5 Big Factors for Breast Cancer Prevention

According to the National Cancer Institute over 175,000 women are diagnosed with breast cancer each and every year.

Where there is a big push to identify and diagnose issues of breast cancer in its early stages through mammography’s and thermography, it is prudent to now take a look at the 5 big factors of breast cancer prevention.

1. Vitamin D- In a study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, women who reported taking at least 400 international units of Vitamin D every day were at a 24 percent lower risk of developing breast cancer.


The study was performed by evaluating 3101 breast cancer patients and 3471 healthy controls about their food intake as well as their supplements.


This study falls in line with countless others supporting Vitamins D’s benefits of reducing risk factors of other cancers, hypertension, heart failure, kidney, auto-immune diseases and chronic infections.


2. Obesity- Carlo La Vecchia, of Milan University told members at the European Breast Cancer Conference, that they believe up to a third of breast cancers could be avoided by simply adapting a healthier lifestyle which promoted healthy weight.


It is unclear why obese women are at more risk, although it is believed to be related to hormones.  Since estrogen is created in fat tissue, the more fat, the more estrogen which has shown when not balanced to be a contributor to certain cancers.


3. Hormonal Balance- Hormonal balance is a key factor to health.  Especially with female dominant hormones such as estrogen and progesterone, an imbalanced ratio leading to estrogen dominance can influence estrogen dominant cancers.


Estrogen and progesterone work in balance.  Estrogens job is to promote tissue growth, where progesterones’ job is to guide the tissue to grow healthy, and then die healthy.  When there is too much estrogen (found in fat tissue and external toxins) compared to progesterone, risk factors of estrogen dependent cancers can increase.


4. Xenoestrogens and external toxins- Through cleaning products, air freshners, insect repellants and pesticides, it is believed that external toxins are acting as hormone mimickers.  Hormone mimickers such as xenoestrogens, can tend to over stimulate estrogen receptors in the body.  As mentioned above, imbalanced hormone levels and stimulation leading to estrogen dominance is a risk factor for cancer.


5. A Diet Rich in Cancer Fighting Foods- As the father of modern medicine has said, “Let thy food be thy medicine, and thy medicine be thy food”…food sources have shown a tremendous ability to support factors that may prevent breast cancer.


Many studies have shown the ability of green tea to have anti-cancer effects, with the ability to reverse a stage I to a stage II as well as reduce absolute lymphocyte counts and reduced palpable adenopathy’s.


Green leafy vegetables and foods of the cruciferous vegetable category have shown to be able to influence how hormones such as estrogen are metabolized.  Green leafy vegetables like seaweed, kelp, and cruciferous vegetables such as kale and Brussels sprouts are estrogen binders and contain a natural ingredient called indole 3 carbionol which supports healthy estrogen metabolism.