In honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, I thought it would be awesome to feature some amazingly healthy foods that have been shown to reduce risk of breast cancer.  Effectively minimizing your risk of all types of cancer is a holistic undertaking, involving healthy lifestyle changes, stress management, and avoiding toxic chemicals and carcinogens, but starting with what you put in your body is always best!  Load up on these potent foods, especially if you have a family history of breast cancer.

1. Cruciferous vegetables:  Broccoli, brussels sprouts, cauliflower, cabbage, and all other veggies in this powerhouse family contain glucosinolates and indole-3-carbinole, which lower levels of the types of estrogen that can cause breast cancer.  In general, cruciferous veggies have remarkable hormone balancing effects, which are wonderful for women’s health!
2. Yellow-Orange vegetables:  Carrots, orange bell peppers, sweet potatoes and other orange veggies are super high in beta-carotene, which lowers breast cancer risk.
3. Tomatoes:  These red beauties are high in lycopene, especially when cooked.  Lycopene lowers risk of breast cancer in women and prostate cancer in men!  So load up on organic ketchup, organic tomato sauces, fresh and sun-dried tomatoes.
4. Red Grapes:  Red grapes have been shown to significantly reduce breast cancer risk, so eat up and have an occasional glass of red wine as well. Never exceed more than one glass of red wine (or any other alcoholic beverage) a day, however, because crossing that threshold has actually been shown to increase breast cancer risk by 20-25%.
5. Dark Leafy Greens:  These cancer-fighting all-stars should be a HUGE part of everyone’s diet.  Research has shows that breast cancer risk was cut in half in women who ate a full serving of spinach at least twice a week.  Make sure to vary your greens to get the full benefit… kale, swiss chard, and collards are other great options!
6. Cold-Water Fish:  Salmon, anchovies and sardines are loaded with omega-3’s and are low on mercury.  Research shows that women with higher tissue levels of omega-3’s have much lower incidence of breast cancer.  An added bonus is lower risk of heart disease, inflammation, and Alzheimer’s!
7. Flaxseeds and Flaxseed Oil:  Aside from high levels of omega-3’s, flaxseeds also contain high levels of lignans, which lower risk of estrogen-dependent cancers.
8. Green Tea:  This potent drink is high in the compound, EGCG, which significantly lowers risk of developing breast cancer, and inhibits the growth of the cancer in women who already have it.  Opt for a cup a day of pure green tea (not decaf, not bottled) each day, sweetened with raw honey, stevia, or agave.
9. Whole Grains:  Studies have shown that women who eat a lot of refined grains had a higher occurrence of breast cancer, due to the hormone altering effects of these foods.  On the flipside, women who consumed plenty of whole grains like quinoa, brown rice, rye, and bran, had much lower risk and incidence of breast cancer.
10. Whole Soy:  Organic, non-GMO, whole soy foods like tempeh and edamame have been shown to reduce cancer risk due to their isoflavinoids, which act as weak estrogens that inhibit the effects of more powerful, cancer-causing estrogens.  BUT, beware of processed soy, which is found in packaged foods and junk foods, and can flood your system with too much of these estrogens over time.  Opt for whole soy foods a few times a week, and avoid all foods containing processed soy.

There are also several foods that have been shown to increase risk of breast cancer.  Avoiding these foods is a crucial part of eating to lower your risk!

1. High-Fat Meat & Dairy:  The saturated fats in meat and dairy not only raise risk of breast cancer (and all other forms of cancer), but also cause obesity and high BMI.  Maintaining a BMI of over 25 raises breast cancer risk significantly.  If you eat dairy, keep it to low-fat varieties, and treat cheese as a treat (like ice cream!), not a dietary staple!  If you eat meat, keep it to chicken, fish, and eggs, and cut out the red meat, processed meat (like hot dogs and lunch meats), and bacon.
2. Alcohol:  As I wrote above, drinking more than 1 alcoholic beverage per day raises risk of breast cancer by 20-25%, making it one of the most substantial dietary cancer risk factors.  Keep it under 1 drink a day, and stick to red wine when you do drink.
3. Doughnuts: Not only are these diet busters terrible for your waistline and general health, they also increase cancer risk!  Loaded with refined  flour, refined sugar, hydrogenated oils, and acrylamides (created when starchy foods are fried), these bad guys pack a 1-2 cancer-causing punch.
4. French Fries: Like doughnuts, these are loaded with fatty hydrogenated oils and acrylamides, which raise cancer risk significantly.  Opt for oven-baked or roasted potatoes instead!
5. Sugar:  Refined white sugar, and all the foods that contain it, raise blood glucose levels, which in turn raises insulin.  High levels of insulin in the blood causes an increase free-circulating estrogens, which, you guessed it, cause breast cancer.  Avoid all sugary baked goods, candies, cereals, and processed foods, and forgo that scoop of sugar in your coffee or tea.  Opt instead for stevia, agave, or raw honey, which can all be used in baking as well!  And definitely avoid artificial sweeteners like Splenda, Nutrisweet, Equal, and Sweet & Low, all of which may increase the risk of cancer and other diseases.

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Natasha Uspensky, chhc

Holistic Health & Nutrition Counselor

NU Health & Wellness