Friday, August 13, 2010

Minimizing Your Risk of Breast Cancer



I've done some posts in the past about breast cancer, specifically in regards to soy and breast cancer. I tend to get drawn into any research I see on the subject, as my grandma had breast cancer and I'm determined not to get it myself. This month's Nutrition Action Healthletter contained an article focusing on what the latest research says about how you can lower your risk of breast cancer. Here are some of the important points;


1) Watch your weight. Estrogen plays a large role in breast cancer, specifically it promotes it. Women who carry more fat also produce more estrogen. I was startled to learn that your risk for breast cancer can increase significantly if you gain 20 to 30 pounds after age 18. When I was 18 I weighed 95 pounds (I am naturally very small, but I also had an ED at that time). Now at age 27 I weight 105 pounds, so I've already gained 10. My goal is to not go far beyond 115 pounds, which I think is doable (not counting pregnancy weight!).


2) Avoid taking hormones! I think this is a no brainer. In July of 2002 it was clear that women taking hormones (mainly postmenopausal women) had an increased for breast cancer! Bottom line, find hormone alternatives, such as soy.


3) Get moving! There is plenty of research out there that suggests women who are active have lower blood levels of circulating estrogen (probably due in part to less body fat!). Exercise also helps decrease insulin (high insulin is also positively correlated with breast cancer) and may help decrease whole-body inflammation. How much exercise do you need? Most studies show that 30 minutes of brisk walking is sufficient, but many women aren't even getting that!



4) Minimize alcohol. This was the one that really shocked me (and made me very sad). While one drink a day for women, and two drinks a day for men might be good for heart disease, it's definitely not good if you're trying to prevent breast cancer. For postmenopausal women, even one alcoholic beverage a day can increase your risk for breast cancer by 12 percent, according to this article. Alcohol hasn't been shown to correlate with breast cancer only, but in fact it has been associated with cancers of the mouth, throat, rectum, and liver.




MAYBES

- BPA (Bisphenol A) is an estrogen-mimicking chemical that has been found in many plastic containers. It's not 100% clear if it has an effect on cancer, but it may be a good idea to watch your use of plastic in the kitchen, especially when pregnant or going through puberty.

- Pesticides were once thought to had a negative effect on cancer, including breast cancer, but data is still very unclear. The article reported that pesticide use has decreased in the past several years. I thought this was good news!

- Soy was once thought to help prevent breast cancer, then for a while many women were afraid to go near it after studies showed the opposite effect (especially in women with a history of breast cancer). The bottom line is that it's safe to consume soy, but stick to soy in the form of food (tempeh, soy milk, tofu, miso, etc.) not supplements. Twenty five grams per day may be beneficial, but it's a good idea not to consume too much more, especially if you have a history of breast cancer.

(After eating the tofu above, I vowed to never eat it again. It tasted delicious, but my body does not respond well to the carbohydrates found in tofu....)

Question:
What have you learned about breast cancer prevention that I may not have mentioned? Which of the above ways to prevent breast cancer would be most difficult for you? (If you're a male, feel free to give your opinion as well! What do you do to prevent prostate cancer? Eating cooked tomatoes is a great start!).


Have a great weekend everyone! I'll be back on Tuesday :)

31 comments :

  1. Great post - I would also add regular check-ups at the dr. and self-exams!

    ReplyDelete
  2. I knew that about the breast cancer, but I didn't know 25 grams was the safe upper limit. I had a lot of women s/p lap-band that needed protein supplementation and I also directed them to whey, not soy. Great post, ma'am! And I'll see you TONIGHT!! :)

    P.S. I think I might wear a dress, I dunno! Can't decide :)

    ReplyDelete
  3. I am very cautious when it comes to soy consumption because of the variations in research.

    I enjoy edamame from time to time but I stay away from processed forms of soy when possible.

    Moderation. Moderation. Moderation.

    Right? ;-)

    ReplyDelete
  4. The amount of soy that is considered safe is always confusing to me. I think I need to go back and read Maureen's notes, although I'm sure some of that info is outdated now! I have heard the 25 g/d figure but in relation to prevention of heart disease.

    Hope you have a great day!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Great Post and reminders! I try to limit my soy consumption. I figure in moderation it should be fine.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Risk also has to do with a gene, so if a person has a mother with the gene, they are at increased risk, but if the mom had breast cancer and the gene is not present, then the risk is no higher than for any other women with out the gene present. There are always those modifiable risks and then those we can't change.

    As for the weight gain, I think it also has to do with healthy weight, so in the case that someone gained some weight to put them at ideal, then I am not so sure these pounds count as part of that weight. I would think these studies started with people in the desirable range to start. With BMI there is a range of weight, so if you have a BMI at the bottom of healthy, the weight gain of 10-20#, even though may still be healthy BMI, can still increase the risk. Obviously you know this as we promote maintaining a healthy weight, not OK gain a little as you might still be at a healthy weight. There is stress placed on the body in the case of weight gain, and it matters if the risk outweighs the benefit. If underweight, the risk is obviously less in gaining. I hope some of that made some sense.

    Have a good weekend.

    ReplyDelete
  7. thanks for the post..good information! I had read somewhere that soy also plays with our hormones...I like soy..but keep it limited.

    ReplyDelete
  8. My grandma overcame breast cancer, so it's definitely of some concern for me. All good tips. The soy debate is seemingly neverending. I think it's the processed soy products that are the problem.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Great reminders! The toughest one for me is the alcohol! I can't just have 1 glass of wine! I am good with exercise and healthy eating at least :)

    ReplyDelete
  10. I'd say probably my exercise habits are by most consistent cancer-fighting strategy. I also have been really focusing on getting plenty of fruits and veggies lately (sometimes it's easy to lag on that, but the stuff is tasty and healthy!!). But whenever Mitch is drowning something in ketchup (ok, we both do that) he goes, Look! Lycopene!

    ReplyDelete
  11. This is such a great post, and on a topic I'm not too familiar with! I was wondering if you had a link or a source to the info about drinking alcohol after menopause? I would love to send it to someone.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Great post! I think you covered all the bases.
    I have included more soy in my diet mostly in the form of tofu.
    That is interesting about alcohol. I didn't know that. That is another reason why I love reading your blog so much!

    ReplyDelete
  13. I try to follow these suggestions, mainly for overall health. The older I get, the more I realize that my body isn't happy when it comes to extremes... I enjoy a glass of wine most nights and don't worry about it too much. And yes, sometimes it's two glasses... But I do keep the research in mind...

    Have a great weekend!

    ReplyDelete
  14. oh this post is SO important! i think its also important to do breast lump checks on a regular basis!

    ReplyDelete
  15. I was also very sad when I read about the correlation of breast cancer & alcohol! I definitely enjoy my wine.

    ReplyDelete
  16. i knew about the soy.. too much of it is not good for someone with family history of breast cancer. but didn't know about the alcohol. :) Useful info as usual!

    ReplyDelete
  17. Great post - both my mother and sister have had breast cancer scares so it is something that is always on my mind.

    I also eat a lot of soy nut butter because I am allergic to all nuts and seeds. I do try to keep my consumption down though.

    very informative!

    ReplyDelete
  18. Amazing post girl. Thanks for the info

    ReplyDelete
  19. Amazing post girl. Thanks for the info

    ReplyDelete
  20. Glad you shared this with everyone! I read the same article in Nutrition Action (Love that newsletter, isn't it the best?!?) and thought it was so well done! Happy you're spreading the news :) Hope all's well!

    ReplyDelete
  21. My husband and I are active in the Susan G. Komen organization and I learned a good deal last year when I presented information to high school students. The thing that I feel most of us are not informed about is the fact that MEN CAN GET BREAST CANCER. Since it is fairly uncommon, it often goes untreated and the likelihood of a man diagnosed with breast cancer dying is greater because it's often in a more advanced stage.

    ReplyDelete
  22. ur adivce is probably the clearest ive encountered so far! im too used to the ones that contradict themselves. soy for instance is definitely one that liek u said 'could' help. ive heard both side of the claims- one side saying it can cause too much estrogen to build in the body and possibly contribute to the development of breast cancer, and the otherside that fights that the soy flavones definitely reduce our risk. in general its gonna come down to each individual and im incline to think it could definitely help as long as its a pure source of soy.

    xoxo <3

    ReplyDelete
  23. Just curious, are you very short? 115 just doesn't seem like much to be someone's max. weight.

    ReplyDelete
  24. This is sort of off topic...but most of the times, all you really hear are risks of diseases and illnesses from a high weight...what about low weights? I wonder if one day, you could do a post on that, too? :-)

    ReplyDelete
  25. wow...choco soymilk tastes so good...too bad i can't have it as often as I want...

    ReplyDelete
  26. I don't think any of those are particularly hard except I do think it's a bit of challenge to maintain within 20 pounds of weight at age 18. This seems a little arbitrary to me (though I've heard it before so I'm not criticizing you). For example in your case, you had ED so 95 might not have been a healthy weight.

    I was about 115 when I was 18 and now I'm closer to 130. That's already close to the 20 pounds above mark and I am very healthy, I just wasn't fully developed at 18, I still had a kids body- some people don't though so for them they shouldn't gain any weight after 18 to still be in the healthy range. I try to go more by what is healthy for me. I think I would have to gain 15-20 pounds to really be overweight for myself, which would be 35 over my 18 year old self haha. Plus if you go by BMI (which I don't usually haha) I could gain 25 pounds before I'd be overweight.

    There might be something I'm missing with regard to breast cancer though. Does it have more to do with your change in weight?

    I think of going for check ups and doing self exams as a prevention strategy. I guess technically it's not, but I think breast cancer has come really far in research and if you catch it early your chances are good- so I guess it's a prevention of something bad happening as a result of breast cancer :)

    ReplyDelete
  27. Wow it's been a while! Love the new layout - you've done a GREAT job with your blog.

    What are the typical ages when women are diagnosed with Breast Cancer? Curious...

    ReplyDelete
  28. This is a great post! I know you mention not taking hormones, but I think it's also important to consider how hormones in food (specifically meat and dairy) may play a role. Between that and avoiding pesticides, you have two good reasons to buy organic when possible!

    ReplyDelete
  29. thanks for this post. Breast cancer is huge in my family unfortunately so i have been raised witht eh knowledge of what I should do to make sure i am aware of the disease. It is a scary thing but there ARE ways to prevent it to some extent.

    ReplyDelete
  30. Breast Cancer runs in my family too. That's the only thing I know about my adoptive family...but honestly? Most breast cancer patients have NO family history...a great post would be on how to eat when coping with cancer.
    More self serving a post on how to eat during a GI disturbance would be great. Staying away from acids and milk products and salt?

    ReplyDelete
  31. great post!! always self check in the shower too :)

    ReplyDelete