BREAST CANCER & NUTRITION

Diet is thought to be partly responsible for about 30% to 40% of all cancers. Although more research needs to be done on diet and breast cancer, findings suggest that physical activity, a healthy diet (particularly one low in fat and high in vegetables and fiber), and a healthy weight can help reduce the risk of breast cancer or the cancer coming back. Instead of relying on a particular food in huge quantities, aim for a balanced diet with a variety of foods. Breast Cancer and Diet Population studies suggest there is a positive association between a diet high saturated fat and animal protein - which is by definition one low in dietary fiber or roughage. Dietary fiber is only found in foods from the plant kingdom so the more foods such as meat, cheese, milk and eggs are eaten, the fewer fruits, vegetables, grains and beans are consumed. This means that the typical American diet of fast food hamburgers with fries, pizza and turkey sandwiches has very little dietary fiber and is associated with a relatively high incidence of breast cancer. Japanese women have about half the incidence of breast cancer compared with American women but when Japanese women move to the United States and adopt a different diet they begin to get breast cancer as often as women born here. Soy and Breast Cancer Recently many researchers have been looking at the different elements of a Japanese diet that is higher in foods made from soy beans. Soy is the main source of protein for many Asian women and is a source of various phyto (from the Greek for plant) chemicals in the legume. Genistein, daidzein and the Bowman-Birk inhibitor are three examples of phytochemicals or isoflavones in soy that appear to have anti- breast cancer activity. Genistein is a plant estrogen (phytoestrogen) that binds to breast cell surface receptors that might normally bind the natural hormone circulating in women called estradiol. It has been known for a long time that breast cancer is related to the amount of exposure to estradiol over a woman¹s lifetime. For instance, a woman who has her first period late, has many children and has an early menopause is at a lower risk that a woman who has estradiol circulating in her body more often. Genistein and daidzein also act within the cells to change the activity of certain protein kinases, enzymes that regulate activity within the cells. There may be other mechanisms by which soy isoflavones are protective and researchers are actively investigating soy to see if it is protective against breast cancer. For a detailed meal plan, visit http://free-recipes-online.blogspot.com/