Prevent Breast Cancer With Lifestyle Changes
September 5, 2009
Studies have shown that risk of breast cancer could be significantly reduced with lifestyle changes. Researchers have found that although, genes play an important role in developing breast cancer, nonetheless, nearly 40 percent of breast cancer cases could have been prevented with lifestyle changes.
Obesity is considered as one of the major factors responsible for breast cancer after menopause. Obesity also increases the risk of death from breast cancer. Breast cancer after menopause is often triggered by the production estrogen secreted in the fat tissues of our bodies.
Studies have found that compared with women with normal weight, overweight or obese women have 50 to 100 percent more estrogen after menopause. Obesity also delays diagnosis of breast cancer tumors. Mammography often fails to detect cancerous tissues at the early stage of the disease in overweight women.
To prevent breast cancer, it is essential for every woman to maintain normal body mass after menopause. Proper diet and regular physical activities can help to prevent weight gain.
Diet
A salt and saturated fat restricted diet can help to prevent breast cancer. Whole grains, fruits and vegetables contain adequate amounts of antioxidant compounds that can prevent occurrence of breast cancer. To prevent breast cancer, increase the amount of plant food in your diets and reduce the size of animal proteins.
You should avoid red meat and processed meat, which are known to increase the risk of any form of cancer, including breast cancer. A typical healthy meal should comprise of 2/3 plant-based food and at most 1/3 animal protein. Increased consumption of alcohol can increase the risk of breast cancer. If you cannot avoid alcohol, to prevent breast cancer, it is safe to stick to one drink per day.
Regular exercise
According to researches, death from breast cancer could be reduced by 25 percent though regular physical activities. To prevent breast cancer, it is advisable to exercise for at least half an hour, each day.
It is a proven fact that breastfeeding could prevent breast cancer. Mothers should breastfeed their babies, for at least for six months, to reduce the risk of breast cancer.
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