According to a latest research, a healthy diet including vegetables and fruits and excluding alcohol and the like could significantly cut back women’s risks of breast cancer [abnormal cells that divide without control, which can invade nearby tissues or spread through the bloodstream and lymphatic system to other parts of the body. ] .
Researchers at Queen’s University Belfast, Northern Ireland established that women might not be able to alter family history of the disease but could certainly reduce their odds of suffering from breast cancer [abnormal cells that divide without control, which can invade nearby tissues or spread through the bloodstream and lymphatic system to other parts of the body. ] by switching to a nutritious diet.
Lead researcher, Dr. Sarah Brennan, Queen’s University said, “As the incidence of breast cancer continues to rise, with many of the risk factors for the disease non-modifiable, potentially modifiable risk factors such as diet are of interest.”
18 previous studies evaluated
The research team at Queen’s University collected data from 18 previously conducted studies including 40,000 women. All these studies examined the relation between type of food and risk of breast cancer.
As the records revealed, the subjects were consuming three different types of diets; an unwholesome diet with high content of red meats and processed grains, a healthy diet rich in fruits, vegetables and whole grains, and differing levels of alcohol.
The premise behind evaluating food intake by subjects was that that foods and beverages are almost always consumed together and evaluating them holistically would lead to better certification.
Findings of the study
Analysis revealed that females taking a nutritious diet were at 11 percent reduced risk of breast cancer compared to those indulging in unhealthy diet including wine, beer and spirits which increased their chances of having breast cancer to 21 percent.
Dr. Michelle Holmes, epidemiologist, Harvard Medical School, Boston who was not involved in the main study, said, “Consuming a prudent, healthy diet that includes lots of fruits, vegetables and whole grains is a wise idea, because there is lots of scientific evidence that it prevents heart disease and diabetes.”
“This study shows that an additional benefit might be a small decrease in breast cancer risk,” Holmes added.
Alcohol intake and breast cancer linked
Researchers established that alcohol consumption by postmenopausal females leads to higher levels of oestrogen, a female hormone, which has been diffidently related to breast cancer.
Brennan however stressed, “These findings need to be interpreted cautiously, noting that there are inherent statistical problems in combining the results of multiple studies, in addition to the limitations of each included study, such as recall bias.”
“There is a need for more carefully designed studies in the future to further examine the diet-breast cancer link,” added Brennan.
The study appears in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.