Breast Cancer in Women

Breast Cancer is the Leading Cancer in Women

Most women share a common fear, developing breast cancer.  So what do the latest statistics show about this disease?

• Every three minutes a woman in the United States is diagnosed with breast cancer.
• Breast cancer is the leading cancer amoung Causcasian and African American wormen.
• Breast cancer incidence in women has increased from one in 20 in 1960 to one in eight today.

From a statistical view what every we have been doing to curb the disease hasn’t worked, it is getting worse!  The American Cancer Society and National Cancer Institue estimates that roughly on-third of all cancer deaths are related to diet and activity.  But diet alone is unlikely to be the cause or cure of cancer.  However, findings do suggest that physical activity and healthy diet low in certain fats and high in vegetables and fiber, and a healthy weight can help reduce the risk of breast cancer or the cancer returning.

Diet and Cancer
What you eat can hurt you, but it can also help you.  Many vegetables and oils contain important phytochemicals forming antioxidants that neutralize the damage caused by free radicals.  There isn’t a single element in a particular food that does all the work, the combined foods work synergistically when consumed as a whole plant not just active ingredients from the plants.  The best thing to do is eat a variety of whole foods.  The challenge is most people do not eat enough of these unique whole foods to allow your body to process what it needs to combate the effects of oxidation.  This creates a state of oxidative stress that is a hot topic of research today.

Foods to Consider
Studys done recently have shown that the healthful compounds in different foods work together to provide health benefits.  The benefits of any single food must be evaluated as a part of your whole diet.  The following list are some commonly not eaten but necessary foods and oils that are good for your health.

• Black Currant Seed Oil.  This wonderful oil is a natural source of gamma-linolenic acid (GLA).  GLA is one of two essential fatty acids that are necessary for maintaining normal functioning and growth of cells, nerves, muscles and organs.
• Cruciferous Vegetables.  Specifically less eaten Kale and Brussel Sprouts.  The more commonly used Brocholi and cauliflower are also very helpful to keep in your diet.
• Omega-3 Fats.  Scientific data implicat omega -3 fatty acids as inhibitors of development and progression of a range of human cancers.  The ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 in diet is equally as important.  The typical American diet contains up to 20 times as much omega-6 fats as it does omega-3 fats, the optimum ratio is 1:1.  Research has found that women with the highest omega-3 fats in breast fatty tissue were less apt to have breast cancer.
• Fiber.  Research has shown that a high fiber diet works to reduce hormone levels that may be involved in the progression of breast cancer, and that fiber increases the amount of estrogen removed from the body.
• Healthy Weight.  Maintaining a healthy weight may help reduce the risk of breast cancer coming back.  Overweight women were shown to be at a higher risk for all types of cancer in recent studies.  Along with regular body movements (sometimes called exercise) will maintain a healthy body.