By Brandi Koskie
There are a number of ways you can be an active part of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, including wearing a pink ribbon, participating in events, or making a donation to a related organization. However, it can be an even better idea to take steps that allow you to prevent the disease that will affect one in eight women. There are several steps you can take to avoid being a statistic, and instead a survivor, or someone who has never had to face it.
The most obvious of which is minding your diet. We all know that a balanced and nutritious diet has a wealth of benefits, and counting breast cancer prevention as one is pretty positive.
Here are 7 strategies for preventing breast cancer that you can start implementing today.
1. Eat more produce. Fruits and vegetables contain antioxidants that help protect against all forms of cancer.
2. Reduce fat consumption. Studies on dietary fat have been conflicting, but most experts say it’s still wise to steer clear of saturated fat.
3. Get plenty of calcium and vitamin D. A 10-year Harvard study found that pre-menopausal women who got 1,366 milligrams of calcium and 548 IU of vitamin D daily slashed their risk of breast cancer by one-third, and their odds of getting invasive breast cancer by up to 69 percent.
4. Add flaxseed to cereal. Flaxseed is a good source of lignans, compounds that may play a role in preventing estrogen-dependent cancers by inhibiting the development of tumors or slowing their growth rate.
5. Keep barbecue to a minimum. A recent study showed that post-menopausal women who had consumed a lot of barbecued and smoked red meat or chicken over their lifetimes had a greater risk of developing breast cancer.
6. Moderate alcohol intake. More than one drink each day increases your odds of developing breast cancer.
7. Fill up on fiber. A diet that’s rich in fiber (30-plus grams a day) can reduce the risk of breast cancer among pre-menopausal women in half.
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Ehow.com's How to eat to prevent Breast Cancer>>
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