Ten years ago, experts thought that breast cancer is a disease which can not be prevented. Now, researchers have a lot to know how to prevent it, at least reduce the risk of breast cancer. Actually there are 17 ways to reduce the risk of breast cancer, 2 of them is the prevention of medical terms and the rest is an alternative therapy.
Medical terms approach are:
1. Drugs to prevent breast cancer.
Women with high risk, namely the survival / survivor of breast cancer or who at least have a blood relative with cancer (mother or sister), can get the therapy Tamoxifen, which works by blocking the effects of estrogen trigger tumors.
2. Mastectomy before cancer attacks.
For women from families with high genetic risk, there is a mastectomy for breast cancer prevention. It is a radical approach, but most succeed. Mastectomy is lifting the breast tissue, but not entirely, so the likelihood of cancer is still there.
Natural breast cancer prevention
1. Exercise regularly.
Research shows that in line with the increasing activity, the risk of breast cancer will be reduced. Exercise will lower the levels of estrogen produced by the body thus reducing the risk of breast cancer.
2. Reduce fat.
You certainly have heard disagreement about the relationship between breast cancer with fatty foods. Some research suggests that low-fat diet help prevent breast cancer. Other research indicates that there is no relationship between fat and breast cancer .. Recent research states that more important is the type of fat is not the amount of fat consumed.
Type of fat that triggers breast cancer is the saturated fat in meat, butter, foods that contain full-cream milk (whole-milk dairy foods) and fatty acids in margarine.
While the type of fat that helps prevent breast cancer is the unsaturated fats in olive oil and omega-3 fatty acids in salmon and other cold water fish.
Saturated fat in meat and dairy products and fatty acids in margarine raise levels of estrogen in the blood, whereas the unsaturated fats in olive oil and omega-3 fatty acids in fish did not cause increased levels of estrogen in the blood.
3. If you eat meat, do not be cooked too ripe.
Regardless of saturated fat contained in meat, the way you cook the meat will affect breast cancer risk. Meats are cooked / baked produce carcinogenic compounds (amino heterocyclic). The longer it is cooked, the more of these compounds are formed. Amino heterocyclic most numerous in the outer layer of grilled meat (skin) charred and black.
4. Eat more fruits and vegetables.
The more fruits and vegetables you eat, the less risk for all cancers, including breast cancer.
Foods from plants containing high anti-oxidant properties, including vitamins A, C, E and the mineral selenium, which can prevent cell damage that could be causing cancer. National Cancer Institute (NCI) recommends to consume fruits and vegetables at least 5 (five) times a day. But to avoid fruits and vegetables that contain lots of fat, like french fries or a banana cream pie.
5. Consume anti-oxidant supplements.
Supplements can not replace fruits and vegetables, but an anti-oxidant formula could be a food additive that can prevent breast cancer.
6. Eat more fiber.
In addition to functioning as anti-oxidants, fruits and vegetables also contain lots of fiber. Fiber foods will bind estrogen in the digestive tract, so that levels in the blood will be reduced.
7. Eat more tofu and soy-containing foods.
Foods derived from soy contains plant estrogens (fito-estrogen). Like tamoxifen, these compounds similar to estrogen the body, but weaker. Phy-estrogen receptor bound to the same cells with estrogen the body, tying out of breast cells, thereby reducing the trigger effect of breast cancer.
In addition to blocking the body's estrogen to reach receptor cells, berkedelai food expenditure also accelerated estrogen from the body.
8. Eat more beans.
In addition to the soybean, fito-estrogen is also present in other types of nuts.
9. Avoid alcohol.
Many studies have shown that the more alcohol consumed, the risk of breast cancer increasing because alcohol increases estrogen levels in the blood.
10. Consider your weight.
Every pound of weight gain after age 18 years will increase the risk of breast cancer. This is because in line with the increase in body fat, then the hormone estrogen as a trigger breast cancer in darahpun will increase.
11. Avoid xeno-estrogens.
Xeno-estrogens from estrogen means outside the body.
Women taking estrogen from outside the body, especially those from residues contained estrogenic hormones in meat and pesitisida estrogenic residues. Suspected xeno-estrogens may increase blood levels of estrogen thereby increasing the risk of breast cancer.
The best way to avoid xeno-estrogens is to reduce consumption of meat, poultry (chickens, ducks) and dairy products (whole-milk dairy products).
But you do not have to worry about eating lots of fruits and vegetables, because the effect of anti-oxidants and fiber content more than the residual effects of pesticides.
12. Bask under the sun.
The increasing incidence of skin cancer (malignant melanoma) make us afraid of sunlight. But a little sunlight may help prevent breast cancer, because at the time of sun on the skin, the body make vitamin D. Vitamin D helps absorb calcium breast tissue, thereby reducing the risk of breast cancer. In order to obtain the sun for 20 minutes / day, are encouraged to walk under the sun in the afternoon or evening. But if you want to get calcium or vitamin D from sunlight, you can try to consume food supplements.
13. Do not smoke.
Smoking increases the risk of breast cancer.
14. Breastfeeding / give milk to your child
For reasons still unclear, breastfeeding associated with reduced risk of breast cancer before menopause.
15. Consider again before using Hormone Replacement Therapy.
There are several good reasons to do HRT after menopause, which reduces the risk of heart disease, osteoporosis and Alzheimer's disease? S. But HRT will increase breast cancer risk. Talk with your doctor and consider the risks that may arise, because most women suffer higher risk for heart disease than breast cancer.
Finally, one more thing that can affect breast cancer risk is the stress.
Medical literature states that stress can boost the risk of breast cancer. But research on this subject is still controversial. But it never hurts to start a way to overcome stress in your life through meditasai, yoga, tai chi, gardening or other leisure activities.
