lead to breast cancer?
As we grow older we generally expect to gain weight, most people don't know that these expanding waistlines actually put us at a much higher risk of developing breast cancer. For example gaining more than 3 stone in weight between the age of 18 and 50 can double your chances of developing the disease. Risk is linked to fat stores in the body. These stores can increase hormone levels in the body and may lead to inflammation within the breast, both of which can promote the development of cancer.
Thankfully our recent research in conjunction with the Iowa Women's Health Study Group in the USA suggests that even losing a few pounds of weight can dramatically reduce your risk.
The study based on 41,000 women from Iowa found that women who lost at least ½ stone in weight between the ages of 30 and 50 had 40 % less breast cancer than women who gained weight over this period. For women aged over 50, weight loss still reduced risk. Women who lost ½ stone reduced risk their by 20%.
Don't overeat.
Believe it or not eating too many calories may increase your risk of cancer. Eating more than we need boosts levels of harmful molecules, the so-called "free radicals", which can damage our cells - one of the first steps in cancer developing. Eating too many calories can also increase levels of hormones and growth factors in the body, which in turn encourage cancers to grow and progress.
Get active.
Being active cuts your cancer risk. Women who regularly engage in activities like brisk walking, swimming, jogging and cycling for 3-4 hours per week (35– 45 minutes 5 times a week) are 40% less likely to develop breast cancer than women who do not exercise.
Being active helps protect women from gaining weight, which we know is important for reducing risk. Exercise also seems to have additional anti-cancer effects, perhaps by reducing hormone levels.
Being active helps protect women of all shapes and sizes from breast cancer but its greatest benefits are seen in women who are a healthy weight. In short, limiting your calorie intake, being more active and above all controlling your weight, offers the greatest protection against breast cancer.
Please click here to read the 10 Key Ingredients of the Genesis Breast Cancer Prevention Diet