Can Nutrition Influence Breast Cancer Risk?
Today we have a special blog post from Juli Johnson, who is an APRN at the INTEGRIS Cancer Institute.
As I’ve written before, nutrition plays an important role in healing the mind, body and spirit. It’s a key piece of the rapidly growing field of Integrative Medicine, which seeks to combine appropriate components of conventional Western medicine with ancient but evidenced-based complementary practices from the East to help patients achieve optimal wellness and prevent disease.
The food component shares the philosophy of all the elements that make up Integrative Medicine, by focusing on the whole person. It’s not just about eating the recommended number of fruits and veggies each day, or counting calories, or losing weight. It focuses on how diet can contribute to whole-body wellness.
I often get asked if there are foods that will help lower the risk of cancer. Most often, women ask about breast cancer. In a nutshell, here is what I tell them.
What can I eat to help lower my risk of breast cancer?
There is no single thing a person can do, take, or eat to completely eliminate the risk of breast cancer. However, we do know that a person’s overall dietary pattern can have a positive impact on the risk of developing cancer.
Most important: you should eat a "whole foods" diet that is mostly plant-based. Whole food means food that is as close to its natural form as possible. Easy examples include apples, almonds and broccoli that are eaten raw, or minimally processed before they are eaten. This meaning differs from “whole wheat bread,” which is still made from flour, which is the highly processed powdered form of wheat.
A plant-based diet is one where nutrient-rich plant foods make up the foundation, and animal products are used sparingly, if at all. A good guide is the Anti-Inflammatory Food Pyramid by Dr. Andrew Weil.
Choose from across the spectrum of color. Vegetables and fruits have a wide variety of phytochemicals, which are naturally occurring chemicals with a diverse array of actions on the body. Eating a rainbow of colorful foods every day ensures you are getting many of these powerful chemicals, which we know work together in the body.
Should I be using supplements?
Using a supplemental form of one or two of these compounds has not been shown to be an effective means to achieve health goals in general. There could be situations when supplements are necessary; this is something you should discuss with your doctor.
Are there any specific foods to emphasize?
- Fish and fish oil are high in omega-3 fatty acids. Studies have suggested omega-3 fatty acids can lower a woman’s risk of breast cancer.
- Flax seeds and chia seeds contain omega-3 fatty acids as well as lignan, a chemical compound that has been shown to reduce breast cancer risk.
- Olive oil, which is high in monounsaturated fat (the good kind).
- Whole soy foods. Studies have shown countries with high soy consumption have lower rates of breast cancer. Further research links this protective benefit to isoflavones, which are one of the phytoestrogens found in soy.
- Curry and mustard. Both contain turmeric, the yellow-colored rhizome that's a powerful anti-inflammatory agent.
- Brussels sprouts, broccoli, kale and bok choy. These are part of the cruciferous vegetable family and are highly recommended for breast cancer prevention. They contain the phytochemicals sulforaphane, flavones and indole-3-carbinol (I-3-C), which have been shown to affect estrogen levels and thus breast cancer risk.
- Other vegetables to enjoy liberally: onions, garlic, mushrooms, strawberries, raspberries, spinach, chard and asparagus.
Is there anything I should avoid to help reduce my risk of breast cancer?
- Avoid trans fats, processed meats and charred or smoked foods.
- Limit alcohol. While one drink a day has been advertised as a safe (or even possibly beneficial) amount for women, alcohol has been linked to increased breast cancer risk. The more alcohol you drink, the greater your risk of developing breast cancer. The general recommendation, based on research on the effect of alcohol on breast cancer risk, is to limit yourself to less than one drink per day, as even small amounts increase risk.