How to lower the risk of breast cancer? Breast cancer develops when cells in your breast reproduce and grow uncontrollably, resulting in a lump of tissue known as a tumor. Breast cancer symptoms include feeling a lump in your breast, observing changes to your breast skin, and experiencing breast size changes. There are several types of breast cancer. The kind of breast cancer is determined by which cells in the breast become cancerous. Breast cancer may strike both men and women, however, it affects women more often, particularly those 50 years old or older.
Avoid synthetic chemicals in cosmetics
Some cosmetic chemicals may lead to the formation of cancer in humans at certain levels of exposure, according to research. Hormone disruptors are found in several of these chemicals. Hormone disruptors can alter the way estrogen and other hormones operate in the body by blocking or stimulating them, causing the body’s hormonal balance to be damaged. Many women opt to minimize their exposure to these compounds that can act like estrogen since estrogen can cause hormone-receptor-positive breast cancer to form and progress.
Get Regular Exercise
Regular physical activity can help you maintain a healthy weight, which also helps to balance hormones and to strengthen the immune system. Women who exercise regularly have a lesser risk of breast cancer than those who do not. In general, women who exercise regularly have a 10-20% reduced risk of breast cancer than women who do not exercise at all. This advantage is more noticeable in postmenopausal women.
Enjoy a Healthy Diet
Being overweight is a high-risk factor for breast cancer, and any weight gain beyond the age of 18—even a 10% increase—can significantly raise the risk of breast cancer and cancer recurrence. According to research, breast cancer risk can be reduced by eating a balanced, low-fat (30 grams or less) diet rich in fruits and green and orange veggies. A high-fat diet increases the chance of developing breast cancer because fat stimulates the production of estrogen, which can feed tumor growth. This practice may help you avoid the most dangerous forms of cancer. Fruits and vegetables are also crucial components of a diet that will help you maintain a healthy weight, which is essential for feeling great and staying healthy as you age.
Many cancers, including breast cancer, have a strong connection to alcohol consumption. Despite the health advantages of resveratrol, a phytochemical found in red wine and grapes, experts recommend not drinking alcohol since there is no safe amount for cancer prevention. If you do enjoy alcohol then keep it to less than 5 drinks per week.
Quit Smoking
Women who had been diagnosed with breast cancer and later quit smoking after diagnosis had a 33% reduced chance of dying from breast cancer than women who continued to smoke. Smoking is connected to an increased risk of breast cancer in pre-menopausal women. There may also be a relationship between mostly heavy second-hand smoke exposure and postmenopausal women’s risk of breast cancer. Smoking can also raise the risk of blood clots while using hormone therapy drugs, as well as harm to the lungs following radiation therapy. We all know smoking is bad on so many levels. If you smoke, get help to stop.
Breastfeed your Baby
The advantages of breastfeeding for children are well-known. Breastfed babies are less likely to develop asthma, obesity, type 1 diabetes, ear and respiratory infections, SIDS, and gastrointestinal diseases such as diarrhea and vomiting. Breastfeeding in your younger years offers protection but there is no clear evidence as to why. It might be because the ovaries don’t produce eggs while breastfeeding. Or possibly because breastfeeding changes the cells of the breast so they might be more resistant to changes that occur in cells that are cancerous.
The bottom line is that staying active and eating clean, whole foods is the best line of defense against any disease. If you need help with food or recipes, send me an email at donna@donnaAcupuncture.com or go to HealthCoachDonna.com and schedule a free chat with me.
