Food, Fitness & Health

It seems we have more control over breast cancer than we thought. And it’s not so difficult to make the effort.

In the largest review of lifestyle and cancer ever conducted , The American Institute for Cancer Research reports that women can reduce their risk of breast cancer if they “watch their weight, exercise daily, breast-feed their babies, and limit alcoholic beverages”. This is an update of a report the Institute issued in 2007 which was made up of 800 studies — this one adds information from 81 new studies.

Here’s an overview of what you need to do to reduce your breast cancer risk:

- maintain a healthy body weight;
- exercise/do some physical activity 30 - 60 minutes a day;
- breast feed;
- limit your alcohol intake to one drink a day;
- eat mostly plant-based emphasizing fruits, vegetables, beans and whole grains. Limit red meat (but you already knew that) …

Here’s a link to what you can do to reduce your risk of cancer overall.

Not examined in this study were post menopausal hormone therapy and oral contraceptives.

According to The New York Times,* where we picked up on this study: “The recommendations are based on observational studies that have found associations between the behaviors and a reduced risk of breast cancer, but such studies do not prove a cause-and-effect relationship
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The New York Times, VITAL SIGNS by Roni Caryn Rabin, Prevention, “Habits May Lower Risk of Breast Cancer,” Tuesday, September 8,2009, pg D6.