Breast cancer is the most common cancer among women, with peak incidence occurring in the 40s and 50s. Cancer experts say that although the causes of cancer are complex, it is simpler to make lifestyle changes, such as diet and nutritional structure, than to control other factors that trigger breast cancer. However, there are many diets and lifestyles that are still vaguely understood in the private sector, which will be answered here.
Drinking alcohol Even a small amount of alcohol can be risky
In fact, this is a misconception. 2012 study published by the University of Milan, Italy, shows that as long as women drink more than 3 glasses of wine or spirits (1 glass equals to 250 ml) per day, the risk of breast cancer will increase by 30%!
It can be said that women who love to drink are more likely to suffer from breast cancer. Studies also show that compared to women who do not drink alcohol, drinkers who drink even a small amount of alcohol have a significantly increased risk of breast cancer.
If a lot of alcohol is consumed, even red wine, it can increase estrogen levels. Estrogen decreases the metabolism of alcohol by the liver, while increasing sensitivity to alcohol metabolites and affecting systemic immunity. The mammary gland is an exuberant site for the presence of estrogen, and alcohol and its metabolites are particularly sensitive to the mammary gland, potentially causing hyperplasia or mutations.
Therefore, it is recommended that women should not drink alcohol at will, and in social places, even if they can not refuse completely, they should only point to the end.
Drinking coffee More than 4 cups a day women should be careful
Many women like to drink coffee, but a 22-year follow-up at Harvard University found that postmenopausal women who drink coffee (mainly caffeine) will be at risk of breast cancer.
A 22-year follow-up by Harvard University found that postmenopausal women who drank more than four cups of coffee a day had a 6 percent increased risk of breast cancer. This is because heavy coffee consumption increases the expression of the CYP1A2 gene, and mutations in it are an important cause of breast cancer.
In addition, another study found a statistically significant positive association between the amount of caffeine taken and hormone receptor negative (ER-/PR-) disease and breast tumors larger than 2 cm in diameter in women with benign breast disease. The implication is that women with fibrocystic breast disease should avoid coffee. Women with BRCA mutations who consume too much coffee (more than 6 cups) have a 69% risk of developing breast cancer and should limit their coffee consumption at this time.
Postmenopausal women should reduce their coffee intake, and a small cup a day may satisfy their appetite without the risk of cancer.
Eating seaweed 2 grams of dried product per day can prevent breast cancer
A study published in the British Journal of Nutrition showed that eating kelp (36 grams fresh or 2 grams dried) per day reduced the risk of recurrence by 52% in 362 breast cancer patients aged 30-65. A woman’s breast is a major site of iodine storage. Maintaining adequate levels of iodine is necessary to ensure full function of the thyroid and normal breast structure. In addition, seaweed foods have the ability to clear heat and detoxify the body and soften hard nodes, which is consistent with Chinese medical theory in the prevention and treatment of breast cancer.
Research also found that kelp also has the effect of relieving breast hyperplasia, due to the large amount of iodine contained in it, which can promote luteinization of ovarian follicles, thus lowering estrogen levels in the body, allowing endocrine disorders to be adjusted and eventually eliminating the hidden danger of breast hyperplasia.
Drinking soy milk is a good drink for anti-tumor
There is a view that “women who drink soy milk for a long time will lead to breast cancer because soy products contain a lot of phytoestrogens, and high estrogen is one of the high risk factors for breast cancer”. This makes many women doubtful: “Is this soy milk to drink or not to drink?”
In fact, several studies have shown that drinking soy milk not only reduces the risk of breast cancer, but also reduces the risk of recurrence in breast cancer patients, and soy milk is actually a good anti-tumor beverage.
A study published in June 2008 in the Journal of Nutrition, a leading international medical journal, showed that Asian women could reduce the incidence of breast cancer by 1/3 by drinking soy milk. 2012, a study jointly published by experts from the United States and China said that they investigated 9,154 breast cancer patients with an average follow-up time of 7.4 years and concluded that the group that drank more than 10 mg of soy milk per day had a higher risk of breast cancer than the group that did not drink soy milk. There was no difference in breast cancer mortality between the group that drank more than 10 mg of soy milk per day and the group that did not, but the group that drank more than 10 mg of soy milk per day had a significantly lower recurrence rate of breast cancer.
It can be seen that drinking soy milk not only does not cause breast cancer, but also reduces the risk of breast cancer and is a protective factor for the development of breast cancer.
Vitamin A Taken Daily Helps Reduce Risk
Is there a relationship between vitamin A and breast cancer? There is definitely a relationship. If a woman can consistently take the right amount of vitamin A every day, she is 40% less likely to develop breast cancer. This is because vitamin A protects the eyes and the epithelial tissues of the body indirectly against various diseases and infections. Vitamin A deficiency can cause night blindness, dry eye, corneal softening and even perforation, blindness and immune deficiency.
Generally speaking, women can consume 30-10,000,000 units of vitamin A every day. The foods we usually eat, such as tomatoes, carrots, spinach, celery, pumpkin and potatoes, all contain more vitamin A. Eating more of these foods can help women reduce the risk of breast cancer.