 Health
Issue date: Sept. 25-27, 1998
The anti-breast cancer diet
For October's month of
awareness, some good news about prevention.
In this article:
Cancer fighting foods in detail
New therapies and resources on breast cancer
Also this week:
Jean Carper on tea vs. breast cancer
By Dr. Bob Arnot
 HIS
YEAR HAS made history, with the first-ever research proving breast cancer can be
prevented, using promising new drugs such as tamoxifen and raloxifene.
Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women - and the No. 1 killer of women ages 35-54.
But for women who don't want to be on drugs for a lifetime to prevent a cancer they
might not get, there's another answer: a diet rich in foods that act like drugs to
cut the risk of breast cancer. How do these foods work?
Breast cancer is a "hormonally driven" tumor, and the hormone estrogen is the fuel it needs
to grow. All estrogens must lock onto a receptor to work, like a key going into a
lock. In the breast, when too much estrogen reaches these receptors, the risk of
cancerous growth rises. Both raloxifene and tamoxifen block estrogen when it gets to
the receptor.Remarkably, so do several kinds of foods. But the wonderful thing
about foods is that they can block the effect of estrogen in many different ways.
That gives you a greater chance to lower the risk of cancer while avoiding the
toxicity that could come with drugs. Foods can change the actual composition of the
breast and make breasts more resistant to cancer. And, in some cases, foods actually
can reduce the size of an existing tumor. Let's look at these foods in detail: Block the estrogen receptors in your breasts by
eating foods high in soy (soy nuts, tofu, soy milk) or flaxseed. Buy whole
flaxseeds, grind them and blend them into orange juice, yogurt, salads, etc. Soy and
flaxseed contain "weak" estrogens that lock onto the estrogen receptors and displace
much stronger estrogens. Chinese women, who eat far more soy than American women,
have 80 percent less breast cancer. And flaxseed is so potent that researchers now
use it to shrink tumors between diagnosis and surgery. The recommended doses are
35-60 grams of soy or 25 grams of flaxseed a day.
Eat healthier fats.
Avoid omega-6 fats, or the polyunsaturated fats found in most vegetable oils and
margarines. A recent study reported that polyunsaturated fat increases a woman's risk
of breast cancer by 69 percent. Include in your diet small amounts of "healthy" fats:
omega-3 and omega-9 fats. Omega-3 fats are found in fish oil (salmon is a good
source); omega-9 fats, in olive oil. Make good estrogens by eating
cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, cabbage and cauliflower. Cruciferous
vegetables have an ingredient called indole-3-carbinol, which channels the breakdown
products of estrogen into more "good" than "bad" estrogens. Lower your
insulin level. A University of Toronto study found a 283 percent higher risk of
breast cancer in women with high insulin levels! To lower your insulin level, avoid
saturated fats that increase insulin resistance, decrease upper-body obesity by
losing weight and decrease your glucose load by eating foods that generate a small
rise in blood sugar, such as peas, beans, yogurt, and fruits such as apples and
pears.Eat more fiber. Fiber interrupts most steps of the estrogen
pathway. Strive for 35-60 grams of fiber a day - beans and high-fiber breakfast
cereals are good sources - but increase the fiber in your diet slowly. Limit your drinking. Alcohol elevates total estrogen levels; the more you drink, the
higher your risk of breast cancer.Exercise! Try to get within 12 pounds
of your ideal weight with four or more hours of vigorous exercise a week. Both weight
management and exercise can produce highly significant decreases in your risk of
breast cancer.Remember, food is a lot kinder to your body than drugs - and can
contain everything you need to stop a cancer before it starts.
Dr. Bob Arnot, chief medical correspondent for NBC News, has a new book
in stores, The Breast Cancer Prevention Diet: The Powerful Foods That Will
Keep You Well (Little, Brown and Co., $24).
Photo Credit: BRIAN LEATART FOR USA WEEKEND
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