Postmenopausal women who consume moderate amounts of plant foods rich in estrogen-like compounds called lignans may reduce breast cancer risk, according to a new study. “Following general dietary guidelines for a healthy, prudent diet, i.e., consuming a large and varied amount of fruits, vegetables and whole grains (all of which are rich in lignans) daily may also help postmenopausal women prevent breast cancer,” Francoise Clavel- Dr. Chapelon told Reuters Health. Clavel-Chapelon, from the Institut National de la Recherche Médicale in Villefranche, France, and colleagues studied the association between four plant foods with different lignans and breast cancer risk in 58,049 postmenopausal women. According to the study, published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, the average follow-up time was more than 7.7 years and 1,469 people were diagnosed with breast cancer. Analysis of the data showed that women with the highest total lignans in their food had a 17 percent lower breast cancer risk compared to women with the lowest levels. “It has been determined that hormone receptor-positive breast cancer, the main type whose incidence is increasing, has a reduced risk,” Clavel-Chapelon wrote. Diets rich in plant-based foods are hypothesized to prevent breast cancer, the researchers added.Dr. Clavel-Chapelon said this hypothesis was confirmed by a recent study that found a reduced risk of invasive breast cancer in postmenopausal women whose diets contained high levels of lignans.