Preventing Breast Cancer

Categories:

When it comes to reducing the risk of breast cancer, the following strategies help to maximize your body’s defense systems.

Shed excess pounds. As many as 20 percent of cancer deaths are due to being overweight or obese. As far as breast cancer goes, studies have suggested that putting on extra pounds after menopause increases the likelihood of postmenopausal breast cancer. Now, research from the National Cancer Institute has taken it a step further; the new study shows that gaining weight at any stage of life boosts a woman’s risk of developing breast cancer after menopause. So work to maintain a healthy weight.

Limit HRT.Hormone-replacement therapy that combines estrogen and progestin slightly increases women’s breast cancer risk, according to a large study by the Women’s Health Initiative. The study found that for every 10,000 women using the combination therapy, eight additional cases of breast cancer can be expected to occur. If you opt for HRT, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recommends the smallest effective HRT dose for the shortest period of time.
Get physical. Can getting sweaty help? Research from the University of Wisconsin says women who exercise more than six hours a week cut their risk of invasive breast cancer by 23 percent. Investigators at the University of Southern California found that regular strenuous activity helped guard against early-stage and invasive cancers. “Being physically active throughout life is beneficial, but evidence supports that it’s never too late to start,” adds Alpa V. Patel, Ph.D., strategic director of the American Cancer Society’s Cancer Prevention Study-3.

Drink wisely. Women who drink even small amounts of alcohol raise their risk of breast cancer. But you may reduce that risk by getting plenty of folic acid. A report from the long-running Nurses’ Health Study shows that a high intake of the B vitamin may blunt the increased breast cancer risk in women who drink more than the equivalent of a glass of wine a day. To get your folic acid, take a daily multivitamin containing the recommended amount (400 mcg) or load up on fortified cereals, leafy greens and citrus fruits and juice.
Get your vitamin D. Make sure you get enough vitamin D. Walter Willet M.D., a professor of epidemiology and nutrition at Harvard University, suggests a supplement that has at least 1,000 IU of the vitamin

Beth Howard on Remedylife.com / MediZine’s Healthy Living Second Quarter 2008

This entry was posted on Friday, August 8th, 2008 and is filed under Cancer, Woman. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

« Diabetes: Surgery & Glucose Levels

ADD/ADHD – Reducing ADD/DHD Behaviors »

Keywords