5 Foods That Can Help You Prevent Risks of Breast Cancer

Alarmingly so, the number of breast cancer cases in India are only increasing with very passing year. If one were to go by reports, by 2030, the number of women diagnosed with breast cancer every year could almost double to 3.2 million and cervical cancer cases can rise at least 25 per cent to over 700,000 globally unless urgent action is taken. India and China are said to have the largest number of women with breast cancer, which is mainly due to lower global funding as well as the misconception that treatments are difficult and expensive whereas it is not inevitably fatal and can be prevented and treated if detected at an early stage.

There are various ongoing studies across the globe to find effective ways to tackle breast cancer. Researchers from Case Western Reserve University have found a new method which can prove to be helpful in fighting against breast cancer by automating the biopsy analysis and improving the whole process since time and accuracy is crucial for prognosis. They have developed a deep-learning computer network that can accurately identify and delineate breast cancers on the digital tissue slides. It is said to be 100 percent accurate in determining whether invasive forms of breast cancer are present in the biopsy slides.

"If the network can tell which patients have cancer and which do not, this technology can serve as triage for the pathologist, freeing their time to concentrate on the cancer patients," said co-author Anant Madabushi.

Breast cancer develops from the breast tissues. Usually, it either begins in the cells of the milk-producing glands, or the milk ducts. As the cancer cells grow, they start invading nearby healthy breast tissues and make their way into the underarm lymph nodes, which play a vital role in filtering out foreign substances in the body. Once the cancer cells get into the lymph nodes, they then have a pathway into other parts of the body.

While there are various causes that lead to breast cancer, one major factor that health experts often point out is one's diet. What you eat plays a great role in the growth, development and well-being of an individual not just for the present but also in the years to come. It therefore becomes important to watch one's diet choices and lead a healthy lifestyle right from the start.  

Here are some foods that can help you prevent and reduce risks of developing breast cancer:

1. Load Up on Fruits and Veggies

Experts from Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health have found that girls who eat more high-fibre foods during adolescence - especially lots of fruits and vegetables - may have significantly lower breast cancer risk than those who eat less dietary fibre when young. According to their research, for each additional 10 grams of fibre intake daily - for example, about one apple and two slices of whole wheat bread, or about half a cup each of cooked kidney beans and cooked cauliflower or squash - during early adulthood, breast cancer risk drops by 13 percent.

The researchers believe that eating more fibre-rich foods may lessen breast cancer risk partly by helping to reduce high estrogen levels in the blood, which are strongly linked with breast cancer development.

2. Try Some Peaches

Certain compounds in peaches ( peach polyphenols, compounds that help plants ward off the damaging effects of the sun's ultraviolet radiation) can inhibit the growth of breast cancer cells and their ability to spread, found researchers in a study by Washington State University and Texas A&M University. These compounds could be a novel addition to therapies that reduce the risk of metastasis - the primary killer in breast cancer and many other cancers.

"I would suggest to eat three peaches or take a similar dietary supplement of peach polyphenol extract powder a day," said Giuliana Noratto, an assistant professor of food science at Washington State University.

3. Eat Curd Daily

A study published in the journal Applied and Environmental Microbiology shows that regular consumption of probiotics may help increase the proportion of beneficial bacteria in the breast and thus aid in preventing the risk of breast cancer. Lactobacillus and Streptococcus are considered to be health-promoting bacteria, which are more prevalent in healthy breasts than in cancerous ones. Both groups of bacteria are known to have anti-carcinogenic properties.

4. Up Your Vitamin D Intake

Breast cancer patients with high levels of vitamin D in their blood are twice as likely to survive the disease as women with low levels of this nutrient, suggest researchers from University of California. Their study showed that low vitamin D levels were linked to a high risk of premenopausal breast cancer.

"Vitamin D metabolites increase communication between cells by switching on a protein that blocks aggressive cell division. As long as vitamin D receptors are present, tumour growth is prevented and kept from expanding its blood supply," said lead researcher Cedric F Garland.

5. Cut Down on Sugar

Sugar is the devil, there's no denying that fact. Large consumptions of it is leading to various health issues such as diabetes, obesity, heart ailments as well as cancer. According to a research done by University of California, teenagers who consume a diet low in vegetables and high in sugar-sweetened beverages and diet soft drinks may be at increased risk for premenopausal breast cancer. This is because high sugar intake, particularly fructose, leads to chronic inflammation, putting women at risk of breast cancer and its spread to the lungs.